WJC: Pre-Game Talk for Semifinals

[Prntscrn]

 

[Erikfromfin]

 

[luongo321]

Sweden/Russia will probably be the best game of the tourney. If Canada makes it to the finals and faces sweden, they will need a miracle to win. If they take even 1 or 2 undisciplined penalties, it would probably cost them the game. Sweden's team is just flying right now.

 

[wings5]

Vasilevsky > Dansk is the biggest reason Russia has a good chance to win.

 

[Greatger]

Sweden = Gold (they look like Robots out there, one of the strongest Sweden Junior teams i've seen).

Canada = Silver (As long as they stay out of the penalty box against Finland, and get the 1st goal. This isn't bad since I didn't think Canada would even get a medal this year). Should the Fins manage to beat Canada, then my prediction will come true that another year without a medal.

Russia = Bronze (much stronger than the Fins, and the Fins will be deflated by the lob-sided loss to Canada).

 

[Pentothal]

So just to confirm since there's been some confusion, the Sweden - Russia game is definitely 15.00 CET and Canada - Finland 19.00 CET, right?

 

[Cruor]

Sweden = Gold (they look like Robots out there, one of the strongest Sweden Junior teams i've seen).

I swear I do a double-take at times, it looks like Canada is out there playing in yellow jerseys. Very unusual feeling. Also, lol at all the sour grapes and projecting in here. Is that how it feels being Canada/favourite?

 

[Jocke]

good post. that was my point. i dont think world junior championship is the ultimate goal of any hockey player or nation. its to develope players for mens senior teams for world championships/olympics/world cups and to NHL etc. thats what finland has succeeded therefore its better to have guys like määttä barkov and co in NHL than this one tournament thats why i said we have already won.

You're talking like you got half an NHL team missing

Why are you even here if you don't care about the tournament?

Edit: Just to be clear:
# of Swedes in NHL: 68
# of Finns: 26

 

[Alfapet]

Its ok all these swedish people getting excited. They only tied Finland and Czech 2 years ago in world junior championship history and quickly got carried away. Other nations can put this tournament into perspective and understand with the players missing in NHL etc it doesnt tell the whole story. Sweden is latebloomer at this level in world scale so they might get carried away here or there.

Make a list of the players you miss then.

If you want to put things into perspective; post the 20 best finnish players drafted the last 5 years and we'll compare them to the 20 best swedish players.

Of course we're excited with so many talents.

Canada is missing a lot of players, but noone is claiming that Sweden has a better talent pool than they have.

 

[Frederick Stanley]

So just to confirm since there's been some confusion, the Sweden - Russia game is definitely 15.00 CET and Canada - Finland 19.00 CET, right?

Yes.

 

[Pentothal]

Yes.

Cheers!

 

[Yakushev72]

Its always different when you play a team the 2nd time. For Sweden, it will be hard to imagine a scenario in which they could lose, which will result in at least a small degree of overconfidence, even though you will hear the players mouthing words about how it could be different this time. The overconfidence won't necessarily be fatal, as long as things don't start going differently than they expected. Its only when their preconceived notions start to break down that a team can become psychologically impaired. Should be an interesting game!

 

[Systemfel]

I think we'll see Canada and Russia in the final. Russia's going to be really riled up to beat Sweden tomorrow, and Vasilevski is better than Dansk.

 

[IceHockeyDude]

That was a good one but adding the subtitles would've helped to understand what it was about

 

[Adanac]

Its always different when you play a team the 2nd time. For Sweden, it will be hard to imagine a scenario in which they could lose, which will result in at least a small degree of overconfidence, even though you will hear the players mouthing words about how it could be different this time. The overconfidence won't necessarily be fatal, as long as things don't start going differently than they expected. Its only when their preconceived notions start to break down that a team can become psychologically impaired. Should be an interesting game!

I don't know man...

I know Russia for example never lost to Canada twice in the tournament. So every tine Canada beat us in the robin round we came back and eliminated them in the play-offs.

And Sweden played well, but its not like it was a blow-out victory or anything. Russia will readjust...Sweden will probably readjust as well, but it could go either way. I would surely not bet all of my savings on Sweden or something. First period was good...but then Russia wasn't really outplayed by Swedes.

 

[joe89]

I don't know man...

I know Russia for example never lost to Canada twice in the tournament. So every tine Canada beat us in the robin round we came back and eliminated them in the play-offs.

And Sweden played well, but its not like it was a blow-out victory or anything. Russia will readjust...Sweden will probably readjust as well, but it could go either way. I would surely not bet all of my savings on Sweden or something. First period was good...but then Russia wasn't really outplayed by Swedes.

