Take off the blindfold, it’s beautiful. (“Bird Box” sucked, but moving on.)
Friday is the day that you can not look away from one of the second-best hockey tournament of every year — even considering those bygone years when the NHL considered the Olympics a better worldwide marketing tool than a few preseason games. Watching almost all of the best players in the world under the age of 20 participate for their countries while the league of professionals toils through the dog days of winter is liberating. It stands as an annual reminder of why we all like hockey.
How can this bit of sportsmanship and camaraderie not feel good.
So Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern, live from Roger Arena in Vancouver and on NHL Network, is the semifinal game between the United States and Russia. No, Herb Brooks is not behind the American’s bench (although David Quinn should have been before he took this job with the Rangers). And no, Vladislav Tretiak is not in nets for the Ruski’s — although one wonders how many collusion jokes can be made in one afternoon.
Instead, our sights will be set on some of the top prospects in the Rangers pool. That begins with No. 9-overall pick from this past June, Russia’s Vitali Kravtsov. Having turned 19 years old on Dec. 23, the lefty-shooting forward has been outstanding, registering two goals and four assists through the team’s first five games. At 6-foot-3 and 181 pounds, he needs to fill out to be ready for training camp next season — but he has learned to play a grown-up game in the KHL for most of the past two years.
He has made some plays like a slick saucer pass (below) for a goal in the preliminary round against Switzerland.
There is also this from Rangers head of European scouting, Nick Bobrov:
“Team Russia is playing a pretty defensive style,” Bobrov told the team’s website, before Russia scored eight goals in the quarterfinal against the totally overmatched Slovakians. “Vitali is playing center, which is a new position for him. He’s playing a team game, as a center, and maybe a little bit more conservative that what we’re accustomed for his level of elite talent.”
There is a good chance Kravtsov could end up on the ice quite a bit against K’Andre Miller, the second of three first-round picks for the Rangers in this past draft, going at No. 22. (The third first-round pick, No. 28 Nils Lundkvist, had his Swedish team ousted in a shutout by Switzerland in the quarters.)
Miller is the towering defenseman currently excelling in his first year at Wisconsin, leading NCAA freshman in points (17) and second in goals (four), while leading all NCAA freshman defenseman in both those categories. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Miller is already an athletic specimen. He did miss one game this tournament due to illness, and then returned to play just 10:53 in the quarterfinal win over the Czech Republic. But if he’s healthy, expect him to get back to playing 17 minutes or so of important ice time.
“Overall, his size, his mobility, his ability to join the rush, his shot, were on display against Sweden,” Bobrov said, referring to the American’s wild 5-4 overtime loss that saw them come back from a 4-0 third-period deficit. Yep, it’s that kind of tournament.
Not to be forgotten is the presumptive No. 1-overall pick for this upcoming draft, American Jack Hughes. The Islanders also have Boston College’s Oliver Wahlstrom playing, having been the team’s first-round (No. 11-overall) selection in June.
And what a way for the tournament to end for the other Islanders first-rounder, No. 12-overall Noah Dobson. Playing for the betting-favorite and home-town Canadian team in the quarterfinals against Finland, Dobson’s stick broke on a great one-timer chance to win the game in overtime. The puck immediately went the other way where Finland would score the overtime winner, ending Canada’s run.
That set up the other semifinal, where the Fins — captained by Devils’ 2017 sixth-rounder pick Aarne Talvitie — will be taking on the final remaining Rangers prospect, defenseman Nico Gross and his team from Switzerland, beginning at 8 p.m.
It’s a great tournament with a ton of NHL implications. And it’s also way better hockey than we’ll see in the NHL for about another two months.
New (Dallas) Stars
Know the first thing I thought of when I saw Stars CEO Jim Lites incendiary comments about his two stars, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin? I thought that the Stars would soon set up a cutout of Lites in the locker room, and with each win, they would peel a piece of clothing off him.
In all honestly, this is an untenable situation with two players that have a combined 12 years and $126.3 million of salary-cap hit left on their deals after this season. It might wake them up this season, but the future is in flux in Dallas.
Saved by a strap
Don’t see this one very often, a goal saved by the strap of a pad. (Friend of the show Marty Biron even said that one time he allowed a goal because of a broken strap).
Comical Crosby
We all get a kick out of good banter — including Sidney Crosby. When the Penguins star went to the penalty box at the Garden on Wednesday night, Rangers fan Nick Lipeika ripped into him with some good-natured jabs.
“Hey Crosby, you were voted third toughest Canadian, behind Celine Dion and a close second to Avril Lavigne.”
“Hey Crosby, when Gatorade wanted a tough guy, Justin Bieber turned them down so they settled for you.”
Crosby laughed, squirted water through the glass, and then left a signed stick for the guy after the game. It read: “Good chirps. Take it easy on me next time!” Nice move from the Pittsburgh captain.
Stay tuned . . . (to the Sabres)
Our favorite story is going in the tubes! Even with a 4-3 win over the pillowy Panthers on Thursday night, Buffalo is in a full-on free fall, now 5-7-4 since the end of their 10-game winning streak on Nov. 29. Maybe Jack Eichel’s Patrick Bateman routine has been thrown off, but Jeff Skinner continues to do all he can.
Our northern brethren are now 22-13-6, tied in points with the Bruins (but behind in ROW) for third place in the Atlantic Division.
Parting shot
Love this goal from the Bruins on Thursday night. Teams try this all the time and fail, but this time, it worked. (Helps that David Pastrnak is so skilled.)