We just watched boys become men.
Right before our eyes, Team North America just renewed our faith in hockey and creativity.
They did so by coloring outside the lines. They splattered bright, shocking colors on the white canvas and created an abstract piece of expressionistic art, the likes of which hasn't been produced in decades in North America.
There were no blue prints, no templates, no rules. The kids played a brash, fast, swashbuckling style that in most cases rendered obsolete the structured, suffocating defensive systems that their opponents dared to play against them.
Team New Kids On The Block are the newest boy band to put a stranglehold on pop culture around the big blue marble. They perform at a high level of velocity with panache and swagger. ,
The melange of Canadian and American alpha dogs checked their ego at the door and accepted one another as brothers in hockey, not political opponents.
The star studded lineup included the last four first overall draft picks in the NHL Draft and five of the past six top draft picks.
Team North America etched an indelible impact on the hearts and minds of hockey fans worldwide.
The NHL will be better for having allowed the blended U-23 squad compete against the best players in the world at the World Cup of Hockey.
"If I get a vote I'd like to do it again," Team NA head coach Todd McLellan told the Canadian Press on Thursday.
"We've proven that this young generation can play with the older ones. We've been very entertaining. I think if you surveyed 99 out of 100 fans they'd probably say 'Put 'em in again."'
That's the great news.
The bad news is that Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Team North America will not be advancing to the semifinals.
Russia defeated Finland 3-0 on Thursday. Team North America needed Finland to defeat Russia in order to advance to the semis.
It sucks out loud that the kids defeated Sweden and Finland, however, lost to Russia by a goal.
The margin of victory was razor thin. It doesn't seem fair that Team Europe is allowed to advance to the semis when Team North America destroyed them 9-1 in the exhibition game round. Team Europe looked like a bar league team against the young punks. The kids played a high octane style that reminded me of how the Buffalo Sabres played after the 2005-2006 lockout. Their speed and deft play making and sensational scoring killed all opponents in their way.
When the kids blitzed Team Europe it was a statement game. It told me that the NHL is shifting the paradigm back to speed and skill away from the hug-n-tug, neutral zone trap crap that we have been force fed since the lockout ended in 2013.
We will never know what it would have been like to watch Eichel and McDavid lineup opposite Sidney Crosby and Jonathon Toews on Saturday night.
"I think we've definitely turned some heads and opened the eyes of everyone," said Connor McDavid said.
My Top 5 North America Stars:
1. Nathan MacKinnon: One man wrecking crew. Showed fllashes of Peter Forsberg
2. Connor McDavid: The fastest player in the NHL. Tougher than people give him credit for.
3. Jack Eichel: Strong on the defensive side of the puck. Channeled his inner Mike Modano.
4. Johnny Gaudreau: Plays at 500 mph and 7,500 RPMs. Pat Kane Vesrion 2.0.
5. Colton Parayko: Badass! Shots it liike Shea Weber. Tough as nails.
6. Aaron Ekblad: One of my top three puck movers in the. Played 23 minutes plus TOI
7. Auston Matthews: Very likely will be the next Anze Kopitar
***
Thanks, Sabres.com
Evander Kane joined his Buffalo Sabres teammates for the first day of training camp on Thursday.
Kane and his Sabres mates took their physicals and performed off ice testing. They also posed for their head shot photos. On ice practice begins early Friday morning.
Kane was asked by media to comment on his eventful summer vacation. Kane didn't do much relaxing as he was embroiled in a high profile legal matter in Buffalo that stems from an incident at a local disco on June 24.
Kane said that his legal troubles come with the territory of being a famous professional athlete. In a way, it sounded like Kane is chalking it all up to "bleep happens".
"These situations are what they are,” Kane said.
"They happen to athletes or people in a position such as myself. Those are things you just have to deal with and kind of come with the territory. In saying that, you have to be a little more aware and kind of put yourself on a higher pedestal than you maybe think you are.
“Off the ice, these things unfortunately happen more often than not. They’re only becoming more and more relevant every day if you look around the other sports. For me, it’s just trying to stay out of that kind of stuff, kind of picking my spots better.”
So, these recurring off ice issues are a societal thing, eh, Evander?
Oh, ok.
Where's the contrition? The new culpa? The "I won't make the same mistake again"?
I would have preferred hearing Kane explain the decision making process that put him in yet another high risk situation in the night in question. A plan of correction is always an essential part of turning the page.
