Is Team Canada Good Enough for Gold?

Let’s not push the panic button yet just because Team Canada needed to go to the shoot-out to secure the win over the trap-e-zoid Swiss team. Sure, Canada was not at the top of their game, but the Grade “A” scoring opportunities alone were so lopsided it was ridiculous.

Never mind the shots on goal (18-3), how many times in the third period did Jonas Hiller come up with spectacular saves to preserve the tie? Make no mistake about it either, the Swiss were playing for the tie.

When the opposition plays the trap, and clogs up the neutral zone, it does not make for a very free-flowing game, and Canada at times had problems being patient with that.

Marty Brodeur was good in goal, and the shots that beat him...well I don’t know any goaltender that can stop a shot that goes in off the goal post—and the other was a fortunate goal for the Swiss, going in off a Canadian player.

Not to sound like sour grapes, but Drew Doughty was interfered with on the first goal, and I was surprised at how many of the interference-type penalties went uncalled.

Team Canada players have yet to gel, and that’s not uncommon for a short series of this nature. They have only had a few practices and two games to find that chemistry. In saying that, I was disappointed in some of the performances. 

Rick Nash, all 6’4”, 218 lbs. of him, needs to compete for the puck a lot better than he did last night. Way too many times he lost the battle for the puck, and that shouldn’t happen to a guy with his size, especially against players much smaller than him.

Take a look at how Sidney Crosby competes and come out of scrums with it. If Nash had the same intensity, he would be downright scary. Someone needs to light a fire under Nash for him to be effective or else Babcock should shift him down to the fourth line.

Brendan Morrow, with the little ice time that he had, was way more effective on the fore-check, banging bodies and creating energy. Did anyone even notice Jonathan Toews or Jerome Iginla last night? Neither of them had a shot on goal. What’s with that?

Chris Pronger is looking a little slow out there, and this could be a version of “Fright Night” when he meets up with the flying U.S. Team on Sunday. 

Team Canada players also need to get a little more selfish with the puck and start shooting when the opportunities are there and quit trying to set each other up.

Best line to date, which makes sense since they play together, is the San Jose Sharks trio of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Dany Heatley. Crosby’s line will be just fine when Coach Mike Babcock figures out who’s going to play with him.

Personally, I like Patrice Bergeron or Brendan Morrow and Eric Staal with Crosby. When Ryan Getzlaf’s line starts clicking than the three lines will be hard to match up against.

Not sure what has happened with Brent Seabrook, as he only played 8:28 last night when he was expected to be Keith Duncan’s partner. I have not heard any reports about him being hurt. Looks like Babcock thinks Drew Doughty is the better player, but not with what I saw last night.

Right now, I do not see why Brodeur would not be the starting goalie for the game against the U.S. If Canada had lost, then we may have seen Roberto Luongo, but don’t expect Luongo to play any more unless Brodueur goes in the tank or gets hurt.

In closing, I am hoping that Team Canada’s defense plays a whole lot better this Sunday, or Brodeur will have to be at his very best, especially against the Ryan Kesler line.