Tournament Starts Today

[CarltonTheBear]

Tortorella on the thinking behind putting Abdelkader with Patrick Kane (for now): "There isn't any thinking."

Truer words never spoken.
? Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 19, 2016

This is from a day before the game against Team Europe:

Nick Cotsonika ‏@cotsonika
Tortorella said he has not looked at Team Europe, his opponent tomorrow. He will study this afternoon.

This guy shouldn't be coaching in the NHL, let alone in a best-on-best tournament where USA Hockey had guys like Peter Laviolette and Dan Byslma to choose from.

 

[herman]

Nick Cotsonika ‏@cotsonika
Tortorella said he has not looked at Team Europe, his opponent tomorrow. He will study this afternoon.

This guy shouldn't be coaching in the NHL, let alone in a best-on-best tournament where USA Hockey had guys like Peter Laviolette and Dan Byslma to choose from.

Shades of Ron Wilson's Excellent Adventure Coaching at the World Juniors.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Matthews scores a goal within 30 seconds of me putting the game on for my first viewing of him since being drafted.

 

[herman]

[tweet]778026733559615488[/tweet]

McDavid puts in the work. Matthews in perfect position as usual.

 

[Zee]

Matthews scores a goal within 30 seconds of me putting the game on for my first viewing of him since being drafted.

That's a sign right? Tell me it's a sign that the Leafs long trek through the barren wilderness is over. It had to be a sign

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.
Don't get excited.

 

[herman]

Russia starting to punch through with regularity.

 

[herman]

Rielly pots one!
2 TNA TML vs RUS 4

All three Leaf representatives at the game with a point.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Won't get a point but Rielly with some nice movement on the PP before they score to make it 4-3.

 

[Redleaf]

This NA club is really fun to watch. The team speed is outstanding. Matthews and Rielly are going to gain a ton of experience from this tournament regardless of the outcome.

 

[herman]

Outstanding finish. Morgan Rielly comes close pouring on about 5 shots in the final minute. Matthews a key contributor in keeping plays alive and just missing on a rebound or two.

TNA loses 4-3 but can be proud of the way they battled after giving up 4 in a row.

Zaitsev got key defensive minutes shutting down all the firepower, but it was mostly Bobrovsky coming up huge.

 

[Beowulf]

I didn't see all of the game but I thought Rielly was absolutely outstanding, continuing his play from the first game

 

[herman]

Komarov's huge hit on Ekblad last night gave the guy a mild concussion btw.

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/777691368508559360

 

[hockeyfan1]

Team North America has certainly been fun to watch.  If there had only been more time, I'd bet they would have tied the game.  Russia poured it on in the second period but they couldn't blast them off entirely. 

Enjoyed that first goal and McDavid & Matthews were dynamite there.  How I wish Connor and Auston were both Leafs!  At least we have #34...

Good job Team NA!  Keep on skatin'!

 

[hockeyfan1]

Team Europe, on Leon Draisaitl's breakaway overtime goal, defeated Team Czech Republic 3-2.  Defeated may not be the right word, more like eliminated the Czechs (0-2) from advancing in the tournament.

Sheer disppointment for Team Czech and nothing but elation for Team Europe (2-0), who have surprised many so far in this World Cup of Hockey.

Team Europe plays Team Sweden Wednesday.


http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/world-cup-live-team-europe-vs-team-czech-republic/

 

[cabber24]

I didn't see all of the game but I thought Rielly was absolutely outstanding, continuing his play from the first game

He looks shockingly good, an offensive force. He looks to have found another gear! Honestly way better then we have seen him with the Leafs and constant over the whole game.

Maybe just maybe we got something going on here in Leaf Nation.

 

[herman]

I didn't see all of the game but I thought Rielly was absolutely outstanding, continuing his play from the first game

He looks shockingly good, an offensive force. He looks to have found another gear! Honestly way better then we have seen him with the Leafs and constant over the whole game.

Maybe just maybe we got something going on here in Leaf Nation.

He still has defensive lapses and issues with gap control (opponents get ample time to make their move), but yes, he is a very dynamic attacker. He froze Russian defenders with a subtle juke at least twice in the final minute to gain the zone or to clear a seam to the net.

 

[Redleaf]

I didn't see all of the game but I thought Rielly was absolutely outstanding, continuing his play from the first game

He looks shockingly good, an offensive force. He looks to have found another gear! Honestly way better then we have seen him with the Leafs and constant over the whole game.

Maybe just maybe we got something going on here in Leaf Nation.

I don't think his ability to play the way he did last night is anything new or shocking. His offensive game has been somewhat suppressed by Babcock the past few seasons, because he is being told to work on the defensive aspects of his game. I have a feeling we'll start to see the offensively gifted Rielly more and more this season and next as his game progresses. Last night was just a reminder of how good offensively he really is when given the green light.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/IneffectiveMath/status/778065966387331072

Scroll through at the actual tweet (twitter.com/IneffectiveMath/status/778065966387331072) for more data viz about the game last night, and statistical insight into how your favourite player performed.

I miss Kulemin.

Edit: Auston Matthews is sort of smushed in there just on top of (and gooder than) Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin, and Alexander Ovechkin.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Pierre LeBrun ‏@Real_ESPNLeBrun
Team USA GM Dean Lombardi addressed the players before the tournament. TJ Oshie says it's the best speech he's ever heard in his life.

God I love this team so much.