For gamers hoping to earn a spot on the Canadian crew heading to Italy for the Olympics subsequent February, this world championship is a vital audition.
It is the final main match earlier than the Video games, and a key alternative for the Canadian employees to check issues out.
Gamers can have some video games within the PWHL earlier than the Olympics subsequent February, and the league has definitely turn into a high analysis device for Hockey Canada.
“I feel [the PWHL is] nice for ladies’s hockey,” Canadian GM Gina Kingsbury instructed CBC Sports activities in an interview final week. “It permits for a real platform to showcase your talent set and doubtlessly play on the nationwide crew.”
However this match, going down for the primary time within the Czech Republic, may be the final and finest likelihood to take a protracted have a look at gamers in numerous roles and gauge chemistry.
The Canadians start the match on Thursday in opposition to Finland at 1 p.m. ET, adopted by one other preliminary-round recreation in opposition to Switzerland on Friday at 9 a.m.
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Then, they’re going to have back-to-back battles in opposition to america on Sunday (1 p.m.) and the Czech Republic on Monday (1 p.m.). All video games air on TSN.
As a crew seeded in Group A, Canada is already assured a spot within the quarterfinals, which start on April 17.
The large query, in fact, is whether or not the Canadians can maintain off the People to repeat as world champions.
However listed below are 5 different intriguing story traces to look at for Crew Canada all through the match.
A possibility for Campbell
Toronto Sceptres goaltender Kristen Campbell will begin in Canada’s preliminary-round recreation in opposition to Finland, The Canadian Press reported on Wednesday.
However Maschmeyer is out of this match with an damage and Desbiens is getting in control after time away rehabbing an damage of her personal. That has created a gap for Campbell to take the reins, at the least in the beginning of the world championship.
Desbiens is predicted to play through the match.
“It isn’t essentially damage associated. In my thoughts, it is extra preparation to get [Desbiens] sharp,” Canadian head coach Troy Ryan instructed The Canadian Press.
“I do not suppose this damage has modified our notion of what Ann can carry to this. She’s performed a variety of the important thing moments for us and can proceed to on this occasion as properly.”
Expanded roster
Canada was in a position to carry 25 gamers to worlds for the primary time. It means the Canadian employees has an opportunity to take an extended have a look at extra gamers forward of subsequent yr’s Olympics, the place Canada can solely carry 23 gamers.
It additionally means some gamers who’ve made the journey to the Czech Republic must sit out video games, since groups cannot costume all 25 gamers directly.
That would imply veterans scratched in favour of newer gamers, as Canada takes a deeper have a look at what it has forward of the Video games.
The competitors on defence
Canada has no scarcity of fine choices on defence. It will not be a simple resolution for Kingsbury and her employees.
“It is just a little little bit of a mixture of you have to verify some bins,” Kingsbury stated. “You have to have gamers that may play on the ability play. You have to have gamers that may kill. You have to have some chemistry with D companions and how one can be deployed five-on-five.”
With regards to chemistry, Canada deployed a high 4 of Claire Thompson (Minnesota) with Renata Quick (Toronto) and Ella Shelton (New York) with Erin Ambrose (Montreal) all through all 5 Rivalry Sequence video games this season.
If Canada sticks with that blend, then at the least considered one of Jocelyne Larocque (Ottawa) and Micah Zandee-Hart (New York), each shutdown choices, appear possible on the third pair.
Hockey Canada may also need to try Sophie Jaques (Minnesota) and 18-year-old Chloe Primerano (College of Minnesota), who’re on their first worlds roster.
There is no scarcity of puck-moving means on this blue line, from the PWHL’s help chief, Quick, to the tried-and-true power-play quarterback, Ambrose. However somebody like Primerano is also an intriguing possibility with the participant benefit.
Primerano’s function
Talking of Primerano, she is the youngest defender to make a world championship crew since a 17-year-old Cheryl Pounder cracked the squad in 1994.
Primerano was paired with veteran Larocque on the third pair in any respect three Rivalry Sequence video games she performed within the fall. She did not falter when Ryan referred to as on her in a shootout. Primerano scored the sport winner.
In February, Larocque stated she was most impressed with Primerano’s eagerness to be taught, and the way she was making an attempt to determine what she may have performed higher after every shift.
How Canada deploys her on this match will likely be one thing to look at.
Depth by way of the center
When Hannah Miller (Toronto) was dominated ineligible to play for Canada, the crew misplaced a flexible participant who may simply slot in as a top-six centre.
After Poulin, Ryan may flip to Sarah Nurse (Toronto), who has just lately labored her approach again from an damage, or Sarah Fillier, a pure centre who has principally performed on the wing this season with the New York Sirens. Blayre Turnbull (Toronto) and Kristin O’Neill (Montreal) are more likely to spherical out the underside six down the center.
Shifting Fillier to centre would take her off Poulin’s wing, a mix the Canadian crew has experimented with during the last yr. However maybe that downside is solved by having Jennifer Gardiner, Poulin’s winger on the Montreal Victoire, on this roster.
Requested about Gardiner on the Rivalry Sequence in February, Poulin praised her rookie teammate’s perspective and enthusiasm.
“She desires to be taught,” Poulin stated.
“She desires to push. And you may see recreation after recreation, she will get extra confidence.”
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