Hockeybird.com: Report Card: USA 1 @ CAN 2

Report Card: USA 1 @ CAN 2

Tuesday - August 31, 2004

08/31/04	1	2	3	OT	F
	0	1	0		1
	1	1	0		2

Goalie	GA/SH	Grade	Comments
Robert Esche #42, G	0/0	A-	Couldn't have been better in the 1st period, even with giving up a goal. He should've given up five. A few highlight reel saves but mostly he just somehow found the puck through traffic. Early 2nd period goal, another one on the PP, Esche just lost the point shot, which also seemed like it took a redirection up high. After that the US took control of the game and Esche could catch a much deserved nap until having to make a few nice ones in the 3rd. A very strong performance, holding the US in a game they didn't deserve to be in.
Rick DiPietro #29, G	0/0		(DNP)
Defenseman	Ice Time	Grade	Comments
Brian Leetch #2, D	00:00	B	Dropped to the ice for a nice block early in the 1st on a Canada shot from the high slot. However, on the Canada PP goal Leetch chased the puck too far out of position, leaving St. Louis open for the pass and the goal. A few nice defensive plays in the 3rd period. It's difficult to give Leetch a grade. On one hand he was the most notable US defenseman by a mile, but at the same time he botched his coverage on Canada's first goal and was on ice for both against.
Aaron Miller #3, D	00:00	B	Solid partner for Leetch, as he was in the 2002 Olympics, if I remember. There's not a single ounce of flash in his game, but he is quite reliable. Never seemed to notice him out of position.
John-Michael Liles #26, D	00:00	B	I, uh... I... well, he was okay. I'm still getting used to this team, maybe next time I'll have more to say on Liles.
Chris Chelios #26, D	00:00	B-	Not a terribly noticable game, but I do remember a nice play in the 2nd where he kept up with an onrushing Heatley and kept him to the outside around the net. Then in the 3rd period was burned by Brendan Morrow (no speedster, Morrow) around his left side which resulted in a good scoring chance.
Ken Klee #20, D	00:00	B	Well... I noticed one or two nice defensive plays.
Eric Weinrich #5, D	00:00	B	I like how he unnecessarily slammed Heatley to the boards early in the 2nd after Esche made a great save off of his wrist shot.
Forward	Ice Time	Grade	Comments
Mike Modano #9, C	00:00	x	Pretty sure he left the game sometime in the 1st period. Didn't do anything notable before that.
Keith Tkachuk #7, LW	00:00	A	Tried to start some trouble with ex-teammate Shane Doan after Canada made it 2-0. At least someone is taking this personally. Had a teriffic PP a bit later in the period, thwarted by the inlaw humper on several close calls. Started after whistle scrums later in the period, too, including spearing the inlaw humper in the jewels. Really, you can thank Keith for practically singlehandedly turning the US mindset around with his 2nd period antics, and continued to play tough the rest of the way.
Brett Hull #16, RW	00:00	D	Can we take him out for Blake or Langenbrunner or whoever else is healthy? What a slug. Did nothing positive. Every time the puck came to him, Hull seemed to do something lazy with it, like an awful 3rd period pass through the NZ that was intercepted.
Scott Gomez #19, C	00:00	B+	Gomez showed his underrated playmaking (even though I hate that little weasel) on the Guerin goal. Goes into the corner to get the puck with his body turned toward center ice, looking for the pass before he even got the puck. Great play. Wasn't much of a factor otherwise, but that was a huge play at the time.
Bill Guerin #13, LW	00:00	A-	A bit of a touchy call/bad decision to hit a Canadian from behind, leading to a PP and eventual goal from St. Louis. 2nd period settled down the Gomez pass and fired a snapshot over the inlaw humper's shoulder. One of the better forwards.
Tony Amonte #11, RW	00:00	B-	Noticed him working hard a few times and seemed to be involved in the play often. Nothing in particular to talk about here, though.
Doug Weight #39, C	00:00	B-	Decent game. Just like Amonte you can say he at least gave it a decent try, but could've been better.
Brian Rolston #12, LW	00:00	C	Probably the second biggest slug among forwards after Hull. Of course, I'm trying to get used to these players and the line combos as much as you are, but even so I can't say I noticed Rolston do anything notable.
Chris Drury #37, RW	00:00	B	Made probably the only good US play of the ENTIRE 1st period by closing in on Sakic at his blueline on the PK, stealing the puck from him and drawing a PP. Nice backhander midway through the 3rd.
Craig Conroy #33, C	00:00	B	Missed a wobbling mid-air rebound right in the crease on a 2nd period US PP. His ice time picked up quite a bit after Modano went down.
Jeff Halpern #27, LW	00:00	B	Got into a fight with Scott Neidermeyer during a wild 2nd period scrum. ESPN cut to the fight late, but it didn't look like anything major. Both Halpern and Konowalchuk were good for hard working shifts when needed. If the US plays Canada again, they should get more ice time, in my opinion.
Steve Konowalchuk #22, RW	00:00	B	Was the ignition switch for the big scrum late in the 2nd when he crashed into the inlaw humper (for those who don't read my Ranger report cards, inlaw humper = Martin Brodeur) and Brodeur pulled him back into the net and the two of them went at it, sparking a much bigger brawl.

