GDT: Group E • May 7 • Finland 2, Slovakia 1

[Levi]

Zednik on the ice with one minute to go

Exactly what I was thinking

 

[Like Wall]

curse only applies to world championships, this tournament, not olympics.

Then this curse is complete.

 

[cenas*]

I feel bad for Slovakian fans. Old team wearing down, not many stars coming up.

They need to start playing like the Finns. Try to substitute skill with hard work, but I don't see it happening..

 

[Finnpin]

As a Ducks fan I was mad when I heard Visnovsky joins the Worlds with injured shoulder and now I'm even more mad. Good hit by Komarov, what were you Vis doing there? happy now?

 

[Brun0]

Sad moment seeing hossa cry in the end.

I mean hossa just didnt have any energy left, too much ice time and straight from playoffs, visnovsky played huge minutes injured, gaboric too.

They deserve some credit that they wanted to come and play for their country, sad ending.

Slovakia was way too dependant on that one line. They played so huge minutes vs russia, germany and czechs.

 

[QnebO]

With that team.. filled with great names.. they (or hanlon) decided to play trap-game and won only 1 game in this tournament. And that game wasnt against a top 7 country.. Its good for hockey: Good teams should not play trap.

But I feel sad for slovaks.. ofcourse i want us to make playoffs, but didint want the slovakians to drop.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Sad moment seeing hossa cry in the end.

I mean hossa just didnt have any energy left, too much ice time and straight from playoffs, visnovsky played huge minutes injured, gaboric too.

They deserve some credit that they wanted to come and play for their country, sad ending.

Slovakia was way too dependant on that one line. They played so huge minutes vs russia, germany and czechs.

And yet they accomplished cloe to zilch......asides from Ľubo and Gáborík (and even him only to an extent).....I have never seen Hossa and Demitra suck so badly as they did this tourney.....
I expect an official apology from the players and staff to all the people that wasted so much money to get to see their team play, they deserved so much better......

 

[ThinMcWhistle]

Slovakia, you will rise again my brothers! Keep your chin up!

 

[PapaQ]

First of all, althought 2nd goal goes on Halak's shoulders, he kept us in game for 2 periods. You can never expect to win the game just with 1 goal lead.

For many of those guys, this might be the last international tournament, so even though they didnt play their A game, they deserve atleast our respect for willing to represent their country - Stumpel (38), Satan (36), Zednik (35), Visnovsky (34), Strbak (36), Demitra (36) etc.

Also let me take this opportunity to say goodbye to world "elite" national scene, where we arguably belonged.

 

[tikkanen5rings*]

Slovakia, you will rise again my brothers! Keep your chin up!

no they won't.



This was IT.
The days of Slovakian hockey glory are officially done.

 

[Nordic Pride]

Wow, talk about choke...

 

[cibtom]

Sad moments for Slovaks

 

[slovakiasnextone]

First of all, althought 2nd goal goes on Halak's shoulders, he kept us in game for 2 periods. You can never expect to win the game just with 1 goal lead.

For many of those guys, this might be the last international tournament, so even though they didnt play their A game, they deserve atleast our respect for willing to represent their country - Stumpel (38), Satan (36), Zednik (35), Visnovsky (34), Strbak (36), Demitra (36) etc.

Also let me take this opportunity to say goodbye to world "elite" national scene, where we arguably belonged.

I´m so tired of this and this is such boggus. A number of the guys that played in the tournament would have done a much greater service to Slovak hockey if they just retired from the NT before the tourney even started and moved aside into hockey´s history. And now that they didn´t get their proper last goodbye like they were already supposed to do in Vancouver, they won´t retire again and Slovak NT will be stuck in the 20th century forever......

 

[Mestaruus]

If 2 teams in a group are tied will the goal difference say who has the better rank in the group or is the match between the 2 teams that matters first?

 

[slovakiasnextone]

If 2 teams in a group are tied will the goal difference say who has the better rank in the group or is the match between the 2 teams that matters first?

It´s the match between those two teams.....

 

[Mestaruus]

I´m so tired of this and this is such boggus. A number of the guys that played in the tournament would have done a much greater service to Slovak hockey if they just retired from the NT before the tourney even started and moved aside into hockey´s history. And now that they didn´t get their proper last goodbye like they were already supposed to do in Vancouver, they won´t retire again and Slovak NT will be stuck in the 20th century forever......

I got a feeling the same thing will happen next year in Finland for Finland. We probably get Selanne, Saku Koivu, Timonen, Lydman etc for the last time and we probably choke too and take playing time from our future players...

 

[Tissotti]

no they won't.



This was IT.
The days of Slovakian hockey glory are officially done.

To be brutally honest, i have to agree. There just isn't people ready to replace the old guys in the foreseeable future.
We are definitely also losing much of our old guys, but i can see us still just hanging there with the bigger and healthier hockey nations.

 

[PapaQ]

I´m so tired of this and this is such boggus. A number of the guys that played in the tournament would have done a much greater service to Slovak hockey if they just retired from the NT before the tourney even started and moved aside into hockey´s history. And now that they didn´t get their proper last goodbye like they were already supposed to do in Vancouver, they won´t retire again and Slovak NT will be stuck in the 20th century forever......

