Well… That Was Close

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Chris Peters

The U.S. began the 2011 World Junior Championship the same way it ended last year’s, with an overtime game winner. It’s not how you draw it up, but when you play a tough opponent like Finland, you’ll take it.

I was not in the least surprised in the way the game went. I know there were some that thought the U.S. would blow the barn doors off of the Finns, but anyone that’s seen international hockey before knows that this was a stereotypical Finnish-style game.

The Finns are known for their ability to grind out their opponents and in some cases outwork the other team. They are opportunistic as well. When they get a chance, they take advantage in most cases. They did twice last night, and that was enough to force overtime. They could have just as easily won, but Jack Campbell was solid.

In the end, it was Nick Bjugstad who threw the puck on net and it just happened to go in. It’s a shame the game ended that way for Joni Ortio, who was absolutely stellar between the pipes for Finland. I mean, honestly, this kid was real good.

Team USA’s regulation goals came from Justin Faulk with a blast from the point on the power play and Jason Zucker, who’s goal can be classified as a snipe. I don’t think I’m going out on a ledge there. Ortio really didn’t have a chance at either. You can’t blame him for letting those in. Both goals were perfectly placed. That’s the kind of night it was for the U.S. Everything had to be spot on. Ortio was brilliant until the last shot. Take nothing away from Bjugstad though, he scored when it counted and I thought he played well throughout the game. Good things happen when you put the puck on net (Let’s hear it for cliches!)

Finland’s goals were both a bit soft. I mentioned on Twitter that Jack Campbell’s favorite goalie is Marty Turco. Campbell, like his goaltending idol, loves to play the puck and can occasionally be guilty of doing a little too much with it. That’s pretty much what happened on the first goal. Campbell put himself in a position that wasn’t ideal, and it resulted in a turnover and an open whack at the net. The second goal was a rebound that you’ll usually see Campbell control, but it was just tiny little nudge the wrong direction that led to the game-tying marker. I think Campbell would like to have that one back, but that was one of those bounces that just happen sometimes.

Team USA can be happy to get out of this game with an overtime win. It is important to stress the fact that this was an OTW and not regulation. In IIHF play, a regulation win gets you three points, while an OT win nabs you two. Therefore, Switzerland is the first-place team heading into tomorrow. Finland walks away with one point for the OTL. Every point counts.

As Keith Allain alluded to in his post-game interview with Fred Pletsch on NHL Network, this team found a way to win even when they weren’t at their best. It was evident that Team USA could have played better, but it wasn’t like they played poorly. There are high expectations for this team, and I think its entirely fair to expect more out of them.

The thing that struck me the most coming out of this game was that Team USA did not really assert itself physically. They played the body, went hard into the corners, but the U.S. didn’t outmuscle the Finns often. They didn’t out-grind the Finns along the wall as much as I thought they could have. I think Finland will be the most physical of Team USA’s Group A opponents, so its a good test early. With the size and strength on the U.S. team, there’s no reason any of these opponents should be outmuscling them.

I give a ton of credit to the coaching staff’s for both teams. Finland really had a great game plan going in. They took away passing lanes in the neutral zone and really clogged the middle of the ice, especially in the D-zone. Team USA didn’t get too many great looks at Ortio from the perimeter. Meanwhile, the U.S. stayed the course with its game plan and didn’t let Finland force them to play outside of their game.

That said, Team USA was very quick in transition, which is hugely important at the WJC. Team USA went from offense to defense seamlessly at times. Kyle Palmieri had two brilliant chances in tight and Zucker had a mini-breakaway chance as a result of getting the puck up ice quickly. They found ways to get behind the defense, but Ortio was rock solid in those situations. That’s all you can ask for against a team of this caliber.

Finland is going to give someone fits in the medal round. That’s for sure.

One last thought: As I watched the game, I had a hard time figuring out what this team was. What is this team’s identity? What is their style? Maybe they don’t need one. Maybe we shouldn’t expect them to be in a certain mold. The players played hard, they got the win. That’s all that matters tonight.

U.S. Player of the Game:

Jack Campbell was named the official player of the game and I can’t argue with that. He made 32 saves in a hotly contest match-up. The two goals he gave up are ones you won’t see often from him, but he was so solid throughout. He bounced back well, shaking off the goals and sticking to his game. Good goaltending will take you far in this tournament and Campbell proved to his mates tonight that he is up to the challenge.

Additionally, I don’t think any one U.S. skater stood out for me. There were flashes from many players. Jason Zucker looked good, scoring a goal and showing off his speed. Kyle Palmieri created chances out there and looked like a seasoned veteran. Jeremy Morin had a goal taken away because a millimeter of Bjugstad’s skate was in the crease, and was a threat offensively. In the end, Campbell was the difference maker for his team tonight. He gets the nod.

Team USA will get a day off today to regroup a little bit and get a good look at video. I’m sure there are a lot of teaching points that the coaches will be able to get out of the film.

The U.S. coaches have continually said that they want this group to improve in every game. I expect you’ll see an improved U.S. team against Slovakia on Tuesday night.

UPDATE: Sounds like everyone is awaiting the official word from USA Hockey regarding Jeremy Morin. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported last night that Morin may have suffered a serious shoulder injury in last night’s game. Media in Buffalo will likely get a status update during or after Team USA’s 1 p.m. EST practice. We’ll have reaction later this afternoon after the news breaks.

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

Title Defense Starts Tonight

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Chris Peters

The very second John Carlson’s wrist shot found its way inside the left post in overtime last year, the U.S. had a target on its back. The defending champs have added pressure by being the host country. No matter what happens, everyone will be bringing their best game against the Americans. The chance to knock off the defending champions and the home team makes pre-game speeches a breeze. How could a team not be fired up for that game?