Kane was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass and five noncriminal charges of disorderly conduct and harassment. He is scheduled to return to Buffalo a city court on Halloween Day.
Kane said that he blocked out the noise and confusion and focused his attention on his fitness and hockey over the summer.
“I’ve been focused on hockey all summer,” Kane said.
“I haven’t really put too much thought or emphasis on the other stuff. I’ve just kind of narrowed my focus and focused on hockey and my training, and I’m feeling pretty good about that.”
Kane revealed that he has yet to speak about his legal matters with his bosses Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma. My guess is that Kane will be having more than one closed door chats inside the executive suite in the days to come. Kane also said that he has yet to her from the NHL.
“I’m just focused on this season and trying to have the best season of my career so far,” Kane said. “It’s not about necessarily proving to everybody else. It’s kind of proving more so to myself, knowing what I’m capable of and just kind of executing that and putting that on display.”
**
Now that Teams North America and Finland have been eliminated from the World Cup of Hockey, the individual players will pack their hockey bags and hop flights to the NHL club cities.
NHL training camps officially open for on ice sessions on Friday morning.
Two Buffalo Sabres will be able to split the cost of a 65 minute limo ride for Toronto to The Queen City.
Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen will be joining their Sabres teammates in the next 48 hours.
One door closes. Another door opens.
Eichel , 19, was a keg cog in the success of Team North America. He will be a better player in his sophomore NHL season for having practiced with, competed, and succeeded against the best players in the world for two weeks.
Ristolainen, 21, was Finland's best defenseman. He averaged 22 minutes TOI per game.
Ristolainen has added incentive to get back to Buffalo. He and his agent need to finalize teh young Finn;s new multi-year contract extension. Ristolainen, and NHL restricted free agent, scored 9 goals and 32 assists last season. He averaged 24 minutes TOI per game and payed in all key situations for Dan Bylsma and Terry Murray.
No. Ristolainen will not be signing a one year bridge deal in the $2.6M AAV neighborhood like Washington Caps former RFA D-man Dmitri Orlov autographed on Wednesday.
Ristolainen's AAV likely will be $6 million over a six to seven year contract.
I expect Ristolainen and the Sabres to finalize the deal in the next 24 hours, or sooner.
The Sabres will practice on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
They will travel to Minnesota for tehir exhibition game premier on Monday night.
Tim Murray will want to get Ristolainen signed ASAP so that he can compete in training camp scrimmages and in pre-season games.
**
Say hello to the new, improved and totally healthy Robin Lehner.
The Buffalo Sabres are thrilled that Lehner stayed in Buffalo all summer long rather than flying home to Gothenburg, Sweden. Lehner clearly did the requisite work over the summer to get himself in tip top physical and mental condition for the 2016-17 season. Lehner and one of his friends from Sweden dedicated themselves to an intense mixed martial arts workout routine that appears to have paid immediate dividends. Lehner said that he feels like he is faster on the ice than he was last season.
Lehner said Thursday that he is happy to finally be 100% healthy. Last September, the Ginormous Swede was trying desperately to get himself back into playing shape after a period of four month when he was physically unable to exercise nor do hockey drills due to the serious concussion that he suffered in February 2015.
Yes, this is the NEW leaner Lehner.
Thanks, Sabres.com
Lehner is nearly 6'6" while standing in flip flops and Bishop is 6'7".
Being leaner, faster, and better protected by his XL equipment will give Lehner a competitive advantage over most of his opposing members of the goalies union.
Last month, Lehner put his Buffalo Sabres career ahead of his Team Sweden career when he withdrew as a goalie from team Sweden's World Cup of Hockey roster.
Sabres GM Tim Murray issued this statement immediately after Lehner made his announcement.
"As Robin continues to progress during the off season in his rehab from last season's ankle injury, he felt that it was best to withdraw from Team Sweden for the upcoming World Cup," Murray said.
"Robin felt it was important to continue his rehab in Buffalo to prepare for training camp. He has been working out both on and off the ice and we look forward to seeing him on the ice with our team next month."
Did the Sabres and their fans get too see the best of Lehner this season?
Not at all.
Anyone who has ever suffered a high ankle sprain will tell you that it is more difficult to recover from than an actual bone break. It's a better fate to break a bone than it is to properly rehab a sprained ligament or tendon. Lehner tried like hell to play through th epain and discomfort associated with his high ankle sprain, however, in the end, the ankle made Lehner tap-out.
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