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If you’re an Olympic hockey fan, does it get any better than this?
Powerhouse Team Canada vs. gritty Team USA for the gold medal and bragging rights for the next four years.
While Canada will be favored on the betting sites, some are giving the Americans an outside chance to win the tournament for the first time since 1980, long before NHL players were involved.
Ex-Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher, who is working at ice level as a television analyst at Milano Cortina, Italy, donated a few minutes off his busy schedule to share his thoughts on what strategy USA should employ to pull off an upset.
It starts with finding a way to shut down Canada’s top line of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini.
That trio has steamrolled its way through the tournament so far and made it so Canada didn’t even need Sidney Crosby (injured the last two games) to do it.
“They look like the best team, particularly the forward group that really stands out to me – as far as their overall depth up front,” said Boucher in a telephone interview. “And the way that they play, they seem to be more in sync than any team in the tournament.
“And the Canadians appeared to have the tougher road [including a 3-2 win over Finland that went down to the wire on Friday].”
So, coach Boucher, how do you stop this juggernaut?
“The question for USA is going to be how are you going to match up against Canada’s top line?” Boucher said. “If they go nuclear like this, which they’ve done at times in the tournament, how do you combat that?”
Boucher, who appeared in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final for the Flyers, said the answer is rather basic.
“I think you have to fight fire with fire,” he said. “[Jack] Eichel and the two Tkachuks [Matthew and Brady] would have to go up against that line. You’ve got to try and make them play in their defensive zone. That’s the best way to beat them. But if not, I think you’ve got to be hard on them. No time and space for them. You have to try and get under MacKinnon’s skin.
“I think he’s a guy you can get unhinged a little bit. He seems at times to be frustrated. That’s what the Tkachuk brothers would have to do. They truly have to find a way to get under the skin of MacKinnon. Makes you wonder if [Canada coach Jon] Cooper would not put [Tom] Wilson with McDavid in that scenario just to combat the Tkachuks.”
One of the key players for Canada in Friday’s win over Finland was defenseman Travis Sanheim, the Flyer stalwart who had the primary assist on backline partner Shea Theodore’s third-period goal to complete a two-goal comeback and make it 2-2.
Boucher likes what he’s seen from the Flyers’ alternate captain in this tournament.
“With the [Josh] Morrissey injury, Sanheim gets put into the mix,” Boucher said. “And I think for all these guys, they tell you the same thing: Their roles here are going to be a lot different that what we see in the NHL. Except for five or six players, you’re going to have to check your ego at the door.
“And I think that’s the case with Sanheim. He’s a depth defenseman on this team. I think he’s willing to accept that role. So far I think it’s been an easy road. But things are going to get tougher and stiffer as this tournament winds up on Sunday.”
Boucher works Flyers games on TV with veteran broadcaster Jim Jackson. Although he’s worked Olympics games before, this is the first time he’s worked an Olympics with the “A” team, including Kenny Albert and Ed “Edzo” Olczyk.
“This is my first shot at doing it with the top team and it’s been a lot of fun,” Boucher confirmed. “Two terrific professionals in Kenny and ‘Edzo.’ I love working with them at TNT and now NBC and USA.”
Plus all three hail from the United States, so that adds a level of excitement on the broadcasts.
“I’m excited to do the American games with them because that’s our home team,” Boucher said. “You can feel the difference in excitement when those games start. Just great to be at ice level for games that matter so much.”
Having a goalie such as Boucher work at ice level offers a unique viewpoint.
“My job at ice level is to give a different perspective,” Boucher said. “The temperature of the game. Perhaps what’s going on in between the benches. And the fact that I played goalie, I can give you thoughts through my lens of the game. From the goalie on out. That’s something that Edzo recognizes as a strength of mine. It’s a nice balance.”
Wayne Fish is a freelance writer. Follow his coverage at www.flyingfishhockey.com