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

[slovakiasnextone]

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....

The problem is that we should have started rebuilding the team years ago already and Filc and co. were actually claiming to do so. and of course you are not going to be succesfull right from the start while you´re going to rebuild the team, but even our best generation had a lot of bad results before the good ones came. And at the times that they were starting in the NT they were mostly nobodies themselves and a number of players from the previous generation was sent home from the NT by Šupler when he started building the first Slovak NT after 1993. Noone has balls for it now.

No, it was a very different team in Vancouver as we were basing our play on Halák´s top notch play (which isn´t there this season) and we played a ver deffensive game based on Chára, MeszároÅ¡, Sekera and a 100% ViÅ¡ňovský logging in big minutes andthanks to great counter attacks. None of that was to be seen in Bratislava. And that´s avoiding the fact that they are all more than a year older, which is kind of important considering they are mostly older players.

 

[jcbio11]

Glen Hanlon needs to ****ing go. I am sorry, but that is how I feel. I want him to get the sack right after the tourney ends.

I am usually not the one to react this harshly and throw people under the bus, but frankly, this tourney was an embarrassment. 4 loses in a row on home ice in front of your own fans are unacceptable. He had been out-coached in every single game we have played.

We've had some pathetic rosters show up in the last few years, but Hanlon had a great roster which was supposed to contend for the medals. He failed.

 

[tikkanen5rings*]

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.

lol

U really think Finlands problem is goaltending??
The problem is finishing we really REALLY need at least two scorers to compete in Olympics. Our goaltenting is the only strenght this team has! D is horrible and O looks Euro style. It doesn't work against big 4. We barely beat the biggest loser of the contest. That should ring some bells?

 

[Krotak]

Congratulation to Finland, you deserved this win.

And for me it means:

 

[tikkanen5rings*]

tikkanen5rings...

quite the pessimist.

I prefer analyst or realist.

 

[PapaQ]

The problem is that we should have started rebuilding the team years ago already and Filc and co. were actually claiming to do so. and of course you are not going to be succesfull right from the start while you´re going to rebuild the team, but even our best generation had a lot of bad results before the good ones came. And at the times that they were starting in the NT they were mostly nobodies themselves and a number of players from the previous generation was sent home from the NT by Šupler when he started building the first Slovak NT after 1993. Noone has balls for it now.

No, it was a very different team in Vancouver as we were basing our play on Halák´s top notch play (which isn´t there this season) and we played a ver deffensive game based on Chára, MeszároÅ¡, Sekera and a 100% ViÅ¡ňovský logging in big minutes andthanks to great counter attacks. None of that was to be seen in Bratislava. And that´s avoiding the fact that they are all more than a year older, which is kind of important considering they are mostly older players.

I still think this is roughly the best we could do with avalaible pool of players. Of course, it would be different if the coaches started to work with younger players X years ago.

 

[llwyd]

I would not be overly pessimistic about Finland's future. The thing is that always when we haven't had Selänne and/or Koivu, we have been clear underdogs as compared with the very best teams in these tournaments having no world class individual talent. We have always compensated mightily with our discipline and hard work. The situation in the next few years is maybe marginally worse than what it was in our best years about a decade or so ago, but nothing dramatic has happened, we just overproduce fast skating grinders with awfully good work ethics and underproduce individual game deciding talent. That's Finland for you - and as we can compensate the narrow talent base, we shall remain as serious contenders in these short, best of one tournaments.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

I still think this is roughly the best we could do with avalaible pool of players. Of course, it would be different if the coaches started to work with younger players X years ago.

And yet they have accomplished about as much as last years´ no name roster did and even less in term of wins under the very same coach. You can blame everything on the coach, but the fact is that the players are the ones playing the game in the end and we have had two different groups of players under the very same coach....so was his really the best we could do going by player and by player whether he belongs there....? i still don´t think so....

 

[vsk92]

has it been decided who we play against in the quarter finals ??

 

[slovakiasnextone]

has it been decided who we play against in the quarter finals ??

Yes. Czechs, Germans, Russian and Finns all have secured a spot for the quarterfinal in this group....

 

[illone84]

It's not decided yet. We will know who Finland will play after the Fin vs Rus game on monday night, and the other groups results as well.


As long as Finland doesn't play Canada I will be happy!

 

[PapaQ]

And yet they have accomplished about as much as last years´ no name roster did and even less in term of wins under the very same coach. You can blame everything on the coach, but the fact is that the players are the ones playing the game in the end and we have had two different groups of players under the very same coach....so was his really the best we could do going by player and by player whether he belongs there....? i still don´t think so....

I am not blaming the coach (although i think he did a poor job). There is no excuse for the players to play this bad - i am sure even they are aware of it (Hossa already said it in press). All i am saying they had potential to play better, unfortunetly they didnt.

 

[illone84]

has it been decided who we play against in the quarter finals ??

http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/261/IHM261700_76_6_0.pdf

More than likely Finland will end up in 2nd or third place from their group, so they will probably face either USA or SWE for the qf.

 

[QnebO]

I am not blaming the coach (although i think he did a poor job). There is no excuse for the players to play this bad - i am sure even they are aware of it (Hossa already said it in press). All i am saying they had potential to play better, unfortunetly they didnt.

I think its not their fault mainly. Guys like hossa, gaborik or satan playin trap-defence and trying to defence one goal lead from first peroid (most idiotic thing to do in hockey)? I dont think so. I think those very good players would have perfered to play creative offensive hockey, but hanlon made them play trap...

