Team Canada Unveils Lineup Ahead of Final Group Stage Game Against France
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Team Canada is well on its way to capturing the top seed in the Olympic group stage, they ran through both Czechia and Switzerland, and their final game against France will see them return to their original lineup, with Jon Cooper breaking up the Macklin Celebrini, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon line.
Brad Marchand will also be missing his second straight game and Jordan Binnington will be the starting goaltender.
Team Canada puts Tom Wilson back on first line.
Arpon Basu of the Athletic reported on the projected lineup and pre-game review for Canada. Canada has looked like a team with no weaknesses, and hockey fans got a treat last game when Cooper put the three best players in the world together on the same line McDavid, Celebrini and MacKinnon.
"Here are Canada's lines:
Celebrini-McDavid-Wilson
Hagel-MacKinnon-Suzuki
Marner-Crosby-Stone
Jarvis-Horvat-Reinhart
Bennett
Toews-Makar
Harley-Parayko
Sanheim-Doughty
Theodore
Binnington
Thompson"-Basu
Celebrini-McDavid-Wilson
Hagel-MacKinnon-Suzuki
Marner-Crosby-Stone
Jarvis-Horvat-Reinhart
Bennett
Toews-Makar
Harley-Parayko
Sanheim-Doughty
Theodore
Binnington
Thompson"-Basu
Wilson will now be returning to that top line, and he was quite effective in the first game playing alongside the two skill guys in McDavid and Celebrini. Wilson never shies away from physicality and it was highlighted when he ran over Radko Gudas in the first game, and Gudas is not an easy person to get the best of. Canada will be going up against a French team with very little NHL experience, and will likely not be able to keep up with Canada's speed. Josh Morissey will also be missing another consecutive game unfortunately.
"Another notable change is Thomas Harley playing on the second pair with Colton Parayko, replacing Shea Theodore, who is listed as the seventh defenseman. Parayko's regular partner, Josh Morrissey, is missing a second game with an injury, though he did get on the ice this morning."-Basu
Team Canada can pretty much punch their ticket as the top seed with a convincing win today, and continue their quest towards gold.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 15|219 ANSWERS Team Canada Unveils Lineup Ahead of Final Group Stage Game Against France Should Tom Wilson be on the first line for Team Canada against Team France? | ||
| Yes | 143 | 65.3 % |
| No | 76 | 34.7 % |
| List of polls | ||