What is the United States’ biggest flaw?
The margins that would decide a possible gold medal or semifinal showdown between Team USA and Team Canada at the Olympics could be miniscule.
That was the case last year at the 4 Nations Face-Off, when the United States earned a close win in the round robin stage before Canada won a coin-flip game on a Connor McDavid goal in overtime.
On paper, the U.S. seems to have an edge in goal with Connor Hellebuyck and on defense, where they are deeper in both puck moving talent and shutdown stoppers. That leaves the forward group as Canada’s advantage, but where specifically is the U.S. most vulnerable to getting beaten by Canada’s top talents like McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby?
On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and co-host and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discussed where Team USA could fall short if they meet a similar end to the one they suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Tyler Yaremchuk: When you look at this American roster… Can you find a flaw? The blue line is undoubtedly better than Canada’s. The depth, as much as there’s a bunch of hand-wringing about… Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield being at home. I understand all that, but I still just look at this forward group, and it’s like, man, we’re talking about the complaining of how they left Robertson and Caufield at home, Jack Hughes is playing on the fourth line. They’re so deep. The goaltending is so solid. The blue line is so mobile, and then you mix in a guy like Jaccob Slavin who might have been their best player at the 4 Nations Face-Off, I can not find a flaw with this team.
Carter Hutton: It’s tough to see. I think it’s going to be how guys answer the bell buying into certain roles. That’s where you look at Jack Hughes, where you look at Kyle Connor who wasn’t in that final last year, and was that a mistake by the United States when they look back and they didn’t have that finishing touch? For me I think this is going to be a big battle of who can grind in the trenches. I think Dylan Larkin was unbelievable, it almost found like a coming out party at the 4 Nations Cup that he is one of the elite. Down the lineup, and how good Brock Nelson has been, it’s going to be that superstar status and leadership I think you go back to. When you look at Team Canada, I saw a comparison the other day of captains. Auston Matthews having a couple playoff series wins compared to Sidney Crosby who has accolades coming at him every which way… On the back end, that is a scary defense, there’s really no holes in it. I think with Adam Fox not being there, it almost fills the gap of there really is no gap. This team is unbelievable on the back end, but who can be the game changing player?
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…