GDT: Group D • May 4 • Finland 1, Czech Republic 2

[Systemfel]

Preliminary Round • Group D

May 4, 2011 • 20:15 CET • 2:15 PM EDT

Ondrej Nepela Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia


Finland
Official lineup.

Left Wing | Center | Right Wing

15 Tuomo Ruutu (A)​

|

9 Mikko Koivu (C)​

|

50 Juhamatti Aaltonen​

|-

47 Janne Lahti​

|

39 Niko Kapanen​

|

40 Antti Pihlström​

|-

20 Janne Pesonen​

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26 Jarkko Immonen​

|

64 Mikael Granlund​

|-

37 Mika Pyörälä​

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29 Petteri Nokelainen​

|

71 Leo Komarov​

|-

Left Defense | Right Defense

28 Anssi Salmela​

|

18 Sami Lepistö​

|

-​

|

42 Pasi Puistola​

|

4 Ossi Väänänen​

|

19 Jyrki Välivaara​

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21 Janne Niskala​

|

-​

|

5 Lasse Kukkonen (A)​

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6 Topi Jaakola​

|

-​

|

Starting Goalie | Backup Goalie

31 Petri Vehanen​

|

35 Teemu Lassila​

|

-​

Scratched | Reason
G 30 Niko Hovinen|

Not registered​

|-

Czech Republic
Official lineup.

Left Wing | Center | Right Wing

9 Milan Michálek​

|

26 Patrik Eliáš (A)​

|

24 Martin Havlát​

|-

10 Roman Červenka​

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82 Tomáš Plekanec​

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68 Jaromír Jágr (A)​

|-

60 Tomáš Rolinek (C)​

|

15 Jan Marek​

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93 Jakub Voráček​

|-

18 Michal Frolík​

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12 Jiří Novotný​

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11 Petr Hubáček​

|-

-​

|

Extra Forward:​

|

73 Petr Průcha​

|-

Left Defense | Right Defense

2 Zbyněk Michálek​

|

4 Karel Rachůnek​

|

-​

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41 Martin Škoula​

|

3 Marek Židlický​

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36 Petr Čáslava​

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25 Lukáš Krajíček​

|

-​

|

Starting Goalie | Backup Goalie

31 Ondřej Pavelec​

|

33 Jakub Štěpánek​

|

-​

Scratched | Reason
D 7 Radek Martínek|

Concussion​

|-

OFFICIALS | -

Danny Kurmann|Referee

Tom Sterns|Referee

Roger Arm|Linesman

Kiel Murchison |Linesman

Click to read more...

 

[Systemfel]

Live box score: http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/261/gameaction_2836.html

Streams: Super-Sportz3 | realtvsport | Live-Sport | hockeynight2k ch2

Tournament stats: http://www.iihf.com/en/channels-11/iihf-world-championship-wc11/statistics.html

Note: This is the last day of the Preliminary Round. The Qualifiction Round starts on Thursday.

 

[Mestaruus]

I think it's safe to say we're the underdogs in this one. Maybe Czech's defense and goalie are little weaknesses though, dunno. I'm hoping to see some Granlund+Immonen magic!

 

[Finnpin]

There is only one Ruutu and Väänänen but I advise Czechs keeping their heads up

I don't have faith at all with our defense and PK and Czechs might win this easily if they get few easy ones...

Vehanen has to bring his A game if Finns want some points here.

Let's see how Mikael Granlund plays against top hockey nation. I expect the level beeing same like in the first couple games.

 

[Ati]

If Finns play the same way like against the Latvians, Czechs win easily.

 

[mattihp]

Finland 3-2.

Jágr always disappears against Finland.

Havlat drives the Czech with two quick goals. Granlund scores a beauty in the middle period and then Immonen nets two (assisted by Grana of course) in the final period.

 

[Jolli]

Should be an easy one for the Czechs.

7 - 3, Frolik and Jagr with two goals.

 

[Lapa]

Tight game, anyone could win. Depends on how many penalties we/them take.

 

[Hensta]

5-1 Czech's

 

[Fallenity]

Penalties are going to decide this game, if Välivaara takes a couple again Czech will just roll over us. Then again, their weakness (or weakest aspect) is defense and if Finland plays as well for the whole 60 minutes as they did against Denmark and partially Latvia, we should be okay. Czech can't score goals from its own defensive zone.

But since Finland rarely plays a good whole 60 minutes of hockey, unless Vehanen is stunning, this could turn dirty quick. But the chances are there, they just need to be used.

