PGT: 9/18/16 - Sweden vs Russia - Sweden 2 Russia 1 F

[Alexander the Gr8]

Was at the game today and sat behind Swedish goal for two period. Wow I am impressed with their defense. They were always in control of the game and frankly they should have scored more. Ovechkin's goal was basically a fluke in an almost perfect defensive game.

Loved Karlsson today. Very calm and always dangerous. Played the body when needed, Forsberg had a very good game. Feels like they Sweden can be even better, they need to finish their chances. But anyway it was a very easy game for them.

Why do we say this goal is a fluke when Dmen receive a lot of praise for being able to hit the net from the point through traffic? It's among the things that he does better than anybody else in the world, finding shooting lanes.

 

[malkinfan]

On a positive note for Russia there defensemen had a solid game, allowing less than 30 shots. The 2 goals were both the fault of the forwards, 1st one decisive faceoff loss leading to the goal, 2nd terrible failure on the breakout turnover by the forward. I have faith in these guys, Zaitsev is really growing into something sppecial and I still think Orlov has top pairing capability, just needs to limit the bad mistakes which happen 1/2 times a game. Voynov would have been nice too, probably still Russia's #1

 

[Canucks LB]

Markström was great untill the last minut, where he almost cost us the game. Sweden was the best team on the ice and it was overall a good preformance, much better than in the practice games for sure, but in the end it was closer then it should have been.

I do not really get people like södergren, that want to bench ovechkin? Even if he wouldnt have scored and almost turn the whole game around, it is still those players you want out there when you are under 0-2 in importent games. Maybe change lines or tactics sure, but you do not bench the best goalscorer in the world when you desperatly need goals in a importent game.

Lmao almost cost.
Screen goal with 5 players in front.

And a basketball goal by ovie.

Dumb post

 

[PTmbp13]

Maybe Canada get that call but hands down it never hit his stick. No goal. The reason everybody discuss it after the game is just because one man pushed for goal. Not because it accually did that. Good job actor Ovy. He sucked yesterday or was Swedes that good? Russia were owned from second halv of the first until 59th minute. What kings of Sweden. Solid.

 

[JFG]

Maybe Canada get that call but hands down it never hit his stick. No goal. The reason everybody discuss it after the game is just because one man pushed for goal. Not because it accually did that. Good job actor Ovy. He sucked yesterday or was Swedes that good? Russia were owned from second halv of the first until 59th minute. What kings of Sweden. Solid.

Swedish team defense was just that good. An almost perfectly executed game in that regard.

 

[Hictor Vedman*]

Hedman is the best.

 

[sdf]

When people here talks before this event that russia atack line is so ****in great i always have feeling that they simply overated as **** and just canot have chemistry with ech other and that they will look exactly how they looks now

 

[Tomas W]

Hedman is the best.

One can only hope that he continues like this, if so he will lift the whole team.

 

[pulverapa]

Swedish TV went on and on with how bad they thought Ovechkin were in the game. Typical. I thought he was decent throughout the game, fought hard. No hating on Malkin who was awful.

 

[vippe]

Swedish TV went on and on with how bad they thought Ovechkin were in the game. Typical. I thought he was decent throughout the game, fought hard. No hating on Malkin who was awful.

I said it earlier, not sure why Ovy got slammed so hard when no other of the stars on team Russia did anything at all. I mean there are tons of them but they didnt do much at all.

 

[Hedning]

OEL is Hjalmarsson's partner, Strålman is Hedman's.

Oups... you're right. Smålänningarna are together. Brainfreeze from my part. And of course the TB duo are paired together

Still a good game from both though.

 

[Ingvar]

When people here talks before this event that russia atack line is so ****in great i always have feeling that they simply overated as **** and just canot have chemistry with ech other and that they will look exactly how they looks now

When you have some best forwards in the world and they can't have chemistry with each other - that means you have a bad coach.

 

[OiledUp]

I said it earlier, not sure why Ovy got slammed so hard when no other of the stars on team Russia did anything at all. I mean there are tons of them but they didnt do much at all.

Swedish media have always been pathetic with their complaining on Ovechkin, unless he's dominant they always moan about him being lazy and useless. There was a PP breakout where Ovechkin was standing on the offensive blueline and södergren went "and there's Ovechkin just standing around on the offensive blue", yes Håkan it's a common strategy to leave one man on the offensive blue during a PP breakout.
Ovechkin didn't have a great game but he was far from the worst russian player, Malkin was awful, Datsyuk, who's a swedish media darling since long, had pretty much one good play all night, Kucherov was barely visible outside of some giveaways and so on. Sweden played a solid defensive game that made a lot of players look bad.

Tre Kronors D came as advertised but I still worry about the lack of truly dynamic forwards. The Sedins do their thing but they're not exactly the explosive kind.

The D might have to solve the offense as well.

 

[Spinkis]

Sweden had 50 minutes, Russia 10. And almost made it 2-2 with 7 seconds left.

Never ever think you have it in the bag against Russia. You never do until the [MOD] lady sings.

[MOD] "offensive"

Really..

 

[Ola]

It wasn't always that cut and dry. I think after this year he really solidified himself.

Yeah, he is a young D and they always need time. If you go back to 2013, the potential was very apparent, but you got a lot of lows mixed in with the highs. I think last season was when he really started to put it together.

If I am the GM of like an expansion team and can pick any player in the world, Hedman is top 2 behind McD, at the lowest...

