U.S. Nat’l U17 Team Survives Scare, Plays For Title Tonight

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Chris Peters

Just prior to last night’s World Junior match-up between the U.S. and Canada, another semifinal game was taking place all the way up in Winnipeg. The U.S. National Under-17 Team took on Canada-Pacific for the chance to play Canada-Ontario in the championship game at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Boy, was this a wild one.

After falling behind, 1-0, in the early goings of the game, Team USA had a burst of four goals in a 13 minute span in the first period. The U.S. grabbed one more in the second, before Pacific came back with a pair. Two more goals from the Canadian regional squad in the third and it was a tie hockey game. However, Nicolas Kerdiles was able to find the net at 7:24 of the extra frame to allow the U.S. to escape with a 6-5 win.

What makes this so weird is that almost the exact same thing happened to Team USA in last year’s semifinal against Sweden. The U.S. had a 4-0 lead before a five-straight goals by the Swedes pushed Team USA to the brink of elimination. It took a J.T. Miller goal with 40 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, where Reid Boucher scored the OT winner for the U.S. Score of that game? 6-5. Team USA’s championship game opponent was also Canada-Ontario… in Ontario. Before a raucous crowd in Timmins, the U.S. earned a 2-1 victory for its first title since 2002.

More weirdness. In 2009, with a team including Jack Campbell, Jason Zucker, Justin Faulk and Derek Forbort, the U.S., which had rolled through the tournament, went down to Canada-Pacific 3-0 before the half-way mark of the second period. The U.S. scored five consecutive goals to take a 5-3 lead, however Pacific was able to score once in the closing seconds of the middle period and once in the third to tie the game (with 1:17 remaining in regulation). Pacific then won it in overtime, 6-5 (!), sending the U.S. to the third-place game.

So what’s with these wild semifinals? I think its just the beauty of this tournament. You can’t let up even a little, or it will bite you. The Under-17 level is so hard to gauge because these guys have so much talent, but aren’t even close to their developmental peak. They are also prone to youthful mistakes. So it makes for really interesting hockey.

About tonight’s game:

According to the Winnpeg Free Press, close to 11,000 tickets have been sold for tonight’s championship match-up. That’s right. Close to 11,000 people are going to a hockey game to watch a bunch of 16 year olds play hockey. Gotta love it! USA-Canada is the best thing going at every level. The back of the Leaf jerseys might say Ontario, but there’s only one logo that matters to that crowd. Should be an intense atmosphere for these kids.

The U.S. squad had it pretty easy coming into its semifinal game. Having rolled over its previous four opponents, the test for Team USA finally came in the form of Team Pacific. Canada-Pacific and Ontario always seem to have really good teams at this tournament. So it was good that the U.S. was able to survive the scare against Pacific. Tonight they will meet a very good Ontario team that has won two of the last three titles.

Much like the United States, Ontario had a bit of a scare last night against Canada-Quebec. After going up 1-0 in the first period, Team Ontario allowed the tying goal in the second and battled through a scoreless third period. However, just 1:52 into overtime, Sean Monahan scored the game winner. So both teams come into this game battle tested after cruising in the prelims.

Knowing all of that, tonight’s match up should be a dandy. I’m sure the Ontario coaching staff is getting after their team, wanting to get that title back for their province and not allow an American team to come into Canada and take it back to the U.S.A. There’s probably a lot of “take back what’s ours” talk going on.

Danton Cole, former NHLer and head coach of Team USA, will likely stay the course with his club. He’s very confident in his group of players and the talent level of this U.S. squad is off the charts. They will have to be ready for a battle tonight, because its going to be a game with lots of contact and lots of speed. If they can win the physical battles and get some jump early, the U.S. will have a good chance to repeat as champs.

Hopefully it’s a better contest than last night’s WJC tilt. My guess is it will be a lot of fun to watch, regardless of the outcome.

If you’re interested in watching this game yourself, FASTHockey.com has been doing a very nice job with coverage all tournament long. It’s pay-per-view, but the quality has been good and the broadcasters have done a nice job, as well. With an exciting atmosphere and the (almost) always intense USA-Canada battle, you know its going to be good.

NHL Network picked up TSN’s feed for the game last year, but I have yet to hear whether or not that is going to happen again for this year’s game. Last year, we didn’t really even find out until hours before that the championship game was going to be televised in the U.S. If I hear of anything, I will have an update immediately.

You can also follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for constant updates, or there’s live scoring over at HockeyCanada.ca.

I will have a full recap of the game tomorrow morning, before we get into bronze-medal game coverage for the WJC.

——

In other news:

The U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team is also in action to day against tournament host Sweden at the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship. @USAHockeyScores will have live updates, or you can also check out IIHF.com. Team USA is 2-0-0-0 at the tournament with big wins against the Czech Republic (11-0) and Japan (7-1). USAHockey.com also has tournament coverage.

Posted in American Prospects, U.S. National Teams, Women's Hockey, World U17 Hockey Challenge | Comments Off on U.S. Nat’l U17 Team Survives Scare, Plays For Title Tonight

No Matter The Result, WJC Gaining Steam in U.S.

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Chris Peters

The U.S. suffered a tough loss last night to arch-rival Canada. It stings. But you know what? Even though it stings, at least American hockey fans feel something when it comes to the World Junior Championship now. A lot of that has to do with the rivalry factor, but if that’s going to help continue to build interest in the tournament, then great!

