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TheLionKing
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For the second game in a row Canada played catch up hockey but finally persevered with a 5-3 victory over Slovakia. Canada need to stay out of the penalty box if they hope to win. All of Slovakia's goal came on the power play. Emotions will be high as they play the USA tomorrow. Go Canada
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D
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I think it's all 3 games they have given up an early goal. Winning the next one is the easiest path to gold .. Go Canada!
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sj-roc
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D wrote:I think it's all 3 games they have given up an early goal. Winning the next one is the easiest path to gold .. Go Canada!
Even all the pre-tournament games, too. And another slow start today against Team USA, outshot 13-6 in the first and outplayed most of the way. Our last 3-4 shots were all in the final minute of the period. At least we haven't given up the first goal (yet?).

I can't remember the last time I wasn't greatly disappointed at not winning gold at this thing but with our lacklustre play so far this could be one of those years.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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sj-roc
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sj-roc wrote:
D wrote:I think it's all 3 games they have given up an early goal. Winning the next one is the easiest path to gold .. Go Canada!
Even all the pre-tournament games, too. And another slow start today against Team USA, outshot 13-6 in the first and outplayed most of the way. Our last 3-4 shots were all in the final minute of the period. At least we haven't given up the first goal (yet?).

I can't remember the last time I wasn't greatly disappointed at not winning gold at this thing but with our lacklustre play so far this could be one of those years.
Spoke too soon, 1-0 USA on a wrap around.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
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After a slow start in which Zach Fucale kept them in the game, Canada scores 3 straight enroute to a 3-2 win. They finish 1st in their group and now faces the Swiss in the quarter finals on Thursday.
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sj-roc
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TheLionKing wrote:After a slow start in which Zach Fucale kept them in the game, Canada scores 3 straight enroute to a 3-2 win. They finish 1st in their group and now faces the Swiss in the quarter finals on Thursday.
We keep coming back but I don't know how many more times we can go to that well. We haven't really played a full 60 minute game yet and things won't get any easier from here.

On the plus side, we've faced our share of adversity, which might have been absent from some previous editions of Team Canada who were en route to running the table until losing gold or a semi, so this could be an asset as we enter the win-or-go-home phase of the tournament. Until today, the US was reminding me of some of these past Canadian teams in this respect.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
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I agree. There is no superstar nor any real sniper on this team (unless you count Connor McDavid but he's only 16). Scoring is by committee.
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Rammer
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TheLionKing wrote:I agree. There is no superstar nor any real sniper on this team (unless you count Connor McDavid but he's only 16). Scoring is by committee.
Mantha is the closest thing to a sniper, but Canada's overall play really hasn't helped capitalize on his ability in the tougher games. He doesn't pass the puck very well, so a defender can pay full attention on him vs worrying about the pass from Mantha.

Loved the game today though, finally had the goaltending that is required to win this tournament, but Sweden looks head and shoulders above everyone else IMO. In fact that Swedish team would give the Oilers a good game.
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sj-roc
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Saw this preview for today's game on the official IIHF-WJHC website:

http://www.worldjunior2014.com/en/news/usa-can-preview/

Excerpt:
An all-North American clash on New Year’s Eve has become something of a mini-tradition within the larger Christmas tradition of the World Juniors.

Of course, it’s not always possible to schedule such a game (i.e., if the teams aren’t in the same group), but the nations have met eight previous times on the final day of the year. Canada holds a decisive advantage, having won five and tied one.

What’s more startling is how the teams have gone on to play in the tournament after the New Year. Canada has won a medal every time except 1981, when it finished 7th. This was in the days before the Program of Excellence, though, when a club team represented Canada at the U20 and the format was strictly round robin. The medal tally includes three gold (1988, 2006, 2009), two silver (1999, 2010), and two bronze (2000, 2012).

The Americans, on the other hand, have won only one medal, a gold in 2010. They have finished 4th twice, and 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. In short, the trend shows that if Canada wins, it is able to use the victory as a springboard to greater success in the playoff round. The Americans have shown that a loss is demoralizing enough to compromise the rest of the tournament.

Of course, this may or may not mean anything tonight. None of the players in the game today played at the last meeting two years ago, and, in truth, there are very few junior-league rivals or teammates facing each other.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
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Canada 4-1 over Switzerland. Plays Finland next in the semi
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Rammer
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sj-roc wrote:Saw this preview for today's game on the official IIHF-WJHC website:

http://www.worldjunior2014.com/en/news/usa-can-preview/

Excerpt:
An all-North American clash on New Year’s Eve has become something of a mini-tradition within the larger Christmas tradition of the World Juniors.

Of course, it’s not always possible to schedule such a game (i.e., if the teams aren’t in the same group), but the nations have met eight previous times on the final day of the year. Canada holds a decisive advantage, having won five and tied one.

What’s more startling is how the teams have gone on to play in the tournament after the New Year. Canada has won a medal every time except 1981, when it finished 7th. This was in the days before the Program of Excellence, though, when a club team represented Canada at the U20 and the format was strictly round robin. The medal tally includes three gold (1988, 2006, 2009), two silver (1999, 2010), and two bronze (2000, 2012).

The Americans, on the other hand, have won only one medal, a gold in 2010. They have finished 4th twice, and 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. In short, the trend shows that if Canada wins, it is able to use the victory as a springboard to greater success in the playoff round. The Americans have shown that a loss is demoralizing enough to compromise the rest of the tournament.

Of course, this may or may not mean anything tonight. None of the players in the game today played at the last meeting two years ago, and, in truth, there are very few junior-league rivals or teammates facing each other.
I had a feeling that the US would lose to Russia after their loss to the Canadians. Russia hasn't looked like an elite team, but have many elite players, just enough to be dangerous if they begin to play together. While Sweden has looked a head above the competition, they are on the verge of going to the semi's, they may have a little too much confidence going into the semi final against Russia, look for a good game.

In retrospect the Canada win over the US was crucial to their path to the finals, playing Switzerland in the quarters and Finland in semi's is as easy a route to the finals as they are going to ever see, and even with that I am not sold on them making the final. Fucale is the difference maker, if he can continue to play at the level he showed against the US, Canada should make it to the Gold medal match, anything less and Finland is going to be a very difficult hurdle to make the jump to the GMF.
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Rammer
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Sweden is going to the Gold Medal match, while hanging onto a 2 - 1 win over Russia. What seems to becoming more of a Russian tradition, a brawl broke out at the end of the game, and there may be a suspension or two handed out. That should add a little extra fuel to the Canadians hopefully. I would say that Finland should give Canada a game, but Canada should come out the victor without a meltdown by Fucale.
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TheLionKing
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Scoreless after one period
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sj-roc
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TheLionKing wrote:Scoreless after one period
We've had some slow starts offensively in this tournament but generally we've finished strong. Goal scoring by period so far:

Canada.........7....5....11
Opposition.....4....5.....3
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
TheLionKing
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Finland takes the lead on a weird bounce
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