WJC: U20 WJC Semifinal game thread Sweden vs Finland

illone84

Registered User
Sep 15, 2005
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From a swedish stand point it's obviously dissapointing, but without Raymond, Holz and Eklund.. this team had absolute no punch and it showed and I'm surprised they even reached the Semis. It was not a very good team with a below average coach. Montens resume for his tenure speaks volumes.

Congrats Finland, deserved win and I will root for them in the final.

The real crime though, prime time, Friday evening, Semifinals... 3 dozens in the crowd.
Abysmal. Time for the IIHF to realize that there are more countries outside of Canada, move the tournament outside of Canada for half a decade.
Agreed, Sweden would have been much more dangerous with Raymond, Holz and Eklund. Regarding your other point, at least the tournie is going to Gothenburg in 2024!
 

Lambo

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Jan 10, 2019
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When was the last time best on best players were even able to participate?

I really would like to see how our national team could compete against the very best out there since our country is currently living its golden era of hockey. We have proven in countless occasions that you don't need to match other team's roster to beat them.
The golden generation + Jalonen as coach could indeed be a very, very tough opponent for anyone in a best on best tournament. A final vs Canada would also be possible.
 

Svedu

Registered User
Apr 23, 2019
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Imho i would bet on a final between Canada-Finland in a best-on-best at this very moment with the US and Sweden being very close.
It shouldn't even be controversial by now. Finland has shown how f*cking great they are. If there are any narrow-minded swedes or russians thinking else? Let them live in the past.
 
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Phil McKraken

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Jul 13, 2010
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Sweden
Imho i would bet on a final between Canada-Finland in a best-on-best at this very moment with the US and Sweden being very close.
It shouldn't even be controversial by now. Finland has shown how f*cking great they are. If there are any narrow-minded swedes or russians thinking else? Let them live in the past.

I never counted Sweden as the best hockey country in 2017 or 2018 just because the IIHF said so, because I know the WHC isn't a best-on-best tournament. And the past two Olympics were obviously joke tournaments.

The most important measurement is the NHL, and there's no doubt Canada, the US and Sweden are doing better at the moment. I think Finland is 4th or 5th together with Russia if everyone assembles their best team.
 
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Svedu

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Apr 23, 2019
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I never counted Sweden as the best hockey country in 2017 or 2018 just because the IIHF said so, because I know the WHC isn't a best-on-best tournament. And the past two Olympics were obviously joke tournaments.

The most important measurement is the NHL, and there's no doubt Canada, the US and Sweden are doing better at the moment. I think Finland is 4th or 5th together with Russia if everyone assembles their best team.
Yeah, and i bet you've missed that hockey is a team sport and that Finlands top6-9 are up there after Canada.
And the fact that if any country has shown that a system, the team and it's chemistry is just as important? It's Finland.
 

Phil McKraken

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
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Sweden
Yeah, and i bet you've missed that hockey is a team sport and that Finlands top6-9 are up there after Canada.
And the fact that if any country has shown that a system, the team and it's chemistry is just as important? It's Finland.

Finland's top 12 forwards this past season actually had less goals and points than all of Canada, the US, Sweden and Russia. Plus, there's also 6 d-men and a goalie to consider.
 

Svedu

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Apr 23, 2019
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Finland's top 12 forwards this past season actually had less goals and points than all of Canada, the US, Sweden and Russia. Plus, there's also 6 d-men and a goalie to consider.
So, those few reasons makes you believe that you are right? I guess you want to search after simple answers and few factors to consider. Be my guest. I will not even try to convince you after this.
 

Jussi

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Feb 28, 2002
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Its a little bit joke, we all know thats asterix and shouldnt been talk too much 😉
asterix.jpg
 

TimeZone

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What do you want, no ranking at all? We can't help you Canadians keeping the good players out of the competition because of money

Money? Its callsd the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

No ranking would be more accurate than a ranking based on slops.
 

TimeZone

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When was the last time best on best players were even able to participate?

I really would like to see how our national team could compete against the very best out there since our country is currently living its golden era of hockey. We have proven in countless occasions that you don't need to match other team's roster to beat them.

2016, which Canada won. 2014 proor, won by Canada, 2010 before that, also won by Canada.

The last time Finland went to the finals of a best on best was 2016, when they lost to big brother, Sweden.
 

Svedu

Registered User
Apr 23, 2019
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2016, which Canada won. 2014 proor, won by Canada, 2010 before that, also won by Canada.

The last time Finland went to the finals of a best on best was 2016, when they lost to big brother, Sweden.
The fact that you call Sweden big brother in hockey makes you look like a fool. Where have you been these last five or ten years? Inside a cave?
 
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karhukissa

Registered User
Apr 2, 2019
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2016, which Canada won. 2014 proor, won by Canada, 2010 before that, also won by Canada.

The last time Finland went to the finals of a best on best was 2016, when they lost to big brother, Sweden.
I've said this before but with the amount of registered hockey players and amount of money used to develop the game, each time Canada doesn't win a tournament is a disaster and embarassment.

