Quote:
Originally Posted by MapleLeafs38
No, we just need skilled guys because its bigger ice....
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While I can agree that a guy like Morrow (and Morrow himself) would probably be less effective on the international-sized ice surface than he was in the past few weeks (due to the speed element - Morrow isn't the quickest guy around), we still need at least a couple of guys who can provide that same element of grit, physicality, PK ability, net presence, and defensive responsibility. Inserting Morrow on the left-hand side with Getzlaf and Perry provided that line (which was pretty bad up until that point) with much-needed energy. That same presence could come from guys like Toews, Richards, and Nash, or who knows if a guys like Simmonds progresses enough over 4 years to get to a level where he fulfills a similar role?
This approach has worked well for Canada in the past, even on international ice (see: Peca, Smyth, Nolan in 2002), and I can't see Hockey Canada totally abandoning it in 2014 - changes might be made to the skillsets of the players selected for the role, but I can pretty much guarantee that at least 1 or 2 of those guys will be on the team.