GDT: Gold Medal Game - May 22 - Finland vs Canada (MOD NOTE - POST 749)

[garnetpalmetto]

2016 IIHF World Championship
Gold Medal Game

May 22
1:45 PM ET • 7:45 PM CET

Finland
Confirmed lineup.

Left Wing​

|

Center​

|

Right Wing​

9 Mikko Koivu "C"​

|

64 Mikael Granlund​

|

71 Leo Komarov​

| -

29 Patrik Laine​

|

36 Jussi Jokinen "A"​

|

61 Aleksander Barkov​

| -

20 Sebastian Aho​

|

37 Mika Pyörälä​

|

40 Jarno Koskiranta​

| -

24 Jani Lajunen​

|

41 Antti Pihlström​

|

51 Tomi Sallinen​

| -

56 Teemu Pulkkinen​

|

96 Mikko Rantanen​

|

-​

Left Defense​

|

Right Defense​

6 Topi Jaakola​

|

38 Juuso Hietanen​

| -

7 Esa Lindell​

|

2 Ville Pokka​

| -

55 Atte Ohtamaa​

|

4 Tommi Kivistö​

| -

Starter​

|

Backup​

19 Mikko Koskinen​

|

1 Juuse Saros​

| -

Scratched​

|

Details​

G 32 Niklas Bäckström​

|

Healthy​

| -

D 28 Anssi Salmela​

|

Injured​

|

D 5 Lasse Kukkonen​

|

Injured​

|-

Canada
Confirmed lineup.

Left Wing​

|

Center​

|

Right Wing​

9 Matt Duchene "A"​

|

63 Brad Marchand​

|

97 Connor McDavid​

| -

55 Mark Scheifele​

|

61 Mark Stone​

|

90 Ryan O'Reilly "A"​

| -

4 Taylor Hall​

|

19 Derick Brassard​

|

24 Corey Perry "C"​

| -

11 Brendan Gallagher​

|

16 Max Domi​

|

23 Sam Reinhart​

| -

38 Boone Jenner​

|

-​

|

-​

| -

Left Defense​

|

Right Defense​

44 Morgan Rielly​

|

8 Chris Tanev​

| -

27 Ryan Murray​

|

6 Ryan Ellis​

| -

7 Michael Matheson​

|

5 Cody Ceci​

| -

​

|

14 Matt Dumba​

| -

Starter​

|

Backup​

33 Cam Talbot​

|

31 Calvin Pickard​

| -

Scratched​

|

Details​

D 10 Ben Hutton​

|

Healthy​

| -

Game Officials​

|

Referee​

|

Roman Gofman | -

Referee​

|

Tobias Wehrli | -

Linesman​

|

Gleb Lazarev | -

Linesman​

|

Fraser McIntyre | -

Click to read more...

 

[Plural]

It's going to be a tough one. Not sure if our team is good enough to beat Russia and Canada twice in the same tournament.

 

[Jopo]

It's going to be a tough one. Not sure if our team is good enough to beat Russia and Canada twice in the same tournament.

Yep. Not going to be easy for anybody. Canada really needs improvements from their last game, but Finns must be able to keep the focus too... and from the start of the game. This time. Canada will come ahead with full steam offense, and this time there are no room for slow ignition in our well oiled machine.

I predict thrilling game.

 

[MardyBum]

Talbot needs to be on point, and if Canada sits back Hitchcock style for half the game they're ****ed.

Hopefully it's a good one.

6-5 Canada with 5 goals by Laine

 

[Pi]

Talbot needs to be on point, and if Canada sits back Hitchcock style for half the game they're ****ed.

Hopefully it's a good one.

6-5 Canada with 5 goals by Laine

It will be tough for Laine to score 5 goals. He has yet to score a goal against a top hockey nation. All of them have been against teams like Belarus, Germany, Denmark etc.

Canada played far too loose against the USA...they were outplayed for much of the game by a bunch of teenagers. If they want to win, they need to treat it like a playoff game 7 and not a holiday retreat. It will be extremely impressive if they can repeat because this roster is far weaker than the one we had last year with Crosby not going far in the playoffs.

 

[Kharkov]

Hoping for a good game. I won't make predictions but I like our chances. If Canada wins thats fine too because they are great hockey nation and great country too. Like Sweden.

 

[sOILing McSelf]

My guess is 4-2 Finland. Canada played their best game on opening day against the US and haven't looked good since.

 

[sOILing McSelf]

I make that prediction from my brain, but my heart hopes for 4-0 CAN with McDavid scoring all 4 (to shut the media up) with Hall assisting on them. And Talbot with the shutout. A guy can hope right?

 

[snipes]

No idea how this game will go hopefully we see a good one.

Cheers to the good people of Suomi . It's been a fun tournament and good to talk hockey with people as passionate about hockey as Canadians. I definitely want to go visit Finland sometime.

Go Canada Go!!

