4 Nations Focus: Jaccob Slavin vs. CAN
Team USA's backbone
Due to his partnership with Brent Burns and thus offensive deployment in Carolina, Jaccob Slavin’s standing as THE shutdown artist has faded a bit in recent years. His skill set has not. Blazing speed, long reach, razor-sharp reads. It’s almost like he was designed in a lab to smother the league’s current stars.
The 30-year-old refreshed our memory on Saturday night. Joined by sophomore blueliner Brock Faber on Team USA’s matchup pairing, Slavin acted as a thorn in Canada’s side throughout the contest.
In true Hurricanes fashion, his impact (USA 74) extended well beyond the DZ:
Slavin’s phenomenal range (6’3”, 207-pound build and 99th-percentile top speed) allows him to press up on puck-carriers/pass recipients without compromising his squad’s structure. On a few of these clips, he’s damn near hip to hip with them at the point of attack. That’s how confident he is in his decision-making and recovery ability.
As such, Canada’s forwards struggled to generate pace or link up through the NZ during his shifts. Even dumping the puck in proved challenging at times.
Of course, there was too much talent on show to cordon off the DZ entirely. When the opposition aimed to turn an average touch into a great one, Slavin stepped in to stonewall the action:
Any rearguard worth their salt can disrupt the occasional play, but Slavin brings an unparalleled level of discipline to…well, the discipline. He’s maddeningly consistent. Always scanning to identify off-puck threats. Using that information in concert with his length and effortless skating to escort them off home plate.
Watch him sort out his team’s transition defense in the second sequence above:
He begins by mirroring Connor McDavid (CAN 97) in middle ice from a distance.
Upon noticing that Brock Nelson (USA 29) has slipped inside to relieve him of the assignment (shoulder check #1), he understands that he must now switch gears to defend Nathan MacKinnon’s (CAN 29) outside net drive.
A quick peek over his right shoulder (check #2) as he shuffles to the far post confirms the lay of the land, so he switches from skinny to low and wide, leaning back into MacKinnon’s frame to block any thought of an incisive pass. He’s assumed complete control of the goalmouth.
Sidney Crosby (CAN 87), who wouldn’t hesitate to attempt a high-danger pass if he could detect one, ultimately chips the puck behind the net.
Such moving-parts scenarios can fluster plenty of clubs. Slavin locked them down. After putting Canada through its paces in the NZ, he extinguished multiple rush and backdoor setups in the DZ. He was hellbent on making the opposition earn its offense the hard way. Consequently, there were a ton of point shots and very few Grade A opportunities.
Oh, and his trusty stick ensured that the U.S. could survive the scrambles that did occur:
With his instincts and skating, clean touches were a rarity. No room for cutbacks either. No over-extension. He can glide on your tail for precision, then spring forward in an instant to swallow your release point. And he’s the picture of poise all the while.
You know what would terrify 99 percent of NHL defensemen? Staring down the best player in the world from a stationary position on the PK:
Slavin doesn’t blink. He occupies the initial corridor, dips his frame when McDavid shimmies inside to discourage a shot/pass down low for a Crosby Chip and only closes in once Edmonton’s captain commits to his wrister.
Pay attention to his stick placement. McDavid draws the defender’s blade out and cleverly tries to fire underneath his shaft, but Slavin pulls it back into the mix to deflect the bid at the last second. Despite the appearance of time and space, McDavid feels suffocated.
That was the story of Saturday’s marquee contest. Through his gap control, off-puck play and pesky stick work, he snuffed out any whiff of Canadian hope.
In a game-high 25:36 of TOI, Slavin helped his team outscore Team Canada 3-0 during his shifts.
Here are the full highlights: