Seeing as I saw only the games out at Scotiabank Place yesterday and seeing as neither one of them were competitive after 20 minutes, I'll just focus on the two winners--the U.S. and Canada. If you can find a reason to pay much attention to Germany or the Czechs the rest of the way, knock yourself out.
Subban: After the game, P.K. Subban, Team Canada's designated quote machine held court. "Defence wins championships," he said, milling around outside the dressing room. People who don't know him might take it literally. It got a good laugh out of John Tavares, who actually played a pretty decent defensive game even if no one really noticed. Subban was guilty a couple of times of getting caught pinching but suffered only minor burns. He wasn't the only offender on the blueline. Tyler Myers was caught in one sequence. Colton Teubert too. The one who was above reproach: Thomas Hickey. A game in absolute control. Ryan Ellis didn't get caught but most of his shifts were on the PP>
Jordan Schroeder: It was only Germany but the little forward at the University of Minnesota showed a sweet stroke. He might be in that thinly populated rank of finisher just below JT. Is it me or is the hockey world now over-run by forwards who stand no more than five-ten.
Justin Tokarski: Funny how it works out. NHL scouts like Chet Pickard because he fits the profile of a pro prospect. A coach might like Tokarski because he gets results -- he has some gaudy numbers, gaudier than even last season's. It's not going to be easy to pick between them. How to weigh a performance when the netminder stops the first 21 shots en route to an 8-0 lead and then the last one in the game flutters by?
James vanRiemsdyk: He and the late Alexei Cherepanov were the best forwards at the 2007 under-18s but NHL scouts panned his play in his first season in the NCAA. I would have thought that he'd be a little farther along at this point--in fact, my best guess 18 months ago was that he would be playing for the Flyers rather than at the US under-20 team. He's not being rushed.
Pat Quinn: He genuinely seems to enjoy his work with this team. Nothing put on about it. He'd tell you that the game has been very good to him. Now he's giving back.
Angelo Esposito: Feel-good story. Some players have no memory. Not for seasons, not for games, not for their last shifts. Esposito has always seemed like a young man who took his setbacks harder than most and held onto them longer. A good start for him here might help throw some of the hard times into eclipse.
Jonathon Blum of the U.S. and Thomas Hickey of Canada: Two best d-men I saw yesterday, but I didn't see Victor Hedman.