Being able to engage with folks through this blog and Twitter has proven to me that this is an event that matters to American hockey fans. This is an event that people are interested in and want to care about. I think that’s such a great step.

Think about this. The World Juniors went from an internet AUDIO broadcast only on USAHockey.com in 2007, to partially televised on NHL Network US (through TSN’s feed) in 2008 and 2009, to having every U.S. game on TV on the NHL Network, with an internet simulcast on FASTHockey.com. Amazing. No matter where you were, if you wanted to watch the game, you could.

Furthermore, USA Hockey and NHL Network got Gary Thorne in the booth, which I know delighted guys like me that grew up watching the NHL on ESPN. Having a noted hockey broadcaster calling the games brought some notoriety and familiarity to each game.

The print and web coverage has been outstanding, this year, as well. NHL.com, USAHockey.com, USA Today, the Buffalo News, to name a few, and hockey blogs around the country had outstanding coverage of the entire tournament this year. That’s only going to help. Add Twitter and Facebook to the equation and you’ve got constant conversation.

An event like the World Junior Championship being something that people watch and get excited about in the United States is so encouraging to not only international hockey fans, but fans of the NHL. The average National Hockey League fan is beginning to become more knowledgeable and more well-rounded. More importantly, they want to become more well-rounded. They want to become hockey fans, not just fans of the league or their favorite NHL team.

As us die-hards know, once you start learning the ins and outs of the game, you’re locked in. You constantly need more.

Because fans are becoming more knowledgeable, I think a guy like Jack Campbell is more a household name in hockey circles for his performances at the World Juniors and less because he was the 11th overall pick in the 2010 Draft. That means something.

Certainly, a U.S. victory last night would have been better than the loss to help continue this upward trend of interest, but the national pride and passionate homerism in the build up to the game was palpable. Sometimes even a little rabid. That’s a really fun thing to see.

I talked to Cam Eickmeyer, managing editor of USAHockey.com, after the game last night and he told me this: “USAHockey.com’s WJC site did more traffic by puck drop tonight than the entire day of the gold medal game last year.”

Eickmeyer then told me that by the end of the night, traffic on the site was double for last night’s game compared to the previous year’s golden match-up.

I’m not just spouting off here, there’s some tangible evidence that interest is growing.

The World Junior Championship will always mean more to Canada, but the fact that it matters at all to American fans is heartening. In some small way, it’s proving that hockey’s influence is growing in this country. There’s a lot to like about that.

Posted in 2011 WJC, Grow the Game, Junior Hockey, NHL | Comments Off on No Matter The Result, WJC Gaining Steam in U.S.

The Night Nothing Went Right — Updated with Links

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Chris Peters

If you came here looking for excuses, this isn’t the place to be. If you came here looking for someone to throw some chairs around and call out every player and coach and all that… keep looking.

The best team on the ice clearly won. It’s hard to argue that Canada wasn’t the most talented, physical outfit on the ice.

I’m just not ready to criticize anyone individually. I don’t know that it solves anything now. If you watched the game, you saw what happened. You know that it was a dreadful night for just about everyone. Everyone except Jack Campbell.

I may have heaped praise on him all tournament long, and I’m about to keep doing it. He fought valiantly in this game. He didn’t have an ounce of help on the back end and he just stayed the course. Good goaltending can only take you so far. When the rest of the guys are going, it can win you a game. If the goaltending is the only thing going, well… he can’t score goals.

Canada outshot the U.S. 41-23, and to be honest, I’m shocked the U.S. had that many shots on goal. It almost seemed like they never had the puck. Gotta have the puck to score.

I thought Team USA’s first three shifts were actually pretty good. I liked the energy, I liked the pace. Then all of the sudden a huge breakdown in the U.S. zone led to an easy chance in tight for Curtis Hamilton. Nobody’s going to miss many times from that close. After that it seemed like Team USA was just listless.

Keith Allain’s post-game press release quote: “Our players are working hard as individuals, but we didn’t come together as a team.”

Unfortunately, that was pretty obvious. There was no chemistry, no meshing, no nothing.

I keep thinking about whether or not I could pinpoint an exact moment it all kind of came crashing down, but I really can’t. It never felt like a game.

Hats off to Canada, seriously. It was such a well executed plan of attack. The big bodies crashed, the skill guys moved the puck and Mark Visentin, while tested sparingly, made saves he had to make. He showed no signs of rust or a lack of confidence back there.

The score reads Canada 4, USA 1. No amount of analysis or complaining changes that.

So now the U.S. is left playing for the bronze medal, which in my opinion is one of the toughest medals to win in sports. It’s not the one you came for, but if you don’t get at least that, you get nothing.

Medals have been hard to come by for the United States at the World Junior Championship. This U.S. squad has a chance to add itself to the list of six prior medal winners. It won’t be easy.

Team USA will be mad, but perhaps not as mad as Team Sweden, which was 1:27 away from going to the gold medal game until Russia scored a stunning game-tying goal and won it in overtime.

I’ve quietly thought that Sweden was the most talented team in this tournament. There is so much to like about their skill and speed. Heck, the Swedes beat Canada, and we all know how good that team is now.

I’m going to let this sink in a little more before I get into my full-on bronze-medal game preview, which you can expect on Wednesday morning.

Tonight, I think it’s time for the U.S. team and disappointed fan base to quietly lick their wounds. Tonight’s loss is going to sting for a while, but with a medal still on the line, its not over yet. As Jerry D’Amigo tweeted:

@JerryD91 Tough loss but we can’t be sad we gotta win Bronze for pride to show we can come together after a loss like that

 

————

Here are your post-game links.