Tonight, Team USA will have perhaps its toughest test of the preliminary round. Team Finland has some highly skilled players and they can crash and bang with the best of ’em. Finland’s solid goaltending and good team speed will provide the U.S. a big challenge.

We already talked about Finland’s standouts earlier today. The U.S. will have to be physical, but not get caught out of position. Toni Rajala can turn on the jets and make plays. Team USA’s slick skating defense should match up well with that. Teemu Pulkkinen is a guy that can’t be given any space. He is a natural goal scorer that will make you pay if he gets a clear look.

The Finns also may have some added motivation, particularly the returning players, since the U.S. knocked Finland out of last year’s WJC with a 6-2 quarterfinal victory. The veteran leadership certainly will want some measure of revenge.

Most of all, Team USA has to be ready to go from the first drop of the puck. In a short tournament like this one, you can’t take much time to feel each other out. Hopefully more practice and a good effort in its final exhibition gave Team USA enough time to get that chemistry and familiarity going. A slow start could prove costly against Finland.

Team USA’s speed will prove helpful in this game. The U.S. forwards should be able to overwhelm Finland’s defense. While Team Finland has mobile defensemen, they probably haven’t seen wheelers like Chris Kreider, Jerry D’Amigo and Emerson Etem. It’s going to be tough for them to keep up.

The U.S. will want to try and get out to an early lead. Get the crowd into the game and intimidate the Finns physically. The big defensemen like Brian Dumoulin and Patrick Wey need to make sure the Finnish forwards know how difficult it is to penetrate the American defense. Finland isn’t afraid to go into the corners, but the U.S. should make life difficult along the boards.

The American players will have to try and stay loose out there. Playing in front of a home crowd can cause you to push a little too much, maybe try and be too fancy. The energy in the building should be exciting, but the U.S. has to remind itself not to get to high. With Keith Allain behind the bench, I doubt we’ll see the players getting too carried away out there.

I’m very excited to see how this game plays out. The U.S. can’t ease into the tournament, which I like. They have perhaps their toughest opponent right off the bat. We get to see just what they’re made of.

In summary, here are the keys to victory of Team USA:

– Be the most physical team on the ice

– Put pressure on Finland’s D with speed

– Don’t press too hard in front of the home crowd

Oh yeah, and score more than the other team…

If today’s first two games were any indication of how this tournament will play out, I think we’re in for a wild ride in Buffalo. Team USA will want to start things out on a positive note tonight. A win tonight would go a long way toward taking first place in Group A.

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on Title Defense Starts Tonight

What to Watch For in Group A

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Chris Peters

If you aren’t familiar with the IIHF World Junior Championship, the tournament is split into two groups. This year, thanks to its first place finish, Team USA plays in Group A. While Canada, Russia and Sweden all find themselves in Group B. If this were the World Cup, Group B would be considered the “group of death.”

That said, Group A has some interesting offerings. The U.S. will play each team within its group once, with each providing a unique challenge. At the World Juniors, no team is to be taken lightly. The U.S. has been shocked before early in the tournament, so they have to be ready to go.

So let’s take a look at the teams that will look to make Team USA’s road to the medal round a tough one:

FINLAND – vs. Team USA 12/26 – 8 p.m. EST

Finnish teams always play tough in these tournaments. They play more of a North American style. They are tough to play against and won’t back down from contact. They are tough to take out of the game. The big downside for Finland this year is that they will be without its most dynamic and well rounded player in Mikael Granlund. Losing him hurts. He’s the type of player than can put a team on his back, if needed. Finland should challenge the U.S. for the top spot in Group A, despite being without Granlund.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Finland is lucky though, because they have a few offensively gifted forwards, decent size on the blue line and solid goaltending. The Finns will need a big tournament from national team stalwarts, Toni Rajala and Teemu Pulkkinen. Those are the two guys that should be able to find the net on a regular basis. I am also excited to watch University of Minnesota product Erik Haula. I’ve long been impressed with his game and he should be a solid contributor for Finland. On the back end, Rasmus Rissanen, who plies his trade with the Everett Silvertips is a big, physical defenseman. He’ll be relied heavily.

SLOVAKIA – vs. Team USA, 12/28 – 8 p.m. EST

I think Slovakia is coming in a little under the radar and its understandable why, but I don’t think they should be taken lightly. They won’t get outstanding goaltending and their defense is only OK. That said, they have some very skilled player on this club. This is a team that can sneak up on you and put the puck in the net. I think this Slovakian team has a very good chance to be one of the three teams that get out of this group.

PLAYERS TO WATCH – Martin Marincin is a big defenseman. He plays a very physical game and has been getting some experience with Prince George in the WHL, which suits his game, from what I’ve seen. At the U18 Worlds, he was a physical presence for the Slovakians. Richard Panik is a guy that has a lot of talent as well. He’s going to need a big tournament to help this team get out of the group. He’s definitely a threat.

GERMANY – vs. Team USA 12/30 – 7 p.m. EST

This German team is up against it a little bit. They took a loss today to Switzerland, but give them credit. They made a big comeback over the last two periods after going down 4-0 in the first. The problem is, their goaltending has to be good. Philipp Grubauer has played in big games in North America, especially last year with the Windsor Spitfires. However, he was pulled after giving up the four goals in the first period agains Switzerland. That had to be unnerving for Germany. Many have them picked last in Group A and I agree. However, they may be able to avoid relegation once they get to that round. It will be a tall order, but the German 92s and 93s are promising and it would be nice to see them in next year’s tournament.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Philipp Grubauer is still on my list, because he’ll have to bounce back to give Germany a prayer. They can be confident that they were able to come back. However, if Grubauer isn’t the guy, Niklas Treutel filled in capably, not allowing a goal against Switzerland. Is there going to be a goaltender controversy for the Germans? Will it matter? Probably not. Lastly, Tom Kuhnhackl is widely considered to be one of the finest German prospects in the game. He’s got a lot of tools and can be a difference maker for this team.

