U18: 2018 U18 WJC Gold Medal game Finland vs USA game talk.

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Congrats Finland for well earned U18 WJC gold

 

[FiLe]

I must say something after I rewatched that Wahlstrom chance - he may be able to live it down after all. The pass from Hughes was not really a pass, it was actually a shot - a low, hard zipper, a desperate attempt on the waning seconds. Wahlstrom didn't really have much chance to steer it in a controlled manner, all he could do was put his blade in the way and hope it gets deflected in.

Had Hughes had two seconds more on the clock, he could have actually made it a clean pass, and we would have been watching a certain overtime.

 

[Erikfromfin]

Interesting that this really is a pretty weak age group for finland that got bopped throughout u16s and u17s and it still wins u18 worlds. And undefeated.

Jea well Kotkaniemi was injured most of those u16 and u17 seasons and Tanus was number 1 center. Kupari burst out middle of last season and Kakko and Lundell were new additions this year. Its been Nevasaari, Killinen and co who had to carry offense for this team in the past and team had such names like Samuel Salonen, Miska Kukkonen who disappeared since u16, u17 level. Quite different looking team this year.

 

[behemolari]

One phantom call that shouldn't have happened. Far from being the conspiracy some are hinting.

It was terrible call and could (was supposed?) cost gold medal for team finland. Glad how it went after that, they were extremely lucky USA didn't score. It wasn't first time refs were against team Finland in gold medal game and 3rd period, but we are used to it and our players can handle it

 

[RageQuit77]

 

[Jugitsu]

It was terrible call and could (was supposed?) cost gold medal for team finland. Glad how it went after that, they were extremely lucky USA didn't score. It wasn't first time refs were against team Finland in gold medal game and 3rd period, but we are used to it and our players can handle it

The reffs made one glaring mistake, that doesn't mean they were against. All the other calls were spot on, no argument there. Maybe a few missed calls, but Finland benefited from them too.

I don't remember the so called missed call just before USA scored to be an obvious one. Would have to see it again.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Congrats Suomi

 

[kelsier]

Just an awful call and I can't believe that happened in a gold medal game. There is no f*** way a referee can make a mistake like that when he's standing straight at the front seat. Kotkaniemi's stick never even touched the player. Had that cost the game then talking about a major f* up & fiasco. Whoever the ref he should never be allowed to hold the whistle again, ever. Such a joke. At that moment some nostalgic feelings from WJC @ Malmö surfaced (the U20 SWE - FIN final). Luckily by some miracle we didn't lose then anymore than today.

What an awesome group and what an awesome win! They weren't smashed into the oblivion despite of not having an all-star team. The first line was absolute golden throughout the tournament with Norgren, Kotkaniemi and Kakko while the other lines could provide solid two-way game and secondary scoring.

Anyway what an exciting game from start to finish! Just when you begun wondering if the best was already out of the pipeline and already playing in the NHL we've got a new age group with another gold medal. USA was a worthy opponent and for a group that practically plays entire year together, it's difficult to think a team compiled from youngsters here and there could come up and take the trophy. Yet it happened. Wohoo!!

 

[RageQuit77]

Team Finland won 3-2. The winning goal was shorthanded, and Team USA had their chances, we all know.

If there is anything to complain about reffing at all, it's IMO slight inconsistency of reffing within the course of the game, not that there would be anything that bad to be pointed against/for either team, not possible to get reverse viewed too. Maybe that diving (which is easy to spot from replay, not necessarily in live), but luckily it didn't make the difference. If final games aren't generally easiest games for players, they surely aren't that for referees either.

The best team won the tournament, but with all those post and bars and close misses in the final, it could've been easily other way too.

Very entertaining and thrilling final. Thanks to Team USA.

 

[Loffer]

I must say something after I rewatched that Wahlstrom chance - he may be able to live it down after all. The pass from Hughes was not really a pass, it was actually a shot - a low, hard zipper, a desperate attempt on the waning seconds. Wahlstrom didn't really have much chance to steer it in a controlled manner, all he could do was put his blade in the way and hope it gets deflected in.

Had Hughes had two seconds more on the clock, he could have actually made it a clean pass, and we would have been watching a certain overtime.