Harry Thompson has a really excellent piece over at USAHockey.com getting reaction from a bunch of players and Keith Allain.

Jay Skurski, of the Buffalo News, on the end of Jack Campbell’s unprecedented medal streak. (Side note: I’m told Campbell was the first to meet the media in the post-game mix zone.)

Shawn Roarke, of NHL.com, got a great, honest quote from Allain: “Quite frankly, I don’t think with the way we played tonight that we deserved to win,” American coach Keith Allain said. “That’s the thing about hockey; you usually get what you deserve.”

Here’s Mike Morreale’s game recap from NHL.com.

Sportsnet.ca’s Patrick King talks about Canada’s execution of it’s “textbook game-plan.”

Coming up tomorrow: A look at the U.S. National Under-17 Team as it meets Canada-Ontario tomorrow night in the championship game at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. It’s a rematch of last year’s title-bout, which Team USA won 2-1. That’s exciting, right? Sure is. Full coverage tomorrow and, yes, more thoughts about the World Junior Championships, as well.

Posted in 2011 WJC, Junior Hockey, U.S. National Teams, World U17 Hockey Challenge | 1 Comment

In Which I Give My Less Biased Opinion on Tonight’s Game

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Chris Peters

I’ve had a lot of fun here in the last 12 hours or so writing about being biased and all that stuff. But it’s time to get back to business. There is some great hockey that’s going to be played today in Buffalo and based on the content I’ve had prior to the past 24 hours, I think its time to get back to why many of you come to this blog.

There are so many different things to talk about when we take a look at these two teams.

Both teams have great speed and skill. Both play a physical game and battle throughout.

Again, all of this makes for an exciting game with a lot to keep an eye on.  So let’s get to it, shall we?

The U.S. National Junior Team earned a bye to the semifinals. The added rest and recuperation came in handy, as we found out today, thanks to James Duthie of TSN, both Jason Zucker and Jeremy Morin will be in the lineup. Team USA has a full boat. Getting those two back is huge. We still don’t know how much they will play, but to have them on the bench is a boost. Both are returnees from last year’s team, leaders on and off the ice and just good guys to have around.

I already covered the goaltending situation. Jack Campbell is built for games like these and American fans hope he continues his trend of winning.

Keith Allain was on the bench the last time Team USA had a bye to the semifinals, where it met a tough Canadian team in the Czech Republic. Team USA lost that game 4-1 and couldn’t pull it together in the bronze medal game either. Allain told Harry Thompson of USA Hockey this:

“We were tight in that semifinal game and lost to Canada and really didn’t battle against them, and we weren’t really good at all in that game against Russia,” Allain said.

“So I want to make sure we’re loose and confident when we play the game tomorrow.”

Expect the U.S. to try and assert itself early. The first few shifts for both teams will likely be a little bit of a flexing of muscles. There should be some of the best contact of the game in the first five minutes. The key is not going to be who establishes contact, but who handles it better. This is a game where each player knows he’s going to get hit. So being able to accept that quickly is important. As the sign in the locker room states, “Earned, Not Given.”

Nothing will be given to either team tonight. There won’t be a square inch of ice that isn’t hotly contested.

So we know there will be contact, but will there be goals?

Yes. Probably. Canada leads the WJC with 32 goals for, while the U.S. has “only” scored 15 (good for eighth(!) in the tournament). Only is in quotes because I don’t think there is any doubt that the U.S. squad faced stingy defensive teams and two of the best goaltenders in the tournament not named Jack Campbell: Joni Ortio of Finland and Benjamin Conz of Switzerland. They certainly got a lot of rubber to the net. So there were chances.

The fear coming into the game for Team USA, for those on the outside like me, is the ability to score goals against a team that won’t give much in front of the net. Team USA has to establish a net-front presence in the face of constant assault from Canadian defensemen. I think Chris Brown and Nick Bjugstad have done that wonderfully in the tournament and it will have to continue. It won’t get any tougher than it will be tonight.

I expect to see the Chris Kreider-Charlie Coyle-Kyle Palmieri line to get a lot of burn tonight as well. They’ve been generating chances at an alarming pace and as a line have led Team USA offensively. Not knowing how much Morin and Zucker will be used, this line has got to continue their play.

The U.S. also has to be extremely strong in transition, as well. I think the American speed is going to be unlike any else the Canadian blue line has dealt with. The Swedes are fairly close, but I think there’s more on Team USA. Every line seems to have a guy that can just wheel. Canada has a very skilled group of defenseman and very good size back there, but speed can often beat size.

We already talked about the fact that Canada does not boast strength in net. Firing pucks early and often will be the order of the day. No shot is a bad shot, as long as its taken without a Canadian defender right in front of it. Which may be tough. So, when Team USA has a look at the goal, that puck has to get to the net.

Team Canada’s forwards are very good. Brayden Schenn has been the tournament’s best forward, production-wise. His 16 points (7-9) in five games are nuts, regardless of competition. Team USA needs to get to him early. I don’t think he’s the type of player that can get knocked off his game, but I’m sure there are a few American defensemen that would love to try. There are a lot of other weapons for Canada that I can talk breathlessly about, but I think its all well enough documented.