SWITZERLAND – vs. Team USA 12/31 – 8 p.m. EST

Switzerland may have gotten a bit of a wake-up call when they got pasted by Canada, 8-0, in exhibition. They got another one after going up 4-0 on Germany and picking up a narrow 4-3 win. Switzerland finished just shy of a medal after a bit of a dream run last year. This year, the road will be slightly tougher. The key battle for them will come against Slovakia. Odds are, the winner of that game will join Finland and USA in the medal round. They lost some key contributors from last year’s club, but they still have El Nino, Nino Niederreitter. He’s a game breaker. So let’s take this to the players to watch…

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nino Niederreiter. Don’t know if there’s much left to say about this top-five NHL. He needs to be the go-to guy for this team, and I can’t see how he won’t be. As long as he plays his game, he’s dangerous. The Swiss do have other players that will be fun to watch, however. Benjamin Conz is actually a pretty solid goaltender in most cases. He’s small, but athletic and can make some big saves. Reto Schappi is a hulking forward at 6-4, 205. It always helps to have a big ole forward to keep the defenseman looking over their shoulder in the corners. Should be a fun team to watch.

This is a very solid group that will be fun to watch. Team USA won’t have any games handed to them and will have to come ready to play every night. The great thing about the World Juniors, and the fact that its televised in the U.S., is that we get to see all of these great prospects now. These are the crucial years of their development, when they are on the cusp of the NHL. Some players will emerge, some will wilt under the spotlight. This tournament is a great indicator of who the next stars in the NHL are. So sit back, and enjoy.

Posted in 2011 WJC | Comments Off on What to Watch For in Group A

Team USA Downs Norway, Names Captains

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Chris Peters

It’s been a very productive 12 hours for the U.S. National Junior Team.

Last night, Team USA showed that its closer to being ready for the World Juniors with a convincing 6-1 victory over Norway. The U.S. scored four goals in the first, two of which came from Brock Nelson, who has continued to prove he belongs on this team.

Chris Brown scored once again. He’s on a bit of a hot streak coming into the tournament, which bodes well for his U.S. mates. Jerry D’Amigo had a two-point night with a goal and an assist. Hopefully that is a sign of things to come.

Justin Faulk got to try out that slapper of his on the power play and scored. He’s going to get a lot of minutes in power-play situations and hopefully he can continue to contribute. He’s a weapon back there.

Both goaltenders saw time last night, with Jack Campbell getting the start. He had a perfect night, stopping all nine shots he faced. Andy Iles played the second half of the game, stopping 9-of-10 shots.

From USA Hockey’s World Juniors Blog, here is how the lines started out last night:

Kreider – Coyle – Palmieri
Bourque – Bjugstad – Morin
Zucker – Nelson – Etem
D’Amigo – Shore – Brown
Callahan

Merrill – Ramage
Dumoulin – Faulk
Forbort – Leddy
Wey

Campbell
Iles

Those may change, but if they don’t, I think I like the way they are constructed. There is an awful lot of offense up front. I also think the D pairings are pretty good too. You’ve got a great mix of offense and defense on each pair, and I think Wey can be used with any one defenseman. So not only are the players versatile, the lineup is too. There are a lot of combinations that can work. I’ll be interested to see what Keith Allain does with certain lines throughout the course of the tournament.

———–

Lastly, this morning Team USA named its captains for the 2011 World Junior Championship. John Ramage is the top guy, wearing the C for Team USA, while Ryan Bourque and Jeremy Morin will serve as alternates.

I love the choice of Ramage as captain for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, this is a guy who never complains. He does his job and is reliable. He might not be the most vocal guy, but he’ll be someone the players can look up to. He leads by example, even when he isn’t wearing a letter on his jersey. Ramage is steady. You can’t ask for more than that.

I’ve been told by several people that Derek Stepan was one of the best captains you could ever ask for. He’s a big reason Team USA had so much success last year. He led in the dressing room and he led on the ice, putting up a ton of points as well. Stepan and Ramage were teammates not only on Team USA, but also at Wisconsin. I’m sure Ramage picked up a few tips from his fellow Badger. I’m excited to see how he seizes this role.

I really like the alternates too. Ryan Bourque wore an A on the U.S. National Under-18 Team while he was at the NTDP. A big reason for that was the way he plays. His energy and spark are contagious. He doesn’t back down from anybody and he’s going 100 mph all the time. He’s not going to take a shift off, so nobody else better while this guy’s on the team. Another great example for his teammates and a guy Keith Allain can count on.

Jeremy Morin is a good choice because of his experience and his ability. Morin’s going to be counted on a lot by this team. They’ll need him to step up and be a go-to guy. I think he’ll rise to the occasion. He plays hard and he scores goals. Everyone can get on board with that. Shouldn’t be too hard for him to help motivate teammates with his play on the ice.

