I predict the Four Nations participants will just float. Sure, not as egregiously, (heh - almost shamefully), as is done in every All-Star game, but I myself am in favour of the players getting a full two weeks’ rest to get ready for another half and play-offs (for most of them, anyway), which neatly ties in with my conviction that the regular season should definitely be shortened down from the current 84-game schedule. (If done, the quailty and intensity of play-off hockey would get ramped up even more, to be sure.)
Well, I don’t think any of them have floated so far. The games have been pretty tightly played and are as physical as any NHL game.
Last night between Canada and the US was pretty wild. I thought the fights at the beginning were kind of nonsense, because what do you really have to fight about at the start of your first meeting in the series? Plus, it deprived the US of two top scorers for the first five minutes, and handed Canada a power play in the third fight. Oh well, it does take two to tango, and both sides dropped their gloves, so both sides thought it was worth it I guess.
Either way, good defensive play by the US team got them a slot in the final. I predict Canada will probably meet them again on Thursday.
ETA: And I agree that the season could be about 20 games or so shorter. It’d probably up the intensity of the regular season, as well.
And that’s the end of the Four Nations Face-Off tournament. If they by some miracle decide to do another one in lieu of the all-star game, I’m all for it. Unlike the all-star game, I actually gave a shit about these games, and it seems the players did too. Plus, real 5-on-5 OT hockey. If anything stops it, it will be that there are players coming back from it that won’t be available to their NHL teams for awhile.
Great job, Canada. Congratulations, you certainly earned it.
After that overtime, I find that I have to take back most of the things I said about Binnington. His saves on Matthews and Tkachuk were as clutch as could be.
That glove save on Matthews was a miracle.
Last night’s game was essentially a tie. Not bad for the US team against those generational talents!
All those games were hard fought and I hope they got some ratings. Way better than the usual all-star break stuff.
Finally got a chance to catch a game.
Indeed - not floating, great pace, finished checks.
Canada sure was shaky at the start, getting badly out-hit for most of the first period.
Yeah, that glove save on Matthews. Really, really wierd cheering on Marchand. Impressive D-work from Slavin to prevent a Canada goal in the 2nd.
To credit where it’s due - didn’t seem to hear much in the way of booing at the end of the Canadian anthem. Also good to see Goudreau Sr. fistbumping with US team before face-off.
Gretzky, though. Bye-bye.
Congratulations to Canada. I’m disappointed, but not that disappointed after US threatened sovereignty.
Good job!
Admittedly mostly off-topic, but I’m amused in a violated sort of way. Apple Music somehow figured out I watched some hockey games recently and has fed me at least three songs about hockey this evening.
I didn’t know there even were three songs about hockey.
The Gaudreau family will lead the Blue Jackets onto the ice for today’s stadium series game at Ohio Stadium
https://x.com/adamking10tv/status/1895583998040293818?s=46&t=KEWgwenxgQmz-pLDK_DMFQ
Was one of the them ‘The Hockey Song’ by Stompin’ Tom Connors?
The Stars just picked up Mikko Rantanen at the deadline. I will miss the little Stanker, however this could finally put the Stars over the top. He has been a solid playoff performer in the past.
Yeah, I’m going to miss Stankoven, too. If anything makes me nervous about Rantanen, it’s that he’s been traded twice in one year.
Aaron Ekblad suspended 20 games for PEDs. Definitely wasn’t the news I was expecting, I’ve seen a lot of the Panthers over the last couple of seasons and never thought how ripped Ekblad was.
I thought the Panthers planned to bury Tkachuk on long term injured reserves until the playoffs. Being without Ekblad won’t help.
Tuesday versus the Ducks, Ovie had the puck with the net empty and opted to pass to Alexei Protas who got his first career hat trick.
John Tortorella out in Philadelphia.
“Complicated”…For Torts, that’s one helluva euphemism. Will never forget him and Flames goalie coach Clint “UGH! My Throat” Malarchuk almost going at it during a ridiculous hallway brouhaha.
Caps played the Wild last night. Unless they both make the final, it was the last Fleury will see the Caps. He didn’t play but the Caps formed a handshake line to acknowledge his career.
Yeah, that was very nice to see. Ovechkin called players heading to the dressing room back onto the ice. Of course, Ovechkin has scored more against Fleury than any other goalie…all those great years of the Pens/Caps rivalry.
I’m not surprised that Torts is gone, especially after his comments about not want to learn how to coach through this. I am surprised that they didn’t wait until the end of the season to can him. THG, on YouTube, says there may have been some sort of confrontation between Tortorella and Cam York which may have forced the teams hand…
I used to listen to sports talk from Columbus when Torts coached there. He really seemed like a decent guy back then.
Makes no sense to fire a coach right now at this point in the season.
OV scored 2 more tonight and is now tied with Gretzky at 894 goals. He had at least 4 shots in the last minute of the game…
Gretzky was at the game note and I imagine will be at the one on Long Island on Sunday.
He elevates the puck better than any shooter I’ve ever seen, but is just so danged accurate when he does so. Unless it was a gimme, all the goals I’ve seen him score this year have been on shots ABOVE the pads (if not the hands); the butterfly is a hapless manuever against him.