Congrats on your GOLD JT...Miller played well except for that last goal. How out matched did the US look 4 on 4??? Great tournement. Great effort by the US. Very proud.
the major factor explaining canada's success in OT is at the blue line.
Canada's defencemen all have tremendous offensive skills while the americans ? hehhhh... not so much (they have some good guys, but overrall the offensive firepower is a lot better on canada's blue line).
You want proof ? check out nhl.com, the stats for defenseman ... i just took a peek and
our 6 canadian guys are amongst the top 11 scorers... :jcane:
USA ? They have 1 i think, amongst the top 25 ... :rolleyes2:
Why is it such an advantage ? well, generating an offence in 4 on 4 usually requires a 3rd attacker, a defencemen. (markov, montreal's best player is an offensive defenseman, and when we win in OT it's basically because he's out there taking shots or making magnificient passes near the crease )
Canada's defenders aren't just skilled, they were agressive in the offensive zone and Bab****'s message was clear: Don't be scared to take chances.
when the puck was going to be cleared, they didn't fall back to neutral ice to avoid a rush (like teams with a tied score or have a lead, do) , no they got their nose dirty and often attempted to chip the puck back deep in the corners, take a shot or make a pass ...
that, to me, was the major difference... because when you see guys like kane, parise, kessler, they have legit speed and overrall talent, playing 4 on 4 is their thing... but bruce orpik ? ryan suter ? tim gleason ? Ryan Whitney ? not their forté
:hi5::up::hump:
