svetovy poharu
Registered User
- Dec 7, 2004
- 290
- 20
Here are some storylines to follow heading into Sunday's Nordic gold medal confrontation between Sweden and Finland:
The IIHF has assigned Canadian referee Paul Devorski to handle the gold medal game. The Finns will be the home team in the final and they have chosen to play in white. Therefore, Sweden will play in their blue uniforms.
Farjestad veteran Jorgen Jonsson will appear in his 254th international game with Tre Kronor when he suits up Sunday. He now ranks third on the all-time list of Swedish international appearances behind only Jonas Bergkvist (272) and Thomas Rundqvist (267), having just surpassed Ronald Pettersson (252).
There have been 6 different teams in the Olympic gold medal game since 1998:
Russia vs. Czech Republic in Nagano, Canada vs. USA in Salt Lake City, and now Sweden vs. Finland in Turin. No team has repeated as Olympic champions since 1988 and 1992, when the Soviets/Russians triumphed.
Three Swedes remain from the Olympic gold medal team from Lillehammer 1994, brothers Kenny and Jorgen Jonsson and Peter Forsberg. General Manager Mats Naslund was also a member of the 1994 team.
Four Finns remain from the 1995 World Championship gold medal team: Petteri Nummelin, Saku Koivu, Ville Peltonen and Jere Lehtinen.
Even though Finland doesn't boast as many big-name offensive stars as Sweden, its power play has definitely been superior for the balance of the tournament, converting on 15 out of 45 man advantages (33.3%). Sweden's power-play, ranked 2nd, has scored 9 PPG's on 37 man advantages (24.3%). But Sweden's penalty killing is ranked number one, allowing only 2 power-play goals in 25 disadvantages for a PK rate of 92%. Finland's PK is ranked second, having allowed only 3 power-play goals to opponents in 29 disadvantages (89.7%).
Finland enters the gold medal game with 7 straight wins, and no team has achieved a perfect record en route to gold at the Games since the 1984 Soviet squad, which won 7 straight and had a goal differential of 48-5. The stingy Finns currently have the same goals-against as that USSR team, but have only scored 27 times.
The Triple Gold Club (which includes players who have won Olympic hockey gold, the IIHF World Championship, and the Stanley Cup) will accept its 17th member following Sunday's game. Jere Lehtinen (World Champion in 1995 & Stanley Cup winner with Dallas in 1999) or Nicklas Lidstrom (World Champion in 1991 & Stanley Cup winner with Detroit in 1997, 1998, 2002) will join this exclusive group.
The IIHF has assigned Canadian referee Paul Devorski to handle the gold medal game. The Finns will be the home team in the final and they have chosen to play in white. Therefore, Sweden will play in their blue uniforms.
Farjestad veteran Jorgen Jonsson will appear in his 254th international game with Tre Kronor when he suits up Sunday. He now ranks third on the all-time list of Swedish international appearances behind only Jonas Bergkvist (272) and Thomas Rundqvist (267), having just surpassed Ronald Pettersson (252).
There have been 6 different teams in the Olympic gold medal game since 1998:
Russia vs. Czech Republic in Nagano, Canada vs. USA in Salt Lake City, and now Sweden vs. Finland in Turin. No team has repeated as Olympic champions since 1988 and 1992, when the Soviets/Russians triumphed.
Three Swedes remain from the Olympic gold medal team from Lillehammer 1994, brothers Kenny and Jorgen Jonsson and Peter Forsberg. General Manager Mats Naslund was also a member of the 1994 team.
Four Finns remain from the 1995 World Championship gold medal team: Petteri Nummelin, Saku Koivu, Ville Peltonen and Jere Lehtinen.
Even though Finland doesn't boast as many big-name offensive stars as Sweden, its power play has definitely been superior for the balance of the tournament, converting on 15 out of 45 man advantages (33.3%). Sweden's power-play, ranked 2nd, has scored 9 PPG's on 37 man advantages (24.3%). But Sweden's penalty killing is ranked number one, allowing only 2 power-play goals in 25 disadvantages for a PK rate of 92%. Finland's PK is ranked second, having allowed only 3 power-play goals to opponents in 29 disadvantages (89.7%).
Finland enters the gold medal game with 7 straight wins, and no team has achieved a perfect record en route to gold at the Games since the 1984 Soviet squad, which won 7 straight and had a goal differential of 48-5. The stingy Finns currently have the same goals-against as that USSR team, but have only scored 27 times.
The Triple Gold Club (which includes players who have won Olympic hockey gold, the IIHF World Championship, and the Stanley Cup) will accept its 17th member following Sunday's game. Jere Lehtinen (World Champion in 1995 & Stanley Cup winner with Dallas in 1999) or Nicklas Lidstrom (World Champion in 1991 & Stanley Cup winner with Detroit in 1997, 1998, 2002) will join this exclusive group.