The importance of a good leadership core can’t be underestimated. If times get tough, you need good guys in the dressing room to help rally the team. If times are going really well, you need some guys that can temper the excitement. I think this group will excel in their positions. They’ve all played together before, at the NTDP and last year’s WJC. They know each other and they trust each other. It should be a great group to watch grow together.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: This will be the last post between now and December 26. On Sunday, we’ll come back with a full break down of Team USA’s Group A at the tournament, complete with rosters and analysis. We’ll also preview Team USA’s first contest against Finland and update you on any news and notes from around Christmastime. If you have questions, hit me up on Twitter or leave some in the comments. I’ll see what I can get to leading up to Team USA’s game on Sunday night. While I won’t be posting on the blog, I will probably still be tweeting updates here and there, so if you don’t already, follow me: @chrismpeters

Thanks so much for reading the blog over the last few weeks. I’m having a lot of fun and hopefully you’re finding this useful. Can’t wait to get it going again on Sunday. So from the United States of Hockey, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Enjoy your holiday and get ready for some World Junior hockey!

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, NCAA, NHL, NTDP, U.S. National Teams | 2 Comments

Why Tonight Matters

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Chris Peters

It might be an exhibition game between the U.S. and Norway tonight, but I don’t anticipate the U.S. treating it as such. It’s not nearly as big as a tournament game, but its relatively big for the players. Team USA, prior to finalizing its roster for the tournament, lost a pair of exhibitions in the shootout, including one against the Czech Republic. That probably didn’t feel too good. Tonight they get a chance to get it going a little bit.

We may not see a ton of revealing stuff, but I think we’ll get a decent idea of what Keith Allain is thinking as far as lines and systems. Since this team only gets one game to play all together, without the stress of whether or not they’re going to make the team, tonight’s contest should be a spirited affair. Team USA has to build some momentum heading into a tournament in which the expectations are high. I think they should be able to do it fairly easily against a Norwegian team that hasn’t had a lot of ice time in North America, thanks to some lost luggage earlier in the week.

You can’t take Norway lightly. They are going to be fired up for this game, because its likely the only chance they get a crack at the Americans while in the States. I think it will be a moderately competitive game, but if the U.S. comes into this thing fired up, and I think they will, it should be a chance to show that offensive ability.

Here’s what to watch tonight:

– The lines. USA Hockey’s World Junior blog has had the line ups for each of the exhibitions so far, and I’d expect them to have it tonight. This might give us at least an idea of what Keith Allain is thinking for who he wants together. This could get jumbled up as the game goes on, and probably will, but it at least will show who Allain likes together after practice.

– Special teams. If you have the chance to watch the game on FASTHockey.com tonight, keep a close eye on who’s on the ice for power plays and penalty kills. I think Allain might roll out a few different units, but more than likely, he wants to get his top PP unit some reps. So I’d expect to see the likes of Justin Faulk and Jeremy Morin out there in some of those situations. I don’t have a great gauge on the PK, but I had seen that Chris Brown did a nice job out there in the prior exhibitions. I’d also expect to see Ryan Bourque and Jerry D’Amigo getting some reps during the PK as well.

– Jerry D’Amigo. He struggled a bit in camp, but I’m sure he’s ready to shake that off. I’d expect him to be involved a lot tonight in a variety of ways. He needs to get it going. If he gets hot in this tournament, good luck, world.

– Goaltending. I don’t know if Allain will throw Jack Campbell in the net after he got a full game against the Czechs. It’s going to be important to get Andy Iles a few more reps after he barely saw any shots in regulation against RPI, in half a game. However, Campbell is likely the go-to guy. Do you want him to get a few more pucks against Norway? I don’t know. I don’t know how many shots he’ll actually see. Campbell may have taken the shootout loss against the Czechs, but I don’t think that would effect a mentally tough kid like him. I’d like to see Iles in there, just to get the reps and help him get ready if USA needs him at any point.

– Centers. I talked about how the centermen on this club might be a bit of a weakness, if you can call three first-rounders a weakness. It’s not really that they are weak, its just that the wings are so darn good. I am most interested to see how Charlie Coyle is used. The thing I love about Coyle is that he is very versatile. He could be your first-line center, or your shut-down center. His size and strength and good face-off ability makes him a very important player for this team. I also would like to see who Drew Shore gets placed with. He’s the type of center that will help out his wings put the puck in the net. If he’s got one of Team USA’s top snipers with him, you might get an idea of who the assist and goals leaders will be.

Those are probably the things I’m most looking forward to seeing. I won’t have the chance to watch the game live, but I’ll be taking a look at the archive first chance I get. I really do think there is a lot of things we can learn about this team in tonight’s game. It’s not going to tell us everything we want to know, but it at least shows us what this team looks like now that the roster is finalized.

Team USA wants to win this game tonight. They don’t want to hear about how they’re so similar to the 2005 U.S. team that couldn’t get it done on home soil.

The quest for gold begins in earnest tonight.

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, Junior Hockey, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on Why Tonight Matters

The Importance of Team Building

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Chris Peters

When you play in a short tournament, like the World Junior Championship, there isn’t much time to build trust with each other. NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman has a great piece on the 2005 U.S. National Junior Team that came in as the favorites on home soil and ended up without a medal. The tournament was a wild one in Grand Forks, N.D., and Thief River Falls, Minn. Kimelman interviewed a few current NHLers that were on that team to find out why they struggled so much. Jake Dowell, now of the Chicago Blackhawks, probably hit the nail on the head:

“We don’t get a whole lot of time together before the tournament, so some guys didn’t know each other that well and sometimes it takes longer than you expect to form a little chemistry and trust each other,” Dowell told NHL.com. “To me, that is the biggest thing. If we don’t have that, then we struggle a little bit.”

This U.S. team has been made well aware of the 2005 U.S. National Junior Team that Kimelman writes about. Befalling the same fate would be a tough pill to swallow with a team that has such high expectations. Keith Allain stressed on the conference call yesterday that the next few days would focus on team building, unity and finding the team’s identity. They wasted no time in getting started after the roster was announced.

