Team Canada crams furiously to major in chemistry
MINSK, Belarus — Name tags aren’t required around Team Canada’s locker- room at the world hockey championship. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
“We just got together a week ago,” winger Joel Ward said. “I barely know some of the trainers’ names, to be honest.”
That would be Mike Burnstein from the Vancouver Canucks and Gerry Townend and Shawn Markwick from the Ottawa Senators. But more to Ward’s point is Canada’s onice chemistry remains a work in progress after just two tournament games.
“That’s the challenge, I think, every year with this tournament for the North American teams,” goaltender Ben Scrivens said. “Obviously I’ve watched before and that seems to be the running commentary is how quickly teams can gel in, it seems like, every international tournament.”
This tournament in particular is a challenge for Canada, given that this roster is made up of 19 players whose NHL teams missed the playoffs and four who went seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Through the shootout loss to France in the opener and Saturday night’s victory over Slovakia, coach Dave Tippett can notice the difference between those who had been playing and those who experienced a long layoff.
Participating in playoff games helped Brayden Schenn, Matt Read, Braydon Coburn and Nathan MacKinnon have a little more energy in their legs. But throwing them into the mix with players who had been off for a few weeks made for some uncertainty out of the gate.
“That first game we were a little unsure going into the game exactly how we were going to come together as a team, how things were going to transpire,” winger Troy Brouwer said.
Part of the progression is not just between teammates but how Canadian players adapt to the wider ice surface with smaller offensive and defensive zones.