The Crescendo Of A Champion

Having watched the December 25 game between Russia and the US, it was pretty clear that the American team didn't have their best effort that day, particularly in the defensive zone. Tied 1-1 after one period of play, the Russians scord three times in the middle frame of that game to really put the Americans in a tough spot, and they would eventually win the game 5-3. At the time, I really thought the US's struggles in their own zone might hurt them, but if the adage of "you have to learn how to lose before you learn how to win" is true, the American team lived that adage over two weeks.

While it hurts to see Canada fail to capture their second-straight gold medal, it shouldn't be a surprise considering how the Americans improved in each game after the the loss to the Russians. They were the far better team when it came to puck position, they forechecked hard and with a purpose, they played extremely well at their own blue line to force Canada into dumping the puck in where it could be recovered quickly, and they used their speed to catch Canada flat-footed at times and to cause chaos in the Canadian defensive end.

By the end of the tournament, the Americans were the best team of the ten that attended.

If adversity tests character, perhaps this is a part of the reason the Americans emerged victorious. The loss to the Russians likely focused the team as the coaches prepared for a December 26 game against the Austrians, and the Americans came away with an 11-0 victory against arguably the worst team at this year's championship. It was nothing to be overly excited about, but you could see the Americans working on smaller pieces of their game - transitions, positioning on the ice, chemistry among its lines.

That attention to detail on those finer points of the game were on display tonight as the Americans looked like the aggressors all night. They won puck battles and race to pucks using their speed, they closed gaps quickly to force the Canadians into making hasty decisions, and they moved as a unit on the ice as they built momentum and confidence before the Alex Turcotte goal at 13:25 of the first period. Having played the Russians, the Swedes, and the Finns along the way to a gold-medal final game likely helped prepare them for a high-tempo game, and it was clear from the time the puck was dropped on the opening faceoff that the Americans had come to play.

Take nothing away from the Canadians in this tournament as they played a dominating style throughout the two weeks, but it's hard to kick it up to a higher gear when you haven't been forced to do so for two weeks. While the Finns presented a challenge for Canada, it was pretty clear that the three other teams - shorthanded Germany, the Slovaks, and Swiss - didn't have the same effect as playing the Russians and Swedes did for the Americans.

On the international stage, it's helpful to remind one's self that speed kills. Physicality can help a team win games, but speed is the ultimate factor that goes into a team's success at tournaments. That's not just foot speed or skating speed, but the speed in which players process the game in front of them to make good decisions with the puck which the Americans did well tonight. The Americans were simply the faster team for about 40 minutes before the Canadians really upped their efforts in the third period. That final frame saw the Canadians draw no closer, and the Americans were able to celebrate the gold-medal win!

I've heard some scouts say that the NCAA game has closed the gap on the CHL in terms of player preparedness for the bigger stage whether that be the NHL or international tournaments or other leagues. I'm not here to debate the merits of one path or the other, but the NCAA offers something the CHL can't, and that's having 18 and 19 year-olds play against players who are 21 and 22 that force the 18 and 19 year-olds into playing at a higher level. We saw the Americans, with a team built largely from the NCAA this season, play at an exceptionally high level, and that's been the case for the last decade when Team USA is putting a team together to make a run for gold.

Having solid developmental leagues like the CHL and the NCAA have pushed Canada and the US to that upper echelon of teams at the U20 level, and this is precisely the basis of the argument I made back on December 29. Without good developmental programs, the teams outside the Big Five nations will always struggle. Yes, there might be a few stars who made the jump to the CHL or NCAA for development, but the depth on those teams will always be challenged when it comes to rising to the occasion in big games against the Big Five nations.

While I want to lament the loss today, I simply can't feel bad for Team Canada. They had an opportunity to win and defend the gold medal, but were beaten by a better team today. Not one player, not a hot goalie, but a better team. Canada showed some resolve in the third period to make this a more competitive contest, but I'm taking nothing away from the Americans on this day as they played at a faster pace, made better decisions, and executed their gameplan better than their opponents.

The best team won. It's that simple. Congratulations to Team USA on winning the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!