CANADA		B	For about 25 minutes they looked like the greatest team ever assembled, but once the US team got their angry game going it was Canada looking like the college team playing the pros. They settled down for the all important 3rd period and kept things simple to hold on for the win. The inlaw humper was quite good in net, a few players like Thornton and Iginla were no-shows.

1st PERIOD:		F	Welcome to the Robert Esche show. I think he's the only US player who realized the game started at 7pm. A complete disaster for the US team, saved only by the fact they're luckily only down by one after that onslaught. It was like a pro team playing the NCAA. None of this was made easier by Canada getting nearly every call (or non-call) in their favor as well. Time to drink the coffee or pop the pills or whatever pro athletes do to get themselves focused between periods, because this was a train wreck.
2nd PERIOD:		A-	That's how it happens. Canada makes it 2-0 and the game looks like it's going to be 8-0 by the time it's over. Keith Tkachuk starts a mini scrum with Shane Doan after the next whistle, Guerin starts throwing a little weight around, Tkachuk again being an agitating pest, and quite literally all of a sudden the game's momentum changes 180 degrees and the US does to Canada in the final 15 minutes what Canada did to them in the first 25. A wild period, capped off by a late scrum which invloved Brodeur, Neidermeyer and Lemieux, of all people. Great stuff!
3rd PERIOD:		C	Just didn't have the determination they did in the 2nd. Hardly a disaster like the 1st period but with Canada settling down and playing more conservatively, the US had a hard time breaking into their zone cleanly. Seeing how this game barely even "counts" as far as meaningful standings go, I would've liked to see the US take chances a lot sooner than with 3 minutes left.
OVERALL:		B-	A pretty nice grade for a loss, but they get a lot of credit from coming back from the dead and doing to Canada what was done to them in the 1st period. Canada had all the emotion and early on got all the calls, too, and thanks to Esche the score was only 2-0 after the dust settled. They could've easily just packed it in at that point seeing as this game was for little more than bragging rights, but led by Tkachuk they fought back hard and made a fantastic game out of a blowout. Good enough for a game that doesn't really count. Who knows if this will affect their confidence. I wouldn't think so, but you almost expect a bit of a letdown against Russia on Thursday, a team they should beat seeing the sorry state of Russian goaltending in the tournament.
Scratches:			Jason Blake (#55, C) Ty Conklin (#30, G) Jamie Langenbrunner (#15, LW) Paul Martin (#10, D) Brian Rafalski (#28, D) Bryan Smolinski (#21, LW)
created by:			Pete Rocha © 2004
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