Not long after the announcement was made, Team USA had a vigorous strength and conditioning session, according to Alex Clark, who also tweeted that the U.S. players got an inspirational talk from former Army Ranger Joe Dames.

I’ve sat in on some of those inspirational meetings before and they are always a motivating experience for the players, the staff and anyone within an ear shot. It’s really important to put things into perspective for these guys. Being able to listen to a person that has gone to actual battle, had to sacrifice for his fellow soldiers, and had to have real courage, helps get the mindset for the players. They won’t go through something as nearly as difficult or scary as Dames did, but they can put his words to good use in their own minds.

According to Emerson Etem and Jerry D’Amigo‘s Twitter feeds, the team also had a spirited game of laser tag. This may seem like something small and goofy, but its actually really helpful. Hockey players are competitive in nature, so give them something competitive, but fun, to get to know each other better. Light-hearted competition brings out the best in people, usually. Unless you’re the guy who takes everything waaaay too seriously and someone ends up with a bloody nose. I’m sure that didn’t happen during Team USA’s fun outing yesterday. Sounds like the guys had a blast.

UPDATE: Here’s the USA Hockey blog post about yesterday’s festivities. With the new team photo… in laser-tag gear.

Etem also mentioned the team had a “Secret Santa” event coming up. That’s another great way to really build that camaraderie. For some of these guys, its the first time they’ve spent Christmas away from home. That can be tough for some young guys. However, when you get to spend the holidays with your hockey family, it softens the blow and it also brings the team closer together.

It’s always important to have trust within a team. Players have to be willing to make sacrifices for each other and know that the guy next to him is going to do the same thing.

The coaches also have to find that trust in these guys. Which is why tonight’s exhibition game against Norway is so important. Coming up a little later today, we’ll highlight what to watch for in tonight’s game and why its going to be extra important for Team USA.

Posted in 2011 WJC, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on The Importance of Team Building

Your Questions Answered… and LINKS!

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Chris Peters

Now that Team USA’s roster has been finalized, excitement is starting to build for the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship. This is going to be an outstanding tournament with plenty of twists and turns to keep everyone locked in.

I got a few questions today via the comments and Twitter, and I’ll start with Dan’s question, which is a good one.

I was just wondering how the order shakes down from the top and how much say the guys that helped pick the Mens Olympic Roster (mainly NHL GM’s) would have in an instance like this and how much do they stay involved in USA hockey besides their obligations to their NHL teams?

As many of you are probably aware, and as Dan points out, USA Hockey had a group of NHL GMs, namely Brian Burke, David Poile, Ray Shero, Paul Holmgren, Dean Lombardi and Don Waddell, help with the selections for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, as well as the most recent U.S. Men’s National Team. USA Hockey also recently added Dale Tallon to that group.

Those guys mainly stick to the USA Hockey teams that deal with pro players, in general. I’m sure Jim Johannson fielded a call or two from these guys over the course of the evaluation and selection of the players. Those calls, however, were more likely of an inquisitive nature as opposed to an informational/scouting nature. The group mentioned above have their first responsibility to their NHL club, and USA Hockey second.

I’m sure they were interested to see if some of their prospects were in the mix, but this team is Jim Johannson’s and Keith Allain’s. They make the final decisions on who to or not to invite. Those decisions are also based on season-long, and in some cases two-season long evaluations of players as scouted by Johannson, Tim Taylor, the junior team’s director of player personnel, and Ben Smith, who helped with the scouting efforts. That is a question that I actually heard a few times when I worked at USAH, and it’s a fair one to ask. That said, those guys are very in tune with what USA Hockey is doing in regards to national teams and player development at all times.

Friend of the blog and a great blogger himself, Kirk Luedeke, who has his own preview of Team USA’s forwards, asked on Twitter:

Are the Americans accepting a lot of risk by opting for smaller wings over [Brandon] Saad?

When Kirk originally asked that question, I thought yes, but looking at the roster some more, I don’t think so. Saad was going to be a left winger if he made this team, most likely. Chris Kreider is faster, and similar in body type in that position. He was never going to beat out D’Amigo, Bourque or Zucker on the left side, either. If you put Saad on his off wing, there’s more competition. Chris Brown really emerged as a guy that can play two ways, and be that versatile-type player that Allain and Johannson spoke about on their teleconference. Brown is also 6-2, 194, so he brings similar size as Saad, while outproducing the Saginaw Spirit winger in camp. Emerson Etem isn’t quite as big, but he’s strong and again, faster. Then there’s Kyle Palmieri and Jeremy Morin who Saad was never going to beat out. Lastly, you’ve got Mitchell Callahan, who gives away size, but brings an element that Team USA desperately needed in his hard-nosed, in your face game.

Saad was a numbers cut. In other years (particularly next year), it’d be unthinkable to leave him home.  The players that made the team either had better camps or brought something different to the table. It’s a great problem to have such depth, for the management, as Johannson repeatedly said earlier today. He thought it was one of the tougher years in making selections. Few were harder than cutting Saad, I’m sure.

——-

Here are some links to get you through this cold December night.

First off, there are at least three players from the U.S. National Junior Team on Twitter, so go ahead and follow them: Jerry D’Amigo (@JerryD91), Emerson Etem (@emersonetem) and Chris Kreider (@ChrisKreider). I’m not sure how much they’ll be using the medium during the tournament, but either way, they’re worth following.

