Canada seems like they will be as good as they usually are; but like last year, there's a lot of consternation around the decisions made, and it appears that focuses down in one specific area; the defense. A lot of Canada's defense from the top 10 of the last year's draft did not make their way to the roster. Don't get it twisted; this is still a very good team and will happily supp on the blood and bones of lesser squads, but I can't help but feel like the Red and White (and Black, sometimes) left a lot of security on the table, especially since Canada's biggest weakness right now is in net.
The relegation round is always a fun treat for those who want to see imperfect, desperate hockey, a personal favorite of mine. It's pretty inoffensive hockey that people get super wound up over while you're puttering around the house, so there aught to be some good yucks at certain fanbases (read: Canada's) expense. This year's games start December 26th, and the medal round begins just after New Year's Day on the 2nd.
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