GDT: World Junior Championships

[Taro T]

28 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

Interesting.  Gretzky only had 17 points as an 18 yo.  And Dale McCourt w/ 1 extra game outscored him by a single point.  (Schenn too.)

[inkman]

43 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

 

11 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Interesting.  Gretzky only had 17 points as an 18 yo.  And Dale McCourt w/ 1 extra game outscored him by a single point.  (Schenn too.)

Also interesting, Cody freakin Hodgson is on that list.  

[Taro T]

Durn it.  Finns back w/in 1.  Getting the US to run around in their own end. 8 minutes left in regulatiin.

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, inkman said:

 

Also interesting, Cody freakin Hodgson is on that list.  

Vancouver fans around here were ready to anoint him as the next Dale Hawerchuk.

The hype was unbearable.

[ubkev]

Damn it!

[GASabresIUFAN]

Choke?

[ubkev]

They've been playing like pure ass for 10 minutes.

[ubkev]

Until that!

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, ubkev said:

Until that!

What a great shot.

[ubkev]

Wooo! Let's go boys!

USA is gonna be about a +$330 dog against Canada. Go get em!

[Curt]

58 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

That’s a list of good hockey players!  If Cozens can be the type of player who fits in among the rest on that list, I’ll be very pleased.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Cozens vs Zegras. If I had to guess, whichever has the better game, their team wins the gold.

Edited January 5, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[Curt]

31 minutes ago, inkman said:

 

Also interesting, Cody freakin Hodgson is on that list.  

Hodgson was a good player.  I think he would have been very good if not for his health problems, which were out of his control.

He had three 19+ goal, 40+ point seasons by age 23, and his career was over by age 25.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Curt

[inkman]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

Hodgson was a good player.  I think he would have been very good if not for his health problems, which were out of his control.

He had three 19+ goal, 40+ point seasons by age 23, and his career was over by age 25.

No debate here.  Seeing a list with Gretzky, Hodgson and Cozens was eye popping.  

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Cozens vs Zegras. If I had to guess, whichever has the better game, their team wins the gold.

Zegras is very offensively gifted, but Cozens is a more complete player. Either could star in the final (or both) but I'm happier we have Cozens coming to the Sabres. I've seen every game Canada played and I absolutely love this guy. Can't wait for the day he wears the C in Buffalo, which he will. 

Final will be fast, that's all I can predict. Both teams very skilled and very fast. It's strange to an old timer like me that the North American teams were faster than the European ones. Always used to be the other way around. I think Canada is the better team, and will win, but a hot goalie or a little luck could turn it either way. Should be fun. 

[North Buffalo]

So who do you rout for Cozens or Johnson... man that sounds just wrong... but hey its hockey

[French Collection]

9 hours ago, Taro T said:

Interesting.  Gretzky only had 17 points as an 18 yo.  And Dale McCourt w/ 1 extra game outscored him by a single point.  (Schenn too.)

Gretzky was only 16. He played in the WHA at 17.

Edited January 5, 2021 by French Collection

[Curt]

49 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Gretzky was only 16. He played in the WHA at 17.

He was 17.  Born Jan 26, 1961.  WJC in Dec 1978.

EDIT:  I’m wrong.  1978 WJC was in late 1977-early 1978.  This is the 2021 WJC.  The graphic is wrong.  It says 2020 for Cozens this WJC.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Curt

[dudacek]

Canada has not allowed an ES goal in the tourney. The US has scored 42 per cent on the PP.

Canada may have the deepest team it has ever iced. The US has more gamebreakers.

Canada has the out-of-nowhere goalie. The US has the highly-touted first-rounder.

Canada has not been challenged. The US has overcome adversity.

Both play fast and hard and don't really like each other.

I love hockey.

Edited January 5, 2021 by dudacek

[LGR4GM]

Interested to see Quinn and Cozens in the final game here. I think Quinn has developed a bit throughout this and Cozens is just flat out dominant at times. Johnson looks like I thought with I would say some better decision making than we've seen in the past which has really upped his game. 

Should be fun but I think Canada wins this. 

Edited January 5, 2021 by LGR4GM

[dudacek]

Quinn really seems to evolved into the Jochen Hecht of Team Canada: a middle six winger who is trusted in all situations, but is the go-to guy for none: regular shift, 2nd PP, 2nd PK.

I have been disappointed with his offence. He passes the puck surprisingly well and usually makes good decisions with it and supports his linemates positionally; he's earned his assists. But he's just OK carrying it. And he rarely looks like a threat to score. He's only had maybe three good chances in the tourney. We haven't seen his deadly shot at all, and we haven't seen that scorers mindset, where he is driving the net and demanding the puck.

