To: illone84
Wow! What a colossal effort to disprove the undisprovable, namely that:
1) this particular Finnish team is AVERAGE at best boasting only one potentially star player in Granlund,
2) Surely man proposes, God disposes, but divine intervention aside, it’s less than unlikely that such a lackluster hard-working star-less Finnish team (granted u have handled the norgs first, of course) can beat this flamboyant, star-studded Russian squad, coming off a victory over Canada, and therefore all fired up, clicking and brimming with confidence, TWICE IN A ROW during the same event.
3) It is even less likely, should Russia lose to Canada, that the Finns can beat the Canadians, ‘cause it normally happens once in a century
4) on top of that, in the potential bronze medal game (assuming u took care of the Norwegians) u will have to face either Czechs (can’t see them losing to the US) who look brilliant at these worlds or Sweden (another side u have abysmal record against), which effectively means only one thing: no medal for Finland this year. Sorry, mate, but u cannot choose the truth – all u can do is just accept it.
5) and finally, victories, even in one-off games, must, IDEALLY, be attributed to skills, mastery, and finesse, rather than grit, hard work or luck. That’s the way the Soviet Red Machine used to play and that’s the way it should be, at least the way I see it, 'cause for me hockey, when played by the best at their best, is a form of art rather than an ugly exercise in grit, hitting, shoving, pushing, bodychecking, and fistfighting.
Ps: The only point I concede is that at times I do sound somewhat arrogant with respect to the Finns, but not without reason: It all started yesterday during the post-game discussion of the showdown between our two nations, in which many Finnish commentators displayed extraordinary inadequacy and lack of reason and substance in evaluating the outcome in general and Russia’s performance in particular. It riled me up ‘cause every time I find it hard to put up with unsubstantiated opinions passed off as final judgment.
Pps: Nope, I have the pleasure of living in Moscow...
Thank you for responding.
However, to counter your argument's.
1) Yes, I agree this Finnish team is AVERAGE at best, however, when does Finland not have an average team at the WC?
Finland usually has a problem of bringing their best players and most recently our lovely coach Jalonen makes absent minded decisions.
This year for example, due to contract negotiations, playoffs or injury:
Lauri Korpikoski-
Niklas Hagman
Ville Leino
Kimmo Timonen
Toni Lydman
Jussi Jokinen
Joni Pitkanen
N. Backstrom
Playing as a TEAM will overcome flamboyant talent.
Just take a look back at the qf in Vancouver, Russia vs Canada, or the semi final WC in 2007, Fin vs Rus, or the semi final in Turino, Fin vs Rus.
Or how about yesterday? Fin vs Rus?
The CZE'S had less than an AVERAGE team last year and beat a Russian squad that was emulated to be the same SUPERSTAR roster that failed in the Olympics. 7-3, quite a victorious result........... for the CANADIANS
Yes and Mikko Koivu is just an average player too right?
2) Including Finns or not, Can you honestly tell me that this statement is not cocky?
"Finns cannot beat this flamboyant, star-studded Russian squad, coming off a victory over Canada, and therefore all fired up, clicking and brimming with confidence, TWICE IN A ROW during the same event."
3) Yes, I would rather play Russia any day over Canada. Like you said the Finns beating the Canadians in the playoffs occurs very seldom.
That being said, YES the Finns CAN beat the Russians in these situations. E.G Moscow 2007 (you live there so you'll never forget about it
2006 Torino
flamboyant, star-studded Russian squad
You mean the great Defense and goal tending that the team is built on ?
3) Finland can beat any country in the bronze game. As previously mentioned, Finland has beaten Canada in the olympics 1998, and in
the WC:
St Petersburg in 2000 against Canada,
2006 in Latvia against Canada (6-0),
and has beaten Sweden most recently in 2008.
Not to mention, we all know what happened in Vancouver against Slovakia.
Sorry, mate, but u cannot choose the truth – all u can do is just accept it.
This reminds me to let you know that you have beat Canada! That is not guaranteed! Nor is playing against Fin/Norway in the semi-final!
Just like the upsetting semi-final loss in Moscow, 2007!
ALL YOU CAN DO IS ACCEPT THE TRUTH!
5) You already know who invented the sport, and in Canada the game is played as a hard hitting, gritty, in your face type game.
The Soviet Union had the pleasure to play against non-NHL'ers
RIP Finland ....