It always scares me when Swedish teams cruise through group stages. We won both exhibition games against USA and Canada aswell. I will say we've become better at dealing with pressure though, and half the team knows what it's all about from last year so that helps.

But it's not like we are that big favorites to begin with, bookies almost double your money on a swedish win and the spread is one goal.

 

[Pentothal]

It always scares me when Swedish teams cruise through group stages. We won both exhibition games against USA and Canada aswell. I will say we've become better at dealing with pressure though, and half the team knows what it's all about from last year so that helps.

But it's not like we are that big favorites to begin with, bookies almost double your money on a swedish win and the spread is one goal.

I always feel like this as well. I almost prefer to get a real bad game out of the way in the group stage, since it can get the team focused for the knock-out stages. Especially at this level with young inexperienced guys.

Seems too good to be true that Sweden would be able to stroll through a tournament without a loss and win gold.

Can't remember it ever happening.

 

[Cruor]

I always feel like this as well. I almost prefer to get a real bad game out of the way in the group stage, since it can get the team focused for the knock-out stages. Especially at this level with young inexperienced guys.

Seems too good to be true that Sweden would be able to stroll through a tournament without a loss and win gold.

Can't remember it ever happening.

Same here, an early round robin loss is usually sobering and fruitful. See this years WC for example. With that said, this doesn't look to be a typical 'Swedish' team. People thought they would buckle under 'pressure' from playing at home, on the contrary they seem to thrive under it.

 

[Loffer]

Okay, this is the deal.

Russia should try and take an initiative in this game, otherwise they will be once again caught back on their heels and Sweden will gain the momentum out of the gate. This is why the Ruskies must or should start the game with aggressive forechecking not letting the Swedes come out of their zone as a well-organized unit. If Ruskies come at the Swedes full-throttle the game will turn to a fierce man-on-man battle more or less on every area of the ice killing the "Swedish" flow from the onset.

After the first wave of Sweden's push is thus defied things will even up.

 

[Pentothal]

Same here, an early round robin loss is usually sobering and fruitful. See this years WC for example. With that said, this doesn't look to be a typical 'Swedish' team. People thought they would buckle under 'pressure' from playing at home, on the contrary they seem to thrive under it.

Agreed, though I just realized we didn't lose a game in the 2012 WJCs

Point still stands though.

 

[Cruor]

Okay, this is the deal.

Russia should try and take an initiative in this game, otherwise they will be once again caught back on their heels and Sweden will gain the momentum out of the gate. This is why the Ruskies must or should start the game with aggressive forechecking not letting the Swedes come out of their zone as a well-organized unit. If Ruskies come at the Swedes full-throttle the game will turn to a fierce man-on-man battle more or less on every area of the ice killing the "Swedish" flow from the onset.

After the first wave of Sweden's push is thus defied things will even up.

I think this is what they have in mind aswell, but bear in mind Sweden is basically fielding three first lines this year. A rare luxury. If Russia becomes physical and starts banging they probably feel they will have the upper hand, I'm not so sure though. The little we saw of that last game I thought Sweden handled it well and upped the ante when needed. We need to avoid penalties as the plague though, USA lost the game in a span of a 2-3 minutes.

 

[Tomas W]

With a record of 1 win in 5 gold medal games, you would think most Swedes would be a bit more humble going into the medal round.

Everyone knows Sweden is the favorite here, but winning is never a foregone conclusion. There are 4 teams left and any of them can win. That happens in single elimination games. I'm not looking past our next opponent in Finland. You shouldn't be looking past Russia either. They have been in the gold medal final 10 of 18 years.

1 of 5. So before 96 there wasnt any finals played then?Just a straight series?

Sweden got 2 golds and 9 silvers in Wjc history but yeah I dont think they had cup round games at first, dont know when they started sith that but probably around 90?

 

[Majikme]

How many people in sweden are aware of the World J's? I would assume it's not canada level, but it must be at least semi popular

 

[How Ya Drouin]

What time did the Swedes end up choosing? Early or late?

 

[Scotty B]

1 of 5. So before 96 there wasnt any finals played then?Just a straight series?

Sweden got 2 golds and 9 silvers in Wjc history but yeah I dont think they had cup round games at first, dont know when they started sith that but probably around 90?

Yes, BUT even in the old format there were MANY defacto Gold Medal Games...Early on, the schedulers usually had Canada playing Russia near ( or at ) the end of the round robin, ditto Swede vs Canada in the early 90's ( Swedes ALWAYS lost those defacto gold games btw! ). Often those game did decide gold, & the remaining games ( if any ) were, insofar as the two top teams were concerned, more or less, a meaningless formality