Jon Cooper, Team Canada's head coach, discussed the key line of Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, and Mitch Marner, highlighting their complementary styles and mutual reliance. Emphasizing the importance of adaptability in tournament play, he noted that the team had a clear sense of line combinations after two initial games. Cooper praised the line's performance against Team Finland, indicating that although they each play differently, their cooperation leads to success. He underscored that puck management is vital for preventing turnovers that could lead to breakaways or scoring chances for the opponent.
Cirelli and Hagel play a different brand of game than Mitch, but they both need each other. Mitch needs them, and they need Mitch. He can create for them.
We have done a little dabbling, and after the U.S. game, we had two games under our belts. We had a pretty good feeling about where the pieces fit into the puzzle.
Basically, it is puck management. It is what happens if you don't get it deep, or you turn one over.
Sometimes, you get labeled a checker. Sometimes, you get labeled a scorer. But they need each other. I thought the line was great.
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