There will be more pressure than ever before on an American defense that has been pretty darn good throughout the tournament. I thought we’d see more offense from this group, but I had no idea their defense would be so suffocating. The U.S. has allowed just 92 shots on goal during the tournament, and an average of 0.99 goals-per game. I’d rather see that than a blueliner with 10 points.

I think the fact that the U.S. has such great skaters on the back end is a huge advantage. This is certainly as mobile a group of defenseman as you’ll find. That will come in handy against some of Canada’s speedier players.

This defensive corps will also have to be prepared for battle in front of Jack Campbell. The crease has got to be a no-fly zone for much of the game. Canada does such a good job of creating traffic, getting pucks to the net and picking up rebounds. The big bodies for Team USA will have to be as tough as ever, but smart.

I think special teams are going to be huge in this game, as they often are in these tight match-ups. I don’t know how the game will be called by the refs, but I’d guess fairly tight. There will be power-play opportunities for both teams.

Throughout the tournament, both squads have been deadly with the man advantage. Canada boasts a 45% success rate, while USA has been successful 38 % of the time on the PP.

On the PK, Team USA has yet to allow a power-play goal all tournament, while Canada has yielded only three. It helps that the U.S. has only taken seven penalties against, with just five power-plays against. That’s discipline. Still, against Canada, I just don’t see either team able to completely stay out of the box.

Lastly, I am sure that this will be a mainly pro-Canadian crowd out there in Buffalo tonight. That really doesn’t bother me at all. The waving flags and the red-clad army probably won’t phase the U.S., I don’t think. I can only hope that the Americans that did get out there are loud and proud tonight. I’m sure many of us wish we could see this thing in person, so if you are headed to the game tonight, cheer for us.

Without further ado, here are tonight’s keys to victory:

– Use speed and physicality to dictate the pace of the game

– Win the net-front battles on both ends of the ice

– Shoot to thrill, play to kill.

What’s left to say, folks? USA-Canada. Should be a good one.

Follow me on Twitter for more updates throughout the day and the game.

Posted in 2011 WJC, Junior Hockey, U.S. National Teams | 1 Comment

The Jack Campbell Difference

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Chris Peters

There is just one thing that I can definitively say the U.S. is better at than Canada at this year’s World Junior Championship. Goaltending.

At this event in the past, goaltending has sometimes been the downfall of the United States. Not anymore. Certainly not this year.

Team USA has a seasoned veteran. A player that has more gold around his neck than Mr. T. A player that has never known what it’s like to finish second in IIHF events. That player is Jack Campbell.

If the U.S. is going to have any chance at gold, Campbell needs to continue the trend, not necessarily rise to the occasion. Campbell has already had success. He knows what it takes to win gold and he knows how to prepare. If he keeps it simple and plays the way he’s capable, tonight could potentially further add to the Jack Campbell mystique.

On the other end of the ice, Canada will look to Mark Visentin, which doesn’t evoke a lot of confidence. Visentin will have to probably play mistake-free hockey for the Canadians to win tonight. He’s certainly capable, but there’s no doubt the guy that anyone would want to have in a game as big as this is Campbell. By a country mile.

The Canadians will run into the best netminder they’ve played in the tournament and its a goaltender that has had success against Canadian teams.

Campbell has faced off against Canadian teams four other times in IIHF competition. The first was at the 2009 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in… the semifinals on home soil (Fargo, N.D.). In front of a loud, pro-American audience, Campbell made countless highlight reel stops to help the Americans earn a 2-1 win. Last year at the WJC, he met Canada in the prelims and lost in a shootout. Despite the heartbreak of losing the game, Campbell remained ready. When called upon in the gold-medal game, he made key save after key save. When Jordan Eberle netted the two late goals, lesser goaltenders would have probably crumbled, but Campbell bounced back beautifully. Don’t forget that it was his pad save on Alex Pietrangelo that bounced right to John Ramage, who then sprung John Carlson on his golden 2-on-1. Campbell also played a Canadian squad that included guys like Erik Gudbranson at the 2010 World U18 Championship in Belarus, and shut them out, 5-0. Lifetime record: 2-1-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L). Maple leaf intimidation? None present with Jack Campbell.

His experience at the U18 and World Junior levels give him an advantage. He’s been on the international stage and has yet to finish second. That breeds confidence.

On top of Campbell’s success against Canada, he’s got ridiculous numbers in these tournaments. He is also this year’s top goaltender statistically, with a 3-1-0-0 record, 1.03 GAA and .957 save percentage.

How does he keep performing like this in World Championships? It’s just in his DNA. He was built for tournaments like these and games like these.

It’s why I think he will have success in the NHL. The lights are bright, people are watching and he’s performing.

While I was at the NTDP in Ann Arbor, I think we all knew Jack was a special breed. He wasn’t like the other kids. He was youthful, but mature. A supremely confident young man, but one that really cared for his teammates above all. He wanted to win for them. He was about the most competitive, focused athlete I’d ever seen. Well prepared for every game. Knowledgeable about every opponent and tendencies. Technically sound. Athletic.

If Jack Campbell was at the top of his game, his team could play in front of him with all of the confidence in the world.

When a team has a good goalie, they can be loose. They can be confident. They can worry only about what THEY have to do. No need to worry about the guy with the pillows on his legs. Defensemen know that if they have a misstep, they have a bit of a safety net (no, I’m not encouraging that). Coaches can make a game plan that’s more aggressive, allowing the forwards to take more chances and let the D jump into the play more. It’s that X-factor that makes good teams, great.