Who are the players who are supposed to replace them?

We already tried this once on last MS, remember? Do you really expect that we will do well with young players? Just face it dude, we are done atleast for half a decade.

@Mestaruus Selanne and S. Koivu arent even playing and you still do great. Finland have lots of good young players (atleast comparing to Slovakia). If i should pick one team that will meet the same fate as Slovakia, it would be Czech Republic.

 

[roto]

I really feel bad for Slovakia, but they were terrible. They tried to defend a one goal lead for two periods. Well, Team Finland isn't the most efficient team scoringwise, but if they are allowed to bomb Halak for two periods, it's quite likely that some puck goes in.

I didn't see that "skill" in Slovakian team that so many talk about. Finland played well tonight: defended well (without star power), attacked with force and patiently. They don't have real star power, but it isn't necessarily needed. Just look at rosters of Germany, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland to see that a team is more than the sum of its players, and also non-NHLers can score.

 

[tikkanen5rings*]

I got a feeling the same thing will happen next year in Finland for Finland. We probably get Selanne, Saku Koivu, Timonen, Lydman etc for the last time and we probably choke too and take playing time from our future players...

I think you should remove your account from hfboards and never enter the internet EVER again.

Selanne, Koivu, Lydman, Timonen etc... are in playoffs. We'll maybe get Korpikoski, Ruutu, J Jokinen BIG if, Joensuu etc.. nothing fancy. Finland is no longer a competing team for the WC. Sad but true


edit: I Wonder what was my message there. Anyways the ansver is Finland will GRIND to top 5. Always

 

[Tissotti]

I think you should remove your account from hfboards and never enter the internet EVER again.

Selanne, Koivu, Lydman, Timonen etc... are in playoffs. We'll maybe get Korpikoski, Ruutu, J Jokinen BIG if, Joensuu etc.. nothing fancy. Finland is no longer a competing team for the WC. Sad but true

Not getting the point here?

EDIT: Nvm

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Who are the players who are supposed to replace them?

We already tried this once on last MS, remember? Do you really expect that we will do well with young players? Just face it dude, we are done atleast for half a decade.

@Mestaruus Selanne and S. Koivu arent even playing and you still do great. Finland have lots of good young players (atleast comparing to Slovakia). If i should pick one team that will meet the same fate as Slovakia, it would be Czech Republic.

Playing with only young players is just as of a stupid idea as playing with the old farts like this year....there is something called balance...but that is an unknown to Slovak hockey.... And our so called young team last year was still one of the OLDEST in the whole tourney.....

while we don´t have many young players and such, why don´t we at least give an opprtunity to the few we have?....or are these old farts going to play until they´re 50?.....for example I wanted to throw my remote at the TV seeing Mr. crybaby Richard Z playing on there even in key situations or Marcel Hossa, while Ružička was warming the bench for most of the tourney, Záborský is pissed back at home and won´t play in the NT at least until 2014 WC, Pánik was sent home and probably was sitting infront of his TV and Tatar was practicing with the Red Wings Black Aces as was Viedenský with the Sharks´ ones......

 

[illone84]

tikkanen5rings...

quite the pessimist.

 

[Mestaruus]

I think you should remove your account from hfboards and never enter the internet EVER again.

Selanne, Koivu, Lydman, Timonen etc... are in playoffs. We'll maybe get Korpikoski, Ruutu, J Jokinen BIG if, Joensuu etc.. nothing fancy. Finland is no longer a competing team for the WC. Sad but true


edit: I Wonder what was my message there. Anyways the ansver is Finland will GRIND to top 5. Always

Hmm u should probably read posts more carefully .

Besides they were just examples. We will get a lot of old players that are fading "stars" that don't really help us anymore but have to be taken in if they want to come next year. Scenarios like this: Nashville next year will be in playoffs and Rinne can't come but Kipper is available and he isn't his best anymore, although still good, but Jalonen or whoever is the coach then is too scared not to put him as #1 goalie instead of someone better like Niemi (if he was available then). This again was an example, its very likely Kipper won't come as he doesn't normally want to come except for special events like olympics, home tournament maybe, but there are always other cases like that.

 

[PapaQ]

Playing with only young players is just as of a stupid idea as playing with the old farts like this year....there is something called balance...but that is an unknown to Slovak hockey.... And our so called young team last year was still one of the OLDEST in the whole tourney.....

while we don´t have many young players and such, why don´t we at least give an opprtunity to the few we have?....or are these old farts going to play until they´re 50?.....for example I wanted to throw my remote at the TV seeing Mr. crybaby Richard Z playing on there even in key situations or Marcel Hossa, while Ružička was warming the bench for most of the tourney, Záborský is pissed back at home and won´t play in the NT at least until 2014 WC, Pánik was sent home and probably was sitting infront of his TV and Tatar was practicing with the Red Wings Black Aces as was Viedenský with the Sharks´ ones......

I know, it sucks... There are couple of upcoming and talented young players, but it is simply not enough. It will be interesting to see how they build the team for next years, but we cant really expect them to do well for solid couple of years. Those "old farts" are still capable of achieving semi-decent result. Last year in Vancouver we had very similar line up and they played great IMO. But yeah, time is running out for them....