NHL analyst calls out Team Canada's worst mistake after big loss to the United States
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Photo credit: St. Louis Blues
NHL analyst Jeff O'Neill picked apart Team Canada's performance against the United States last night, pointing out one glaring flaw.
The United States defeated Canada in the Four Nations tournament last night, clinching a spot in the finale.
It was a hard-fought game with few scoring chances for both teams, thanks to the physical, hard-nosed defense both clubs showcased.
Truth be told, both teams played well. The game easily could have gone either way, but eventually it ended up being just a couple of bounces that made the difference.
When it comes to high-leverage games like this, there is always one position that gets more scrutiny than the rest, and that is the goalies.
Today, Team Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington is facing the music after his tournament hasn't gone so well.
NHL insider Jeff O'Neill ripped into Binnington after the loss to the States, highlighting two goals that the Blues netminder should have stopped.
Those goals proved to be the difference in the game, and as O'Neill points out, he wasn't great against Sweden either.
"It's like Jordan Binnington broke even for me tonight, there were some spectacular saves, but you see those dribblers and, there's been four of them in two games, and if you keep staying with them, you're taking a chance of one more goal in the middle of the night. It might cost you the tournament."
Of course, Canada had better options to bring in goal than Binnington.
The Blues netminder has an .897 save percentage and a 2.89 goals-against-average this season.
Meanwhile, Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson is second in the NHL with a .921 save percentage and he boasts a 2.23 GAA.
Now, as Canada faces potential elimination tomorrow afternoon, we have to ask ourselves if this is exactly what Canada deserves for leaving their best goalie at home.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 16 | 1004 ANSWERS NHL analyst calls out Team Canada's worst mistake after big loss to the United States Do you think Jordan Binnington is the reason why Canada lost to the United States during the Four Nations faceoff game? | ||
| Yes | 607 | 60.5 % |
| No | 397 | 39.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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