Jack Campbell is one of a kind. I’m just glad he’s on our side.

Coming up a little later today: A look at what Team USA needs to do to win tonight’s hockey game.

 

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, NTDP, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on The Jack Campbell Difference

USA-Canada: End of Days

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Chris Peters

If you are a fan of hockey, then how could you not have been rooting for a USA-Canada semifinal? This has all the makings of a World Junior classic game. Thanks to a 4-1 victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinal, Canada sets up the game that everyone wanted. Well, almost everyone.

I posed the question on Twitter yesterday of which of yesterday’s quarterfinal opponents USA fans preferred. Plenty wanted to see the USA-Canada match-up, but many folks said they’d prefer Switzerland because it would have meant Canada would have no shot at a medal. You people are cold. We’re allies with our friendly northerly neighbors. Buddies, right?

Not when it comes to hockey. Not even a little.

I side with the people that wanted to see Canada. As the great Ric Flair once said, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” These two teams are at the top of the Junior hockey world. It only makes sense that they’d have to meet at some point on the road to gold, right?

There’s a fair amount of hatred between these two teams, too. There’s respect, sure, but quite a bit of distaste for one another. Nothing matters but the crests on the two jerseys. Many of these guys on either side know each other, some are current teammates, some may play together one day in the NHL, some are even friends. But for 60 (or more) minutes on Monday, January 3, 2011, starting at 7:30 p.m. EST, they are mortal enemies.

There is something special about a USA-Canada hockey game at any level of hockey, but particularly at the World Juniors. We got spoiled with two absolute classic games last year. One bad, one great for Americans. No matter how you slice it, this rivalry is mazing theater.

If you’re a hockey fan and your favorite NHL team is playing tonight, you’ve got 81 other chances a year to watch them. Do yourself a favor, turn on NHL Network or FASTHockey.com (like me), grab yourself a six pack of something American and watch this game. You won’t be disappointed.

Every check will be finished. There will be a battle for every loose puck. There will be goals. There will be saves. There Will Be Blood.

Perhaps I’m overselling it? Or maybe I’m not selling it enough.

This is about as even a match-up as you’ll find during the World Juniors on paper. I think the U.S. has really only one certain competitive advantage over Canada and that’s goaltending.

We heard about how this Canadian team was the scrappy underdogs. No star power. Just grit, some tape and the Canadian spirit. Kind of like a bunch of David Ecksteins (minus the Canadian spirit) on ice. But in actuality, this is a team of 15 first-round picks, the consensus best draft prospect in all of hockey, the gold medalists five out of the last six years, etc. Underdogs, they are not.

The U.S. team was widely considered the favorite. The team that would steamroll its way to the gold medal game. Instead, the U.S. had a pretty tough road in the prelims, with a pair of one-goal wins against Finland (in overtime) and Switzerland. Yes, they won all their games, but it was hardly the cruise some thought it would be, which I think is to Team USA’s benefit.

Tonight’s contest might not have the same appeal as playing for the gold medal, but to me, it’s almost the same thing. There is almost more on the line in this game. Not having the opportunity to play for gold would be devastating to whichever team ends up on the losing end tonight. Getting up for that bronze-medal game would be a tall order.

I wonder how much sleep players on either team got last night. This has to be exciting, nerve-racking and in some cases overwhelming.

A USA-Canada game one year after an epic World Juniors, 11 months after an insane Olympics, days after a highly-rated Winter Classic and in the midst of another great year for hockey? Yeah… should be good.

This is the first of an avalanche of posts today. It is kind of a big day, I suppose. Coming up next, I take a look at Jack Campbell and what he means to Team USA tonight. But first….

Want Links? I got some Links. Here’s some appetizers for the five-star meal we get tonight:

Kevin Allen of USA Today takes a look at tonight’s game. Guess it’s going to be a big one.

Harry Thompson sets the stage over at USAHockey.com. Keith Allain wants his team “loose and confident.” Allain was an assistant for Team USA in 2008, when it found itself in this same position. That one didn’t go so well.

Would it be a links post if it didn’t include Mike Morreale of NHL.com? No, it wouldn’t. So here’s not one, but two stories from him! First off, he reviewed Team USA’s path to the semifinals. And here’s Mike’s piece on the big game. A lot of great quotes on the rivalry factor.

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News thinks the tonight’s event may remain in Buffalo hockey lore for a lifetime. You’ll also have to read Louis Leblanc’s quote at the end. Nothing we didn’t already know, but always fun to see.

TSN’s got Bob McKenzie and Pierre McGuire preview the USA-Canada game for us. Some good insight from the Canadian side.

The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan fears that another slow start might doom the Canadians against Team USA.

Here’s a cool time-lapse video from USAHockey.com’s Cameron Eickmeyer showing a little bit of how Team USA’s dressing room is set up on game days by athletic trainer Jason Hodges, team doctor Phil Johnson and equipment manager Scott Aldrich. Always nice to check out the set up, and give some credit to the guys that make it happen.

Lastly, I figure most of my readers are American… and I am American. This is one of those days where objectivity kind of gets flung out the window. I know a lot of you out there won’t have any trouble getting revved up for this game. Still, I feel that, as an American, it is my civic duty to offer you this bit of motivation and even some words of wisdom from a REAL AMERICAN. Watch this video. Start to finish. Thank me, then go get the American Flag tattooed across your chest. It’s a great day for hockey, everyone!