 

[Ola]

On a positive note for Russia there defensemen had a solid game, allowing less than 30 shots. The 2 goals were both the fault of the forwards, 1st one decisive faceoff loss leading to the goal, 2nd terrible failure on the breakout turnover by the forward. I have faith in these guys, Zaitsev is really growing into something sppecial and I still think Orlov has top pairing capability, just needs to limit the bad mistakes which happen 1/2 times a game. Voynov would have been nice too, probably still Russia's #1

I think Russia will have a good shot against team NA.

I mean like, what happened was that Sweden executed a perfect game plan. We didn't give up the puck 5 times all game in the neutral zone. Everyone was on the same page, look how extremely safe even someone like Erik Karlsson played the puck. And if there is one team in the world that has a blueline that can execute that game-plan, it is Sweden. The result was that we got the puck safe down deep on Russia. We didn't always have perfect pressure on the puck while we got it deep, we didn't create all that much of fast transition plays, that was the downside of this strategy. But we got the puck deep on them. And while I don't think Russia's blueline was bad -- like you know their defense isn't even remotely as strong as their offense. And Sweden is good down low with the puck.

I will be very very surprised if NAT can be as disciplined against Russia. Instead, I think we will see a lot more pace in the game and I expect Russia to sit back quite much and try to exploit mistakes made by them. That will suit Russia a lot better. If they can somewhat shut the door defensively, they will have a very good shot.

Finland is always scary for Russia though...

 

[snipes]

Yeah, he is a young D and they always need time. If you go back to 2013, the potential was very apparent, but you got a lot of lows mixed in with the highs. I think last season was when he really started to put it together.

If I am the GM of like an expansion team and can pick any player in the world, Hedman is top 2 behind McD, at the lowest...

McJesus is McJesus.

Hedman is a stud though. I love what he brings, after Doughty he might be the best Dman in the world.

 

[RedLeader]

Amazing defensive display by sweden. I got what i wanted with Markström in goal. I dont see how you go back to Lundqvist besides homer reasons. With our defense we dont need Hasek back there we just need stable play. Lundqvist is out of form, injured and sick, we are basically risking throwing a game putting him back in. If Markström falters we can go back to Lundqvist. Im more worried that we won't score enough goals if we dont get the powerplays in a game.

 

[ulvvf]

Lmao almost cost.
Screen goal with 5 players in front.

And a basketball goal by ovie.

Dumb post

Thanks to letting me know that it was a dumb post

2 pucks in the net with 33 sec left, and both are very questionable. The first one was a softy far out, sure through a lot of traffic but still. The second one was from a rebound from Markström. It wasnt like they where comming 2 vs 0, the D was collected and he could have done better in both shots. He did a good game overall, but maybe he become nervous the last minut.

 

[ulvvf]

Swedish TV went on and on with how bad they thought Ovechkin were in the game. Typical. I thought he was decent throughout the game, fought hard. No hating on Malkin who was awful.

Even if he was horrible, you do not bench the best goalscorer in the world when you need goals, like södergren wanted to do.

 

[helax]

Thanks to letting me know that it was a dumb post

2 pucks in the net with 33 sec left, and both are very questionable. The first one was a softy far out, sure through a lot of traffic but still. The second one was from a rebound from Markström. It wasnt like they where comming 2 vs 0, the D was collected and he could have done better in both shots. He did a good game overall, but maybe he become nervous the last minut.

I call it the Ovie factor, it is only him that shoots from there and score

 

[Don Corleone]

The Swedes played with great structure and frustrated the Russians. However, hard to judge were the Russians so flat just because of a defensive clinic the Swedes had or because they just had a bad game, probably both. Regardless this one certainly did not live up to expectations for me. Overall it was quite a boring game with only a couple scoring chances and mostly just broken plays and possession in nonscoring areas, a night and day difference to the Finland NA game.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Swedish media have always been pathetic with their complaining on Ovechkin, unless he's dominant they always moan about him being lazy and useless. There was a PP breakout where Ovechkin was standing on the offensive blueline and södergren went "and there's Ovechkin just standing around on the offensive blue", yes Håkan it's a common strategy to leave one man on the offensive blue during a PP breakout.
Ovechkin didn't have a great game but he was far from the worst russian player, Malkin was awful, Datsyuk, who's a swedish media darling since long, had pretty much one good play all night, Kucherov was barely visible outside of some giveaways and so on. Sweden played a solid defensive game that made a lot of players look bad.

Tre Kronors D came as advertised but I still worry about the lack of truly dynamic forwards. The Sedins do their thing but they're not exactly the explosive kind.

The D might have to solve the offense as well.

It's very ironic how the Swedish media would bash Ovechkin, but he is exactly the type of forward that Team Sweden needs to compete against Canada and USA. Ovechkin would also be the top forward for Sweden, and I'm sure the Swedish media is aware of how much better Bäckström becomes when he is paired with Ovechkin.

 

[pulverapa]

Back to the waved off goal...

If the call on the ice would have been GOAL, would it be a goal? I don't think so. I think the war room concluded that: Ovie hit the puck with his gloves, off Strålmans stick, and the into the net. If you can't clearly see Ovie hitting the puck then the initial contact (the glove) should Count = no goal.

 

[Nordic*]

Our elite defence didn't give the Russians any time to be creative and everyone knows what Russians do when they get frustrated.

They try to go solo even more. Count their really open/clear scoring chances over these 60 minutes. Aside from the last 2 minutes they had very few. Almost all their shots were unscreened and from a distance.

Even the Tommy Salo who played against Belarus would've snatched those up.

U-23 will be a whole other deal. Speed kills.