Sweden had better d-core than Canada with 10 times less registered hockey players so we can say that only reason Canada keeps winning is that massive pool of players. And when Canada doesn't win, it's either iffy reffing or badly manufactured sticks. Or missing players.
 

Conspiracy Theorist

Registered User
Jan 30, 2016
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The fact that you call Sweden big brother in hockey makes you look like a fool. Where have you been this last five or ten years? Inside a cave?
USA is a bigger brother to Canada than Sweden is to Finland. Beating Sweden is fun, but Finland is no longer the underdog.
 

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
18,185
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Malmö, Sweden
I followed WJC since 2005. I never seen worse swedish forwards than in this tournament. They cant hold the puck, cant pass.

Good luck to Finland in the finals

The fact that you call Sweden big brother in hockey makes you look like a fool. Where have you been this last five or ten years? Inside a cave?
yeah, finland is big brother now

just like canada is to usa

and czechia to slovakia

This has to be one of the worst Swedish WJC teams I’ve personally ever seen

They were TRASH
You could barely tell who the top line was everyone sucked so bad.
yep and yet....we made semifinals. cant complain about that.

i wonder if we can beat the czechs
 

TimeZone

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The fact that you call Sweden big brother in hockey makes you look like a fool. Where have you been these last five or ten years? Inside a cave?

Which best on best tournament has Finland won in the last ten years?

Let me know

Canada is much weaker today than in 2014.

Based on what? McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby is about as elite as it gets down the middle.
 

MM917

Registered User
Aug 18, 2022
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When was the last time best on best players were even able to participate?

I really would like to see how our national team could compete against the very best out there since our country is currently living its golden era of hockey. We have proven in countless occasions that you don't need to match other team's roster to beat them.

If you are a Finnish fan I don't think you would like the results.
 

PatrikBerglund

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May 29, 2017
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Finland's top 12 forwards this past season actually had less goals and points than all of Canada, the US, Sweden and Russia. Plus, there's also 6 d-men and a goalie to consider.
Finland always plays better as a team, than the individial player's level would've indicated.

Thr problem now, at senior level with all their hugely talented players, is that they might not be as simple to find thr team chemistry.

Genetally, the more skill and talent, the bigger the egos usually are.
 

ChicagoBullsFan

Registered User
Jun 6, 2015
6,135
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Finland
Huh? Sweden was better than Finland until around 2018. Thats not a generation ago.
Really?
How you explain that Sweden lost 2014 U20 WJC's gold medal vs Finland in overtime.
You guys had Filip Forsberg, Oscar Dansk and many others.

We had some guy named Teuvo Teräväinen who wasn't even tournament MVP
because Swedish directorate favorited Forsberg in MVP voting.

That should tell you that being better doesn't mean that you will automatically win a U20 WJC gold.
And i have to say after all these years Rasmus Ristolainen's golden goal was a beauty
Dansk had NO chance in hell to even try save that goal
and look where's Dansk now he's not even playing in NHL anymore
meanwhile Ristolainen is NHL veteran these days.
 

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
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Malmö, Sweden
Really?
How you explain that Sweden lost 2014 U20 WJC's gold medal vs Finland in overtime.
You guys had Filip Forsberg, Oscar Dansk and many others.

We had some guy named Teuvo Teräväinen who wasn't even tournament MVP
because Swedish directorate favorited Forsberg in MVP voting.

That should tell you that being better doesn't mean that you will automatically win a U20 WJC gold.
And i have to say after all these years Rasmus Ristolainen's golden goal was a beauty
Dansk had NO chance in hell to even try save that goal
and look where's Dansk now he's not even playing in NHL anymore
meanwhile Ristolainen is NHL veteran these days.
Because if you compare Sweden vs Finland from let say 2006 to 2018, then Sweden had more sucess, more medals.
 

ChicagoBullsFan

Registered User
Jun 6, 2015
6,135
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Finland
Because if you compare Sweden vs Finland from let say 2006 to 2018, then Sweden had more sucess, more medals.
Yeah for sure.
We were missing 2014 U20 WJC's guys like Barkov,Kapanen and Määttä.
And still we won that tournament. So can you found better excuse for Sweden's lose?
 

Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
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Which best on best tournament has Finland won in the last ten years?
The thing is.. that applies to everyone. It's 2022... the World Cup was a joke in 2016. So there has only been one best on best in the last 10 years. 2014 in Sochi 8 years ago.

People really have to stop using the best on best argument against the Finn's .. they've peaked since the last best on best which was 8 years ago.

Eg. what best on best has Canada won in the last 5 years? zero.. they must suck.lol Only 1 best on best in a decade isn't impressive at all. Swedes, US and Russians haven't won a best on best in the last decade either.. they must suck too.

Connor McDavid has never won a best on best either.. total bust. I hope you get the analogy here because Connor hit his peak right around the team the Finn's did. After the last best on best was over.

I've even seen posters bring up 1972 as proof.lmao
 

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