Pre-game thread: Team FINLAND - Team CANADA

[ehcszteiN]

I'm a Canadian citizen with two Finnish parents, this game confuses me more than anything.

Have the cake and eat it too...?

Lose-lose -situation ? Win-win -situation ?

Tell me more...

 

[VanIslander]

Ah, I picked Canada - Finland final. Right on this very messageboard, in the polls board.

Yes! I looked and can see that there is evidence that you and littlehossa picked Finland as well. (You're not of Finn heritage are you? I'm not. They just had the second best balanced lineup for this tourney on a smaller ice surface, in my opinion.)

We are in the minority.

Shoot! 48% of HFboard users polled chose Sweden to be the team with a greatest chance to win it all, if Canada doesn't. Nearly half! :lol One guy posted that he wanted to change his vote because he realized that defense wins championships, Finns have Kiprusoff and Sweden is weak between the pipes (understatement).

There have been few surprises in this tourney for us, eh? Few at all.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

Finland is a good team, but tonight was the championship game. Finland beat the Czechs earlier, but the Czech Republic was a totally different team when they played the finns, seeing how they lost to sweden as well but destroyed them a week later. Tonight, the Czechs played an awesome game and thoroughly outplayed Canada. I just don't see the Finns being able to outplay the Canadians.

Last night's game was not the final.
There's two unbeaten teams in the final, how one earth can that not be a final??

But I hope the Canadian press go wild and say "last night was the final", then our boys will read those, get fired up, and hound Canada behind their net, in their own zone, and score the goals necessary to win just like they did against the US.

This team Finland refuses to think of itself as a poorer-cousin as works harder, hits harder, hits more, chases more agressively and never gives up.

 

[ceber]

I tell ya, if Canada loses, I am not going to mind losing to the great Finnish hockey fans.

Hockey is #1 in Finland and the fans would deserve a champ.

That being said.. go Canada.

Russian and Slovakian fans appeared to be more into the games than the Finns at the games I went to. They were all great fans. All hockey fans are great fans. I'm rooting for Finland on Tuesday; I'll be curious to see the reaction to the style of play.

 

[x-bob]

Go Canada Go

The Fins deserve this one but if they want it they'll have to get through Goliath

 

[gib]

Finland is a good team, but tonight was the championship game. Finland beat the Czechs earlier, but the Czech Republic was a totally different team when they played the finns, seeing how they lost to sweden as well but destroyed them a week later. Tonight, the Czechs played an awesome game and thoroughly outplayed Canada. I just don't see the Finns being able to outplay the Canadians.

This subject can be specualted as much as possible, but it won`t change the fact that there is Canada and Finland playing in the final.
Saying Czech was totally different team against than against finns and swedes for the first time, truth! But do you think that Chech is that much better team (6-1) than Sweden. No it`s not. Truth is Sweden played like crap in that game(sameway as Chech did in the beginning), they were tired because game against Finland. Sameway finns were tired after that game and played like crap against Germany. Considering that we could say that Finland-Sweden game was the championship game, cause both teams played so hard that they could play on their own level after that game.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Finland is a good team, but tonight was the championship game. Finland beat the Czechs earlier, but the Czech Republic was a totally different team when they played the finns, seeing how they lost to sweden as well but destroyed them a week later. Tonight, the Czechs played an awesome game and thoroughly outplayed Canada. I just don't see the Finns being able to outplay the Canadians.

Finland and Canada are the best teams in this tournament, no matter how you twist it. Czech lost to Finland and did not make it to the finals. There is absolutely no way anyone can twist that into Czech being the second best.

By the way, nobody saw Czech being able to dominate against Canada either but it happened. Canada still won.

 

[Augustus]

Finland does not have the best team, or the second best team, or even the third best team in this tournament, but there is no team I fear more in the final. I would rather my beloved Canada play anyone else. The reason is simple: Finland has a goalie that could do to Canada what Richter did to Canada in 96. Beat them all by himself.

I just hope this game is not as dull as the US/Suomi semifinal.

 

[Raipe]

Finland does not have the best team, or the second best team, or even the third best team in this tournament, .

READ MY LIPS:Finland is now atleast second best TEAM in this tourney.Maybe finland dont have superstar players in roster but as a TEAM finns are atleast second
best.

 

[teme]

My quick breakdown:

Goaltending - If Brodeaur plays I say its even, if not, Finns advantage.

Defence - This in early season tournament with insane amount of skill on ice, so it is hardly suprising that defencive play has been less than perfect. Still Canada hasn't really impressed that much here, Finnish dman on the other have mostly looked great which I attribute to solid team effort and confidence on Kipru. Advantage Finns.

Offence - Canada. The big difference is Sakic - Lemieux.

Special teams - Canada, mainly due to a more effective PP. Both Finnish PK and PP units leave lot to be desired.

Intagibles - Finns. They have no real preasure and the Niinimaa/Summanen mess seems to have been overcome, they are perfectly happy being underdogs. Canada has looked nervous, and I don't see that chancing. Reffing is almost always an advantage to the home team, and in this case could be more so on than usual. Still, if the refs just don't call anything, it will favour the Finns because of Canada's better PP.

 

[zenator]

Finland's defensive play is better than the Czechs, so I don't see Canada having as many scoring chances as they did against the Czechs. However, Finland's offense is nowhere near that of the Czechs, so I don't see Canada's D overwhelmed like they were vs. the Czechs.

Talent wise Czechs > Finns

However, Kiprusoff > Vokoun

Canada should outplay the Finns, but Kiprusoff is capable of stealing the game.

It should be a 2-1 or 3-2 game.

Too bad it won't be as wide open and entertaining as Canada-Czechs. Finland will be trapping (aggressively, not passively), but I don't blame them: they want to win.

