GDT: Group H • May 8 • Finland 5, Switzerland 2

[torero]

Well, it was certainly a good game from them, mad pace (if Canada keeps partying they might be in trouble...), but they were not exactly in the danger of winning the match. Really good chances were not that many and several were wasted whereas Finns were more efficient. Our puck control style did look at times quite slow and mistake prone next to the speed and aggression of the Swiss - if the North Americans stay sober, they probably will enjoy hitting our shaky defenders passing back and forth behind the goal...

Did we watch the same game ?

The swiss were simply faster and had a smarter game than the finns*. The finns were frustrated on some times. Good for them they won.

to me we were betrayed by our goalie ... who didn't make the saves needed !
And circumstances were unfavourable to us. (refs, luck and success)

I basically liked the way we played and If we meet again in SF or beyond ... assuming the 2 teams play the same way ... the outcome is likely to be different ... assuming more equal circumstances and a better game by our goalie (should be doable in light of what both did so far ... ).

After all it is the Robin round. As long as we qualify for the QF, let's leave our reservoir of unluck and negative circumstances in the Robin round. And playing like this, if we have no unluck, we will qualify. I am convinced.


*and more spectacular ... but that, we agree doesn't count for the victory.

PS viivi is great ! viivi for the presidency !

 

[Tw149]

Did we watch the same game ?

The swiss were simply faster and had a smarter game than the finns*. The finns were frustrated on some times. Good for them they won.

to me we were betrayed by our goalie ... who didn't make the saves needed !
And circumstances were unfavourable to us. (refs, luck and success)

I basically liked the way we played and If we meet again in SF or beyond ... assuming the 2 teams play the same way ... the outcome is likely to be different ... assuming more equal circumstances and a better game by our goalie (should be doable in light of what both did so far ... ).

After all it is the Robin round. As long as we qualify for the QF, let's leave our reservoir of unluck and negative circumstances in the Robin round. And playing like this, if we have no unluck, we will qualify. I am convinced.


*and more spectacular ... but that, we agree doesn't count for the victory.

PS viivi is great ! viivi for the presidency !

I might ask you the same question. Swiss were already working their butts off while Finns seemed disinterested, thus those two sloppy goals. If the teams were to meet again in the SFs or whenever it really matters, the Finns would actually care and the game would end 5-0.
Thanks and good night.

 

[psycho_dad*]

to me we were betrayed by our goalie ... who didn't make the saves needed !
And circumstances were unfavourable to us. (refs, luck and success)

Goalie is part of the team you know. Finland was the better team and that's why they won. Better goaltending, better scoring and better defending.

Yes, Swiss had a great work ethic and played well. Finland directed them into corners as much as possible, but they did have some quality chances, just not quality finishes. Finland has been this team (beats EVERYONE in amount of work but loses to bad finishing) for a long time. It kinda feels like you're morally a winner, except you're not. Goaltending and scoring on your chances are part of what makes a difference between winner and loser, and Finland clearly had an edge there. Just because Switzerland matched Finland in work, does not mean much. Score on the board is justified because the top end talent showed up for Finns. Believe me, us Finns have been on the other end of that too. All through the 90's and 00's there was no team outworking the Finns, but there was almost always someone outscoring them.

 

[torero]

Goalie is part of the team you know. Finland was the better team and that's why they won. Better goaltending, better scoring and better defending.

Yes, Swiss had a great work ethic and played well. Finland directed them into corners as much as possible, but they did have some quality chances, just not quality finishes. Finland has been this team (beats EVERYONE in amount of work but loses to bad finishing) for a long time. It kinda feels like you're morally a winner, except you're not. Goaltending and scoring on your chances are part of what makes a difference between winner and loser, and Finland clearly had an edge there. Just because Switzerland matched Finland in work, does not mean much. Score on the board is justified because the top end talent showed up for Finns. Believe me, us Finns have been on the other end of that too. All through the 90's and 00's there was no team outworking the Finns, but there was almost always someone outscoring them.

