North America vs the World

[mlisica19]

North American team:
Coach: Mike Babcock

1: Sidney Crosby, James Neal, Steve Stamkos
2: Jonathan Toewes, Patrick Kane, Rick Nash
3: Claude Giroux, Patrick Sharp, Jarome Iginla
4: Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Callahan, Zach Parise

D1: Ryan Suter, Shea Weber
D2: Duncan Keith, Kris Letang
D3: Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty

Goalie: Jonathan Quick, Ryan Miller




World players:
Coach: Zinetula Bilyaletdinov (Russian National Team Coach)

1: Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovulchuk, Marian Gaborik
2: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Loui Eriksson
3: Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Anze Kopitar
4: Niklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, Marian Hossa


Loui Eriksonn, Niklas Backstrom, Daniel Alfredsonn, Marian Hossa,

D1: Erik Karlsson, Zdeno Chara
D2: Marc Streit, Niklas Kronwall
D3: Sergei Gonchar, Anton Volchenkov

Goalies: Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne

[mlisica19]

Forwards... looks like the Europeans have it.
Defense... Looks like the North Americans have it.
Goalies... look pretty even.
Coaches... Mike babcock is a triple gold winner, though I wont underestimate the Russian/Soviet player I do believe North America has it beat.

I think this would be a legit game, of course i might have missed some key players you wanted but i tried to address what each coach and each style would have wanted more.

Babcock will try to get all the talent he wants but he will also try to even out the defensive and offensive minded players.

It was tough to put Ovi on the 4th line... Just each other line seemed better off.

Lines dont have to stay the same, especially in European style where all 4 lines are expect to play at the same speed and skill level. Just didnt think Ovi and Evgeni would work best and that bakcstrom and him would...

[mlisica19]

disregard the names between the defense and the forwards... kinda messed up

[kevin13697]

did you make these roster? mlisica19
oh, should have read more before asking

[kevin13697]

Spezza Tavares Kessel Perry & E. Staal: in
Bergeron Callahan Iginla Kane & Sharp: out
Pietrangelo : in
J.Johnson : out
Perry to the first line & Neal to the 4th


Enstrom : in
Volchenkov : out
Ovechkin to the first line & Gaborik to the 4th

[kevin13697]

Are we talking NHL size rink & set of rules?
7 Games series or one game elimination?
North America would win a 7 game series fairly easy
Europe only has one true shut down defenseman, Chara

Europe might be able to squeeze out of a 1 game elimination by keeping up the pace and momentum.
Getting a couple early goals and laying back defensively.

[mlisica19]

Lets not get too fascinated with the teams... i jus took a few minutes and assembled players and lines based off what I feel each system prefers.

North Americans tend to have a top 6 bottom 6... top 4 bottom 2 dmen. Though skill is necessary so are grinders. You can have 100 people here and each one will come up with their own rosters and lines so lets not focus to much on this.

Europeans, watching some olympics and juniors, studying russian and soviet style, from what I watched on the KHL game and some EBEL games ive watched. They too obviously enjoy a well rounded team but their mostly concerned with speed, playmaking and 4 lines of 5 guys who can play well with another, who can move the puck and create the best opportunities.


So who do you all think would win a game made up of N. Americans vs Europeans.

[mlisica19]

Spezza Tavares Kessel Perry & E. Staal: in
Bergeron Callahan Iginla Kane & Sharp: out
Pietrangelo : in
J.Johnson : out
Perry to the first line & Neal to the 4th


Enstrom : in
Volchenkov : out
Ovechkin to the first line & Gaborik to the 4th

I chose Iginla the same reason Canada, babcock and yzerman chose him. Experience, physical, skilled and a 30 goal scorer.

I chose Callahan because hes one of the best in the world in what he does. Penalty killing, blocking shots. Its tempting to go for more skilled players in JT and Kessel or who have you but Callys role is important in winning games. leadership and USA silver medalist.

I chose Kane, though kessel would be valuable player too, but kane is use to playing with Toewes. I also chose Kane cuz hes faster which might be valuable against the Europeans.

Pietrangelo... i rarely ever got to see him play, but i know hes good. Offensive tho and i think babcock (after who he chose for his defense) he would want big well rounded players like Johnson.

Eric Staal was another guy I was thinking about but due to chemistry I left him out.


Europeans... hmmm Idk how Malkin and Ovi would fare off. have they played on each others lines in Russia? i dont think so especially after some issues in the NHL they have had. I dont think Malkins style would fit ovis well either... Malkin likes the puck possession, Ovi loves having it too but shoots at every chance he gets. Idk for sure but i left him off most other lines cuz of chemistry. When i brought in Bakcstrom, i knew it would work. but that duo does not fair well against Sedins, Malkins, or Datsyuk... hense why i left them on the 4th. No doubt you will still see him on the PP and just cuz hes on the 4th line does not mean he willl lose much playing time. and Enstrom instead of Volchenkov... okay i see that only cuz Enstrom is a better puck mover

[mlisica19]

NHL coaches and managers and style and players.
European (or elsewhere) managers and styles and players.