His defence has been outstanding. He is always on the right side of the puck, always covering for the pinching defenceman, always coming back hard and disrupting the rush. He's got an active stick and creates turnovers in both zones. He battles hard always, sometimes with mixed results — stronger defencemen have shut him down in this area. He never cheats — scratch that, he never cheats offensively, but he will peel back and cheat defensively at times where maybe he should have gambled. He goes hard and he gets off the ice.

I'm really left with the impression that he entered the camp with the mindset of a guy on the outside looking in; his coach told him that if he wanted to make the team he was going to have to be as a checker, and he took that to heart.

I love the coachability that shows, if in fact that's what is going on; It makes me think there's an NHL player there. But it does leave open the question of whether he can bring legitimate top-6 offence to the next level.

I have no question that he will put in the work.

Edited January 5, 2021 by dudacek

[French Collection]

30 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Quinn really seems to evolved into the Jochen Hecht of Team Canada: a middle six winger who is trusted in all situations, but is the go-to guy for none: regular shift, 2nd PP, 2nd PK.

I have been disappointed with his offence. He passes the puck surprisingly well and usually makes good decisions with it and supports his linemates positionally; he's earned his assists. But he's just OK carrying it. And he rarely looks like a threat to score. He's only had maybe three good chances in the tourney. We haven't seen his deadly shot at all, and we haven't seen that scorers mindset, where he is driving the net and demanding the puck.

His defence has been outstanding. He is always on the right side of the puck, always covering for the pinching defenceman, always coming back hard and disrupting the rush. He's got an active stick and creates turnovers in both zones. He battles hard always, sometimes with mixed results — stronger defencemen have shut him down in this area. He never cheats — scratch that, he never cheats offensively, but he will peel back and cheat defensively at times where maybe he should have gambled. He goes hard and he gets off the ice.

I'm really left with the impression that he entered the camp with the mindset of a guy on the outside looking in; his coach told him that if he wanted to make the team he was going to have to be as a checker, and he took that to heart.

I love the coachability that shows, if in fact that's what is going on; It makes me think there's an NHL player there. But it does leave open the question of whether he can bring legitimate top-6 offence to the next level.

I have no question that he will put in the work.

This is a really good assessment of Jack Quinn.

I 100% agree with your thought that he had to become the defensive conscience of whatever line he is on, in order to make this team. I am impressed that he has embraced that role and excelled at it. I think he is capable of being the trigger man at the next level. I was worried about his junior numbers, more goals than assists, but he can pass very well. They award two assists for every goal so I don’t like seeing guys with way more goals. This is another reason I do not like Matthews. A centre should have more assists, even if he is a good shooter.

Even though he’s been on some good lines he has not got to the net or meander around waiting for the feed. (This is what I dislike about Caufield, he’s a gun but he doesn’t do much else).

Winning gold is the goal and if he uses this as another stepping stone in his development the Sabres may have to find a spot for Quinn next year.

I’ve said he’s a mix of Stone and Reinhart but there is also some Pominville in his game.

 

[ubkev]

I really feel like Canada is going to win this without much trouble. The bookmakers do not agree with me. 

[LGR4GM]

16 minutes ago, French Collection said:

This is a really good assessment of Jack Quinn.

I 100% agree with your thought that he had to become the defensive conscience of whatever line he is on, in order to make this team. I am impressed that he has embraced that role and excelled at it. I think he is capable of being the trigger man at the next level. I was worried about his junior numbers, more goals than assists, but he can pass very well. They award two assists for every goal so I don’t like seeing guys with way more goals. This is another reason I do not like Matthews. A centre should have more assists, even if he is a good shooter.

Even though he’s been on some good lines he has not got to the net or meander around waiting for the feed. (This is what I dislike about Caufield, he’s a gun but he doesn’t do much else).

Winning gold is the goal and if he uses this as another stepping stone in his development the Sabres may have to find a spot for Quinn next year.

I’ve said he’s a mix of Stone and Reinhart but there is also some Pominville in his game.

 

Quinn will probably need a full AHL year next year. I hope the OHL just doesn't play this year so he can start that now... as he should. The OHL rules are stupid, a 19year old first rounder should be allowed in the AHL. 

[French Collection]

28 minutes ago, ubkev said:

I really feel like Canada is going to win this without much trouble. The bookmakers do not agree with me. 

My heart is obviously with Canada, I need to find reasons for my brain to back it up.

Goaltending is a wash, Knight is top notch but Levi has been rock solid.

Defense is very close.

Forward lines are in Canada’s favour. I see more scoring depth and they can roll all 4 lines.

Canada needs to stay out of the box because the USA has a deadly PP. They scare me. Discipline will be key.

I think Canada is also hungrier, these guys have been locked in their bubbles since late November. They will come out of the gate hard and the first 10 minutes may set the table. As Bryzgalov said back in the day, they were like gorillas released from the cage.