Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey stepped up to fill the vacant No. 1 defenseman role while Cale Makar was absent.
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey stepped up to fill the vacant No. 1 defenseman role while Cale Makar was absent.
Makar and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore were set to quarterback Team Canada's power play unit before Theodore suffered a wrist injury, and Makar was forced to be held out of the lineup with an illness. The absences forced Canada's HC Jon Cooper to decide on who would see their role elevate, and he picked Morrissey.
The Jets' blue liner skated in 22:08 of ice time, the most among all defensemen on Canada and second on the team behind Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid. He quarterbacked the top power play unit and was on the ice when Canada pulled their goaltender in search of the tying goal.
The 29-year-old was held off of the scoresheet for the second game in a row, but despite Canada outscoring the Americans at 5-on-5 with Morrissey, a deeper look shows some struggles.
The Canadians had a Corsi for percentage of 28.13% (9-23), were outshot 6-4, had an expected goal percentage of 41.17% and had just 37.5% of the scoring chances (10-6).
The numbers tell one story, but the eye test would likely say that the Canadians never felt unsafe with Morrissey and Colton Parayko. Offensively, Morrissey was able to draw a penalty in the first period, showcasing his speed on a near-end-to-end rush.
Canada will be hoping and expecting Makar to return for the decisive fixture against Finland on Monday and allow Morrissey to play on the second line and the second power play unit.
As long as Makar is in the lineup, he'll play in every offensive situation and will play the bulk of the minutes on the blue line, but Morrissey will still have the opportunity to be a decider in each game.
If the Canadians and Americans meet in the final, more offensive creativity will be needed from the Canadians if they hope to prevail.
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