I won’t deny that I was very much against the idea of both Drew Doughty and Travis Sanheim being named to the Canadian Olympic team on Wednesday, and I expressed that opinion on January 1. The hockey show. I haven’t changed my opinion on the inclusion of either player on the roster now that younger players like Owen Power, Jacob Chychrun, Noah Dobson and Matthew Schafer are available and will be the future of the Canadian Olympic team long after the times of both Doughty and Sanheim have passed. However, tonight was a perfect example of why one of those four players should have been on the roster, and he was the guy I was rooting for the loudest. The hockey show.Both Travis Sanheim and Matthew Schaefer scored tonight to help their respective teams win their games, but it was more about how one player took over a streak while the other was a footnote to his streak. When it comes to playing the game the right way, defenders must remain steadfast on the defensive side and contributors on the attacking side, while maintaining that defensive awareness. As we will see, one of these two players has these skills.
We start with Travis Sanheim’s play. He had already scored to help the Flyers build a 3-0 first period lead over the Edmonton Oilers, and we now jump to this “highlight” from the first period.
Sanheim went from pushing the offense down the ice to fishing the puck out of his net very quickly when he threw that cross-ice pass to Mattias Ekholm, who plays for the Oilers, and seconds later the puck was in the Flyers’ net thanks to Connor McDavid. I have no idea why he tried a cross-ice pass to Sean Couturier when he could have shot it along the boards, but those kinds of bad decisions keep players on the bench.
“But Teebz,” says one of you, “that was just one isolated play,” and you’re right. It doesn’t encompass Sanheim’s entire body of work, but it’s also one where I question Sanheim’s decision-making, as a turnover at the offensive blue line is usually certain death. All five Flyers players were in frame when Ekholm picked off the pass, and that’s where Sanheim needs to know to skate that puck deeper into the zone before throwing a cross-ice prayer.
On the other hand, the player I advocated should be on Team Canada has shown he has a knack for big moments in games but thinks at a high level with his decision-making skills.
Schaefer realizes there are two Islanders players deep in their own zone, so he turns his attention to ice. Jonathan Drouin gives him the puck as he attacks with a burst of steam, and he uses that speed to rush into the Leafs zone, get a step on his check, step on the defender in front of him and turn the corner. With two Leafs chasing him, he cuts across the crease and slides the puck under Joseph Woll for a great goal that shows all kinds of offensive skills.
Schaefer could have looked up and simply dumped the puck in with three Leafs in defensive positions, but he used his speed to get into the zone well. He could have stopped and thrown it over the boards where another Islanders player could have retrieved it, but he did what good offensive players do: he pulled the puck to the outside, dropped his shoulder and cut to the net as the Leafs defenseman was forced to turn to defend him. That split-second decision gave him the step on the defender he needed to put him on his hip, and then it was a one-on-one with Woll.
Again, this is an isolated play, but the fact that Schaefer looks more like a veteran than a rookie compared to Sanheim’s decision-making skills is why I argued for his inclusion. I’ve watched more New York Islanders hockey this season than I’d like to admit, but it’s hard not to watch Matthew Schaefer every night. Yes, he will be a candidate for the Calder Trophy at the end of the season, but he has changed the way the Islanders play every night with his talents.
I’m not Doug Armstrong, and I wouldn’t want to be, but I can’t believe Canada would be better off leaving the future of the Canadian Olympic team at home while staying true to a player who occasionally shows flashes of greatness. Travis Sanheim is a good defenseman who may reach another level, but Matthew Schaefer is already better.
However, opinions may differ, so share your thoughts in the comments!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#debate #continue