I think Czech has scouted Granlund rather well, so I doubt we'll see such domination as before. Instead, Koivu-Aaltonen will get (have) to produce.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Go team Finland!

 

[The Right Price]

Maybe Czech's defense and goalie are little weaknesses though, dunno.

LOL. Excluding Halak, Pavelec is the best goalie in this tournament. He had a really solid year as Atlanta's #1 and had that period in December (around that time) when he looked unbeatable and posted .950+ Sv% night in night out IIRC.

Czech's will take this one. 4-1.

 

[Like Wall]

If Finns play the same way like against the Latvians, Czechs win easily.

Finns were faster against LAT than CZE against us.

 

[Fallenity]

Finns were faster against LAT than CZE against us.

As our player JMA proves, speed doesn't help if you can't put the puck in.

 

[MaNNe]

This defense and sub-par goalies for Finnish standards, easy one for the Czechs. 4-1 for the Czechs is my guess.

 

[Bookman]

LOL 3 former or present Wild on defense for the Czechs. Skoula's puck poise might be too much for the Finns to overcome.

 

[BusQuets]

czechs will take too many penalties and Granlund will dish out perfect outlet passes and Finland wins 4-2

 

[Hopetus]

LOL. Excluding Halak, Pavelec is the best goalie in this tournament. He had a really solid year as Atlanta's #1 and had that period in December (around that time) when he looked unbeatable and posted .950+ Sv% night in night out IIRC.

Czech's will take this one. 4-1.

LOL. You must have slept over the second half of the season. Since Jan 7th Pavalec posted over .90 Sv% in just 9 games (he played 29 games in total). Call that whatever you want, but not 'really solid'. And Reimer >> Pavelec.

CZE-FIN 4-2 (last one an empty netter).

 

[Qurpiz]

Jágr always disappears against Finland.

We don't have Sharkko to wallpaper him.

4-2 Czechs

 

[Hagged]

The way Granlund and Immonen have been playing it's quite unbelieveable that their PP unit isn't used as the first unit. I'm waiting to see that happen in this game.

 

[Like Wall]

Czechs should win easily.

 

[ijk]

It's a shame there aren't any Czech fans in here discussing or voting on the result of the game, but seems that most Finnish fans are voting for the Czechs to win anyway.

Either way, this is going to be an interesting game, and I hope that Kukkonen will be used as little as possible. I wouldn't be too pessimistic about Finland's chances. Although they failed to win Latvia in regulation I think that they can play very well and dominate the game. Some few lucky bounces and this could turn in favor of the Finns.

I have to admit I haven't seen the Czechs play, but I'm basing my optimism towards Finland's chances of winning purely on how I've seen the Finns play. If the Finns stay out of the penalty box (= less Kukkonen on the ice) than I think Finland will win.

Salmela and Lepistö have to improve their games though, and Tuomo Ruutu will improve, of that I'm sure

I also hope that Jalonen doesn't juggle the (forward) lines all the time like he did in the game versus Latvia. Let the players find their groove.

 

[cibtom]

It's a shame there aren't any Czech fans in here discussing or voting on the result of the game, but seems that most Finnish fans are voting for the Czechs to win anyway.

I'm a Czech fan and I am here

It's hard to say, but I hope we'll win tonight. I think that could be very close match. We have quite strong offensive players but I'm worried about our defense. Some of our D-men seems to be very slow or lazy sometimes...

Anyway, very interesting match for me because I am going to spend second half of this year in Finland

 

[TexasTriumph]

Finland 3-2.

Jágr always disappears against Finland.

Havlat drives the Czech with two quick goals. Granlund scores a beauty in the middle period and then Immonen nets two (assisted by Grana of course) in the final period.

Hello my friend . I say 3-2 CZECHS

Voracek, Michalek, Jagr scores assisted by Plakanec ...

This is not going to be an easy game. These teams always play each other tough just like Czechs and Russians, no matter who's on the teams. Good formations from the Finns though so watch out hahaha ..

GO CZECHS GO

 

[Rexor]

Hello my friend . I say 3-2 CZECHS

Voracek, Michalek, Jagr scores assisted by Plakanec ...

It's Plekanec for god's sake... "Plakanec" sounds kinda like "crybaby" in Czech.

I expect a tight match. Our second line (Havlát-Eliáš-Michálek) has been playing very well so far and we've got some pretty solid depth on the third and fourth line. Jágr's line was struggling in the match against Denmark, I hope they will step up today.
Our defence has not been particularly convincing. Å koula is horrible. Pavelec is obviously very promising but he doesn't have much international/big ice experience.

Hopefully there will be no cheap shots from the Finns this time around.