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It all happened so fast - the entire tournament went by at the same speed as those final two goals for Canada. Thank you all for playing Shoot for Gold: World Cup Challenge 2016! Congratulations to the money winners, Jeff Ware, Samara McAdam, Peter Tanner, and Tim Smith!
This may sound too simple and easy, but the key to this pool was: all Canada, all the way. You needed an all-Canadian roster to win this pool, and you also needed Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Canada dominated this tournament and pool like no other team has done in this pool's history (first Shoot for Gold was in 2002). A small number of people have picked all-Canada teams in the past, but they never went anywhere. This time, it was essential. So you never know from pool to pool what your strategy will need to be! Dream Team, Biggest Bust 9/30/2016 3:30:00 AM We have a practically all-Canadian Dream Team, with Canada dominant in a way no other country has been in any other Shoot for Gold or World Cup pool. The best possible roster was: goalie Carey Price, skaters Brad Marchand, Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews, and one of: Canada's Matt Duschesne, Europe's Tomas Tatar, or Grasshopper Johnny Goudreau. On the flip side is the Biggest Bust... and the award goes to: USA's Patrick Kane! Yes he had two points, but that was not nearly enough for the nearly 40% of the pool who picked him. Jeff Ware runs away with it 9/30/2016 2:59:00 AM In a fitting ending, the only person who picked tournament hero Brad Marchand stands alone at the top of the pool. It was Marchand and Patrice Bergeron who lifted Jeff Ware into the leading spot and the same two kept him going strong to the end. Second place goes to Samara McAdam, also with an all-Canadian roster (including Jonathan Toews). Peter Tanner, who also had Bergeron, would have finished second but for not picking Canada to win; the five point penalty drops him to a tie for the third and final money spot. Tim Smith survived losing two players in the semis to hang on for the tie for third, one point ahead of proud dad George Smith who I'm sure will take it all in stride. Congratulations to all. Blink and you'll miss the ending 9/30/2016 2:48:00 AM Moments after it was looking increasingly dire and surely a 1-0 loss, Canada had scored two big goals to steal game two and win the World Cup. If you went to bed early, you missed a great finish with an incredible short-handed game-winner. Fortunately I never go to bed early. Once again it was Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron doing the damage, two unexpected heroes on a team of superstars, possibly the greatest team assembled since Canada Cup 1987. Canada wins game one, podium contenders take shape 9/28/2016 12:22:00 AM Big games by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron have lifted Jeff Ware back into first place, this time with a strong stake to finish on top. Jeff was in first for most of the round robin before falling to 19th, and then coming back up with two strong games. Peter Tanner, who also has Bergeron, is solidly in second, but didn't pick Canada to win and would currently sit just behind George Smith in fifth after everyone else gets the Canada-win-bonus. He needs another big night from Bergeron to make up the difference. Samara McAdam is in third and has a good shot for second place while Tim Smith hopes to keep dad George at bay to eke out a third-place finish. All Canada 9/26/2016 10:49:00 AM Sweden's elimination by Europe leaves us with an all-Canada affair to finish the pool. Never before in a Shoot for Gold pool has one country been so dominant. The main benefactors - and hence the contenders for the pool podium - are those with all-Canadian rosters: Jeff Ware, Samara McAdam, George Smith, and Nolan Sarner. Phoenix rises 9/25/2016 5:38:00 AM After a dominant start and an incredible fall, Jeff Ware has risen from 19th back onto the leaderboard after an improbable semi-final game. On the strength of Patrice Bergeron and especially Brad Marchand, Jeff had a 16-point game - outpacing next-best Tim Smith by five and the rest of the leaderboard by more. Only one point behind the leader, Jeff would be on top but for the referee not calling a hand pass on Russia's inconsequential third goal, removing Marchand's deserved game-winner. |
Shoot for Gold pools have long been friendly to the Rice Lake Smiths, and this one's no different. Canada's semifinal victory helped bring three of them together into the top ten. Tim Smith continues to lead the pool while Sean Smith and George Smith are tied five points back in sixth. It is patriarch George who stands the strongest going into the final, with a full six intact on his roster. Classic showdown highlights semis 9/23/2016 4:59:00 AM The original international hockey rivalry, Canada vs Russia, will be renewed on Saturday in the first of two single-game semifinals. While a few will root for Russia for their advantage in the standings, the outcome of the pool will be mostly determined by which Canadian players stand out in semis and the final series next week. Tight leaderboard entering medal round 9/23/2016 4:50:00 AM With a point on Friday, Tim Smith has tied Dan Salerno for first at the end of the round robin. Meanwhile Stephen Kent's two points allowed him to tie Samara McAdam, Peter Tanner, and Mike De Petrillo only one point out. Only a single point separates the top six entries. Russia eliminates Grasshoppers, to play Canada 9/23/2016 4:46:00 AM Russia's shutout over Finland advances them to the semifinals against Canada and eliminates the young grasshoppers from Team North America. Sergei Bobrovski's shutout helped Hanna-Marea Kennedy to a 12-point game, lift her to 25th. New leader rides 12-point night 9/22/2016 4:13:00 AM Dan Salerno has taken over the lead, with a day-high 12 points on Wednesday. He has a one-point lead over Mike De Petrillo (who briefly had a three-point lead after the first of Wednesday's games), Peter Tanner, Samara McAdam, and Tim Smith. Jeff Ware, who held the lead from day one until now, has been knocked down to 13th. Comments, questions, suggestions? E-mail Mitch.
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