Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/106685
+ DIGITAL BONUS FEATURE Team USA Captain Jake McCabe (19) provided the American defense with leadership along the blue line while chipping in with six points offensively and finishing with a plus-9 rating. BY CAMERON EICKMEYER RED,WHIT AND BLUE GOES ON T IN TOTAL, EVERY DEFENSEMAN HAD A POINT IN THE TOURNAMENT. TROUBA AND JONES COMBINED FOR 41 SHOTS ON GOAL AS MANY POWER PLAY CHANCES RAN THROUGH THE POINT. 20 FEBRUARY. 2013 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM hroughout his 21-year NHL career, Phil Housley gave opposing coaches nightmares as they tried to figure out ways to guard against a defenseman with so many offensive talents. The smooth-skating St. Paul, Minn., was the rare combination of speed, skill and instinct, all while playing solid defense. Members of the 2013 U.S. National Junior T eam's blue line crew featured many of the same assets as their coach displayed during his Hall of Fame career. Yet, despite the offensive prowess displayed throughout the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, members of the American defense deflected suggestions that they were consciously following in their coach's famous skate tracks. Still, the similarities were uncanny. "He pushed us to be offensive and jump up in the play and be active so he has something to do with it, but a lot of it is just the skill that our defensemen have to do what they do," said Jacob Trouba, who had 10 points in 13 games as a freshman at the University of Michigan. Whether or not there was direction to be offensive, the American defensemen looked at ease in triggering the offensive attack on the big ice in Ufa, Russia. Like Housley's career statistics, the numbers speak where the voices won't. Three of T eam USA's top point scorers in the tournament were defensemen with Trouba tying forwards J.T. Miller and John Gaudreau for the team lead with nine points. Seth Jones posted seven points and captain Jake McCabe had six. Jones led the defensive unit with six