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Monday 24 February 2014

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

GOLD
Some coaches know how to pull all the right strings.

And that’s certainly the case with Team Canada coach Mike Babcock at the Olympics.

But it wasn’t just him.

The leadership shown by everyone on the staff including: Claude Julien, Steve Yzerman, Ken Hitchcock, Lindy Ruff, Ken Hollard and yes, even Kevin Lowe is something to marvel at.

The decisions weren’t easy and at time not popular. But these men had a vision and saw it to the end regardless of outside factors.

The players chosen, the ice time distributed and the rolling with Carey Price could have been second-guessed, had they lost.

But Team Canada won gold, and in spectacular fashion.

When the game mattered most, Canada faced Sweden and the United States who had combined for 37-goals for. They allowed none.

With the best defensive core, possibly ever assembled, Team Canada’s gold medal hopes at no point seemed in doubt.

And following his mantra of “Leave No Doubt,” Mike Babcock, did just that.

Make sure to give Carey Price, PK Subban AND Mike Babcock a standing ovation on Wednesday night when the Detroit Red Wings visit the Bell Centre.

It’s well deserved.

The Mitchy Awards:


MVP of the Week: Carey Price
Unsung hero: Jamie Benn
Crybaby: Peter Forsberg
Didn’t show up: Team Russia
Most likely to suffer a let down: Alex Ovechkin

Monday 17 February 2014

Somebody has explaining to do

Art Ross and Norris Trophies winners not good enough to play
It’s been impossible to understand, especially considering the fact that nobody has been doing any explaining… 

Why isn’t PK Subban (the league’s number one defenseman from a year ago) NOT playing in the Olympics? 

Different “theories,” have been bandied about. Team Canada coach Mike Babcock can’t trust him, he turns over the puck, he shoots on the right side which is a strength of the team and blah blah blah blah blah. 

It makes no sense. 

I can’t really tell you if the rest of the country feels the same way about Subban as we do in Montreal. But I would say, the fan base that watches him every day, game in and game out, probably would be more inclined to realize the potential liabilities in his game, compared to fans that see him for only a handful of games per year. 

The thing is, those so-called liabilities don’t exist. And if they do, they also exist to the same proportions in every other player on the team. 

The scary thing heading into the elimination round is Canada’s biggest weakness. Scoring goals. It won’t get easier to score goals as the tournament progresses, but more difficult. Perhaps the most concerning thing about scoring, is that the United States leads the way in that department with 15 and played their prelim round games in a much more difficult group. 

With 11 goals scored on the tournament, more than half (six) has come from the defense. The way the Olympic game is being played, on a large ice surface, there’s no question that Subban, who is top-ten in scoring amongst NHL defense, could help this team find the back of the net. 

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not hoping that Canada doesn’t capture gold. But if they don’t, here’s to hoping that Dan Hamhuis trips with the puck, falls and coughs it up on a game winning goal in a 1-0 hockey game.Then, maybe, someone will do some explaining.