NHL/KHL size rink. Same
NHL rules which is similar to KHL except no trapezoid. Limited fighting though. 5 minutes for fighting but suspensions and game misconducts can occur if fighting takes over the game.

20 minutes, 3 periods. Continuous OT until winner

[mlisica19]

Are we talking NHL size rink & set of rules?
7 Games series or one game elimination?
North America would win a 7 game series fairly easy
Europe only has one true shut down defenseman, Chara

Europe might be able to squeeze out of a 1 game elimination by keeping up the pace and momentum.
Getting a couple early goals and laying back defensively.

Okay lets talk 7 game series... i really dk if its easy win for either team.

Were talking MVP of the NHL... Evgeni Malkin leading the Europeans. Look at the top 5 in points in recent years and you will see many Europeans.

Shut down defensmen? Sit back and play defensively... do u know anything about European hockey lol. Thats not their style at all. European hockey today is heavily influenced to what the Soviets have showed the world to work on all levels. Playing as a 5 man unit, not 3 fwds and 2 dmen. A complete cycling... total hockey some may call it. Your gonna see a lot of confusion and a lot of skating... not so much speed individually but a faster pace game in terms of how the puck is moved...

Plus your talking about Henrik Lundqvist in net. Im aware that the North Americans have Quick and others but idk if Rinne or Lundqvist would lose so easily to any team.

[kevin13697]

Okay lets talk 7 game series... i really dk if its easy win for either team.

Were talking MVP of the NHL... Evgeni Malkin leading the Europeans. Look at the top 5 in points in recent years and you will see many Europeans.

Shut down defensmen? Sit back and play defensively... do u know anything about European hockey lol. Thats not their style at all. European hockey today is heavily influenced to what the Soviets have showed the world to work on all levels. Playing as a 5 man unit, not 3 fwds and 2 dmen. A complete cycling... total hockey some may call it. Your gonna see a lot of confusion and a lot of skating... not so much speed individually but a faster pace game in terms of how the puck is moved...

Plus your talking about Henrik Lundqvist in net. Im aware that the North Americans have Quick and others but idk if Rinne or Lundqvist would lose so easily to any team.

Then North America would dominate this game.
a goalie isn't much without a defense, especially against these caliber of players

[BranWingss]

Callahan? Really?

[Boom!]

Callahan? Really?

He is a very unbiased person. Not like he roots for the Rangers or anything. Don't question his threads.

[j-bay]

I chose Iginla the same reason Canada, babcock and yzerman chose him. Experience, physical, skilled and a 30 goal scorer.

I chose Callahan because hes one of the best in the world in what he does. Penalty killing, blocking shots. Its tempting to go for more skilled players in JT and Kessel or who have you but Callys role is important in winning games. leadership and USA silver medalist.

I chose Kane, though kessel would be valuable player too, but kane is use to playing with Toewes. I also chose Kane cuz hes faster which might be valuable against the Europeans.

Pietrangelo... i rarely ever got to see him play, but i know hes good. Offensive tho and i think babcock (after who he chose for his defense) he would want big well rounded players like Johnson.

Eric Staal was another guy I was thinking about but due to chemistry I left him out.


Europeans... hmmm Idk how Malkin and Ovi would fare off. have they played on each others lines in Russia? i dont think so especially after some issues in the NHL they have had. I dont think Malkins style would fit ovis well either... Malkin likes the puck possession, Ovi loves having it too but shoots at every chance he gets. Idk for sure but i left him off most other lines cuz of chemistry. When i brought in Bakcstrom, i knew it would work. but that duo does not fair well against Sedins, Malkins, or Datsyuk... hense why i left them on the 4th. No doubt you will still see him on the PP and just cuz hes on the 4th line does not mean he willl lose much playing time. and Enstrom instead of Volchenkov... okay i see that only cuz Enstrom is a better puck mover

Ovi and Malkin were roomates!!!! Ovechkin also played with Ilya before so it makes sense to put those 3 together

[mlisica19]

i am a ranger fan, yes. does not exclude the fact that callahan could make the north american roster. Smart managers understand you need role players, callahan is one of the best penalty killers, one of the best grinders and he does have some offense to his game.

i added him a 4th line player not a top 6 guy. so calm down with the accusations...

i really think all over you underestimate european defense. who were the best dmen in the last few years... lidstrom, chara, karlsson, weber... u act like russia, sweden, finland, czech arent all top hockey teams in the world. a goalie is nothing without a good defense?

idk about you guys but having... chara, kasrlsson, kronwall, erhoff, streit, volchenkov, gonchar. thosepossibilities r pretty dam good.

and excuse me but i just felt that ovechkin style has him not fitting in well. i could be wrong, i very well could be wrong but the line ups r hardly a factor. cuz im sure thelineups and rosters would change... idk about you but the europeans are a strong roster full of tons of talent too.


i cnt believe so many people believe north americans would dominate. they have international tournaments, combining the rosters of russia, sweden, czech, finland sounds pretty dam good to me