 

[CashMash]

Canada is coming back with a vengeance. This is going to be a tough match. Can Finland be the first country to win triple gold in one year, or will they fall flat on their faces? Let's see.

 

[KCC]

If Canada can keep attacking and perhaps not suck in the second for once they have a chance. But as we saw against the US, the defense is terrible and this team doesn't shoot enough. Be cool to see them win, but I'm expecting stupid penalties, dumb mistakes etc that will cost them.

I make that prediction from my brain, but my heart hopes for 4-0 CAN with McDavid scoring all 4 (to shut the media up) with Hall assisting on them. And Talbot with the shutout. A guy can hope right?

It's not always about goals, but that's the media for you. He's always been more of a playmaker anyways. Points are points as long as he's contributing and helping the team.

 

[Nickel eye Heel hers]

I think there is a serious possibility Finland rolls over Canada again. We did not look strong in the semi final. My humble opinion is that the USA out played us and if we bring that effort for the gold medal game, it will be a very long day.
That being said, I'll grab my lucky rabbits foot and cheer on Canada for a miracle win.

 

[jonlin]

This means a lot: 2 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 1. Goals made on Finland in 9 games. 0.89g/game. I have a hard time believing that our defensive game should suddenly collapse. Our team is filled with shorthanded specialists and defensive-minded defenders. Thats why our PP hasnt been as good as usual and our defenders cant carry the puck or open the game. Then we have 2 Selke-level centers. Theres no team better in this category at the worlds. And defense wins championships...

 

[Rob]

Dream match-up for me. Sure I'll be disappointed in Canada loses but Finland is my second favorite hockey nation.

 

[Dropkick Murphy]

The whole concept of this Team Finland is build around lowrisk defense. And Finland has both players and attitude to carry that out perfectly. Only hope for Canada is to make quickly 2-0 and then reverse the situation.

Has this happen before in a hockey match? Zillions of times, so let's see who wins.

 

[underdog]

I have feeling Finland is gonna get blown out cause we haven't seen Canada with all cylinders firing yet.

 

[FlareKnight]

Will see how it goes. Canada will have to bring a much better game than they did the previous time. Not that they aren't capable of that though. They have a good enough roster to win. Just have to find a way to get it done.

 

[llwyd]

The whole concept of this Team Finland is build around lowrisk defense. And Finland has both players and attitude to carry that out perfectly. Only hope for Canada is to make quickly 2-0 and then reverse the situation.

Has this happen before in a hockey match? Zillions of times, so let's see who wins.

Yeah, absolutely, I think this is a very tight matchup, quite close to 50-50. This year's Finland is pretty much typical Finland otherwise, but one critical difference is the depth and skill that we have in this team. So, we can play defensively, and boy, do we do team defence like beasts, but have not needed that many opportunities to score ourselves - and our best individuals can create those chances pretty much out of nothing.

 

[Super Cake]

They couldn't at least throw us people who live in the United States a bone by showing the game on tv?

I guess i will just have to view a ****** stream tomorrow. Hopefully it actually has sound this time.

 

[karlstegger]

I've been rooting for canada my entire life and will of course be hoping for a win. But Finland is a great and passionate hockey nation so it will be easy to like them as winners of this years tournament as well.

Just hope conversation here will be fair and friendly and that the winning team will be sincerely and deservedly congratulated by fans on both sides.

Here's to a great hockey match....will the Finns tight defensive system and team effort prevail or will the Canadians higher skill level take them all the way. I'm thinking the former but wouldn't mind being proved wrong

 

[Hasa92]

If Finland's defense and goalie Koskinen plays as well as the last 2 games, Finland will win.

But i think it's going to be close and exiting game, i believe Canada will play much better than they did in the previous game against Finland.

 

[Risingwind]

This means a lot: 2 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 1. Goals made on Finland in 9 games. 0.89g/game. I have a hard time believing that our defensive game should suddenly collapse. Our team is filled with shorthanded specialists and defensive-minded defenders. Thats why our PP hasnt been as good as usual and our defenders cant carry the puck or open the game. Then we have 2 Selke-level centers. Theres no team better in this category at the worlds. And defense wins championships...

Hyping the youth is more fun, but I think you're right. Koivu and Barkov should be hyped similarly for their defence. The depth is also better than probably ever and Finland has done well with teams that have half the talent on this team.

That said, Canada hasn't played up to their potential so far. If they can get the team fired up for the finals it's going to be a 1-goal game.

 

[JetsJets]

Whatever happens, hopefully a good game...

 

[aahola]

Canada is in a better situation going into this rematch imo. The losing side can adjust their game and see what they did wrong whereas the winners tend to play like they did (obviously because they won) and not offer any surprises. We'll just see if Canada is willing and able to adjust their game.

That said, we were so much more impressive against RUssia than Canada was against the US. So I'll put a bet on 4-1 Finland and book my ticket to Kauppatori after posting this.

 

[MMANumminen]