Zipper - what is dat? Okay, Hughes "zipped" or passed with a fake shot the puck to Wahlstrom to guide it in but the kid managed to blew it, poetic justice all things considered, that is the nice thing in these junior games, more poetic justice and presence of hockey gods than in the grown up games which are too corrupted in every sense gods to intervene.

 

[Rene Saari]

Only one player in all star line from the champions.
Ridiculous.

Edit: typo

 

[Monaakko]

Only one player in all star line from rhe champions.
Ridiculous.

Meh, who should be there though and who to take away? Kotkaniemi, Kakko, Nordgren, Cajkovic, Wahlstrom, Berggren are all pretty much interchangeable in my opinion. Hughes being the clear MVP. You could argue one of the defensemen should be there over Malyshev, but which one of Honka, Utunen or Kokkonen stood out the most and would any of them deserve it more than York or Boqvist? I think not.

 

[FiLe]

Zipper - what is dat?

It's the thing you use to close your barn door.

 

[sepHF]

Wahlstrom isn't going to be able to sleep for a while. That was a huge whiff

 

[behemolari]

I must say something after I rewatched that Wahlstrom chance - he may be able to live it down after all. The pass from Hughes was not really a pass, it was actually a shot - a low, hard zipper, a desperate attempt on the waning seconds. Wahlstrom didn't really have much chance to steer it in a controlled manner, all he could do was put his blade in the way and hope it gets deflected in.

Had Hughes had two seconds more on the clock, he could have actually made it a clean pass, and we would have been watching a certain overtime.

thats exactly how you deflect a shot, never easy

 

[FiLe]

thats exactly how you deflect a shot, never easy

Don't I know it. So Wahlstrom isn't really as much to blame as it initially seemed. He wasn't one-timing a pass, he was trying to deflect a shot.

 

[Ajaton Azer]

Our young baby Finnish lions certainly made us proud! Dominating tournament against best of youngsters nations. There's very nice pool of promising ice hockey players growing to become succesfull SM-liiga, KHL, or maybe even NHL players! Nice time be a Finnish hockey sychophant.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Terrible terrible play by York. He had no chance of getting a wrister through.

He made the same play earlier in the tournament. Did the coaching staff not coach him up on what he should've done or did he make the same error twice? This coaching staff has struggled so much defensively this year that I wouldn't be sure that they explained to him what he did wrong the first time he made that error earlier in the tournament.

 

[kelsier]

We re-winded the Hughes - Wahlström "pass" a few times after it happened at the dying seconds and the way the blade hit the puck certainly seemed like it was never intended to be a pass in the begin with. Hughes actually failed to make a proper shot and Wahlström was on the right place at the right time but couldn't "deflect" the shot. Had Hughes actually passed I think we might have been on an overtime.

Have to say it was kind of plain odd when the teams where standing at the ending ceremony and two Swedes come in to collect some individual trophies. Then Hughes collects his for the best forward of the tournament despite of losing the gold game (otherwise he did deserve it though). So much unlike in the NHL playoffs where usually the best player from the winning team earns the recognition. Think perhaps you might want to award a goal winning goalkeeper who nearly stood on his head in the final game over bronze medal winner (granted Lindbom's save % was kind of staggering). Also three Americans in the All-Star team and only one Finn? Kakko (who also scored a goal and got robbed an assist) for Finland was practically in the same role as Hughes for the USA, yet Wahlström gets the honors.

Then again, it really doesn't even matter as after all hockey is a team sport and at the end of the day winners will be winners. The only thing that actually bothered me was that the referee who participated on the theatrics with a gift PP for USA when time was ticking in the 3rd period, received some "I-don't-know-what-award" for just sucking at the finals.

 

[QnebO]

Only one player in all star line from rhe champions.
Ridiculous.

I was thinking the same thing. Like all the "all star" players and selections from USA ans Sweden, WTF? They tried to humiliate us, they thought we would get silver and not even any prizes.. Well, too bad for those mother f***ers, the gold is ours.

Finland doesnt lose even one game, all star line and all those consisting of losers. Even the best goalie went to sweden, okay, not deserved at all but hey what you wont do to corrupt these tournaments.

 

[Loffer]

It's the thing you use to close your barn door.

