GDT: Gold Medal Game - May 26 - Canada vs Finland

[BL92]

Luckily I am free, going to open a beer again.

Drink one for me too!

 

[crowi]

But why isn‘t Toronto at least interested in the Stanley Cup?

They can't get there. Paid too much money for inferior talent.

 

[Loffer]

Luckily I am free, going to open a beer again.

Free like a bird, hopefully; at least not free like a "frisbee"... Well, almost a kindred spirit. I drink Coke Zero for nothing and "chips" for free. -Have a nice beer there somewhere, Morokolli the Newbie.

 

[Morokolli]

Free like a bird, hopefully; at least not free like a "frisbee"... Well, almost a kindred spirit. I drink Coke Zero for nothing and "chips" for free. -Have a nice beer there somewhere, Morokolli the Newbie.

Ässä fan in Tampere, like a Philadelphia Flyer in Toronto.

 

[BL92]

I think I'm bordering a psychosis due to löikö mörkö sisään looping in my head and going a day with out sleep. We'll see how my shift at work turns out...

 

[Morokolli]

I think I'm bordering a psychosis due to löikö mörkö sisään looping in my head and going a day with out sleep. We'll see how my shift at work turns out...

Those that show up for work as zombies are fine, those that dont make it take the shit.

 

[Merya]

Im sick and tired of my countrymen coming here and always putting down the whc. it makes you look sour, bitter ans insecure, stop it. the whc is a great tournament. Finland is a great hockey nation, im happy for them, they have so much passion for the game. im from canada btw not all canadians are ignorant.

Thank You and all the Canadians, including media, that in the end cheered this totally unexpected finnish gold.
I hope, even the most bitter Canadians, Russians and others can see some pictures from Helsinki celebrations and see how much this means to Finland. Would you have really wanted it to turn around, would you have had this kind of celebrations? Most of all, this TEAM did it! It's even bigger than Lake Placid. It's insanely impossible, yet... MÖRKÖ MÖRKÖ MÖRKÖ MÖRKÖ

 

[BL92]

Thank You and all the Canadians, including media, that in the end cheered this totally unexpected finnish gold.
I hope, even the most bitter Canadians, Russians and others can see some pictures from Helsinki celebrations and see how much this means to Finland. Would you have really wanted it to turn around, would you have had this kind of celebrations? Most of all, this TEAM did it! It's even bigger than Lake Placid. It's insanely impossible, yet... MÖRKÖ MÖRKÖ MÖRKÖ MÖRKÖ

I wish these kind of parties were a yearly thing.

 

[Gobben]

We are dreaming about best on best tournaments with this generation of players that are in and entering NHL soon, we dont dare to speak about it much to not offend the gods.

Hehe, you go guys!

Pushing 50, I have since a long time abandoned the one team only.

You bet I support all Nordic nations in sport.

And what the hell is this - djävla Mårran - is the king.

Can only compare him to Don Bradman.

 

[NyQuil]

Congrats to Finland. Some of you posters though need a reality check. This tournament, like the Spengler Cup is popular in Europe, and means more to Europeans. That is why guys like Malkin and Ovechkin go everytime they ask, and Canada's top players decline. It does not mean much to Canadians also.

Looking at the roster of Canada, only a couple of players might make Canada's Olympic team. If Canada had won yesterday, there would not be tens of thousands of people celebrating in the streets of Toronto or Ottawa. This tournament is a second-tier tournament, since it is not Best on Best. It is the same as the Spengler Cup for me. We win- that is great, if we do not- it is not the end of the world. That attitude is not the same for Europeans, who love this tournament like it is the Stanley Cup.

It is great hockey, but just because you beat Canada does not make you the Best. I am happy Canada got the Silver, since i thought this team would be lucky to make it to the Semis. Finland is a great hockey nation, but you can be the best when you win the Gold Medal or the World Cup.

Someone definitely needs a reality check alright.

And it isn't the Finns.

 

[Merya]

Pushing 50, I have since a long time abandoned the one team only.
You bet I support all Nordic nations in sport.

47 here, seen many sorrows and a couple triumphs. Denmark in Euros was pretty wild here too. But in general Iäm no pan-nordic. I hate Norway with a passion and Denmark is a bit meh. It's only Sweden whose success really gives me genuine joy, when Finland is not competing anymore. There's so much more we have with Sweden than with any other country.

 

[NyQuil]

Losing the World Cup final to the USA in 1996 was definitely seen as a crushing and painful loss, as was losing to the Czechs in the quarter final of the 1998 Olympics. But since then, the World Cup has definitely lost its lustre.

We lost to the Czechs in the semi-final of the 1998 Olympics. We then lost the Bronze medal game to Finland.

We also lost in the quarterfinal to the Russians in the 2006 Olympics.

