WJC Notes

My heart has finally restarted after what seemed minutes of inactivity as the Canadians squeak by the Americans in a shootout.

Wow - easily the best game of the WJC season, and an example of all the good things that can happen when the Canadians and US clash.

Peter Mueller may be a Coyote, but the kid has a nice offensive game, including the ability to pick his corner at will.

Jonathon Toews for all his skills, still seems to lack that extra gear in his skating that would make him unstoppable. Any time Toews had what seemed like an excellent chance one-on-one, he was stymied by the US speed. In the shootout he was Mr ATM, all-money. Three ridiculous moves to keep Frazee guessing throughout.

Speaking of Frazee, were the US just playing possum by not starting him at the beginning of the tournament? Were they hiding this guy so Canada wouldn't have his tendencies nailed down?
And what is it with such limited success in the NHL by Canada's WJC goalies? Our homegrown franchise goalies (Luongo, Fleury) don't win, but the guys who go on to be excellent backups (Legace, Fiset, Kidd, Denis, Cloutier, etc.) are the ones who steal thunder at the tournament? What does this mean for Justin Pogge and Carey Price?

Erik Johnson is going to be a monster defenseman for St Louis. Gigantic potential in his game including; airtight defense, pancake checking and an absolute bomb of a slapshot. Jack Johnson may lack some of the power and edge that E.J. has, but JJ has an offensive game that doesn't degrade as he penetrates deeper in the offensive zone, even if he still occasionally needs someone to slap him for the frequency with which he does so.

Kyle Okposo, Jack Skille...where were you? These two were supposed to give the US a power-forward tandem that would score goals and run amok like Tractors in a herd of sheep. But 0utside of flashes from each of them (a rush by Skille, an out of the corner move by Okposo) neither was impressive. Ditto for Kendall McCardle. Barely noticed him.

Russell and Letang - you know, I gotta say, they remind me too much of John Slaney, Brett Hedican, Andrew Ferrence types - awesome junior defenders, but borderline NHL blue-liners. Enjoy this guys, the next step is a big one and it may not get better than this.

If I'm Helm and I keep getting compared to Kirk Maltby, I would want to kill myself. Pierre Maguire all but cursed the kid with a 4th line 8 minutes a night role for perpetuity. Gosh, thanks Pierre. For a kid with speed and hands (and decent stats) to be pigeon-holed as a checker is sad.

Not all that impressed with Andrew Cogliano. He's been slippery and occasionally dangerous off the wing, but for the most part I think he's over-matched physically and isn't producing enough offense to justify all the acclaim.

Patrick Kane is going to be sick. He's got an intelligence and selflessness to his game that was never apparent in puck-vacuums like Kessel or me-first-ers like Jack Johnson. He's got talent to burn and a high hockey IQ, he'll be special.

Maguire just compared Russian pivot Ilya Zubov to Pavel Datsyuk (I'm now well into the Sweden-Russia game), which is apt, but his upright pass-first, passive style reminds me more of Mikael Nylander. Undoubtedly a prospect pick next year, he's now been aged to perfection, and there are potential openings for him in Ottawa with Kaigorodov's tenure being so short.

(Side note: is it just me, or is that Comrie for Kaigorodov trade not stupidly lopsided for Ottawa? K-Gord wouldn't accept a role in the minors when he'd clearly earned one, and isn't a lock to come back from Russia to play for Wayne, for a skill forward who can play three positions and help your powerplay? Sure Comrie is a cancer in the dressing room and there is a fire-sale on, but if that's the best that Barnett can do for him he should resign and give me the job.)

Niklas Backstrom the ice-calm centre for the Swedes is making the Severed Heads GM very happy. If he has a panic point with the puck, I have yet to see him reach it. Update 1. Backstrom breaks in shorthanded and calmly backhands a bullet off the crossbar. Update 2. Backstrom doesn't fully tie up Cherepanov and the Swedes are down a goal. Weak. But the Heads won't be paying him for his D. Update 3. After seeing only short intermittent shifts for most of the 3rd period, he carves the Russian defense apart on the powerplay with some surgical passing, and mesmerizing stickhandling. Update 4. Maguire finally comes unhinged at the lack of playing time in crunch situations for Backstrom, and we are certain that somewhere in the building George McPhee was adding a 'no f*cking kidding'.

If Vasyonov is really over his back problems, he's a player.

The Swede runt Linus Omark (sp.?) is having the tournament of his life. As yet un-drafted, he could be a Martin StLouis/Sergei Samsonov type.

Igor Makarov, unsurprisingly, looks a lot like his dad out there. Fast, smooth strides propelling his short stocky frame in bursts of speed past defenders, and the same nifty forehand-backhand move to score that Rob's first ever FUNHL pick possesed. A 2nd rnder of the Chi-Hawks, he could be a 3rd liner next year and is another potential high round prospect pick. If there is a criticism, it's that he lacks the supernatural speed his father had, and he pays too much attention to defense.

Ultimately, Steve Downie is only going to be Darcy Tucker.

Pierre Maguire has used the 'Russians are going Globetrotter' metaphor for a third time in 20 minutes. It's officially entering 'Cross between Lafontaine and Hull' territory.

You just know that the Hellmstrom kid had an Ulfie poster in his bedroom growing up.

Potentially bad news for Canada, the Russians have themselves a real goaltender in Semen Varlamov.