2015 World Junior Championships

[Hokydad]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

He will go 2nd

1A and 1B, A did put a little distance between the 2.

After that, no one else even close

What ruins the team for USA is the obsession with Natl dev players and promoting them.

You trying to tell me there were no 95's better than Matthews and a few few other forwards. Of course there were. Also, love Hannifin but he needs to stop trying bout for scouts. Two or three times yesterday he was looping around neutral zone, turning back and over handling puck with F's standing on blue line wide open. Sickening to watch. Other countries dontcworry about politics and conflicts and load the team. US does not do that and it shows. The pumping of tires and promoting for the draft chesprns the event

[Bonin21]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

You trying to tell me there were no 95's better than Matthews and a few few other forwards. Of course there were.

K make that roster with a better set of forwards than with Eichel, Matthews, Schmaltz, Tuch, Larkin, and Milano then. Good luck.

[Hokydad]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

Very easily.

If they were so great they wouldn't be driving home after getting spanked by Russia and Canada back to back. Eliminated in Qtrs and out played last two games and you think that's the best we have? Russia could barely skate with the czecks

[Hokydad]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

He will go 2nd

1A and 1B, A did put a little distance between the 2.

After that, no one else even close

What ruins the team for USA is the obsession with Natl dev players and promoting them.

You trying to tell me there were no 95's better than Matthews and a few few other forwards. Of course there were. Also, love Hannifin but he needs to stop trying bout for scouts. Two orvtgreectimes yesterday hexwasblooping around neutral zone, turning back and over handling puck with F's standing on blue line wide open. Sickening to watch. Other countries dontcworry about politics and conflicts and load the team. US does not do that and it shows. The pumping of tires and promoting for the draft chesprns the event

Justin Bailey, Adam Ernie, Connor Garland should have been there sinceyou asked. All 3 so far above Matthews for one as well as several others

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Switzerland beat Germany yesterday to demote the Germans down to division 1 for next year. Belarus will be up.

PS: I hope we land in the group with Slovakia next year as it's "2nd best" team. Rather than two of Canada, Sweden, Russia.

[alslammerz]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

K make that roster with a better set of forwards than with Eichel, Matthews, Schmaltz, Tuch, Larkin, and Milano then. Good luck.

I thought Matthews did very well all things considered. I'm questioning Miles Wood's inclusion on this team though (again, which pains me, because he's a Devils prospect.) The gap from prep school to U-20 WJs was always going to be incredibly high and he's one of the forwards I think this team could have replaced.

Besides the guys Hoky mentioned, I wonder if there was any talk (esp. if the theme was to have young guys there) of Alex DeBrincat from Detroit. He just turned 17 and has 30 goals and 30 assists in the OHL as a rookie for Erie. (He's also a gaudy +30, even if that stat is pretty meaningless these days.) He's only 5'7" and 160, but based on this season, I suspect he'll be donning the red, white and blue next year.

[Hokydad]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

They don't need young guys scoring vs 16 year olds
They needed a team loaded with 95's

All political bs to promote Natl kids for draft

Team has become a farce

[J.D.]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

I thought Matthews did very well all things considered. I'm questioning Miles Wood's inclusion on this team though (again, which pains me, because he's a Devils prospect.) The gap from prep school to U-20 WJs was always going to be incredibly high and he's one of the forwards I think this team could have replaced.

Having never seen him in action, I was surprised he made the team. That being said, I realize you can't simply take the 12/13 most talented forwards and just throw them out there. I think Wood probably fit what they were looking for in a 4th line player at this type of tournament. Did we take too many guys like that? Was it that the top nine we thought we had underperformed/were overrated? Maybe a combination of both.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Having never seen him in action, I was surprised he made the team. That being said, I realize you can't simply take the 12/13 most talented forwards and just throw them out there. I think Wood probably fit what they were looking for in a 4th line player at this type of tournament. Did we take too many guys like that? Was it that the top nine we thought we had underperformed/were overrated? Maybe a combination of both.

Outside of Larkin I'm hard pressed to think of another forward who had a really good tournament.

[alslammerz]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

Having never seen him in action, I was surprised he made the team. That being said, I realize you can't simply take the 12/13 most talented forwards and just throw them out there. I think Wood probably fit what they were looking for in a 4th line player at this type of tournament. Did we take too many guys like that? Was it that the top nine we thought we had underperformed/were overrated? Maybe a combination of both.

I get that to some extent, but if a prep school kid is your best choice for that 4th line type of player, maybe grab a better player and have him play a 4th line role. I don't think one swap would have made a difference in the end, but it makes me wonder about the U.S.'s team selection.

Of course, in a one-game elimination tournament, sometimes you run into a tough 'tender too, and the Russians did make 38 saves on 40 shots. If their goalie has even an average game, the U.S. are in the semis. (And if the Russians show up against the Czechs on New Year's Eve, that's also probably true.) But what from what I saw, I think there are definitely questions about this year's roster selection, as well as coaching, especially the PP scheme. And then many of our players underperformed or were overrated as well.

[J.D.]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

in regard to the shot totals, yes, we piled them up...i just didn't see the real scoring chances. didn't really see any offensive flare to this team. and i thought it would be the team's strength.

[Hokydad]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

They also changed lines every game. Had Woods on a top skilled line for a game. Shows they had no handle on roles

Should have had eichel and milano together always. Thus the problem. Two 96's in a tourn made for 95's

[J.D.]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

rare occasion but i agree with you here hoky. i noticed the constant line juggling as well. now maybe that's because the coaches weren't seeing any of the combos clicking. tough situation in a short tourney--whether to keep juggling lines or if you set some combos and give it a little time to click.

in situations like being down 3-1 to Russia I said reunite Eichel with Tuch and Milano given the chemistry of last year. In fact, think they should have done that earlier in the tourney. If you're not generating legit scoring chances, put your best known threat together.

[J.D.]

Re: 2015 World Junior Championships

hoky, that last sentence is kind of confusing though. i'm assuming you mean eichel and milano should have been on the team but that we simply didn't pick the right '95 forwards

[Hokydad]

hoky, that last sentence is kind of confusing though. i'm assuming you mean eichel and milano should have been on the team but that we simply didn't pick the right '95 forwards

My point is it is wrong to have your two best F's being 96's. One being a very late one

They use the event to promote program, inflate value for draft and justify the absurd amount of money they duck out of USA hockey to pay each other.

Would jack Johnson and pat Kane not have been NHL stars without this farce of a program? Did Phil kessel need it?

Canada supports leagues and development. We do it for 30 or 40 so a handful of morons can suck a few million in salaries out of it.