GDT: Quarterfinal • Finland vs. Canada • Part IV

[paragon]

Its normal with home advantage with the refs! Look at all the times Canada hosting the Wjc.

It's not only WJC. When the Olympics were held in Nagano and Turin, both USA and Canada failed the get medals. Sochi feels more like an exception to the rule.

That 1998 WJC when Canada failed to medal were also held in Finland. Doesn't feel like a coincidence...

 

[carlweezer*]

Lmao I haven't see this much obsession over teenagers since I watched Dateline how to catch a predator.

 

[NyQuil]

I wouldn't be supremely confident in either of these teams going forward.

Playing like this is not going to beat the US or Sweden.

Finland has to tighten things up as well. They were also guilty of undisciplined play.

Good on Finland but they're going to have a different challenge in Sweden.

 

[Maplebeasts]

In the end guys, what did us in this tournament was that our best players were young and inexperienced. None of the 19 year olds had a strong tournament. Marner and Strome lead the way offensively, with Barzal and Konecny also doing their share. Chabot was our only consistently good defenseman. For 18 hear olds, I thought each one did fairly well when considering this tournament is dominated by 19 year olds. Perlini contributed nothing, Virtanen was dumb and took awful penalties, Point did not get going all tournament, Hicketts was ify defensively, Sanheim couldn't produce the offense he was brought in for, and both Hickey and Fleury were unnoticeable. In a tournament where you live and die by your 19 year olds, ours didn't deliver and that's why we're not medalling.

 

[McAsuno]

I don't think the selection of this team was the problem. I don't think changing one player for another changes the outcome much. This team was fairly young and inexperienced but the talent was there. The coaching was atrocious, though. The players don't deserve to go blameless but I can't even count how many times I disagreed with the decisions made by Lowry. For example, your complaint about Sanheim not getting it going, that was in large part because of Lowry. He chose to play Hickett's half the game and gave him a lot of the PP time. When Sanehim got his chance today, the PP excelled.
Why Konecny didn't play more is a mystery to all of Canada, he is a heart and soul type of player that should've played twice as much as he did. I even think Stephens deserved more time with him, they two of them played well together.
Beauvillier and Barzal were too talented to be sitting on the bench as much as they did too, especially in offensive situations. The thought that Strome, Marner and Point could carry this team offensively was shown not to be true right from the start, but Lowry kept allowing them to take 2 minute shifts, and double shifting them. This team was deep enough to play 4 lines. In fact, they were at their best when rolling all 4 lines.

It factored in a way. Sure they were inexperienced, but they didn't ice the best available players to the team. You can easily make a case about Sanheim, but Dermott? Fleury? They were mediocre the whole tournament. That's why I felt like Chychrun being cut was a mistake. I don't doubt he would've made more of an impact than those two. Lowry's coaching was terrible at best as I could agree with you on the forwards. Konecny's energy just filled the team whenever he was on the ice.

 

[MPStoEberletoHall*]

I wouldn't be supremely confident in either of these teams going forward.

Playing like this is not going to beat the US or Sweden.

Finland has to tighten things up as well. They were also guilty of undisciplined play.

Good on Finland but they're going to have a different challenge in Sweden.

USA will win the tournament. Bank on it

 

[jaloviina]

I have no clue what this means.

what i probably meant is that Canada likes to say hockey is their game and now that the finns won them. I meant that (the rest of us) we are coming.

 

[NyQuil]

It's not only WJC. When the Olympics were held in Nagano and Turin, both USA and Canada failed the get medals. Sochi feels more like an exception to the rule.

Turin and Nagano were pretty different.

In Nagano, they lost to Hasek and a strong Czech team that went on to win a whole bunch of Gold medals across multiple events.

Turin was the worst best-on-best Canadian team of all-time.

That 1998 WJC when Canada failed to medal were also held in Finland. Doesn't feel like a coincidence...

It's a 50/50 chance that they would have lost in Europe vs. North America.

I think the whole Europe vs. N. America location thing is a bit overblown.

 

[McAsuno]

In the end guys, what did us in this tournament was that our best players were young and inexperienced. None of the 19 year olds had a strong tournament. Marner and Strome lead the way offensively, with Barzal and Konecny also doing their share. Chabot was our only consistently good defenseman.For 18 hear olds, I thought each one did fairly well when considering this tournament is dominated by 19 year olds. Perlini contributed nothing, Virtanen was dumb and took awful penalties, Point did not get going all tournament, Hicketts was ify defensively, Sanheim couldn't produce the offense he was brought in for, and both Hickey and Fleury were unnoticeable. In a tournament where you live and die by your 19 year olds, ours didn't deliver and that's why we're not medalling.

Hicketts was playing with Nurse at last year's WJC. He's not bad, but its quite clear Nurse carried him.

 

[BLNY]

Thoroughly unimpressed by this group all tournament.

The best forward all tournament was likely Konecny. He chipped in offensively, provided the physical presence and energy he was tasked to do, etc. The guys that were supposed to lead the team offensively didn't. IMO, a serious lack of real scorers. True snipers. Lots of plumbers, but a real lack of pro level offense.

