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Selfish play in OT. He's played enough 3 on 3 to know to slow it down.

There's a reason we don't see 3-on-3 OT in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

....so critical we are of pro athletes asked to perform under high stress, high pressure conditions with the weight of an entire country on their shoulders.

Were they only as perfectly robotic as we.....

Edit...I see the best player in the world thinking he has an angle and taking the puck to the net.

He had two men over the top protecting him defensively.

If anybody should be chastised on the goal it is Makar for getting caught in the O zone flat footed, the lame stick check effort inside the blue line and then floating on the way back instead of recognizing Hughes was his man....

McDavid even got back and angled his man off in the corner while covering down low on the strong side expecting Makar to have the trailer (Hughes)...

....that goal is all on Makar imo.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVEOshCD ... lkazJjdw==

McDavid wanted to be the hero, and it's natural - that's his expectation. I just think his experience in Edmonton has perhaps ingrained in him a default to try and do it all on his own - because for a while he and Dairaitl were it. Hopefully he'll wizen-up and pick his spots better. I find 3-on-3 is a bit cat and mouse - waiting for someone to slip-up and open a small gap. Marner's goal was as much luck as it was skill; he tries that move ten more times he may only succeed once more. Sometimes the best move is to not force it.

He did his best, and came up short (yet again). Maybe he'll do better next time.

Lancer wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:54 am

UWSaint wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:47 am

Lancer wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:45 am

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:33 am Watching Quinn wrap himself in that flag through the whole ceremony makes me think he was never destined to play in Canada.

Makes me realize he never wanted to play in Canada.

And Hellebuyck wrapping himself with the flag? That superstar would never play in Canada.

Vancouver is/was a train wreck. If it makes you feel better to say it was inevitable, fine?

Helleybuck also didn’t tell management - and later fans and the hockey world - that he had no intention of signing, and then engineers a trade southward.

Defend Quit all you like, and hey - he’s exercising his rights as an upcoming FA, and he decided to ditch the team and fan-base that believed in him and bent over backwards for him.

At least Helleybuck is half-way loyal that way.

You have no idea what Hellebuyck told management. I don’t either. But they made the playoffs the year before he resigned, after plugging the holes that had caused them
to miss the previous years, after not resigning the reputedly toxic Wheeler, sending the reputedly toxic Dubois packing, and committing to Schiefle.

Congrats to the Americans and all, but what in dad blazes are they doing deciding the gold medal in men's ice hockey three on three?

That's some mickey mousery right there. Jeebus.

UWSaint wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:47 am

Lancer wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:45 am

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:33 am Watching Quinn wrap himself in that flag through the whole ceremony makes me think he was never destined to play in Canada.

Makes me realize he never wanted to play in Canada.

And Hellebuyck wrapping himself with the flag? That superstar would never play in Canada.

Vancouver is/was a train wreck. If it makes you feel better to say it was inevitable, fine?

Quinn isn't playing in Canada because the Canucks are a blazing outhouse on wheels. Worst franchise in pro sports.

And that's about it.

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 9:16 pm Congrats to the Americans and all, but what in dad blazes are they doing deciding the gold medal in men's ice hockey three on three?

That's some mickey mousery right there. Jeebus.

Barely acceptable for a 2 pt season game let alone a gold medal… ffs

Well, they might have taken Hughes, Miller, and Horvat away from us, but by crikey, Scooter is here to stay.

We'll always have our Scooter, no matter what.

donlever wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 4:43 pm ....so critical we are of pro athletes asked to perform under high stress, high pressure conditions with the weight of an entire country on their shoulders.

Were they only as perfectly robotic as we.....

Edit...I see the best player in the world thinking he has an angle and taking the puck to the net.

He had two men over the top protecting him defensively.

If anybody should be chastised on the goal it is Makar for getting caught in the O zone flat footed, the lame stick check effort inside the blue line and then floating on the way back instead of recognizing Hughes was his man....

McDavid even got back and angled his man off in the corner while covering down low on the strong side expecting Makar to have the trailer (Hughes)...

....that goal is all on Makar imo.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVEOshCD ... lkazJjdw==

A friend of mine won tickets to the last few games there. He said Makar was largely terrible defensively. He was on the ice for every goal against Canada since the game against France.

3 on 3 ot is shit for every team losing.
But hey they could have decided this clearly in the 3rd and they just can blame themselves. Destiny.

donlever wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 4:43 pm ....so critical we are of pro athletes asked to perform under high stress, high pressure conditions with the weight of an entire country on their shoulders.

Were they only as perfectly robotic as we.....

Edit...I see the best player in the world thinking he has an angle and taking the puck to the net.

He had two men over the top protecting him defensively.

I think its fair to be critical of a player in a game like this, for one game - while, as you say - keeping in mind his contribution to the team for the entirety of the tournament.

He wasn't good enough in this game in my view. A -2, some bad efforts on his 3on3 play - 25% in the FO. For a generational player, wearing the C etc., I think he could have been better. He gets compared, fairly or unfairly, to the great Captains (I know he was just a replacement C), that have put on that sweater - Crosby, Sakic etc.

Also his lack of ultimate success in Edm. colors this a bit as well.

donlever wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 4:43 pm If anybody should be chastised on the goal it is Makar for getting caught in the O zone flat footed, the lame stick check effort inside the blue line and then floating on the way back instead of recognizing Hughes was his man....

No question here, he wasn't good enough either - but the right side D of Canada was clearly their weakness going into this tourney, he got some big matchups, and heavy minutes. Also a curious decision to only play Theodore less than 10 mins in that game when goals were hard to come by.

Well stated JPP.

The ice time allocations I found odd considering this is best on best.

Having said that Canada was the better team but Hellebuyck had his moment.

It happens.

Thanks for the TOI image Donny.

Considering JPP’s point about Theodore….

When it’s best on best, any player who makes that team may have a key moment of contribution. Yes, Makar is a better player than Theodore, but Theodore is still one of the best in the world. What if he had 4 more opportunities to show it?

In a tournament of this magnitude, where they play so many high stakes games in so few days, would Makar have been better served with lower minutes but more to give on each shift? Maybe if he had only played 20 min he gets back harder on that play in OT?

Obviously the argument works on the American side of things too.