 

[slovakiasnextone]

I think its not their fault mainly. Guys like hossa, gaborik or satan playin trap-defence and trying to defence one goal lead from first peroid (most idiotic thing to do in hockey)? I dont think so. I think those very good players would have perfered to play creative offensive hockey, but hanlon made them play trap...

And what exactly is they did when the got their chance to play offensive hockey during the PPs? Played last century fashioned hockey with loads of useless passing no shots and therefore zilch effect.....

At least Hossa had the balls to confess after the game that he is disappointed by his performance in the tourney himself.....good to see that not everyone is going for the **** happens etc. excuses.....

 

[illone84]

Hossa is a stand up guy, I feel bad for him and his national team.

Would have been nice to see them in the QF's.

 

[MadArcand]

And what exactly is they did when the got their chance to play offensive hockey during the PPs? Played last century fashioned hockey with loads of useless passing no shots and therefore zilch effect.....

At least Hossa had the balls to confess after the game that he is disappointed by his performance in the tourney himself.....good to see that not everyone is going for the **** happens etc. excuses.....

The problem is that our NT has been playing the same kind of crap pseudo-hockey for years now, under several different coaches. Useless cycling in the corners, horrendously timed line changes, static PPs with no shooting, incredibly passive defensive zone coverage and utter lack of willingness to play physical and crash the net. They do the same crap all the time, regardless of who coaches - Filc, Hanlon, Supler, Hossa, they played the same style under them all. Any kind of straightforward, aggressive offensive action seems to be beyond the team.

 

[Mestaruus]

lol

U really think Finlands problem is goaltending??
The problem is finishing we really REALLY need at least two scorers to compete in Olympics. Our goaltenting is the only strenght this team has! D is horrible and O looks Euro style. It doesn't work against big 4. We barely beat the biggest loser of the contest. That should ring some bells?

No, goaltending is not a problem. It was an example.

Btw it looks like Sweden and Canada are #1 and #2 in their groups after this stage is done so if Finland doesn't get a lot of points vs Russia it's going to be in Germany's hands who we face since we got our game 16:00 CET on monday while Ger got their's afterwards. So there could be a lot of excitement in Ger-Cze. In worst case scenario Germany could even throw a point away to avoid Canada let's say in a 1-1 situation at the end of 3rd period if Finland and Ger were still tied in points in their group and Sweden would upset Canada, but it's all pretty far fetched speculation of course . Don't want Canada nooo.

 

[roto]

Future of Finland doesn't look so bad. National team players don't need to be young. I don't understand why many seem to think, that you need to have young team. If you want to look young players, you can look junior championships. National team should contain the best players regardless of age. Teemu, for example, is old, but it doesn't make him useless.

We have many relatively young forwards: M Koivu, T Ruutu, J Jokinen, Korpikoski, Bergenheim, Joensuu... Then we have several promising young guys stepping up: Granlund, Pulkkinen, Donskoi, Armia, Hartikainen etc. In addition, we have always plenty of hard working grinders for bottom lines. Defense is more a problem currently, but in few years we'll have some good big young defenders. Goaltending isn't a problem.

We need to remember that age span of players in NT can be more than 20 years. There can be a 5-year period when we have no new good players, but from NT point of view that isn't a problem, because of the long time span. It could be a problem in WJC, but who cares about a junior tournament where only few countries are really competitive?

Yes, we don't have Selänne, Timonen, S Koivu, Salo available soon, but they (especially Teemu) haven't been in WCs very often anyway. They have been usually in "bigger" tournaments, but still Finland has many times proved, that team can beat the star power. Usually our team hasn't been nearly as stacked with star power as those of Canada, Sweden and Russia.

I'm quite optimistic with the future of Team Finland.

 

[Bojovnik]

Bring back Filc

 

[Winner]

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.

^-This. They just appeared so... clueless. It was painful to watch actually, I felt bad for them. At least it's over now so they're not going to embarrass Slovakia for much longer

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I still think this is roughly the best we could do with avalaible pool of players. Of course, it would be different if the coaches started to work with younger players X years ago.

Well, Slovakia always had a bit of a depth problem compared to the other big nations. But honestly, this team had no business losing to Germany. Yes, the D isn't as good as it was in Vancouver but the team is still better at every position than the German team.

If I was a Slovak I'd be mad that the Slovakian team didn't wake up until late in that game, too late, because in the third period Hossa and Demitra were skating circles around the Germans. If the team had played that way throughout they would have easily won.

 

[edd1e]

We have many relatively young forwards: M Koivu, Leino, Filppula, T Ruutu, J Jokinen, Korpikoski, Bergenheim, Joensuu... Then we have several promising young guys stepping up: Granlund, Pulkkinen, Donskoi, Armia, Hartikainen etc. In addition, we have always plenty of hard working grinders for bottom lines. Defense is more a problem currently, but in few years we'll have some good big young defenders. Goaltending isn't a problem.

Missed a few.

 

[Lapa]

Vehanen confirmed as a starter for Russia game.

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/mmjaakie...550/jalonen-nimesi-venaja-ottelun-maalivahdin

 

[edd1e]

Vehanen confirmed as a starter for Russia game.

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/mmjaakie...550/jalonen-nimesi-venaja-ottelun-maalivahdin

That shouldnt shock anyone.. Good news.