 

[kjri]

I like our chances against Canada. They had a lot of problems with Czech forcheck and i think Finland's forcheck is better than Czech's. Also our defence is better than Czech and hopefully also goaltending.

However i think we will see better Canada in the final than yesterday.

 

[miss hockey]

I like our chances against Canada. They had a lot of problems with Czech forcheck and i think Finland's forcheck is better than Czech's. Also our defence is better than Czech and hopefully also goaltending.

However i think we will see better Canada in the final than yesterday.

i couldnt agree with you more

even though I hope that Finland will win

at least they wont give up easily what ever happens

--sisulla loppuun asti---

 

[Panopticon]

Finns will win. I know this because they always win the big games when I miss them.

I have night shift at work so I can't watch the game... meaning Finland will win 8-1.

 

[mattihp]

wow. Finns being optimistic.... wtf?

 

[Astaroth]

Canada should be wary, insanely wary of the Finns. The Czech Republic played like men posessed for the memory for the late and great 21. Finland is on the cusp of reaching immortality, one step away from accomplishing the greatest acheivement in Finnish Hockey history and being revered as gods in their country (They are demi-gods right now probably but demi-gods fade within the backdrop of history, gods don't). Very few of the Finnish players have ever won anything (Jere is probably the only one whose got some hardware, WJCs and WCs don't count, I'm talking about the real stuff; Lord Stanley and Canada/World Cup and of course how could I have forgotten? the Olympic Gold) and they are like rabid dogs, they are damned hungry. Summanen is a crazy fuc*er, Koivu is a great leader and Kipper is one hell of a goalie. And Finland is probably the only other country where hockey is number one, Canada's game you say? Suomi is dying to claim it as their own. The Finns are to be feared.

My prediction... is that I have none, that's how wary I am of the Finns.

 

[mattihp]

Canada should be wary, insanely wary of the Finns. The Czech Republic played like men posessed for the memory for the late and great 21. Finland is on the cusp of reaching immortality, one step away from accomplishing the greatest acheivement in Finnish Hockey history and being revered as gods in their country (They are demi-gods right now probably but demi-gods fade within the backdrop of history, gods don't). Very few of the Finnish players have ever won anything (Jere is probably the only one whose got some hardware, WJCs and WCs don't count, I'm talking about the real stuff; Lord Stanley and Canada/World Cup) and they are like rabid dogs, they are damned hungry. Summanen is a crazy fuc*er, Koivu is a great leader and Kipper is one hell of a goalie. And Finland is probably the only other country where hockey is number one, Canada's game you say? Suomi is dying to claim it as their own. The Finns are to be feared.

My prediction... is that I have none, that's how wary I am of the Finns.

World cups, Canada cups etc. (and for most of this players stanley cups) don't come close to say an olympic medal.

 

[Astaroth]

World cups, Canada cups etc. (and for most of this players stanley cups) don't come close to say an olympic medal.

Ah my apologies for that, I'll have to add that in, can't believe it slipped my mind.

 

[teme]

Very few of the Finnish players have ever won anything (Jere is probably the only one whose got some hardware, WJCs and WCs don't count, I'm talking about the real stuff; Lord Stanley and Canada/World Cup and of course how could I have forgotten? the Olympic Gold)

Nieminen and I think Hahl too have also won the cup (with Avs.) And we have Kurri on staff Now that I think of it, didn't Summanen win the cup with the Oilers too?

 

[Bill McNeal]

I have confidence in Canada, but I hope they don't go into this game thinking this is Finland of old. Hell, even Finland of old beat us in the bronze medal game 6 years ago. Hopefully Gretzky remembers that...

The team I feared the most were the Czechs, and Canada squeaked by them. Other than that, I have confidence Canada could beat anybody in the tourney. Not saying it'll be easy, or that Finland won't win, but I'm betting on Canada.

 

[Astaroth]

Nieminen and I think Hahl too have also won the cup (with Avs.) And we have Kurri on staff Now that I think of it, didn't Summanen win the cup with the Oilers too?

Was Hahl was regular? I remember Nieminen now, he had a great postseason. Kurri well, I was talking about the players lol.

 

[Westlander]

I have confidence in Canada, but I hope they don't go into this game thinking this is Finland of old. Hell, even Finland of old beat us in the bronze medal game 6 years ago. Hopefully Gretzky remembers that...

I remember that too. Well, since we saw off the Czechs last night, there's no better time to reverse the second setback of Nagano '98, the lost bronze medal. Tough game, but I don't think the Finns think can score the way the Czechs did.
And hopefully the scare last night smartened us up a bit. 3-1 Canada.

 

[Habs Icing]

I don't really think it matters who wins because in the end hockey is the big winner. Another game like last night or the Finland-Sweden game and hockey wins.

Winners come and go but hockey needs to grow to the level of European football. Let's get the world interested in this great sport. And if you think I'm off my rocker, the world cup is being broadcasted to 62-67 countries. Not bad for a winter sport.

Good luck to both teams and I hope they put on a great show. (P.S. I wouldn't mind losing to the Finns - but I am rooting for Canada)

 

[f1nn]

Sisu!

 

[MrMastodonFarm*]

Yes! I looked and can see that there is evidence that you and littlehossa picked Finland as well. (You're not of Finn heritage are you? I'm not. They just had the second best balanced lineup for this tourney on a smaller ice surface, in my opinion.)
We are in the minority.

Nope, never even been to Finland.

Right from the onset of this tournament you knew Finland had strong goaltending and played a very good tight team defence game, that will get you the wins everytime. Especially if your opponents (Sweden) have the worst goaltending in the tournament.