GDT: Gold Medal Game • Jan. 5 • 8:00 PM ET • 02:00 CET - (Mod Warning IN OP))

[m4tt145]

Sorry Canada! If Russia plays as well as they did against us the gold medal will be theirs.

5-3 Russia.

 

[Mattilaus]

Yah but like you canadians i dont say Russia dident deserv to win that game

Damn i want the Russian to beat you guys so hard to night ! for you hockey is religion over there! for us here in Sweden it is pretty big but we don't cry ourself to sleep if we loss a game

You say that but to be honest the tones behind this message seem to be you crying that your team is not in the gold medal game with a hint of jealousy.

 

[Slimmy]

McDavid is hitting his stride in this tournament at the perfect time after a 6 week lay off from his injury. Russia won't be able to close Canada down. This team is the deepest team Canada has had in a few years and the depth is insane. Canada is too fast, too skilled, too good. They're saving their best game for tonight

The Russians are going to make him look like a child playing pee-wee hockey.

 

[aphyro]

You say that but to be honest the tones behind this message seem to be you crying that your team is not in the gold medal game with a hint of jealousy.

First of all im not that hardcore in to hockey so no i don't cry

But yeah im a bit jealous that Sweden can't win the gold medal! this year...

But i sure hope Russia will bring home the gold to Europe

 

[Mattilaus]

First of all im not that hardcore in to hockey so no i don't cry

But yeah im a bit jealous that Sweden can't win the gold medal! this year...

But i sure hope Russia will bring home the gold to Europe

Well I suppose the odds are technically with you guys to take gold to europe every year. 8 european teams and only 2 non-euro teams. Unless you are willing to admit that north american teams are better than euro's by a 4 to 1 margin to make up the lack of teams from outside of europe.

 

[Arktos]

Go Russia!

5-4

 

[Scotty B]

Canada need to be careful. The Russians got away with way too many embellishments against use (presumably USA ) and even Sweden.

Here we go again, looking for a scapegoat to explain why the Russians are where they are. Newsflash: Russians beat Yanks fair and square...And they totally outclassed the jr crowns

Posted this in another thread, but it really belonged here, & since I'm lazy just gonna cut n paste...

***

This Russian Team ( with a Capital T! ) has looked very cohesive in the last 2 games. They're standing up guys at the blue, playing really aggressively, attacking the puck carrier on the pk, taking away time and space in the neutral zone. They've gotta a guy with a howitzer ( left handed shot manning the right side of the blue line ) on the pp...Their counterattack/ transition game was lights out vs Sweden...and they were even coming tantalizingly close with that home run stretch pass, now and again, when Tre Kronor tried, not very successfully, to mount a comeback. Admittedly, it was a different story in the 3rd vs Yanks, when they were badly outshot. Still that D bent but didn't break, plus their nettie ( Igor or Ilya smthg or other? ) has been a stone wall.

Long story short, Russians are firing on all cylinders now, and seem diametrically different than that listless squad we saw in the round robin.

Team Canada has looked good , pretty much ,throughout the whole tourney, with the odd hiccup, such as that poor first period vs SVK last nite; to their credit they rebounded nicely thereafter.

These are the two BEST teams in the tourney* SANS DOUBT...Should be a classic, Canada/Russia Gold Medal Showdown...

OH CANADA BAByyyyyyyy!!!!!

----

* On second thought, had they not shot themselves in the foot, and taken all those undisciplined penalties , in the first, USA woulda probably beaten RUS imo. Still that Russian side looked to be better coached, plus calmer in the crunch, and maybe that's why they say this is a tourney traditionally dominated by 19 year olds. Reportedly, every guy on team RUS is in his last year of U20 eligibility, whereas a good many of USA's top guns , esp on D, were 18. In the end, coaching + the experience factor may well have been the decisive difference in that QF game...

 

[DigDeep]

4-1 Canada

 

[irunthepeg]

It's the match-up I fear and love the most. As much as Sweden would be a great opponent for the final, I want the rematch for 2011. I want vengeance!

5-2 Canada.

 

[Jeti]

Why did I rewatch those 2011 highlights!?

I'm nervous for this one. I don't trust Fucale to steal one for them and the D has looked very questionable (particularly Nurse). Canada's bottom-6 also has no threat to score now with Petan moved up to McDavid's line.