Craig Custance of The Sporting News has been getting first-person accounts from Brandon Saad on his experiences throughout the year leading up to the draft. However, today’s post gets Saad’s reaction to being cut. I feel for the kid, but he is a classy and mature young man. He’ll bounce back from this and I expect him to be a top-five pick this year and a leader for next year’s junior squad. Saad also offers some scouting reports on Canada and Sweden.

Looking back, I should have linked this video in my post regarding the importance of Tim Taylor’s role with the team last week, but forgot. Taylor and Johannson talk about the year-long process in selecting the U.S. National Junior Team. It’s a very insightful piece put together by USAHockey.com’s managing editor, Cameron Eickmeyer.

Here’s NHL.com’s look at the U.S. National Junior Team from Mike Morreale, including some great quotes from Keith Allain from the teleconference earlier.

Lastly, if you haven’t visited USA Hockey’s roster page for the National Junior Team, you should. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with the players. There are individual stats, as well as great notes on each player.

Want to get a good idea of how things are going with that team from north of the border? Buzzing the Net is the place to check that out. Great insight and plenty of great links. It’s a daily stop for me, even when the World Juniors aren’t going on.

Tomorrow, we’ll preview what to watch for in Team USA’s final exhibition and take a look at Group A (USA, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany) for the World Junior Championship. See you tomorrow.

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, NHL, NHL Draft, NTDP, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on Your Questions Answered… and LINKS!

Team USA Will be Versatile, Fast — Highlights from U.S. Teleconference

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Chris Peters

Not a lot of surprises coming out of Team USA’s afternoon teleconference featuring Head Coach Keith Allain, GM Jim Johannson and Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey.

Still it was nice to hear what Allain had to say about some of his charges. The other thing that struck me about the call, having only met Allain once, was that he just sounds like a leader. It seems obvious that he should be, but he sounds like the type of guy you’d want to play for. There was a bit of fire in his belly and he was all business throughout the call. This is a guy who is ready to lead his team into battle.

Allain and Johannson both spoke of the trademarks of the team, and what we can expect from the U.S. squad.

“We’ve got a team that I really, really like,” Allain said. “Some of the trademarks of our team: we’ve got great speed, good size, and a tremendous amount of versatility. We’ve got some experience and good, solid goaltending. I definitely think we have the building blocks for a very successful tournament.”

Allain also mentioned that the next few days will be spent putting lines together and trying to build team unity and develop an identity for this squad. He also preached improvement.

“We’re going to need to improve. We have to be a better team in two weeks than we are right now,” he said.

Other general items that Allain touched on was the fact that being considered a favorite for the tournament hasn’t affected the way they are preparing the team at all.

“Our focus, first of all, is to come together as a team and get better each game we play,” Allain said. “‘Favorites’ and all that stuff is outside noise as far as I’m concerned. We’ve got a job to do as a team.”

Lastly, Allain will preach some of the same things to this U.S. team as he does to his Yale Bulldogs like playing up-tempo, giving good back pressure and trying to get offense from all five players on the ice.

Allain and Johannson also addressed a number of questions regarding personnel and gave a good indication of how some players will be used:

Kyle Palmieri – Johannson said that Palmieri will be looked to be an all-around player who can be counted on for offense. He said Palmieri will be put in situations when he can generate offense, but because of his maturity as a player, they think they can rely on him in many different situations. Johannson was impressed with Palmieri’s growth and maturity over the last year.

Emerson Etem – Another player Johannson felt had grown a lot, particularly since the summer evaluation camp. Johannson said that Etem had an “extremely strong camp” and had a “complete” two games in exhibition play. Etem was another guy that Johannson felt can be versatile thanks to his size and strength.

Jack Campbell – Allain said that Campbell will be a key component of this team because he is a proven winner. He’s got experience and confidence which will be important for this squad.

Brian Dumoulin – Allain raved about Dumoulin’s ability to play in all situations. He’s a good all-around defenseman and Allain called him “exactly what we’re looking for.”

Derek Forbort – Forbort will be looked to as a steady, two-way defender according to Allain. His size and mobility make him an asset.

Justin Faulk – Allain believes Faulk will be a key to Team USA’s power play as he is at UMD. Allain also talked about Faulk’s strength on the puck and his solid 200-pound frame.

Charlie Coyle – The big surprise here is that Allain admitted that, coming into the summer camp, they didn’t know if Coyle was going to be a center. However, Coyle impressed so much in Lake Placid, they knew he’d have a strong chance at making this team. Allain also said that Coyle is big, strong and very smart. He’s reliable in the D zone and will be relied on heavily in a variety of situations. Allain is very high on this guy, as he should be.

Patrick Wey – I thought Wey would be more of that physical, stay at home guy, but Allain sees it differently. And who am I to argue? Allain said that Wey’s experience as a “key guy on a winning team (Boston College)” is very important. He’s a steady puck-mover, that’s not strictly defensive. He’s another one of those versatile D-men that should be relied on by this team in any situation. Allain also liked the fact that BC uses Wey late in games when protecting a lead.

Those are the main points that were made during the teleconference. After listening to some of the insight from Allain, I feel like there’s a lot to learn yet about this U.S. team, but its a team that is loaded with talent. They’ll play Norway tomorrow night in what amounts to the dress rehearsal for the World Junior Championship. Expect a fired-up U.S. team for that tilt. Knowing which guys you’re going into the tournament with should help get some of those kinks worked out from the previous exhibitions.

We’ll have one more post a little later today to answer some of your questions and share some links.

