GDT: Group H • May 13 • Finland 0, United States 5

[Systemfel]

2012 IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | ROUND ROBIN GAME
MAY 13, 2012
9:15 AM ET • 15:15 CET • 16:15 EET

HARTWALL ARENA, HELSINKI, FINLAND
(CAPACITY: 13,464)

Finland

Left Wing | Center | Right Wing

51 Valtteri Filppula​

|

9 Mikko Koivu (C)​

|

36 Jussi Jokinen (A)​

|-

20 Janne Pesonen​

|

26 Jarkko Immonen​

|

64 Mikael Granlund​

|-

71 Leo Komarov​

|

39 Niko Kapanen​

|

18 Jesse Joensuu​

|-

40 Antti Pihlström​

|

27 Petri Kontiola​

|

37 Mika Pyörälä​

|-

Left Defense | Right Defense

7 Mikko Mäenpää​

|

38 Juuso Hietanen​

|-

21 Janne Niskala​

|

28 Anssi Salmela​

|-

4 Ossi Väänänen​

|

56 Joonas Järvinen​

|-

5 Lasse Kukkonen (A)​

|

6 Topi Jaakola​

|-

Starting Goalie | Backup Goalie

32 Kari Lehtonen​

|

31 Petri Vehanen​

|-

Scratches | Reason
G 30 Kari Rämö|

Healthy​

|-
F 12 Jani Tuppurainen|

Healthy​

|-
F 19 Tuomas Kiiskinen|

Healthy​

|-

United States

Left Wing | Center | Right Wing

67 Max Pacioretty​

|

26 Paul Stastny​

|

11 Ryan Lasch​

|-

9 Bobby Ryan​

|

25 Craig Smith​

|

21 Kyle Okposo​

|-

13 Cam Atkinson​

|

18 Justin Abdelkader​

|

61 Kyle Palmieri​

|-

44 Nate Thompson (A)​

|

19 Jim Slater (A)​

|

39 Patrick Dwyer​

|-

-​

|

-​

|

15 Joey Crabb​

|-

Left Defense | Right Defense

3 Jack Johnson (C)​

|

4 Cam Fowler​

|-

7 Alex Goligoski​

|

27 Justin Faulk​

|-

34 Chris Butler​

|

2 Jeff Petry​

|-

-​

|

20 Justin Braun​

|-

Starting Goalie | Backup Goalie

35 Jimmy Howard​

|

31 Richard Backman​

|-

Scratches | Reason
G 36 John Curry|

Healthy​

|-
F 23 J.T. Brown|

Healthy​

|-

Officials

- | -

|Georg Jablukov

|Brent Reiber

|Petr Blumel

|Jesse Wilmot

Click to read more...

 

[Shrimper]

Can someone tell me who Craig Smith is?

Never heard of him.

 

[Wasted Talent]

Can someone tell me who Craig Smith is?

Never heard of him.

 

[Exit Dose]

I can't figure out why Gordon is putting Crabb on the second line.

Shrimper: Talented playmaking center with some goal scoring. He was second on the team in scoring at the last tournament with 3 goals and 3 assists.

 

[William H Bonney]

I can't figure out why Gordon is putting Crabb on the second line.

I don't get it either. Not that Crabb has been bad but he was playing the role he should be. I would have preferred to see J.T. Brown in that spot. He's earned the increased role.

Hopefully Team USA takes this game as seriously as they should. The games against Finland are typically battles so there shouldn't be any issue with that but this team has only showed any consistent effort or intensity once so far in this tournament and that was against Canada. They're not good enough to get by doing that against even the marginable teams so if they try that against Finland it's going to be a long game.

Hoping for a good game and a USA victory. Would be a nice start to the day leading into my Kings night game.

 

[cagney]

Are those US lines definitive? Gordon seemed to be using the Kazakhstan game as an opportunity to experiment with his lines (must have had that 10-1 victory from two years ago fresh in his mind) so it's hard to draw any conclusions from what he was doing there.

Regardless, I hope the US doesn't try to be too fine, so to speak. They simply don't have the cohesion to be making the extra passes and attempting the fancy plays they've been going for the past few games. With the way Finland plays I think they'll have to simplify their game and just put some hard work in. They have the necessary tools but execution is a completely different matter. I'd also like to see Howard have an awesome game as I think that's one of the crucial factors for any potential win.

 

[Bgav]

5-3 Finland

 

[espo*]

Well I don't see any reason they should take any game against Finland other then serious.

I don't get it either. Not that Crabb has been bad but he was playing the role he should be. I would have preferred to see J.T. Brown in that spot. He's earned the increased role.

Hopefully Team USA takes this game as seriously as they should. The games against Finland are typically battles so there shouldn't be any issue with that but this team has only showed any consistent effort or intensity once so far in this tournament and that was against Canada. They're not good enough to get by doing that against even the marginable teams so if they try that against Finland it's going to be a long game.

Hoping for a good game and a USA victory. Would be a nice start to the day leading into my Kings night game.

