Gameday Thread: World Junior Championship

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:06 PM PST

DANIEL:

I'm watching the gold medal game tonight so I can see Friberg and Rakell tonight. Hopefully, I'll be impressed with Nail as well. Nothing too special to report. Just opening up a thread for any musings folks might have about our prospects.

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So far, Friberg is finding the puck. No great plays, but nothing that makes me sad either. That’s always good.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:12 PM PST reply actions

Rakell had a good shift earlier. Found himself in the right spots but couldn’t get the puck to actually be on his tape.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:16 PM PST reply actions

Swedes have come out swinging. Not exactly what I was expecting.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:16 PM PST reply actions

What was that Friberg? You walked into the D and didn’t do anything with the puck. It was like you quit on the play.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:18 PM PST reply actions

Those shot totals are ridiculous. It’s like the ducks ar playing.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:23 PM PST reply actions

Weird. I would expect Russia to put a lot of shots on goal.

Also – is the TSN website streaming this? I’d like to watch or listen.

by light_the_lamp on Jan 5, 2012 5:34 PM PST up reply actions

I don’t know. They might be, but if it’s on NHL network, I don’t know where you can find it.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:35 PM PST up reply actions

Fiberg…I want you to do good things when I watch, not turn the puck over.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:23 PM PST reply actions

I’ll give him this. He is finding ways to be involved. He’s all over the ice.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:25 PM PST reply actions

Nail hasn’t exactly stood out. You know, along with everybody else.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:36 PM PST reply actions

The Swedes are straight dominating this game. It doesn’t matter who is on the ice.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:56 PM PST reply actions

I think I’ve heard Nail’s name like twice.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:56 PM PST reply actions

Rakell has managed to keep himself involved as well. The way the Swedes pressure the puck is encouraging. The ducks need players with those skills.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 5:59 PM PST reply actions

That’s a for sure boarding call. Maybe the Swedes can finally break through. I think that would be good for the Russians too. Giving up that first goal might just refocus them.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:01 PM PST reply actions

Kuznetsov has had a good game. I think he’s the other Russian who might be a top 5 pick.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:03 PM PST reply actions

Good work by Friberg to draw the penalty there. He protected the puck well and kept the feet moving. Good work.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:10 PM PST reply actions

Friberg and Rakell weren’t moving away from the puck on that PP. That’s not good.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:11 PM PST reply actions

I haven’t really seen Friberg or Rakell in open ice tonight. I don’t know how fast they are.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:13 PM PST reply actions

3 on 2 shorthanded…It’s like the Russians aren’t even trying.

Blowing the 3 on 2…It’s like the Swedes don’t want to win.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:20 PM PST reply actions

Epic Fail, Rakell.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:22 PM PST reply actions

There’s Yakupov! He just one timed a bomb!

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:39 PM PST reply actions

Man, this is a completely different Russian team. Friberg did a good job to get everyone going in the other direction, but the Swedes didn’t do much after that.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:42 PM PST reply actions

That can’t be a penalty on Rakell. He was completely pushed into him! 100% pushed into him! That’s why he didn’t get a shot.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:44 PM PST reply actions

Are you serious Ferraro?! he’s putting all his weight and trying to fall backwards and you want to say he didn’t try to get out of the way?! I used to like you Ray, now you’re being a punk.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:45 PM PST reply actions

Shooting that was a bad idea. That kid should have been able to make the pass on that 2 on 1.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:45 PM PST reply actions

At this stage of the game, Friberg needs to protect that puck better. He worked to get it back, but it would be better to not lose it in the first place.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:47 PM PST reply actions

This game just got crazy good. Like, Tiger Woods’ ex bulldozing a house crazy.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:48 PM PST reply actions

Friberg holds the puck too much. He really needs to move the puck more efficiently.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 6:57 PM PST reply actions

I really want it to go to overtime.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:00 PM PST reply actions

I want to make a good joke about the Swedes not being able to Finnish, but I’m just not that clever

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:04 PM PST reply actions

This game might get Makarov drafted in the first 3 rounds.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:05 PM PST reply actions

I forgot about Zibanejad!! That kid was fast!

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:07 PM PST reply actions

WoW! like O_____o
Gustavson just made a game saver!

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:10 PM PST reply actions

where are you watching this?

by BennyLightning on Jan 5, 2012 7:14 PM PST reply actions

I have NHL network.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:20 PM PST up reply actions

If you do. You should watch it. It’s about to go to overtime. Honestly, best hockey game I think I’ve watched this week. Swedes dominated for the first 40 minutes, but couldn’t break through. Then the Russians find their heart and started throwing counter punches. That third period was WiLd!!!

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:22 PM PST up reply actions

4 on 4 huh? don’t know if I like that.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:27 PM PST reply actions

Come on Rakell. Go Stick side! Go against the grain!