 

[koyvoo]

We lost to the Czechs in the semi-final of the 1998 Olympics. We then lost the Bronze medal game to Finland.

We also lost in the quarterfinal to the Russians in the 2006 Olympics.

Right. My bad on quarters vs semis.

The 2006 one didn’t seem like a devastating loss though. It was more an embarrassing one. It was easier to get over. For me 1996 vs the USA and 1998 vs the Czechs hurt to much, much higher degree.

 

[Merya]

Would you have preferred to lose to Finland in semis in 2006?

 

[NyQuil]

The 2006 one didn’t seem like a devastating loss though. It was more an embarrassing one. It was easier to get over. For me 1996 vs the USA and 1998 vs the Czechs hurt to much, much higher degree.

It was a poorly conceived team from the beginning.

Wayne Gretzky had promised spots to Bertuzzi and others regardless of how well they were performing that particular year. Guys like Spezza and Crosby were left on the taxi squad despite the fact that they were ripping it up that year.

We ended up losing to Switzerland in the round robin as well - Gerber was legendary in that game.

I agree that the 1996 and 1998 losses were more significant. Part of that also was the fact that the best-on-best drought was over with the win in SLC in 2002, so the 2006 loss wasn't as concerning.

 

[NyQuil]

Would you have preferred to lose to Finland in semis in 2006?

That Canadian team wasn't going to win anything.

They played a close game against Russia but struggled throughout the tournament.

 

[Morokolli]

Hehe, you go guys!

Pushing 50, I have since a long time abandoned the one team only.

You bet I support all Nordic nations in sport.

And what the hell is this - djävla Mårran - is the king.

Can only compare him to Don Bradman.

Im a nationalist of the classical conservative type but I do root for especially Danes and Norwegians so that hockey would grow up here.

 

[koyvoo]

It was a poorly conceived team from the beginning.

Wayne Gretzky had promised spots to Bertuzzi and others regardless of how well they were performing that particular year. Guys like Spezza and Crosby were left on the taxi squad despite the fact that they were ripping it up that year.

We ended up losing to Switzerland in the round robin as well - Gerber was legendary in that game.

I agree that the 1996 and 1998 losses were more significant. Part of that also was the fact that the best-on-best drought was over with the win in SLC in 2002, so the 2006 loss wasn't as concerning.

Yes 2006 seemed doomed early on.

And I know a lot of people rank 2010 as the more special win, I also rank 2002 higher for the same reason. There was serious doubt at the time after losing two consecutive best on bests. There were symposiums held on the state of the game and losing in 2002 would’ve been a mini national crisis. The release of winning that gold is only matched for me by the 1987 Canada Cup, although I was only 9-10 years old in 87.

 

[Gobben]

I think I'm bordering a psychosis due to löikö mörkö sisään looping in my head and going a day with out sleep. We'll see how my shift at work turns out...

Haha, you are young, you will survive. I am doing 24hrs as someone close to 50.

You will get to sleep soon.

 

[Merya]

2006 Finland actually had a team that even on paper was competitive. Except for goal, but we always find a new hero to that role somehow. It was also until this 2019 team the best TEAM we had ever had. That loss to Sweden in the final is an open bleeding wound in my generation and it will never heal.

 

[Gobben]

Im a nationalist of the classical conservative type but I do root for especially Danes and Norwegians so that hockey would grow up here.

Chances are it will grow, at least in Norway. They are flush with money, and many a youngster seem to like hockey.

 

[Morokolli]

Chances are it will grow, at least in Norway. They are flush with money, and many a youngster seem to like hockey.

You should be careful what you wish for, they have the money to give unlimited ice time to all of the population if they want to.

 

[koyvoo]

2006 Finland actually had a team that even on paper was competitive. Except for goal, but we always find a new hero to that role somehow. It was also until this 2019 team the best TEAM we had ever had. That loss to Sweden in the final is an open bleeding wound in my generation and it will never heal.

Ya it’s tough to get so close and not bring home the prize.

Saku Koivu is one of my all time favourite players (as my username slides to) and was cheering for Finland in that final. The Swedes had a very strong lineup themselves but yes, the biggest gap was between Lundqvist and Niittymaki.

 

[Merya]

Ya it’s tough to get so close and not bring home the prize.

Saku Koivu is one of my all time favourite players (as my username slides to) and was cheering for Finland in that final. The Swedes had a very strong lineup themselves but yes, the biggest gap was between Lundqvist and Niittymaki.

Niittymäki the MVP of the tournament? Your memory fails you, sorry.

 

[Merya]

This has derailed a bit, in a nice way but still. I'm gonna say my farewells to this lovely thread.
Thank You to everyone who enjoyed this miracle. No matter where you come from, if you can love this kind of story, you are my brother in loving sports!
- M