 

[aphyro]

Well I suppose the odds are technically with you guys to take gold to europe every year. 8 european teams and only 2 non-euro teams. Unless you are willing to admit that north american teams are better than euro's by a 4 to 1 margin to make up the lack of teams from outside of europe.

Srry but do you really count Denmark,Switzerland,Germany etc as a threat to the gold?

There is only 3 teams from Europe that can compete for the gold and you know it aswell

 

[MOGiLNY]

I find it a bit hard to gauge Canada's strength up to this point. No offense to other teams, but aside from the US game, I don't think the Canadian team has really been challenged yet and it's tough to say where they really stand in the tournament.

Basing anything on the exhibition game is also pointless.

Hoping for a Russian win, but should be a close game either way.

 

[BlitzSnipe]

Dude, Russia beat the US - they had trouble in the 3rd because they were using a bad defensive strategy. They fixed this vs. the Swedes, who had a hard time coming into the zone. I think they have that problem fixed now. Canada vs. Russia should be a great game - they're going to burn that ice.

 

[Kelly]

Canada's got this.

 

[57special]

Hope the refs don't decide this one. Canada has been very disciplined so far. It shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Gauthier gets the game winning goal.

One of my bold perdictions in that thread was Gauthier gold medal winning goal after not scoring all tournament. He's got the latter, now time for the former

After the game last night i will have to say Russia will get golden tonight.

Its all about GOALTENDING. Russia will close Canada down again, just like they did in the exhibition games so as vs. US.

2-1 Russia.

You're probably right. Team with the best goaltending will win. Guess that means we're pciking the team with the goalie who's given up 2 goals in 4 games then, and the team who's only given up 5 goals in 6 games, over the team with the goalie who's given up 6 in 4 games, and 11 total in 6 games.

So we're picking Canada?

Or maybe you want to pick the team whos' starting the goalie with the best save % all tournament. Damn that's Canada too.

 

[Proust*]

Any truth to the rumours that Russia has booked a flight home before game-time? Would make sense.

 

[kp61c]

russians are in over their heads already, i think it'll be a bloodbath, something like 6:1/7:2 for canada...

 

[JoeyBeans]

Sweden fans clogging up the thread.

 

[Scotty B]

Why did I rewatch those 2011 highlights!?

I'm nervous for this one. I don't trust Fucale to steal one for them and the D has looked very questionable (particularly Nurse). Canada's bottom-6 also has no threat to score now with Petan moved up to McDavid's line.

Ritchie and Crouse ( @17 who must have scouts drooling !) can score, plus that big boyz line has done plenty of cycling deep inside the opposition zone. Too bad, Gauthier can't finish. Still maybe tonight's his night.

Paul doesn't need much of an opportunity to snipe, and Virtanen's had some good moments buzzing around opposition goal ( although somebody said he's playing hurt? ). Tiny, not so perfect, Point, is the wild card. He showed plenty of promise in the exhibition games, so maybe he can rebound after an off night vs SVK.

Long story short, don't count our 3rd and 4th lines out!.

 

[Territory]

Russia was outplayed by the US and won because of penalties.

If Canada can stay out of the box, I think they have this in the bag.

 

[TCascagnette]

why at 8pm - that's at 2am here in Germany, 3am in Russia. Oh well. Not sure if I'll be up for it today, will have to see.

We had to do it a couple years ago when the tournament was in Russia, everyone takes their turns waking up at ridiculous hours of the night

 

[hockey4sale]

Canada will come in waves but Shesterkin stops them and Russia scores on counterattacks, after Russia takes 2:0 lead Canada gets frustrated and starts taking dumb penalties, Russia wins this 5:1

 

[ViD]

I see two possible scenarios this game will go down as:

bad one - Canada comes out playing very hard pressuring the Russians all over the ice which will result in the penalty galore and a quick 2-0 or 3-0 lead, then the game might turn ugly and end like 6-1

Good - Russians come prepared for the Canadian initial onslaught and answer back physically not allowing Canada to get comfortable , then we will have ourselves a game which will most likely get decided by 1 goal in favor of either team

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Goaltending will be Canada's demise. 5-3 Russia in a power play fest.