WC QF: May 18 GDT - Finland vs. Belarus
- Thread starter Preds666
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ThinMcWhistle
Registered User
Predatore said:
Hey Predatore, this game is actually on May 18th - Thursday.
Same with the Czech - Russia game.
Damn.. I hate waiting.
Padawan
Former power tripper
Tell me you didn't just say that? Us Finns won't make the same mistake as you Swedes did a while back. Belarus isn't an easy opponent albeit maybe the easiest opponent on paper of the remaining ones. On paper often seems to be quite different than in the rink.Predatore said:
They have dangerous attack with two players being the sharpest fangs (Grabovsky and Skabelka), a good goalie and an ok defence. By no means Belarus is an easy opponent. Actually, I think Mezin is better than Norrena. So this imo will be a difficult game which both teams have a decent chance of winning.
Gozer
Registered User
Judging from belarus game against sweden, finland should win this comfortable. But you never know...
mattihp
Registered User
3-2.
Close affair. Grabovsky looks to be in better shape than anyone in this tournament. A little bit more luck and he is world class in just about every aspect.
Close affair. Grabovsky looks to be in better shape than anyone in this tournament. A little bit more luck and he is world class in just about every aspect.
Nemchinov13
Registered User
Whatever the score is, but GO BELARUS'! Sorry, Finn-mates, you have to understand, us Russians and Belorussians have rotted in the same trenches of the WWII (Ukraine and Kazakhstan are not being mentioned cause' they're out).
burgundynblue
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Preds666
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VJR said:Because we don't have Tommy Salo
Nah, because the team (with the exception of three players) is much worse than the "top" nations. I love they way they have played (and that hockey in Belarus is progressing), but it was also a long time I ago since I saw a team being as outplayed by Sweden as Belarus were earlier in the tournament. So, my prediction is "easy win". Stating anything else, imo, is just being conservative or overly pessimistic,
Talent Analyst
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Matti_A
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- Sep 21, 2005
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Belarus has only played one bad game so far, the game against Sweden, and for Finland it seems there are no comfortable games any more.gozar said:
Knowing how good Mezin is and how difficult it has been to score for Finland so far I'm predicting an upset victory for Belarus, 2-1, with Mezin getting 38 saves.
Belarus has really been a positive surprise, not only because of the good results, but their style too. Usually teams of that level just clog up the neutral zone and hope for a miracle. Belarus, even though they are defensive, tries to build their own offence and will play when given the chance. Everyone who's been following the tournament (and/or previous years) knows how good Mezin is, and outside of the Kostitsyn-Grabovsky-Skabelka line that everyone mentions, they actually get some secondary scoring from the likes of Zadelenov (on first PP unit), Antonenko, Dudik and Meleshko.
Finland, however, has better depth overall and a better defense, which maybe tells more about the Belarussian d-men than the Finnish. Finland will have to apply their normal team defense and be able to pressurize the BLR defense, optimally by turning the game quickly from defense to offense. If they underestimate Belarus, they'll be screwed, especially without Niittymaki. This Belarussian team has shown that it is no laughingstock.
The outcome is difficult to guess here. Finland is, however, the favorite and if they can score early, a blowout is not out of the question. If Belarus and Mezin can hold the fort long enough, though, they'll get their chances: Belarus has a good powerplay while Finland is prone to penalty trouble. If that's the case, the game will be decided by one or two goals, and may require a shootout. That should be easy for Finland, as they have many players, led by Jussi Jokinen, who were good in shootouts this past season in the NHL, while I believe many Belarussians play in leagues that have not adopted the shootout.
Still, maybe the most probable outcome is one in which Finland plays their team defence while capitalizing on the weaker lower lines of Belarus. That way, we'll see a low-scoring game where Belarus scores a maximum of one goal and Finland gets 3-4. That is probably the type of game that Finland will be looking for, while Belarus hopes to play their game and wait patiently for those PP chances.