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, Junior Hockey, U.S. National Teams | 2 Comments

Now Here’s the Fun Part

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Chris Peters

Well, in case you didn’t know. Team USA will play a team from a country that I am told shares a border with this country. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? Perhaps not. It’s called Canada. It sounds fun.

Well, it is fun. Reeeeaally fun. USA-Canada games are as good as it gets in hockey. Most figured it would come with gold on the line, and in a way it does. The winner of the game will play for gold, while the loser is stuck playing for bronze. In my opinion, the stakes are just as high.

Perhaps fear is the greatest motivator of all. Neither of these teams wish to fall outside the top two, and I have a feeling if you asked any of the 44 players or either coaching staff, they’d tell you that anything less than gold is a failure. To finish lower than second, an even greater failure, but one the loser of this game will have to face. Frightening.

No matter what anyone tells you, there is no underdog in this game. These are two evenly matched teams that are going to battle to the death to get to the title game. You’ve got Canada’s group looking to exact revenge and Team USA trying to stay on top of the pile.

Since Canada just won a few hours ago, I’ve got loads to get to. None of which I can cover adequately tonight on the blog. So I’m going to have day-long coverage tomorrow for you. We’ll have previews, links, updates, quotes, notes, facts, keys to victory, and all that stuff.

Since I’ve been away from the blog, let’s talk about Team USA real quick:

The U.S. National Junior Team earned a bye to the semifinals with its 2-1 victory over Switzerland on Friday. Getting the bye was important on many levels.

The biggest reason? There’s time to rest and time to get healthy. Since Game 1 against Finland, the U.S. has not had its full lineup on the ice. There is still no word on whether Jason Zucker or Jeremy Morin will be available for the semi, but the pair did practice today. American fans can only hope that those two will be ready to go. Both have the type of game that fits so well when playing Canada. Neither player is the type to back down or fear going into the corners. So to have them available on the wings would be a nice boost to the lineup.

The other great thing about the game with Switzerland? It was further proof that Jack Campbell is locked in. He made 25 saves in the contest, was challenged much more than he has been and didn’t even flinch. He gave up the early goal to Pestoni, but from then on shut the door. When he’s rolling, he really gets rolling. The definition of a big-game goalie, Campbell provides the U.S. with an absolute rock. The Switzerland game happened to be a game where Campbell needed to be solid, because the U.S. had trouble generating offense. He was equal to the challenge and has me convinced that he’s not done yet.

Another positive thing about the game against the Swiss was that it was difficult. The U.S. knew they didn’t need the bye, but they badly wanted it. They wanted to finish first in Group A and the chance to get an extra day off for a team trying to get healthy was too good to let slip away. Switzerland had the right systems and right goaltender to make life tough for Team USA. Some say losing is a great motivator, the right kind of adversity. I understand that, but playing two incredibly tough games and winning them in the group stage is also a good motivator. Team USA beat a very talented Finland squad in overtime and went head on with a Swiss team that was just beginning to find its stride. One-goal wins are not good for the heart, but they’re good for building team morale in proving that its possible to win those tight battles.

Had the U.S. breezed through the preliminary round, maybe it would have given them added confidence, but I think a tougher road makes for a more hardened team. The U.S. needed to be hardened a bit and they got it from Finland and Switzerland. The U.S. now knows that they are a good team, but they have to come ready to play. No time for being cocky in tight games.

Hey… Guess What? The Coyle-Palmieri-Krieder line scored another goal. I know, weird, right? If you don’t think Charlie Coyle has been one of the best players in this tournament, then reevaluate how you evaluate. He’s been outstanding. The pass he gave to Krieder on USA’s first goal was as good as it gets. Also, give Chris Krieder a ton of credit for sneaking that one in the inside post. Perfect shot. This line continues to get better and I just don’t know if there’s going to be anyone that can stop them on a shift-by-shift basis. I’m sure they’ll have a really rough go against the Canadians, but I still think this line is going to generate chances and give their opponents fits.

Mitch Callahan scored a goal on Friday night. Not surprising to me at all, but he came into this team as the 13th forward and due to injuries he has had to play a regular role. He’s doing it wonderfully. Having him going is important if Morin and Zucker remain out. Even if they are in, though, Callahan has proven he can be used in a variety of roles. Against Team Canada, he’s got that, as Dave Starman says, “sandpaper” to his game. He is not fun to go head-to-head against.

I know, I know. “But Chris, let’s talk about USA-Canada some more.” OK. We can. Tomorrow. I promise.

—————————————

World Under-17 Challenge Update:

The U.S. National Under-17 Team won each of its games against Canadian opponents this weekend, downing Atlantic 12-1 on New Year’s Day and Quebec 5-2 earlier this afternoon. The U.S. earn Group A’s top seed and head to the semifinals, taking place tomorrow at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, where they will take on whoever loses tonight’s match-up between Ontario and Pacific.

The U.S. has outscored its opponents 26-6 so far in the World Under-17 Challenge and will undoubtedly meet it’s  toughest challenge yet in either of the Canadian regional squads.

Henrik Samuelsson has had multi-point efforts in each game of the tournament and leads the Challenge with 10 points (6g-4a). Miles Koules continues his stunning international production and is second on Team USA with seven points (3-4). He also had seven (5-2) in four games at the Under-17 Four Nations Cup in November.

Connor Carrick, a defenseman from Orland Park, Ill., is having a bit of a breakout performance himself. He’s got six points (2-4), while Jacob Trouba is tied with Carrick with six points (1-5).