Indeed, sorry my ignorance, venerable Mr. FiLe. A clever pass to open the door, rather than close it this time, though. It works on both ways, this zipper. If somebody was to close it, it was Wahlstrom who missed his shot by "miles".

 

[kelsier]

I was thinking the same thing. Like all the "all star" players and selections from USA ans Sweden, WTF? They tried to humiliate us, they thought we would get silver and not even any prizes.. Well, too bad for those mother ****ers, the gold is ours.

Finland doesnt lose even one game, all star line and all those consisting of losers. Even the best goalie went to sweden, okay, not deserved at all but hey what you wont do to corrupt these tournaments.

Remember the WJC 2014 where Teräväinen won the tournament in scoring, participated in all three goals in the finals and practically single handedly lead the team to a gold medal? Despite of it all Forsberg, who couldn't even get a point in the finals was somehow awarded with the MVP. What made it even more ridiculous was that the Finnish team was absolute rubbish on the paper (at least what came to forwards) and it almost was a one man show from start to the finish. He even made Saku Mäenalainen the top goal scorer of the tournament for crying out loud.

For "them" to get it right is always like a coin toss. Too bad Teräväinen hasn't quite achieved that level in the NHL but it must have been one of the biggest individual performances I've ever seen in those games.

 

[Mestaruus]

Remember the WJC 2014 where Teräväinen won the tournament in scoring, participated in all three goals in the finals and practically single handedly lead the team to a gold medal? Despite of it all Forsberg, who couldn't even get a point in the finals was somehow awarded with the MVP. What made it even more ridiculous was that the Finnish team was absolute rubbish on the paper (at least what came to forwards) and it almost was a one man show from start to the finish. He even made Saku Mäenalainen the top goal scorer of the tournament for crying out loud.

For "them" to get it right is always like a coin toss. Too bad Teräväinen hasn't quite achieved that level in the NHL but it must have been one of the biggest individual performances I've ever seen in those games.

Yup. That's how I remember it going as well. Teräväinen never got enough credit for putting on a show like that.

 

[QnebO]

Remember the WJC 2014 where Teräväinen won the tournament in scoring, participated in all three goals in the finals and practically single handedly lead the team to a gold medal? Despite of it all Forsberg, who couldn't even get a point in the finals was somehow awarded with the MVP. What made it even more ridiculous was that the Finnish team was absolute rubbish on the paper (at least what came to forwards) and it almost was a one man show from start to the finish. He even made Saku Mäenalainen the top goal scorer of the tournament for crying out loud.

For "them" to get it right is always like a coin toss. Too bad Teräväinen hasn't quite achieved that level in the NHL but it must have been one of the biggest individual performances I've ever seen in those games.

He really made Mäenalanen that good. I thought that kids like a pure sniper or something, but statistics before and after that tourney proofs that he was simply product of Teräväinen, well good player obviously to play in Liiga but you know.

What you say is also true, 2014 championship was year or two "too early", "before" our Junior program had started to really produce. Those guys in 2014 were still supposed to be victims of Nuori Suomi and Viivelähtö and Team first, strategy first, dump and chance minimize risk -program, but Teräväinen bringed them on his back.

 

[Ippenator]

He really made Mäenalanen that good. I thought that kids like a pure sniper or something, but statistics before and after that tourney proofs that he was simply product of Teräväinen, well good player obviously to play in Liiga but you know.

What you say is also true, 2014 championship was year or two "too early", "before" our Junior program had started to really produce. Those guys in 2014 were still supposed to be victims of Nuori Suomi and Viivelähtö and Team first, strategy first, dump and chance minimize risk -program, but Teräväinen bringed them on his back.

Teräväinen helped for sure Mäenalanen a lot in that tournament, but as I have watched every single Finnish national teams games for the over 20 years now from U18 to the men’s team, I can say that you are still seriously underselling Mäenalanen as a player. He is a talented player, whom played already well at those times. He has been physically very raw (extremely skinny for his size) and it has made his development a bit slow, but he has definitely made good and steady progress every year since then.

Now he is in the men’s national team and just got 1+1 in his 1st game and it was really mostly through his own good work. A very good season in Liiga for him also. I just hate it when people make the kind of completely hyperbolic and unfair claims that you and some others made here on Mäenalanen.