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, NCAA, NHL, NTDP, U.S. National Teams | Comments Off on Team USA Will be Versatile, Fast — Highlights from U.S. Teleconference

Random Roster Thoughts

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Chris Peters

After watching Team USA’s game against the Czech Republic last night, I couldn’t help but notice a bit of a flat performance. There didn’t seem to be anyone battling for a roster spot out there, like I thought there would be. That said, I’m glad that the coaches and staff for Team USA have spent countless hours analyzing these players over the last few months to make the decisions they did. I’m not going to second guess any of it. I’ll leave that to the Canadian media and other blogs. I can see the reason for every decision made, and I know USA Hockey is hungry for this gold medal.

First thoughts about this team. The defense has a very good balance to it. I had mentioned in my previews last week that Team USA had to decide how much offense they wanted or needed from their blue line, because of so many offensively gifted Dmen in camp.

You’ve got your offensive defensemen in Faulk and Leddy, your two-way guys like Merrill and to a lesser degree Forbort and Dumoulin, and you’ve got a pair of good shutdown guys in Ramage and Wey. That’s the reason you don’t see Clendening’s name. He would have shifted the balance towards offense, which when you have gifted forwards, you really don’t need.

One thing that concerns me a little bit is that I think Team USA is a little thin down the middle. I think the centers are all fine players, but none of them jump out at me as a guy I’d see matching up against top offensive units. Maybe you don’t need a shutdown forward line with D pairings that good, but I’m guessing Keith Allain is going to charge one of these four big centers to do some work in the D zone. All of them are going to have to be able to play both ways in this tournament. The skill level of each team will be high. I think Team USA will have to see the centers step up in a big way.

An observation: None of Team USA’s first-year NHL Draft eligible invites made the team. Not one. Brandon Saad might be a top-five pick, but he was sent packing after generating next to no offense in either of the exhibitions. That said, he’s still a very gifted player who still has top-five potential. We already covered Clendening, but to be fair, I think he was under a lot of personal pressure to make this team, hopefully he responds well when he returns to BU. Rocco Grimaldi didn’t quite look like himself out there, but I don’t think that should hurt his draft status, though pundits will probably say otherwise. Matthew Nieto didn’t really get it going offensively. His biggest asset is his speed, and Team USA already had a lot of that. Jamie Oleksiak was always a long shot, but a player worth taking to camp. His size alone should put him on more NHL scouts radars if it hadn’t already.

I don’t think this played into the decision, much, but, there may be a few perks to not having draft-eligible players on the team. Players with the draft on their mind might push a little too hard or try and be too fancy. The worry of improving or degrading one’s draft status might be unavoidable and could negatively effect focus. It takes a mentally tough player to put the draft out of his head. I think most of these guys could have done that, but its one less worry for the coaching staff. Every player on the roster has been drafted. There shouldn’t be any distracting them from their goal. The Gold Medal.

Goaltending is going to be a factor. Luckily for Team USA, they have a big-game goaltender. I’ve heard a lot of talk about Jack Campbell’s slow start this year, however, when the lights are brighter, he’s better. He is your quintessential primetime goalie. He’s the type of kid that can push himself to be better. As long as he doesn’t push himself too far, he’s going to be the Jack Campbell we all know and love. When he wears the USA crest, his game goes to a new level. Get ready for it.

The players I’m most excited to watch:

Emerson Etem

 

Emerson Etem ranks very high on this list. Etem’s a guy they couldn’t afford to leave off. He’s going to score goals in this tournament. He’s going to make plays. This guy will have a big audience to show why the Anaheim Ducks used one of their two first-round picks on him. Since he’s been in the Dub, I haven’t had a chance to see him as much, but I think his style of play is made for a tournament like this. He’ll be a lot of fun to watch.

I’ve praised the goal-scoring ability of Jeremy Morin, but one thing that I may have forgotten is his toughness. He’s already got an NHL scrap under his belt, which is nice. It’s not the fighting though, its the hard-nosed play. He has no fear out there. He reminds me in a lot of ways of a young Jeremy Roenick (with a little less speed). Maybe that’s why the Hawks gave Morin No. 27. Still he offers more than goal scoring. He brings an edge to his game. That will come in handy for him and his teammates… but the goal scoring prowess doesn’t hurt either.

Jon Merrill is another guy I can’t wait to see at this level. He dropped to the second round in last year’s draft, however, he was the New Jersey Devils first pick. The talk out of the combine was that he interviewed poorly, though the Devs said otherwise. He’s a first-round talent who can elevate his game to the level necessary to be successful. This kid could be a Devil by next year… And let’s face it, they could probably use him now.

Jason Zucker was an underager at last year’s tournament. This year he’s got the confidence you can only get by never finishing second. In three IIHF World Championships, Zucker, along with Jack Campbell, has won gold each time (2009 U18, 2010 WJC, 2010 U18). He’s a pest out there too. You can find him beaking his opponents and backing it up with his speed, strength and skill. I don’t know how long the University of Denver is going to have him at their disposal. I think the Minnesota Wild may have gotten the steal of the draft when they took him late in the second round.

Lastly, there is a lot of talk about Team USA being the favorites, though some of it has cooled after a bit of a disappointing pair of exhibitions. When you put together a new team and a partly new coaching staff, everything changes. Yes, Team USA has eight returning players. Yes, they have four players with pro experience. Yes, they are on home soil. However, at the end of the day, the World Junior Championship is far too unpredictable. I don’t think you can tab any one team as the favorite.

U.S. teams in this tournament don’t often find themselves in that position, so maybe its a little exciting. I just hope the players don’t buy into it too much. Canada, Sweden and Russia all bring teams that have the capability of winning gold. Team USA’s own group in tournament play includes the always hard-to-play-against Finland, a spirited and talented Swiss team, and a feisty Slovakian team. Germany has beaten Team USA in this tournament before, as well. It’s no cake walk, and shouldn’t be treated as such. I know the coaches aren’t going to allow thinking like that in the locker room.