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:28 PM PST reply actions

I’ve seen Friberg lose the puck while handling way too many times. It’s kind of like watching Bobby Ryan.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:30 PM PST reply actions

Who’d expect a World Junior game to be 0-0 in overtime? Normally, the scorers dominate tournaments like this.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:32 PM PST reply actions

Back and forth, back and forth, what a game!

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:33 PM PST reply actions

I like Rakell taking that shot, I don’t like Friberg just hanging out in the slot. That doesn’t work in 4 on 4.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:34 PM PST reply actions

I know I’ve said this before, but Friberg really does just find the puck. I feel like every time he’s on the ice he manages to pick up a loose puck that no one else is around.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:37 PM PST reply actions

That’s a tough way to lose. Neutral zone turnover leads to a breakaway. Still, it was a fantastic game.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 7:39 PM PST reply actions

58 shots?!?!? is that real?

by BennyLightning on Jan 5, 2012 9:07 PM PST reply actions

That was one of the most fun games I think I’ve ever watched at any level. 70 minute PP for Sweden but they just couldn’t score until the Sens kid showed his class.

I like Friberg a lot, for a fifth round pick he’s a diamond in the rough. Along with him Rakell was one of the best three forwards as well for Sweden IMO. Our last two drafts really have been pretty incredible.

Now for the gross overreaction based on a single game played by a couple of 17/18 year olds… but based on that I’m not really ecstatic about Yakupov or Kuznetsov. Think I only heard Yakupov’s name a couple times (to be fair he was injured in the third but completely non existent before then) and I thought Kuznetzov was very poor and played a selfish game, turning the puck over before making the easy pass every time. Yeah, they were only two players on an entire team that didn’t show up in a big game (except of course the goalie, draft him) but still, hardly encouraging.

by bhlloy on Jan 5, 2012 9:16 PM PST reply actions

Friberg played a pretty selfish game too. However, I agree that Yakupov and Kuznetsov were not very impressive in a very important game. It could be that they were both tired at the end of along tournament, junior kids aren’t always in the best condition. It’s a little discouraging though, because of course the Ducks will pick first in a year when there isn’t an impact player available at #1 overall.

by Daniel AC on Jan 5, 2012 9:44 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah, I guess I’m comparing 5th round kid playing at the 3rd level of Swedish youth hockey a year ago to a kid who is supposed to be a top 3 pick, and I have my homer glasses on. Still, I thought Sweden’s gameplan seemed to be get the puck on net every chance they got and Friberg’s game was partly a result of that, whereas Kuznetzov didn’t even seem to get that far because he was turning the puck over needlessly at center ice every single time trying to make the pretty move.

Hockey scouting is always so interesting to me as central scouting didn’t even have Morozov (Russian goalie) on their list, wonder where he ends up going now

To me the biggest disappointment is there doesn’t seem to be a big nasty defenseman among the top picks, that’s what we are crying out for as an organization. I guess Ryan Murray would be the closest but he seems like more of a Sbisa than a Pronger or Weber.

by bhlloy on Jan 5, 2012 10:51 PM PST up reply actions

Doh, I just realized Makarov plays in the WHL and is their #1 ranked goalie. Scratch that then. Still probably made himself a lot of money tonight.

by bhlloy on Jan 5, 2012 11:03 PM PST up reply actions

The fact that Europeans who play major junior are listed as North American skaters through me off the first time I started looking at those lists.

I agree the Russian kids were unimpressive, but I also know that I noticed Frinerg turning it over more than I would have liked. He got his pocket picke more than once. Rakell on the other hand took excellent care of that puck. No blatant turnovers. If it’s a question of who looked better, no doubt the Swedes did. But I don’t want to ignore the things our players need to improve on either.

by Daniel AC on Jan 6, 2012 5:48 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

How did Mikhail Grigorenko look? Was he as invisible as Yakupov?

by DavidBL on Jan 6, 2012 1:32 AM PST reply actions

Almost everyone on the Russian team was invisible. They had something like 5 shots on goal through two periods. I don’t remember hearing his name once. This really wasn’t a good game to scout the Russians for me. They had the puck so infrequently, I couldn’t learn as many players’ numbers which made it harder to know who did what except through the play by play. I didn’t get to watch as much of this tournament as I wanted.

by Daniel AC on Jan 6, 2012 5:53 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

Daniel, I just read that Nail hurt his Knee in the medal game, so that might be why he played so bad. Guess hes waiting on an MRI.

by Hockey Phreak on Jan 6, 2012 6:42 PM PST reply actions

That would make sense. Wish I could have seen him play more in the tournament. I saw him go off with the injury, so I don’t know if it just happened that game or if he was battling through something that caught up to him.

by Daniel AC on Jan 7, 2012 10:51 AM PST up reply actions