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US Junior Team Part II

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Re: US Junior Team Part II

Puck Swami said:
The US did start trapping (went to a 1-2-2) with a two goal lead, but that's to be expected, especially after giving up the two goal lead on New Years Eve to Canada and not trapping.
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Which they were playing to perfection until the penalty. The US got into an outstanding rhythm of getting the puck out, chipping it in and getting a quick change, repeat. Canada had very little sustained pressure and the US actually had some very good scoring opportunities - one of which led to the penalty.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

Hokydad said:
These kids were all top players before they got there and were so when they left.
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Yeah, most of them were when they got there, but it's not automatic that they are by the time they leave. There's a large gap between the skills of a top 16 year old and a top 18 year old player. They don't work miracles, but getting talented guys together to play tougher college level competion at early age was and still is a good idea. If the 2 golds in this tourney in the last decade which happen to be the first for USA don't prove anything to you, then...

It's far from perfect at this point and it's not always doing what us college fans want (direct them away from MJs), but it is improving players.
 
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Re: US Junior Team Part II

bronconick said:
Because NHL players are better at system defense than 17-19 year old kids?
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I agree the NHL players are the best system players in the world but I disagree a bunch of 17 to 19 year old kids surely can perform a fine result.

Team USA got into penalty trouble and that my friends is the reason why they gave up their two goal lead. It wasn't because Blais decided to use the 1-2-2 system.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

mookie1995 said:
When the wjc was in Boston, wasn't it in fact in Marlborough at the complex? That was the year Jack coached and they left off Paul Mara because he passed on college and went to mj
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There was at least one game at NESC. I think the USA played a placement game there on the last day of the tournament.

IIRC, the finals were @ Conte and it you could have shot a cannon through the place and not hit anyone. The Canadian announcers were not complimentary of the host organization. If they held it there now, I think USA / Mass hockey would do a better job.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

joecct said:
There was at least one game at NESC. I think the USA played a placement game there on the last day of the tournament.

IIRC, the finals were @ Conte and it you could have shot a cannon through the place and not hit anyone. The Canadian announcers were not complimentary of the host organization. If they held it there now, I think USA / Mass hockey would do a better job.
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Everything has changed hockey wise since Boston and Minneapolis hosted the WJC's. USA is organized and showing fine results. In the future I firmly believe we will see more cities like MPLS and Boston hosting the event with great results.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

4four4 said:
Everything has changed hockey wise since Boston and Minneapolis hosted the WJC's. USA is organized and showing fine results. In the future I firmly believe we will see more cities like MPLS and Boston hosting the event with great results.
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St. Paul would do a much better job than Minneapolis. :p :D
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

candycanes99 said:
Yeah, most of them were when they got there, but it's not automatic that they are by the time they leave. There's a large gap between the skills of a top 16 year old and a top 18 year old player. They don't work miracles, but getting talented guys together to play tougher college level competion at early age was and still is a good idea. If the 2 golds in this tourney in the last decade which happen to be the first for USA don't prove anything to you, then...

It's far from perfect at this point and it's not always doing what us college fans want (direct them away from MJs), but it is improving players.
Click to expand...

It proves to me one thing. Players are players and they can compete. I dont for a second think that the Gold medals are a testiment to the natl program

What it proves to me is that more kids are playing, from all over the country and not just the old traditional hot beds. USA hockey is on the rise and will continue to do so
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

I just watched the extended highlights, and I just feel the need to point out how ridiculous the last 20 seconds of that game were. Last night, I think I was a little too excited to realize how incredible that sequence was. In the final 20 seconds, Schroeder split the Canada D only to be denied and have Canada break the other way. That rush ended with Campbell stonewalling Pietrangelo, and then the US came right back the other way to win it. With so much on the line, that might be the best back-and-forth sequence I've ever seen.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

For all of our excitement about beating Canada last night, the fact remains that only a tiny fraction of us-based hockey fans (which is a tiny fraction of sports fans) were even aware of this game in the first place.