 

[llwyd]

Well, this should be an important game for the US, unless they specifically wish for Canada in the QF - though who knows, maybe they would prefer that? A difficult game for us, hopefully Lehtonen is back to his normal exceptional level and maybe this time we could have a bit more consistency and discipline than against Canada which was quite a Jekyll and Hyde match by us.

 

[AmericanDream]

this will be a big game for both nations with a lot to prove.

Finland has an okay squad, nothing unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination. they will clearly play the better overall team game and I am sure they are more familiar with each other then we are.

I think this game does come down to goaltending....Howard needs to have a strong game as he hasnt been on top of his game...

 

[Uncle Rotter]

I think this game does come down to goaltending

And special teams. Finns will get more power plays, that's almost certain

 

[HanSolo]

So Palmieri's sitting again? IMO he's been better than Dwyer.

 

[Xokkeu]

So Palmieri's sitting again? IMO he's been better than Dwyer.

Your opinion is wrong.


Kidding!

Just don't agree with that.

 

[Xokkeu]

And special teams. Finns will get more power plays, that's almost certain

US special teams have been outstanding for the most part. Goaltending has been just average. I think Howard will need to be better than average tomorrow to win.

 

[mattihp]

2-0 Finland. Jokinen is brought down on a breakaway, limps a little but speeds in and pulls the classic Kenta/Floppa move. Howard left clueless.

In the third Salmela goes orr but sets up Granlund from gretzky's office. Granlund scores with a volley from between his legs and his back to the goal. First athlete with two consecutive stamp years (if the short commie deadies' golf stamps don't count)

Let's go rogue against Palin's team!

 

[mattihp]

US special teams have been outstanding for the most part. Goaltending has been just average. I think Howard will need to be better than average tomorrow to win.

Finland shoots alot from afar. Unless he models his game after Fasth he will get a nice warmup through the first period or so.

 

[SabresBillsBuffalo]

So Palmieri's sitting again? IMO he's been better than Dwyer.

Palmeri > Crabb

 

[TZM]

1st: Fast tempo and coast to coast, 1-1.

2nd: Team USA leads, Team Finland takes 4 penalties, 1-2.

3rd: Team Finland gets a grip and leads, Team USA takes penalties, 4-2.

Team USA goal scorers: Faulk, Ryan.
Team Finland goal scorers: Immonen, Filppula, Granlund, Kontiola.

 

[Haite]

Hoping for Granlund to step up after last game's disappointing performance. Besides, we really need a properly functioning second line in order succeed further down the road.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Hoping for Granlund to step up after last game's disappointing performance. Besides, we really need a properly functioning second line in order succeed further down the road.

Don't you mean for the last 3 games?

He's been terrible offensively and a defensive liability.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Let's go USA!
I guess this is the one time where we are enemies Soupy

 

[SoupyFIN]

I guess this is the one time where we are enemies Soupy

I'm heartbroken.

 

[Dominus]

I expect Finland to win but it requires that we start playing the puck control system full 60-minutes and not get caught up in the run-and-gun style of play that USA probably wants to play. We don't want that and we also want to avoid long corner battles in our own zone. Canada destroyed our game with dominance in the corners, and USA with their speed has the potential to do that too. Especially PIG line was horrible against Canada, though it's not entirely their fault that Jalonen decided to play them against Getzlaf in the 2nd and 3rd periods. It's as Jalonen really didn't even want to win. Not saying they lost on purpose but I really don't understand what was the idea of letting PIG get manhandled like that. Was he trying to teach them a lesson or something? Why not let Koivu handle Getzlaf?

Koivu's line is on fire and Mikko himself is a beast. Great performance against Canada, again. 5-on-5 they won scoring chances 5-0 and completely dominated Getzlaf's line in the 1st period. I feel bad for any US players that has to face this line.

For the rest of the team, I think everyone needs to step up and do little things better. 1st period against Canada was probably the most dominating period I've ever seen from Team Finland. That's what we're capable of, even with our limited skill level, when everyone does their job within the system. If we can play even close to that for 60 minutes, no team can beat us.

I'm still very confident about this team but I'd definitely want to see a huge improvement especially from our second line in this game. If they continue to suck, I'm getting a bit worried.

 

[Hagged]

Especially PIG line was horrible against Canada, though it's not entirely their fault that Jalonen decided to play them against Getzlaf in the 2nd and 3rd periods. It's as Jalonen really didn't even want to win. Not saying they lost on purpose but I really don't understand what was the idea of letting PIG get manhandled like that. Was he trying to teach them a lesson or something? Why not let Koivu handle Getzlaf?

They let in one goal against Getzlaf-line. I really can't see the reason why Granlund is talked here as a liability and the sole reason why Finland sucks, when he has been on ice during one goal against and that was against Canada's top line. Add to that, that line has scored five goals in five games in these games. Jaakola-Kukkonen have been bad and also Pyörälä, there are no other liabilities in Team Finland.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

I'm heartbroken.

Me too