Weekly Takes - Monday, February 23rd Edition

Weekly Takes - Monday, February 23rd Edition 

1. My three stars from Canada’s thrilling win over Czechia on Wednesday…

1. Nathan MacKinnon

2. Jordan Binnington

3. Mitch Marner

Like Slovakia in 2010 and Latvia in 2014, this is not supposed to be easy. This were those two games, x10. 

Thankfully for Canada, Binnington is absolutely clutch, no matter what anyone says at this point. 

And Marner, when not wearing the blue and white, continues to show how clutch he is as well. He never did this in Toronto and was never going to do it in Toronto, but that does not mean he cannot do it elsewhere.

Thankfully for Canada.

2. My three stars from Canada’s thrilling win – again – over Finland on Friday…

1. Macklin Celebrini 

2. MacKinnon

3. Travis Sanheim 

Canada gave up almost nothing, played way better than they did against Czechia, yet still had to squeak out a win.

The Brad Marchand-Sam Bennett-Tom Wilson line needs to remain intact for Sunday, while I would start with Celebrini-Connor McDavid-MacKinnon. MacKinnon has been at his best with those two.

Hope that Sidney Crosby can play between Mark Stone and Marner and that gives you three lines that you can trust.

The fourth line can then be Bo Horvat-Nick Suzuki-Seth Jarvis, with Sam Reinhart as the 13th forward and Brandon Hagel scratched.

If Crosby cannot go, put Suzuki between Stone and Marner.

3. My three stars from Canada’s heartbreaking loss to the Americans on Sunday…

1. Marner

2. Celebrini 

3. Makar

A shockingly dominant performance from Canada, without Crosby and their second best defenceman in Josh Morrissey. Unfortunately, in one game, puck luck and a goaltending performance for the ages can lead to the better team/country not winning.

That is what happened here. Congratulations to the Americans for winning – and kudos to Connor Hellebuyck for playing the game of his life – but the better team did not win. In fact, I am stunned with how dominant Canada performed. I was expecting a closer fight from the Americans and it just never happened. 

You can call it “cope” but they were saved by their goalie, the officials, and the most puck luck I have ever seen in a game.

As was the case with the Dodgers winning game seven, the better team did not win. Fluke of the century. Play a seven game series and the best hockey country in the World – Canada – wins in five.

4. Because it was the fluke of the century, it is tough to criticise the roster Canada brought – a tradition after losing a big game.

They brought a team that dummied the Americans in the Gold Medal game. Not much more you can do.

5. What I will criticise is Canada’s play three-on-three. McDavid and ‘co went for hero plays. Illogical. 

With that being said, there should not be three-on-three in the Gold Medal game. Five-on-five until we have a winner, as we have done for 100+ years.

6. I am happy for Hellebuyck and Auston Matthews, however. The best goalie in the world and the third best centre in the world, yet they have been ripped for years (rightfully so) for their inability to show up when it matters. 

Yet, on the biggest stage of all, they delivered. Success in life and sport is not linear. Even for the all-time greats, it takes time.

7. I will say this: The Americans are lucky they fluked out this win, because the next wave of Canadian hockey stars is far greater than that of the USA. This may be their last chance for the next while. Here is my 2030 Canadian Hockey Roster…

Forwards…

Celebrini-McDavid-Connor Bedard

Gavin McKenna-MacKinnon-Wyatt Johnston

Hagel-Suzuki-Marner

Adam Fantilli-Jarvis-Dylan Guenther 

Defence…

Harley-Makar

Matthew Schaefer-Keaton Verheoff 

Sanehim - Noah Dobson

Goalies…

Logan Thompson

Jet Greaves

Extras: Beckett Sennecke, Robert Thomas, Owen Power, Zayne Parekh, and Sebastian Cossa

Honourable Mentions: Michael Misa, Drake Batherson, Porter Martone, Sam Dickinson, Joshua Ravensberg, and Devon Levi 

8. Canada’s women’s team suffered a well deserved defeat at the hands of the Americans.

The USA brought a faster, younger, more skilled team. Canada went with a slow and old team. They got away with it in 2014, but not this time around.

Hockey Canada better figure it out quick before the Americans completely lap them.

In overtime alone, Canada won almost every face off, yet were almost instantly skated off the puck.

It was tough to watch.

9. Keith Pelley gets a lot of criticism for how MLSE teams have performed since he has taken over, but he deserves full credit for Toronto FC’s turnaround.

MLSE got out of the Italians and were not afraid to spend big shortly thereafter on their new superstar in Josh Sargent. 

The best part? Sargent, unlike the Italians, is coming here in his prime and not with any hoopla. It is about winning, not marketing. 

Bobby Webster is a good offseason away with the Raptors from having MLSE looking pretty damn good… Leafs aside.