Team USA’s goaltending has also been solid with Jared Rutledge and Collin Olson splitting up the four games down the middle.

We’ll keep one eye on the score for the U.S. U17 Challenge semifinal, but most of the focus will be on the World Juniors through the end of the tournament. Still, I’ll have an update after tomorrow night’s U17 Challenge Semifinal on Tuesday.

———-

Alright readers, get your sleep, eat your vitamins, BE A REAL AMERICAN. Tomorrow’s going to be a very long, but very fun day.

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, Junior Hockey, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on Now Here’s the Fun Part

Coming Soon…

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Chris Peters

Coming up this evening, I will have belated thoughts on USA-SUI from Friday and reaction to Team USA’s opponent, being decided this afternoon in the quarterfinal between Switzerland and Canada.

Should be a thrilling medal round, so stay tuned!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

USA-Switzerland Primer

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Chris Peters

It’s a big one tonight, folks. The U.S. National Junior Team finds itself in a must-win situation if it wants to earn a bye to the semifinals. Finland trounced Slovakia, 6-0, earlier today to improve to 3-0-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and have 10 points in the standings. The U.S. can win in either regulation or overtime to secure the points necessary to finish group play on top.

Standing in the Americans’ way is a Swiss team that has had a bit of an up and down tournament. Tonight’s opponent has a 2-0-0-1 record and has already secured a spot in the medal round. A regulation win over the U.S. would mean second place in Group A for the Swiss and a chance to play the lower seeded of the cross-over opponents from Group B (Russia). So a lot on the line here for them as well.

However, the U.S. is in control of its own destiny, and I think that may be a dangerous thing for the Swiss. A motivated and improved U.S. squad will give Switzerland all it can handle tonight. I’d expect to see Jack Campbell back between the pipes, and as I mentioned earlier today, he looks like he’s hitting his stride. That’s bad news for everyone in the tournament. When he’s on, he’s next to unbeatable.

We started to see just what Team USA is capable of in the last two games. Puck possession and speed are big parts of their game and they should be able to continue that trend against a Swiss team that just may be a step slower than their American counterparts. The Swiss probably match-up with the U.S. better skill-wise than either Slovakia or Germany, so that will put added pressure on the U.S. defensive corps, which I also think is just beginning to tap into their potential at this tournament.

Let’s take a closer look at Team Switzerland:

The name everyone talked about coming into the tournament for Switzerland was none other than Nino Niederreiter, fifth overall pick by the New York Islanders in 2010. He was a hero for the surprising Swiss last year and was thought to be a driving force to getting them into the medal round. His three points don’t sound like much, but he’s been a difference maker for this team. He’s a constant threat and can be difficult to shut down.

I’ve been a fan of Swiss goaltender Benjamin Conz since I saw him at the 2008 U18 Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid. He was outstanding in that tournament against snipers like Jeremy Morin, Mikael Granlund, Toni Rajala and Kyle Palmieiri, but got little offense from his teammates there. He’s played every minute for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship. Conz has posted a 3.67 GAA and .896 save percentage. The U.S. cannot allow him to get confidence early, otherwise Conz can get on a bit of a roll. Scoring early has never been more important for the U.S. in this tournament than it is tonight.

The reviews regarding 2011 Draft-eligible defenseman Gregory Hofmann have been pretty positive. He has three points to lead the Swiss blue liners. Hofman was by far their best defenseman at the 2010 World Under-18 Championship in Belarus; a tournament in which the Swiss beat Canada in the preliminary round. He’s had experience and has tasted a little bit of success, so he should be a solid contributor for Switzerland going forward.

Inti Pestoni is actually the leading point-getter for this team with four (2-2). He’s undersized, but skilled. Having produced at this tournament, he’s probably got some confidence. It’s going to get tested tonight.

Now Back to the U.S.:

The pressure is on a little bit tonight. We saw how Team USA reacted when challenged against Finland, so it’s not like they haven’t faced adversity in this tournament. As long as the Americans are able to stick to their game against Switzerland, I don’t think there will be many problems getting the bye. The way the U.S. coaching staff has handled this team doesn’t lead me to believe there will be any mental breakdowns out there.

The U.S. has made so few mistakes, and when they have, they’ve been able to recover quickly.

I expect to see another big night for Team USA’s defensemen like Jon Merrill and Justin Faulk. They should get some chances. I keep wondering when I get to write about Nick Leddy. He’s been good, but hasn’t really stood out. Sometimes that’s a really good thing. I love the way he skates and moves the puck. Will he be one to breakout?

As astutely mentioned by PotvinRocks in the comments of this morning’s recap of USA-Germany, the Ryan Bourque-Nick Bjugstad-Emerson Etem line hasn’t produced much in the way of goals, despite generating a ton of chances. I’m not really that concerned about it. I think that those three are good enough to be able to avoid frustration and just keep working out there. They’ve all put a ton of shots on net (22 all together) and have two goals as a group. We might see Keith Allain split them up a little bit if he feels the need to get any of them going offensively, but I really don’t know that its necessary. It will come. Patience is a virtue in this tournament and those three should have it.

In a bit of an update, Jason Zucker DID skate today during practice, but his status for the game is still not known. In any event, the fact that he was practicing is a good sign. Hopefully he’s back tonight, but if not, it’s beginning to look like he’ll be healthy enough for the medal round. That’s great news. Having the U.S. back to full strength (knock on wood) for the medal round is going to be a nice boost. We haven’t seen the full 22 on the ice since Finland, so who knows what that could look like with the way the squad has improved as a unit.