Goaltending is part of the team. we fully agree on that. We had historical good goaltending ... but not tonight (i could extend this statement to : not this WM so far ... ) 3 first goals should be stoped by a goalie playing well.

i saw many deflections, many shots on the finn goal ... the Swiss were working in the corners ... yet many shots could have been goals. you had great goaltending tonight. (as generally ... )

I didn't see soo much more talent on the finn side. I highly respect finns for their hockey and their stars in it.

And what i mean by favourable circumstances is for exemple the timing of the goals.
the ref calls. (i do not believe that they are biased ... they simply don't call some things some times .... for x reasons ... )
And these are not excuses. After a game you always discuss to untangle the different elements that make a game end up like this or like that. (i am not saying we should have won !)

But it is with pleasure that we will see the re-match (if their is one !)

... and yes i will sleep well, thank you tw149

PS i know that you were often on the wrong side of the "should win but loose" pattern. The typical winners of this type of things are the Swedes I had many times sincerely compassion for you. Deserving to win, but ultimately ... loosing on the board. (i am sincere ! not ironical. I seriously like your hockey nation !)

cheers !

 

[Password]

Jussi Jokinen with 2 assists. Good for him.

Shouldn't Koivu have Jokinen's 2nd assist? To me it looked like Koivu deflected Väänänen's shot-pass and then Filppula scored. Hopefully IIHF give that assist to Koivu.

 

[llwyd]

Did we watch the same game ?

The swiss were simply faster and had a smarter game than the finns*. The finns were frustrated on some times. Good for them they won.

to me we were betrayed by our goalie ... who didn't make the saves needed !
And circumstances were unfavourable to us. (refs, luck and success)

Well, you certainly were showy and did lots of mad buzzing around the corners, but the actual quality chances were in Finland's favour with actual quality finishing from them. Plus - and not a very small plus - we had a world class goalie and you didn't. So, I was not really much worried at all, though bit disliking our puck control tactics at times (like almost waiting for the puck to be stolen behind our goal). You can call your defeat bad luck - we certainly did when we tried to achieve our breakthrough to the top, but I think it was largely something quite different. Anyway, certainly a difficult game and very good showing from the Swiss, as was widely expected. I hope you can retain your energy and speed against the Canadians!

 

[psycho_dad*]

By "top talent" I meant the finishing touches of Immonen and Filppula this time. You can easily argue that Finland never has too much top talent in the lineup, it's always the hard working team that just lacks stars. But Immonen and Filppula made the difference by putting the puck in the net when they had the chances and especially Immonen showed a flash of greatness in his shortside backhand goal, that was a goalscorers goal. Both Finnish goalies would have covered that corner, but the Swiss goalie dropped his glove and Immonen exploited it immediately.

I'm very happy to see how far the swiss have come. I think they will replace Slovakia in the top 7 in no time. I still remember the days when Finland vs. Switzerland games almost always ended 5-0 or 6-0 and these days the Swiss can compete with anyone and give anyone a run for their money.

I'm also predicting that Canada will have more trouble against the Swiss than we did, just because Canada is usually not the hardest working team in these world championship tournaments, just the most stacked roster. And Finland has often proven that you can beat them by hard work.

 

[FiLe]

I'm very happy to see how far the swiss have come. I think they will replace Slovakia in the top 7 in no time.

No offense to any Slovaks, but it's not so much about replacing than it's filling a vacancy. But yeah, the Swiss have come a long way, they're clearly on the brink like the Finns were in the late 80s.

Though you know what would be even nicer? A legitimate top 8.


What comes to the comparison of top talent, well, I think the amount was pretty much even. The best offensive D-man on ice was Streit, hands down, and if Immonen did show how a natural scorer does it, I think so did Ambuhl. Going for Lehtonen's five-hole was a nifty move, many a player (including plenty of Finns) would have gone for a shot into the logo, as too often seen.

What I think actually decided the game for the Finns was that we had more depth and better grinders. Those bottom units are important too. As pointed out, they played solid defense, directed most of the heat into corners, and drew some big penalties. So it's not the difference of amount in top talent, but the opponent's ability to neuter it. And in this the Finns were still on another planet compared to the Swiss.