“You’ve had a chance to watch Auston everyday, how have you seen him grow into that sort of, dominant center role that Coach wanted him to by this time of year?”

Some great things Team North America gave us

mcstromartanen:

– Connor being captain and foreshadowing that he might become the youngest captain in nhl history

-Matthews and McDavid playing together like they have been for years

-Matthews playing like he’s been in the nhl for years despite never playing a game

-That Eichel goal assisted by Matthews and McDavid (what dreams are made of)

-The speed ofc

-Gaudreau’s goal (you know the one)

-Drouin being on the team

-Parayko quietly shining and helping out his team

-The media actually acknowledging how good Parayko was

-Nuge and Johnny Hockey looking like two of the youngest on the team despite being two of the oldest

-Ekblad looking like one of the oldest on the team despite being one of the youngest

-When everyone crowded around Johnny and we saw how tiny he actually is

-Just Dylan Larkin

-Probably the best 3 on 3 overtime ever

-MacKinnon’s OT goal

-Rielly’s reaction to MacKinnon’s OT goal

-Morgan Rielly when MacKinnon scored in overtime

-Rielly jumping and screaming when MacKinnon scored and then holding everyone up bc he was watching the replay

-Rielly’s ‘oh my god’ when he was watching the replay

-Even though it was heartbreaking Tim and Sid’s feature after they got eliminated

-Oh yeah and that one Leafs defenceman reacting to MacKinnon’s OT goal

stromers:

are we all aware of how incredibly special team north america is? we will never see a team like this again. the next world cup will not have a U24 team, and if they do, connor mcdavid and jack eichel and auston matthews, while still technically eligible, will absolutely not be playing for anyone except their own nations. hockey canada and usa hockey will not let that happen.

this team is such an incredible mix of speed and skill. i know there will always be amazingly talented young players, but connor mcdavid is generational, and seeing him and this group of canadian talent play with auston matthews and jack eichel and this group of american talent is !! a fantastic concept! i want more of this forever!!!

we will probably never see auston matthews on connor mcdavid’s wing (beyond all-star games) ever again, and it has been a treat and a half.

beyond that though: the youth of this team means they’re the fastest team around, but it also means they’re willing to try things a lot of guys wouldn’t later in their careers. chris chelios is full of shit sometimes but other times he hits the nail on the head – today he said that these north america guys are willing to try things because they don’t think about those things being impossible. when you don’t know you can’t do something, you’re sure as hell more likely to succeed at doing it, you know?

they’re so brave. they’re willing to try things. they play hockey in a way that appeals to even the casual viewer, and that is what the NHL needs!!!

I LOVE THIS TEAM!!! THEY ARE SO BOLD AND BRASH AND YOUNG AND THEY MAKE HOCKEY SO FUN!!! THERE WILL NEVER BE AGAIN BE A TEAM LIKE THIS ONE!!!

i hope we appreciate them as much as they deserve.