So here are tonight’s key’s to victory:

– Get to Conz early and don’t let him build confidence

– Contain Switzerland’s highly skilled forwards with tight checking

– Pressure the defense with speed and physicality

——————————-

Here’s some pre-game links for you on this New Year’s Eve:

Kirk Luedeke’s coverage for New England Hockey Journal has been nothing short of great. Here’s his take on the Coyle-Kreider-Palmieri line that I also fawned over this morning.

Patrick King of Sportsnet.ca had some words of advice for his fellow Canadians after lacking a bit of class in the Norway game. That’s pretty brave. Here’s Nathan White’s tale of the more friendly variety of Canadian fan.

Canada and Sweden are in a rather big game of their own today.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Goodbye, 2010: A Banner Year for American Hockey

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Chris Peters

Tonight, we say good bye to the year that was. 2010 was about as good a year as you could hope for if you’re a hockey fan in the U.S. So let’s take a look back at the year that was.

The NHL continues to build a larger following and TV ratings have steadily risen. There’s been so much to enjoy about the league. The product the NHL is giving to the general public is just outstanding.

USA Hockey can also look back on the last year with immense pride. There was so much good done for the sport in the U.S. at the grassroots, national team and Olympic levels.

2010 was the year that started with a bang. John Carlson’s overtime winner against Canada made him an instant hockey celebrity and gave the World Juniors a face in the U.S. Busting up Canada’s five-year streak of gold medals is something any American hockey fan can get on board with. Each of Team USA’s games were aired on the NHL Network for the first time and it really gave a boost to the exposure of the tournament. It was an impressive feat.

2010 was the year that Olympic Hockey captivated a nation. No, not Canada. The United States. Team USA’s dream run with a young and inexperienced team made temporary hockey fans out of anyone with a little red, white and blue in their blood. The Olympics turned Ryan Miller from a well-known hockey star into a national celebrity. The enthusiasm surrounding the team was just a blast to see. That two weeks of hockey was about the most fun I’ve ever had watching the sport on TV. Surrounded by my NTDP co-workers for almost every game, we just marveled at the fact that this team was making it happen. I was never more proud to have worked for USA Hockey than I was during that run. When Team USA lost to Canada in the final, I uttered an audible expletive in a room full of strangers, but as I walked away from the TV set I couldn’t help but think how well the game was served by that gold-medal match-up. It might not have converted a ton of people to become full-time hockey fans, but it made them more aware of the game. That’s a great start.

2010 was the year that USA Hockey dominated in international play at the U20 level and below. U.S. teams won every major under-20 tournament on the men’s side this past year. The U.S. earned the title at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 2-1 win over Team Ontario that was broadcast live on the NHL Network in the U.S. and TSN in Canada. Less than 24 hours later, Carlson was down on one knee, pumping his fist as the U.S. took gold at the World Junior Championship. The U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team won its second consecutive gold medal with a 3-1 victory over an Adam Larsson-led Sweden team in Belarus. The tournament cemented Jack Campbell’s status as perhaps the best American goalie prospect in a long, long time.

These three titles, all in the same calendar year, led to many a paranoid column in Canada. Is the U.S. really catching up to us? Might they pass us? It was funny to read, but in some cases they had a point. Winning these tournaments is some kind of proof that the top-end American players are catching up to and in some cases surpassing the top-end Canadians. I don’t know if the U.S. will ever have the star power of Canadian players, but they are making a darn good effort to. Hockey in the U.S. is really beginning to take off at the developmental levels, so WATCH OUT, Leaf.

2010 was the year that the Chicago Blackhawks ended a 49-year drought and won the Stanley Cup. The fact that Patrick Kane scored the game-winning goal was so fitting. An American kid, first overall pick and a face of that franchise. Kane cemented his status as an NHL star and had a lot of fun while doing it. When a big-market team like Chicago is rocking, its just better for hockey. The interest in that team is at an all-time high, which hopefully they can sustain through a fairly rough 2010-11 season. That Blackhawks team was as lovable as any and they made it great fun to watch.

2010 was the year that HBO made some of the most entertaining hockey television I’ve ever seen. This year’s 24/7 is as good as it gets folks. Never has a hockey team allowed that type of access and we’re all the better for having seen it. Us fans love to get inside the dressing room and see these guys up close and personal. We get to see how an NHL coach motivates multi-million dollar athletes that are supposed to know everything already. 24/7 might be one of the best marketing pieces for the NHL since, well… I guess the Winter Classic.

Personally, 2010 was also the year that I ended a three-year run at USA Hockey, bittersweetly. As I made the family decision to move to Iowa in search of starting a family and leading a bit more of a “normal” life, I couldn’t help but think about all I was leaving behind. I’m happy I made that decision because it led me back to one of my true passions: writing. So 2010 was also the year I started this little blog in the hopes of giving American hockey fans a voice and a place to read about some of the lesser known hockey events and players in our country. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response it has received from those reading it. So thank you for taking the time to indulge my ramblings and commenting on posts. It’s been an absolute blast. I can’t wait to continue it in 2011 and beyond!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, Grow the Game, Junior Hockey, NHL, NHL Draft, NTDP, U.S. National Teams, World U17 Hockey Challenge | Comments Off on Goodbye, 2010: A Banner Year for American Hockey