Godwin's Law is invoked.  Please don't stop writing for I am reading through the postering to actually learn alot about the juniors even if it is biased or worthy of challenge.  It is far better reading than NHL dribblings of the defuncted season!

 

In response to islamorada's comment:

Sounds a lot like Hitler to me...;)

In response to Klaas' comment:

What else would a coach say to the media ? Is he going to rip Subban instead ? Not a chance . They still have a tournament to play.



 

More pre tournament games today on TSN.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22 EVENT TIME ET/PT NETWORK
Finland vs. USA (Pre-Competition) 6am/3am TSN
Canada vs. Sweden (Pre-Competition) 9am/6am TSN
Canada vs. Sweden (Pre-Competition)* 7pm/4pm TSN2
Finland vs. USA (Pre-Competition)* 9:30pm/6:30pm TSN2

A line to watch in the tournament. Finland's Armia-Granlund-Salomaki. Wow, so far ! As a matter of fact Finland as a team looks very impressive.

In response to islamorada's comment:

Some of us have to read through the posturing while others have to read through the philosophy. 

Challenging for both.

I think team Canada will win it this year.

 

And I think HC Vitkovice Steel will win the Spengler Cup.

What else would a coach say?  Depends on the coach.  Keenan might say "our goalie was just atrocious, so the upside is he can't play any worse."  Burns might have said "he knows he needs to be better than that...."

Good to have a beatdown going into a tournament, keeps the cockyness quelled. Now Phil Housley has someting to yell about over the next few days and makes the last few cust easier.

When hard court tennis players don't practice enough on clay they get wopped up on or sometimes even if they do practice allot. The Finnish coach made adjustments after the 1st period cause the US were controlling the pace.

The Swedes looked sluggish against the US but I don't expect de Svens to stay that way even if the US didn't have all their best players on the ice the other day. Russia is the team to beat, fast, very fast.

 

PS. Depends on who's philosophy Isla.

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn't.  Depending on if they thought ripping on their  players would help. That's who they were.

But this is 2012. Steve Spott and Ron Tugnutt are the coaches. They apparently aren't in the same mould as Keenan and Burns were. If a coach ripped a goalie before the tourney even started nowadays I don't think it would go over to well with team chemistry which is what they're trying to build as all relatively new to each other as a team.

"What else would a coach say to the media ? Is he going to rip Subban instead ? Not a chance . They still have a tournament to play." (Chowdahkid).

Don't go ripping the coach. A lot of what he was doing was informing the media that the Finns winning goal was a result of a deflection. Apparently some Canadians needed some soothing about Subban's play, as they were not aware of that deflection.

Well, that may be Spott's m.o., but if so, he isn't every coach and I would hope even with Spott, what he says to the media is calculated on how best to motivate his team and his player.  If he thinks Subban is a mental marshmallow, then sure, he's going to rush to his defense in the media because he needs him.  If he feels like Subban's the kind of player who will want to show him how wrong he is, he might say "Malcolm needs to find his game on the big ice."  Or "at the end of the day, it's a short tournament and we'll go with the guy who gives us the best chance to win."

In the end, your question was "what else would a coach say to the media?" not "what else is Spott going to say, knowing his m.o.?" 

Canada is the team to beat, any of u watch the super series this summer?

1 game elimination anybody could win, but it's pretty clear who has the most talent.

In response to Klaas' comment:

Ripping the coach ? What are you talking about ?

I'm saying " is he going to tear a strip off his goalie in the media or have his back" ? Of course he's going to defend him..........thus the question " what else is he going to say ?"

And if you have seen Subban play this year you'll know what the concerns are with him presently from soothing seeking Canadians. He is not playing up to prior standards set.

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

Nope.

My question was "what else would he say ?" Nothing to do with knowing Spott's m.o. or Subban's mental state.

It's a WJHC pre tournament game, these are junior players not professionals. Bashing players through the media at this level in a tournament of this magnitude is rarely done by coaches ( if done at all ) , not just Spott and his m.o. 

This is not about what Burns, Keenan or Eddie Shore would do as pro coaches in the pro game ? It's what happens at this level.

Have players in the past who had been picked to go to these tournaments ever been ripped through the media individually by their coaches ? IMO, that would be stupid for a coach to do. 
 
If you have any instances I'm all ears. 

In response to pauly1's comment:

Finland ?

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

You'd have to say so after those two games, wouldn't you?  It's going to be a hell of a tourny.

In response to Chowdahkid-'s comment:

I quoted your original question wfw again because your answer to my first response suggested that Spott wasn't the kind of coach to send messages through the media and he should be concered about the chemistry of the team.
 

I'm hardly talking about "ripping" a guy when I suggest a coach might say, in the media, exactly what you've just said - that Subban isn't playing up to the level we expected right now and needs to step it up.  How is that ripping him?  How is it different than the usual message coming out of pre-tournament: "we have to stay out of the box.  We've talked about the standards being different and that's not going to change, so it's up to the players to adjust."  Basically calling it like everyone sees it. Spott's version this year simply included the message that the refs weren't even up to that standard.

Sometimes that kind of message is just the truth.  I think in this case, what Spott said was also just the truth - that Subban gave up two 5 on 3 pp goals and one deflection, so they're fine with his performance even in a loss.  I'd have been happier if he'd ended the sentence with "and he can be better still for us."  I'd rather that little reminder to Malcolm at this stage than have him lose the job to Binnington (which, if forced to bet, I would put money on at this point) and think "but the coach said it was all good!"

 

The usa getting thumped by the fins means nothing, these are prep games. They are alot better than what they showed in this game.

Finland ? [/QUOTE] You'd have to say so after those two games, wouldn't you?  It's going to be a hell of a tourny. [/QUOTE]

Finland does look really tough but interesting note about Finnish goaltenders going to the pros but not having a great performance in the WJC since Tuukka Rask. Joonas Korpisalo hasn't really been tested only faced 14 shots in half a game. The heat will be turned up in the medal rounds.

 

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

You took this wrong .Not just Spott. Any coach at this level. He just happens to be the current coach when I used his name. Nothing to do with solely his m.o. as it seems to be a constant theme among junior coaches. 

For the record "ripping" was my term. Nothing to do with anything you've said. This was just my way of saying that media bashing players isn't done. That terms on me.

And sure Subban wasn't to be faulted for those goals ( screens and a deflection ). But for anyone to deny that he's not playing as good as we've seen him play is just fooling themselves. I'm a big fan of his and I'll admit it. At the present moment he is not playing his game.

On that last part, we agree completely.

In response to pauly1's comment:

Wrong Pauly. I would say the Russians are the team to beat.  Won the gold 2 years ago, silver last year after a long OT aginst Sweeden , very good goal tending, used to playing on the big ice surfance (not service LOL) AND they're at home. 

BTW the super series they were in every game against Canada and won as much as the Canadians , only a shootout in the last game determined the winner in Canada. The Subways series also , while a little different ,  Canada's talent was spread out between the 3 leagues ,  the Russians did very well and again series was won on the last game by a shootout.

Canada must get accustomed very fast to playing the big ice surface, especially while on the PK where there's a whole lot of space to move the puck around when you're up a man . Although against the Swedes they did pretty well. So does the goalies (Subban) , shots come from different angles .

Binnington was very good and that spells decision time for coach , Subban ?  I'm guessing they start with Binnington , then go to Subban but in the end coach will go with Subban just for his experience in International play.  Good move ?  maybe not but it's Canada's conservative way.

p.s. U.S.A made their cuts and another Bruin in the tourny.  5 total.

 

 

 

Wow Slovakia ties Russia with 37 seconds left. So much for being a pushover in that bracket.