Finland, however, has better depth overall and a better defense, which maybe tells more about the Belarussian d-men than the Finnish. Finland will have to apply their normal team defense and be able to pressurize the BLR defense, optimally by turning the game quickly from defense to offense. If they underestimate Belarus, they'll be screwed, especially without Niittymaki. This Belarussian team has shown that it is no laughingstock.
The outcome is difficult to guess here. Finland is, however, the favorite and if they can score early, a blowout is not out of the question. If Belarus and Mezin can hold the fort long enough, though, they'll get their chances: Belarus has a good powerplay while Finland is prone to penalty trouble. If that's the case, the game will be decided by one or two goals, and may require a shootout. That should be easy for Finland, as they have many players, led by Jussi Jokinen, who were good in shootouts this past season in the NHL, while I believe many Belarussians play in leagues that have not adopted the shootout.
Still, maybe the most probable outcome is one in which Finland plays their team defence while capitalizing on the weaker lower lines of Belarus. That way, we'll see a low-scoring game where Belarus scores a maximum of one goal and Finland gets 3-4. That is probably the type of game that Finland will be looking for, while Belarus hopes to play their game and wait patiently for those PP chances.
ThinMcWhistle
Registered User
I agree with Predatore. Should be an easy win as long as the Finnish chaps don't go into this game with a "high and mighty" attitude and let the win slip away. I think that the upset suffered by Sweden in the 2002 SLC Olympics was due to this type of attitude... That's always a killer.
Every team that has made it to the quarters is deserving of being there...Every team is dangerous to a point. However, there are clearly better teams than others and I am sorry to say that Finland is CLEARLY a better team that Belarus.
Every team that has made it to the quarters is deserving of being there...Every team is dangerous to a point. However, there are clearly better teams than others and I am sorry to say that Finland is CLEARLY a better team that Belarus.
Oh my. Some of you really live in a different world.
And I have to say, while being Finnish myself, I hate some other Finnish dudes mentalities. Always over-pessimistic etc. blaeh.
And I have to say, while being Finnish myself, I hate some other Finnish dudes mentalities. Always over-pessimistic etc. blaeh.
xiili said:
Weren't you surprised to see Belarus beat Slovakia? Or Switzerland in a do-or-die game? Of course the Finns are the overwhelming favorites, but I don't think it's pessimistic to think that the Belarussians do have a chance, seeing how they've played so far and how Finland hasn't been able to stay out of the box.
Malurous said:
Well, yes a bit suprised. But I'm not saying that while Finland is a clear favorite, that the team Belarus wouldn't stand a chance.
It's just that, concerning not only to this upcoming game, this mentality seems to apply (amongst many, not all) where ever and when ever Finland plays.
"Finland plays better when it's the underdog.. blah blah"
I say, be the one of the favorites and go all the way. Hope for the best and do not fear the worst. But that's just my view ofcourse.
Padawan
Former power tripper
Actually Salo and Norrena has quite much in common. Both men can play great or suck big time depending on the day. Both men can talk swedish and finnish (swedish better than finnish). Both have been better with club teams (imo) than in the national teams...VJR said:Because we don't have Tommy Salo
So I wouldn't laugh about Salo when we have his finnish counterpart between the pipes.
Slitty
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- Oct 23, 2005
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Belarus beat Slovakia and gave both Russian as well as Sweden a hard time. I would expect a 1 or 2 goal win for Finland... yet it wouldn't be all that miraculous if Belarus was lucky enough to pull off the upset. Then again, if Finland gets a lead and add to it Belarus will be done. Or if Belarus falls behind and tried to attack late in the game Finland will make the score pretty.
mikkoz
Registered User
If Finns dare to lose, they better take couple of weeks vacation in some deserted island, far far away. ´Cause they´ll be 
by media and beaten by their wives(except Akiberg, Aki is a Winner).
by media and beaten by their wives(except Akiberg, Aki is a Winner).
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