The defense was even worse. Too many guys that couldn't complete a simple play in their own end. Too many guys incapable of skating the puck out of trouble. Too many guys who couldn't make a tape to tape play. I really question the logic of leaving a player like Juulsen off. I realize he was a late cut, but his skating, play making ability, and skating were sorely missed. Just not enough skill on the back end.

The most engaged effort by the group wasn't enough to overcome stupid penalties. Virtually every penalty today was avoidable. Virtanen is perhaps the dumbest hockey player I've seen in a long time. The holding penalty that negated a pp and the double minor in the third; just plain stupid. Marner's gloved punch, even if only in retaliation, is dumb too. It's gonna get caught and it's gonna get called. ANY downward chop to an opponents stick is going to get called. That happened twice today? This is the stuff you figure out in game one, and learn from. When the emotional tide turned, you could see Finland just egging Canada on, and it worked.

Not pleased, but not surprised given what I saw all tournament. Good luck to the host Finns.

 

[NyQuil]

what i probably meant is that Canada likes to say hockey is their game and now that the finns won them. I meant that (the rest of us) we are coming.

It can be your game for today if you like.

It'll go back to being our game soon enough.

 

[Maplebeasts]

USA will win the tournament. Bank on it

I'm leaning towards Sweden, especially if Will Ny comes back.

 

[carlweezer*]

Strome Marner Barzal/Konecny three best players of the tournament imo. Chabot was our best defenseman.

Marner?? He did nothing 5 on 5 and led our team in turnovers and long shifts.

He needed a 5-3. And powerlplays to get his goals. His line w Point was easily our worst during the 1st 2 periods.
He wasn't terrible but I wouldn't say he was best forward by a mile.

Barzal and Strome were.

Dmen I thought Dermott played well.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

You will not find a single Canucks fan who is happy with how Virtanen played in this tournament. He embarrassed himself and our franchise.

 

[NyQuil]

The defense was even worse. Too many guys that couldn't complete a simple play in their own end. Too many guys incapable of skating the puck out of trouble. Too many guys who couldn't make a tape to tape play. I really question the logic of leaving a player like Juulsen off. I realize he was a late cut, but his skating, play making ability, and skating were sorely missed. Just not enough skill on the back end.

I'm going to go out on a massive limb and assume that you are a Montreal Canadiens fan.

 

[dmacgreg37]

You will not find a single Canucks fan who is happy with how Virtanen played in this tournament. He embarrassed himself and our franchise.

I agree on the first part. The second part is a SERIOUS overstatement.

 

[Marlander93]

You get that hockey awareness and total intelligence aren't a straight across swap, right?

I've played with plenty of meathead hockey players and 100% of them were straight up idiots.

 

[TPuck]

I really hope Finland plays better defence in the remaining games(s). We cant afford to let int 5 goals a game and hope we can outscore. Our coach said it well, if you score 6 goals it should be a clear win for you, not a tight game

 

[phil162888]

All the Canadian penalties were deserved the only beef with the refs is that Laine likely should've been thrown out for the hit from behind. If that happens we likely win

 

[McAsuno]

Marner?? He did nothing 5 on 5 and led our team in turnovers and long shifts.

He needed a 5-3. And powerlplays to get his goals. His line w Point was easily our worst during the 1st 2 periods.
He wasn't terrible but I wouldn't say he was best forward by a mile.

Barzal and Strome were.

Dmen I thought Dermott played well.

Dermott did barely anything to contribute in the whole tournament. Chabot was Canada's best d man.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Marner?? He did nothing 5 on 5 and led our team in turnovers and long shifts.

He needed a 5-3. And powerlplays to get his goals. His line w Point was easily our worst during the 1st 2 periods.
He wasn't terrible but I wouldn't say he was best forward by a mile.

Barzal and Strome were.

Dmen I thought Dermott played well.

He was better 5 on 5 than most of our forwards. Skilled players tend to turn pucks over more often, just ask guys like Karlsson and Subban. Barzal and Strome both were, but Barzal was invisible for more of the tournament than Marner was.

 

[NyQuil]

All the Canadian penalties were deserved the only beef with the refs is that Laine likely should've been thrown out for the hit from behind. If that happens we likely win

I didn't think it was that big of a deal.

2 minutes was the right call IMO.

 

[canwincup]

You will not find a single Canucks fan who is happy with how Virtanen played in this tournament. He embarrassed himself and our franchise.

Virtanen's performance > riots? Am I right?

 

[matzz]

Honestly, this game Finland won because of Virtanens 2+2. Dont know what he was thinking...Anyway thanks for a great game...Some has to win and some loose.

 

[islandermaniac]

100% bang on! Those coaches should all be on the HockeyCanada blacklist. Add the scouting staff while they're at it.

You're wrong. Coaches get black listed for benching junior aged NHLers like virtanen. You think Lowry wants to spit on the canucks organization? He knows the NHL is an old boys club. His goal is to make the show as a coach. You do that by being a yes man.