I am afraid that hosting this event in Boston or Minneapolis now would only be a shade better in attendance that the last times these events were held there('82 and '95). I have a hard time thinking the US fans alone could fill any rink over 10,000 people for this event anywhere in America. That's why we hold this event in cities close to Canada to boost the attendance with Canadians who can drive over the border to watch. Next year, Buffalo's HSBC Arena will be 75% Canadian if the Canada and the USA do meet. The Candians will stream down from Toronto in numbers and buy up scalped seats from cash strapped Buffalonians who got the tickets for face value.

It's sorta like the US Soccer team always having to play 85% of their home games in front of hostile crowds in their own country.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

Ralph Baer said:
The win over Finland in 1980 is probably somewhere in the Top 10.
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I wonder how many people actually remember that the national team still had that one more game after the USSR game, and had they lost, could have come in 4th? Herb's pre-game quote on that game was priceless...

If you lose this, you'll take it to your ****ing grave. *paces* ...your ****ing grave.
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We played 20 minutes of good hockey in that one; I don't know if it'd be top 10.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

Have to say my stomach dropped on the second Eberle goal and had to leave the screen during intermission before the OT.

But what a great feeling when Carlson scored the GWG!

USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

Puck Swami said:
For all of our excitement about beating Canada last night, the fact remains that only a tiny fraction of us-based hockey fans (which is a tiny fraction of sports fans) were even aware of this game in the first place.

I am afraid that hosting this event in Boston or Minneapolis now would only be a shade better in attendance that the last times these events were held there('82 and '95). I have a hard time thinking the US fans alone could fill any rink over 10,000 people for this event anywhere in America. That's why we hold this event in cities close to Canada to boost the attendance with Canadians who can drive over the border to watch. Next year, Buffalo's HSBC Arena will be 75% Canadian if the Canada and the USA do meet. The Candians will stream down from Toronto in numbers and buy up scalped seats from cash strapped Buffalonians who got the tickets for face value.

It's sorta like the US Soccer team always having to play 85% of their home games in front of hostile crowds in their own country.
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Kinda like your prediction of a fifth place finish for Team USA.:p Anywhere in America? Please don't pontificate when you don't know what you're talking about and yet act like it. Even Saskatoon had attendance issues and was only operating at 89% capacity for the tournament. Once again, location, venue, proven market strategies, price and accessibility to ticket sales are key issues for success. The 2005 WJC in GF was well attended and successful. As one example, it would also work at the X in St. Paul, especially now with Team USAs success.:rolleyes:
 
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Re: US Junior Team Part II

They got about 5000 people in Fargo for the US-Russia U18 final last year. I bet you could double that number if you had a bigger event, in a bigger city, and it was marketed properly.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

HarleyMC said:
Kinda like your prediction of a fifth place finish for Team USA.:p Anywhere in America? Please don't pontificate when you don't know what you're talking about and yet act like it. Even Saskatoon had attendance issues and was only operating at 89% capacity for the tournament. Once again, location, venue, proven market strategies, price and accessibility to ticket sales are key issues for success. The 2005 WJC in GF was well attended and successful. As one example, it would also work at the X in St. Paul, especially now with Team USAs success.:rolleyes:
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Eh, Saskatoon is a tiny metropolitan area. I think "Greater" Duluth might have more people, I know Binghamton does. Putting 15,000 people in a building is basically 1 out of every 12 or 13 people in the entire region attending the game.

Yes, this tournament could succeed in certain places, such as St. Paul, but I cannot see American fans taking this tournament to heart like Canadians. One of the things the IIHF loves about the Canucks, is there ability to put up decent crowds for games not involving the home squad. I could see a lot of preliminary games in the US struggling to find ticket buyers. I can't see say Denmark-Slovakia drawing anything more than flies in the States.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

BoomGoestheDynamite said:
Eh, Saskatoon is a tiny metropolitan area. I think "Greater" Duluth might have more people, I know Binghamton does. Putting 15,000 people in a building is basically 1 out of every 12 or 13 people in the entire region attending the game.
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Grand Forks only has 50k people or so, yet they draw almost 11k for an exhibition hockey game. That's 1 out of every 4 or 5 people in the region. :)

If GF can do that, certainly Saskatoon can sell out 15k seats for a tourney that is considered their "Super Bowl". ;)
 
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