Roberto Luongo Will Spark Team Canada’s Rebound
Team Canada’s loss to the United States creates a challenging path to the Gold medal game. Changes must be made if the Canadians hope to move on.
It’s time to put an end to Sidney Crosby’s revolving-right-winger act. Rick Nash and Crosby work very well together. That’s settled. On the other wing, Mike Babcock must choose either Jarome Iginla or Eric Staal. That’s it — no exceptions, no single period auditions. Perhaps Babcock felt he could experiment during the preliminary matches, but (hopefully) the illusion of getting-to-know-you time is gone. Crosby-Nash-Iginla or Crosby-Nash-Staal. Glue a trio together and play out the tournament.
Give Chris Pronger one period to wake up. Pronger has been an instrumental part of Stanley Cup runs for the Oilers and Ducks, and was acquired by the Flyers last summer for the sole purpose of leading them to a championship. Chris Pronger is the most feared defenseman in the game (next to Zdeno Chara) and his poise and intelligence are matched only by his merciless physicality. This is how you’d describe Chris Pronger entering the 2010 Olympics, but unfortunately for Canadians he’s been a mere fraction of the player Steve Yzerman expected he’d be getting by selecting the 6′6″ defender to wear the Maple Leaf. Pronger appears to be skating in cement these days. His edge is gone; his game looks to be that of a tentative rookie. Chris Pronger was brought aboard to relieve the youngsters of the pressure that mounts in a high stakes tournament, but it’s been the kids — Doughty, Keith, Seabrook and Weber — who have taken the reigns and proven to be reliable for Mike Babcock. If Pronger doesn’t move his feet and get back in touch with his nasty side, park him on the bench.
Martin Brodeur defecated the bed against the Americans by trying to do too much. He was outdueled by Ryan Miller (as most goaltenders have been this season), but he dropped the ball in an awkward fashion and has lost the confidence of an entire nation. Canadian hopefuls shouldn’t dwell on Brodeur’s failures, but instead focus on the possibility of Luongo’s effect as the incoming goaltender. Don’t remember who Roberto Luongo is? Yes, the same Roberto Luongo whose save percentage was .920 in five miserable years with the Florida Panthers, and who has been a top-5 NHL goaltender for the last 10 years. The same Roberto Luongo whose only game in this tournament was an 8-0 shutout. A change between the pipes creates the possibility for renewed energy. Yes, Martin Brodeur’s backup will be starting against Germany, but he’s a slight upgrade over Yann Danis or Scott Clemmensen.
Canada’s top players should begin receiving the kind of ice time they’re used to in the NHL. Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Shea Weber should play 22-plus minutes. Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla should play until their lungs burst. There’s no sense continuing to roll the lines if the lines aren’t working equally. A top six group should be identified, as should a top four group for the defense.
Mike Babcock and his coaching staff have by now watched and re-watched video of the loss to Team USA, and they’ve unquestionably noticed the common factor in all three of Canada’s goals. Staal redirects a point shot, Heatley and Crosby score tap-ins on the goal mouth. None of those goals were pretty, and they were scored from high-traffic areas. The Canadians are huge and athletic, so there’s no excuse to shy away from the crease. A great deal of Canada’s other scoring attempts weren’t challenging to Ryan Miller, as evidenced by his 43-save performance. The gameplan from hereon in must involve getting bodies in front and pucks to the net. Otherwise, Team Canada will continue to make boatloads of pretty passes while coming up short on the scoresheet.
