"For Team USA, it has seemed that anything short of an Olympic gold will be a failure, and for good reason. This is the best lineup they have seen in their history. Hockey in America has grown significantly and is finally at the stage to dominate on the Olympic stage. We have seen it most recently in the World Juniors, winning gold at three of the previous six tournaments."
"When looking at the USA lineup, Matthews is the perfect choice to wear the "C." Matthews has become the face of USA hockey since he was drafted into the NHL. Matthews is currently second among active American hockey players in both goals and points. What comes with being named captain is pressure. Matthews has faced a lot of criticism at times with the Maple Leafs, as Craig Berube and the media have called out their leadership group numerous times."
Team USA opened the Olympics with a 5-1 win over Latvia, reflecting the country's strengthened talent pool and recent World Junior success. The current roster is the strongest in U.S. history and carries expectations that anything less than Olympic gold will be seen as failure. Auston Matthews has emerged as the face of American hockey, ranking second among active American players in goals and points, and is presented as the ideal captain. Matthews showed calm leadership and scored against Latvia, yet his playoff performances with the Maple Leafs raise concerns about big-game impact. A strong Olympic showing could reshape his leadership reputation and influence his NHL trajectory.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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