4 Nations Thread

[jeffbear]

Oh, also ... for all the crap that gets flung Mitch Marner's way, he made some pretty, pretty good passes for those two decisive Canadian goals. The look-off slider to Bennett was particularly tasty.

 

[andyt]

Matthews has the game on his stick 3 times in OT and Bennington stoned him. And then when he needed to win a faceoff against a sub 50% guy he couldn’t. He looked more miserable than anyone last night.

 

[cmon3]

Matthews has the game on his stick 3 times in OT and Bennington stoned him. And then when he needed to win a faceoff against a sub 50% guy he couldn’t. He looked more miserable than anyone last night.

I feel like he needs a new number. He has a fullback number. I think if he switched to a better number his mojo would change

 

[CanadaCanes]

Matthews has the game on his stick 3 times in OT and Bennington stoned him. And then when he needed to win a faceoff against a sub 50% guy he couldn’t. He looked more miserable than anyone last night.

Reports leaking out that Matthews has not been dealing with a bad back but instead a cervical disc issue in his neck similar to what Eichel and Letang battled. If true, you have to wonder if surgery this summer might be in his plans. He has not been himself all year from the countless Leaf games I watch but I thought he played pretty well last night outside of getting stoned by Binnington on those Grade A chances in overtime.

 

[jeffbear]

Matthews has the game on his stick 3 times in OT and Bennington stoned him. And then when he needed to win a faceoff against a sub 50% guy he couldn’t. He looked more miserable than anyone last night.

I guess, but he's taking stick that he only partially deserves on the defense on the game winner* and he was America's best forward in that game ... and arguably the tournament. Matthews' terrible luck in deciding games continues but that guy is a special player.

*looking at you, Fox. What the actual eff was that angle you took trying to intercept the ringer? Guaranteed to take you out of the play and make somebody ... in this case Matthews ... make a Sophie's choice to cover. I'm not sure what the heck is up with Adam Fox, but that is NOT the player I saw for his first five seasons in the NHL when his gap work and decision making in the D zone was darn near perfect.

 

[jeffbear]

Reports leaking out that Matthews has not been dealing with a bad back but instead a cervical disc issue in his neck similar to what Eichel and Letang battled. If true, you have to wonder if surgery this summer might be in his plans. He has not been himself all year from the countless Leaf games I watch but I thought he played pretty well last night outside of getting stoned by Binnington on those Grade A chances in overtime.

Pretty sure that comes from the Wild's medical staff not being too thrilled with the Bruins throwing them under the bus about McAvoy. They're making sure it's known that not everybody showed up for the tournament in tip top shape so they don't catch any more strays.

Also, this is the same Bruins' medical staff that cleared McAvoy to return to the ice two days after being knocked all the way out in a playoff game a couple of years ago, right? After which he skated around like a zombie for a couple of games. Those clowns can pound sand.

 

[LJG]

Yeah, we've over-loaded the guy for years ... ever since they broke up the Slavin/Pesce pairing to ask him to caddy for Dougie. And hey, to everyone's credit it has largely worked out. Slavin can handle whatever and most of the offensive minded dinguses they've strapped to his side have flourished as well. This season is different because he's literally animating a corpse as a partner, but hey ... you always go one bridge too far. Next season sets up to be different as the Canes shed Burns and Orlov for younger legs.

Dr. Slavinstein.