Instead of Pronger AND Nieds

[DraperFan MN 0]

Should Stevie Y have chosen Mike Green?

Or another younger, faster defenseman to compliment one of the older guys with diminished skills and speed? I'm not talking just for last night either. I think their lack of speed on the blue line was exposed during the Swiss game as well.

Interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this!

[Echolalia 2,961]

I think Yzerman should have picked a Ryan Smyth-type that specializes in giving Miller-types hell. Team Canada has plenty of high-end talent. They need more role players.

[MacK_Attack 108]

Jay Bouwmeester would've been ice.

But I echo the sentiments that there's not enough role players. Doan, Smyth, Lucic, even a Jordan Staal.

You need guys to do the dirty things. Not enough guys wearing red and white are willing to do those things.

[cupforwings 138]

I don't know about Mike Green... He gets caught rushing the puck a lot and he isn't as good defensively as either Pronger or Nieds

[MacK_Attack 108]

I don't know about Mike Green... He gets caught rushing the puck a lot and he isn't as good defensively as either Pronger or Nieds

Pronger and Niedermayer have been awful defensively. Turnover machines.

[cupforwings 138]

Pronger and Niedermayer have been awful defensively. Turnover machines.

Very true... IDK then, maybe Green would have been better.

[blues_demitra38 11]

No. Pronger and Niedermeyer are essential components of that team. I think the problem with Team Canada is what everyone else has alluded to, that there are too many stars and not enough role players. Needless to remind everyone that it was Maltby and Draper playing against the opposition's top line in 2002.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

shoulda coulda woulda

[egroen 384]

I think Yzerman should have picked a Ryan Smyth-type that specializes in giving Miller-types hell. Team Canada has plenty of high-end talent. They need more role players.

Which is what Gretzky did in 2006 and the reason many blame their 7th place finish that year.

Canada is like the Red Wings - heads will roll if they do not win it all.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

the 2002 team had Nieuwendyk, Peca, and Smyth

that 7th place finish in torino is because they played like s***/had no chemistry

[draperfan]and because Todd Bertuzzi was on the team[/draperfan]

Edited February 22, 2010 by Lidstromboli

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

I wanted to see Doan on the team.. but that's just because I'm a big Shane Doan fan.

[dat's sick 1,002]

A pylon and my grandpa who has parkinsons would do better than Elbow and Nieds.

Talking about role-players: Darren Helm and Mason Raymond would tear it up on a 4th line.

Edited February 22, 2010 by dat's sick

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

at this point in time, i would have taken any of the following over pronger/niedermayer: phaneuf, regehr, bouwmeester, green, tyler ******* myers!, coburn over pronger...jovonovski.

forwards...staal has been kinda lame and doesn't win races to the puck or battles on the boards. why did stamkos not make the team?? he's been better than most of the guys on the team this year. toews, morrow and iginla/bergeron has been by far canada's best line....so a line with doan on it would pretty much provide the same spark as the above mentioned line....say, doan, stamkos and iginla/bergeron would give canada a second line with some grit.

canada's got a long road ahead if we're gonna keep any medal here. here's hoping for a game against latvia or belarus cause at this point it looks like any team with "some" skill will outplay and unfortunately out coach the canadian boys.

at least i can hope for sweden again if canada finishes 7th.

[MacK_Attack 108]

No. Pronger and Niedermeyer are essential components of that team. I think the problem with Team Canada is what everyone else has alluded to, that there are too many stars and not enough role players. Needless to remind everyone that it was Maltby and Draper playing against the opposition's top line in 2002.

Maltby didn't play for Canada until the 2004 World Cup. It was Draper & Peca, mostly.

[MacK_Attack 108]

canada's got a long road ahead if we're gonna keep any medal here. here's hoping for a game against latvia or belarus cause at this point it looks like any team with "some" skill will outplay and unfortunately out coach the canadian boys.

They have Germany tomorrow and the winner faces Russia on Wednesday.

[taxijim 11]

A pylon and my grandpa who has parkinsons would do better than Elbow and Nieds.

Talking about role-players: Darren Helm and Mason Raymond would tear it up on a 4th line.

I agree 100%.....Canada has too many garbage goal type stars & not enough energy guys who can wear down the other team's D. Helm was a long shot to make the 2007 Canada jr. team but with his unbelievable work ethic he soon worked his way up to the second line & as the tournament went on he became their go to guy on PK. I think a team comprised of these type of players would do a lot better than what they chose....especially in a short every game is a big game type of situation.

[DraperFan MN 0]

I am of the opinion that Green would have been a better choice defensively, as opposed to Pronger. Not neccessarily Nieds.

With that said, with the games on Canadian soil, I think that would have raised A LOT of eyebrows leaving Pronger off the team, something Stevie Y and the Canadian brass didn't want to have coming into the games.

[mjlegend 155]

Why not put Helm on a first line with May and Newbury?

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

They have Germany tomorrow and the winner faces Russia on Wednesday.

well in that case, i hope they make some sauerkrauts tomorrow if ya know what i mean

[b.shanafan14 733]

Which is what Gretzky did in 2006 and the reason many blame their 7th place finish that year.

Canada is like the Red Wings - heads will roll if they do not win it all.

Agree 100%. The reason I didn't want Yzerman to get the GM job, its setting you up for an entire country to argue for a year who you should and shouldn't have on the team and at the end of the day, it all depends on who shows up to play in such a short tournament. Its basically picking a fantasy team which isn't based on the play of a whole season but instead about a week's worth of play.

The backlash is going to be insane on Stevie and it sucks. Everyone thinks they have the remedy in hindsight, but look at how much s*** Yzerman got for leaving off just a Savard or Spezza. Imagine if a Smyth or Cleary type made it over a superstar like that, no telling the outcome would have been any different but the number of "I told you so" would have been triple, at least.

Canada has to realize they hit two hot goaltenders, not a poor coach or GM. Pick a single week of hockey during the regular season and see if the best team in the league ends up with the best record that week or not, same concept.

[Guest zackmorris]

Pronger has his positives. He's great defensively, is physical in front of the net and has a good stick.

But once you chip away at his negatives he gets useless quick. He's slow as hell and just look at what the US did all game-they dumped it behind him and made him turn around and chug over to go get it. That hurt Canada.

Niedermayer just doesn't have it anymore. You can see shades of his defensive ability but he's also too slow and is turnover prone.

I think better choices would've been Bouwmeester for sure, and I dunno, Robidas or maybe even Jovo. Green is too defensively immature. Canada doesn't need scoring, the whole team can score. They need their defenders to play defense.

Also, why in the hell did Burke send Tim Gleason instead of Tyler Myers?!

[Guest Lidstromboli]

tyler myers plays for canada

[Guest zackmorris]

Must be that dual citizenship thing. He was born there and lived there for 10 years.

[Rick Zombos Ghost 82]

i think choosing 12 power forwards was a bigger mistake.

[Original-Six 254]

Pronger should stop trying to be a hard ass and help his team...... stop taking stupid ass penalties would be a good start.