The problem with Canada U20
Are minor penalties taken by CAN a root cause or a symptom of the team's struggles?
Team Canada may still win this year’s World Junior Championships, but it is certainly a long shot after stumbling into the medal round following losses to Latvia and the United States.
CAN’s problems are twofold:
It is unable to create quality chances at 5v5
It is taking too many minor penalties
Let’s focus on the latter. CAN took seven minors against the USA, who scored three powerplay goals and added an empty-netter to win 4-1.
Penalty 1
USA dumps the puck in.
CAN can’t get off the wall and turns the puck over.
CAN3 Dickinson ends up half-accidentally tripping a US skater driving the net.
Why we took the penalty: We turned the puck over and can’t get organized
Penalty 2
CAN crashes the USA net but fails to score.
CAN16 Rehkopf knocks the goalie’s stick away in a moment of immaturity.
Why we took the penalty: We got frustrated
Penalty 3
CAN loses a DZ faceoff and USA establishes its OZP.
USA28 Buium alertly spins with the catch and forces CAN16 Rehkopf to trip him.
Why we took the penalty: We can’t get the puck back and had to reach
Penalty 4
CAN3 Dickinson forces a stretch pass up the wall, a signature of his team this tournament.
The outlet fails to connect and results in a USA counter-attack.
CAN3 finds himself in a difficult spot and hauls down the puck carrier.
Why we took the penalty: We turned the puck over and can’t get organized
Penalty 5
USA wins another faceoff in CAN’s zone.
CAN manages to keep the play to the outside and eventually gets the puck back. However CAN7 Mynio is called for a cross-check following a netfront battle against USA9 Leonard, who was never a serious threat to get the puck.
Why we took the penalty: We got frustrated
Penalty 6
USA wins the DZ draw on a second effort, then bumps the puck past a pinching CAN defenseman.
CAN27 Cowan, the F3, doesn’t track back early enough and CAN6 Molendyk has to haul the puck carrier down to prevent a breakaway.
Why we took the penalty: We can’t get the puck back and had to reach
Penalty 7
CAN is still in the game, trailing by one with eight minutes in regulation.
An ineffectual OZP sequence leads to blocked point shot and a USA counter-attack.
CAN27 Cowan works hard as the F3 tracker, but overdoes it by boarding the USA skater after he dumps the puck at the red line.
Why we took the penalty: We got frustrated
Against USA:
Two of CAN’s minors came directly following a turnover along the boards (DZ failed retrieval, NZ failed stretch pass)
Two of CAN’s minors came when trying to defend USA possession plays (OZP D activation, DZ FOW to odd-men rush)
Three of CAN’s minor were the result of frustration or over-aggression (OZP failed to score, DZ netfront, NZ tracking)
I emphasize Mynio’s cross-check and Cowan’s hit from behind because those are the ones that media, fans and perhaps coaches are focusing on. The solution to those penalties is simply don’t do that anymore.
That still leaves the five other minors resulting from Canada’s inability to get off the wall, starve their opponents of the puck and, ultimately, drive it into scoring position (which is a different thing than having OZ time or shot attempts).
In the medal round, Canada can play an extremely disciplined brand of hockey and still get bounced due to an inability to score.
Or it can play in a more threatening, belligerent way with the puck and win, aggression penalties and all.