McDavid vs. Eichel highlights USA-Canada World Junior showdown
The top two draft prospects will play against the backdrop of the biggest rivalry in international hockey as Canada's Connor McDavid and USA's Jack Eichel meet in what could be an epic showdown.
There are 11 games on the NHL schedule Wednesday night, but a pretty significant portion of hockey fans will have their attention turned to Montreal, and the Canadiens aren't playing. The Canadians are, though. So are the Americans. In particular, one Canadian and one American will have all eyes on them.
As the United States meets rival Canada in the final preliminary round game at the World Junior Championship at 4 p.m. ET, the top two prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft will be on display for the hockey world to watch, for scouts and analysts to dissect and in the middle of all that, the two players will be trying to help their teams win a hockey game.
Canada's Connor McDavid, the consensus No. 1 pick, and Team USA's Jack Eichel, the consensus No. 2 draft choice at this early stage, have downplayed the head-to-head matchup between the individuals. Both want this to be more about the team than it is about them. The result is all that matters to either player, but to a lot of folks, particularly fans of teams in the NHL’s basement, getting a glimpse of the players that could help change their franchise’s fortunes is far more interesting than the final score.
Throughout the season, these two prospects have been built up and pitted against each other. There's the whole United States vs. Canada angle, the college hockey vs. major junior angle, the Sidney Crosby comparisons and everything else. The two have never even spoken, but they have played against each other a few times while representing their respective countries. This very well could be the only time these two meet during their draft season, though. They may not even play against each other head-to-head very much, but they're still the main event.
There's an actual game to be played, however, and there will be 42 other players involved.
Sure, there's that whole national pride thing going between a pair of teams that don't like each other and fan bases that feel the same way. USA-Canada is always an event, but with the added attraction of two of the best teenaged hockey players in the world, and possibly the best one-two heading into the draft since Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in 2004, there's an entirely new element of drama.
McDavid and Eichel were expected to dominate this tournament, and so far, they haven't really. Eichel has just two points in three games, while McDavid notched all three of his tournament points against lowly Germany. Both players have looked fine, but the weaker bracket suggested they would put up loads of points before this meeting. It hasn't happened. Both appear poised to break out at any moment with the chances they've generated and Wednesday's game would probably be a great time to do it.
Truth be told, their performance is unlikely to impact their draft stock significantly, if at all. This is just another data point in the evaluation process and just because it may not affect their ranking on draft boards, doesn’t mean they won't be more heavily scrutinized throughout this tournament. More is clearly expected of them.
Getting back to the matchup between the two teams, both the United States and Canada are undefeated in the tournament to date. The home team has three regulation wins, while the United States has two regulation victories and one shootout win. Whoever wins this game will take first place in the group and earn the most favorable matchup in the quarterfinal. The loser can finish no lower than second, which shouldn't be all that scary for either team.
In the grand scheme of the tournament, this game is irrelevant in terms of what it does for the winning team. There used to be a bye on the line, but the IIHF did away with that to ensure the top teams played one more game. But a USA-Canada game is hardly ever irrelevant, regardless of the stakes. That’s especially true considering the U.S. has won two gold medals in the last five years, while Canada is in the middle of an unexpected golden drought dating back to 2009. All three of Team USA’s gold medals all-time at the World Juniors went through Canada one way or another, while Canada has taken it to the Americans many, many times in this event.
With the World Juniors being on Canadian soil, there’s that added element of pressure on the home team as well. The tournament is a national event up north, with probably too much pressure put on the teenagers that represent their homeland. The home fans want wins and they want gold. Anything less is a failure. The gold can’t be won and lost in this game, but it’s going to look like that’s what’s on the line when the two teams hit the ice.
The last time the U.S. played Canada on their home soil, U.S. defenseman John Carlson’s no-look wrist shot beat Martin Jones inside the left post to secure gold, which ended Canada’s run of five consecutive WJC titles and started the golden drought. That was the moment Canada's domination at the World Juniors was no longer a guarantee.
There’s a real desire to erase some of the sour memories of the last few years and the country has pinned much of its hopes on McDavid. But this is a game that is far more likely to come down to which ever club plays the best team game.
When USA and Canada meet, there will be 16 first-round draft picks on the ice, six players expected to go in the first round in future drafts and a number of prospects that are already exceeding the expectations their draft slotting would warrant. They’re kids, mostly, but they’re the best kids in the world and they’re ready to put on a show even if the spotlight is getting hogged by just two guys.
What to watch for tonight
• Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel: Everyone knows about the matchup, but it will actually be interesting to see just how often they lineup against each other. McDavid has spent time on a line with Ottawa Senators forward Curtis Lazar and that duo could end up drawing a more defensively-sound line for the U.S. Canada could also counter with a more physical line against Eichel. Either way, when those two are on the ice, all eyes, especially from their opponents, will be on them.
• Special Teams: Canada has been outstanding on the power play to date in this tournament with five goals on 10 advantages. The U.S. has only had one power-play goal in 13 opportunities. Additionally, neither team has allowed a power-play goal in the tournament. Expect that to change for at least one of them.
• The other guy: Often forgotten in the hubbub of McDavid vs. Eichel, is that this game will feature the consensus No. 3 pick for the 2015 NHL Draft in U.S. defenseman Noah Hanifin. The 17-year-old Boston College freshman has played a big role for Team USA and will have to play a sound game against Canada. Additionally, the U.S. boasts Auston Matthews, the top prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft, as well as likely 2015 first-rounder Zach Werenski on defense. This is a great game if you love following the NHL Draft.
• Style of play: Over the years, Canada’s goal has been to wear down the opponent with a more physical game. This year, however, the Canadians shied away from bringing grinders to the tournament. They went for a more skilled attack and all four lines can score. The U.S. is built similarly, with more skill than grit throughout the lineup. It could be fire-wagon hockey, unless either team sharply changes the way they’ve played in the tournament to date. It's going to make for an exciting matchup.
• Insanity: If there's one thing a USA vs. Canada game all but guarantees, it's that something crazy is going to happen. The New Year's Eve matchup has become one of the great traditions in junior hockey when the two clubs end up in the same pool at this tournament. There was the insane John Tavares-led comeback against the U.S. in 2009, in which the future Islanders captain had a hat trick to propel Canada en route to gold. There was also an incredible contest between the two teams in 2010, in which the Canadians earned a shootout win before the U.S. would get revenge in the gold-medal game. Canada has a big edge in preliminary-round play over the U.S., but this game may not be the last time these two meet. If all goes well, there's a chance they could see each other in the gold-medal game later. Look for both teams to try to send a message tonight.