So my final thought for this post is that USA fans better be ready for a very fun and interesting ride. Anything less than the gold medal would be a disappointment, but one should never expect the road will be easy.

Programming note: USA Hockey has a teleconference with Keith Allain and Jim Johannson scheduled later today and I’ll give you some of the highlights from that. Also, if you have any questions you think I might be able to answer, ask me on  Twitter, or leave some in the comments and I will try to answer them later today. So check back later this afternoon for more news, notes and links.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

The Defenders of Gold

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Chris Peters

Here it is: Your final roster for the 2011 U.S. National Junior Team. These 22 players are charged with defending the gold medal on home soil.

The Goaltenders:

Jack Campbell – A hero in the gold-medal game, Campbell will have to be every bit as good in his second go around. It’s his show now.

Andy Iles – This goaltender will likely back-up Campbell for most of the tournament, however Iles is reliable when needed. He’s super focused and competitive and he’ll be a good compliment to Campbell.

The Defensemen:

Brian Dumoulin – His big frame and mobility made him an easy choice to be a big part of this blue line. He’s going to have to assert himself physically throughout the tournament.

Justin Faulk – This guy is likely your power-play QB. His rocket shot will strike fear into the opponent’s heart. He plays a physical game and has become more defensively responsible in the last year.

Derek Forbort – Calm, cool and collected at the back end. Oh yeah, and he’s 6-5. Great defensive stick and he can move the puck up quickly. Steady as they come.

Nick Leddy – His NHL experience and keen offensive ability will help Team USA. He’s a great skater as well. When the going gets tough, he’ll have to be tough. Should get some PP time.

Jon Merrill – Arguably the most gifted defenseman on this roster. He’s got a bag full of tools that will help him be dependable in all situations. Can play on the PP as well.

John Ramage – Should be a leader on this team. His WJC experience will come in handy. He also knows when to lay the big hit, or play the puck. He’s going to be a good influence on his teammates.

Patrick Wey – Played his way onto this club by being a solid defensive defenseman. He gives you good size and strength. He’ll be your blue-collar seventh D man.

Surprise Cut: Adam Clendening seemed to have everything going for him. In the end, size may have been his downfall. Team USA couldn’t afford three 5-11 defensemen. Faulk and Leddy were too good to leave off. In the end, Clendening’s cut may be just a numbers game. It’s too bad for the kid. He would have been a great story, being a local and all, but teams aren’t built for PR reasons.

The Forwards:

Nick Bjugstad – Big centerman may have to play on a shutdown line. He’s offensively gifted and very strong. He will have to bring it every shift, and I think he will.

Ryan Bourque – Looking at this roster, he’s going to have to be solid on both ends. He can score you goals, but he’ll have to be a defensively responsible player, which is well within his range.

Chris Brown – This guy had to have a good camp and he did. He was used in a variety of roles in the exhibitions and he excelled. Hard work and talent came together for Brown. As long as he stays out of the box, he could be a threat.

Mitch Callahan – Callahan won the battle with Connor Brickley for being the physical presence on this team. He will lay big hits, but he’s got the ability to score. He’s going to have defensemen worried in the corners.

Charlie Coyle – Coyle looks to be a center for this club and he performed wonderfully last night. His size and strength will help him win a lot of draws out there.

Jerry D’Amigo – You couldn’t cut this guy, but he had a rough camp. I don’t expect that to continue. He’s been successful on the international stage, why should that change now?

Emerson Etem – Outside of Jeremy Morin, you might be able to look to this guy as your go-to scorer. He’s got speed and a release that is just nasty. He’s so good down the wing and he can score from anywhere.

Chris Kreider – Another returnee for Team USA that will be a big part of this team. If this team’s game is speed, Kreider is their poster boy.

Jeremy Morin – His nine-game stint with the Blackhawks will come in handy, but most importantly his goal-scoring ability is what Team USA craves. He will get lots of PP time, and should be a key to the offense.

Brock Nelson – Nelson is another guy who came out and had a good camp. He was better over the summer, and if he can regain that form, he should become an impact player.

Kyle Palmieri – Morin might be the go-to scoring threat, but Palmieri might end up being one of the best all-around players on this team. He had eight assists last year, but he can score too. He was dominant at times against the Czechs last night, scoring both regulation goals. Keith Allain may lean heavily on Palmieri.

Drew Shore – I’ve said it before. This guy is going to set the table. He’s going to win some draws and he’s going to distribute. He makes his teammates better and can find the net himself when needed. He’ll look to improve from a so-so camp.

Jason Zucker – He should be an important piece of the puzzle this year. Zucker played a bigger role than most expected him to last year. Now he’s got to show he can bring the energy to Team USA when they need it. He can be extremely hard to play against at times. Team USA will need him to be.

Surprise Cuts: Brandon Saad and Rocco Grimaldi.

Saad’s cut caught me off guard a little bit, but I’m not in the business of second guessing. This is a deep forward group and someone had to get cut. I don’t see this happening again next year.

Cutting Grimaldi kind of seemed inevitable after both exhibition games. It wasn’t that he played poorly. He just didn’t produce offensively. That was the only way he would have made the team, is by being dynamic and producing points. While Grimaldi should still be considered a top prospect, it just wasn’t his year. He’ll be ready to go for this team next year.

We’ll be back a little later this morning with more observations on the team makeup and what we should expect out of this group come December 26.

Posted in 2011 WJC, American Prospects, Junior Hockey, NCAA, NHL, NHL Draft, NTDP, U.S. National Teams | 1 Comment