WJC: Dec 31 GDT - Russia vs. Finland

[Joe MacMillan]

the ones who beat the US? :p

But still I'd rather face Germany than the US, even though Germany isn't an easy opponent either.

 

[Kaktus*]

My god... if we can play like that against Finland..

Just checked stats... Finland took too many penalties. Russians scored 4PP goals and one 5x5.
Team Finland played yesterday and maybe they were a little tired.
Shots were 43 on 23 for team Russia.
Finland took 28 penalty minutes and 16 for Russia.

Cherepanov and Zubov scored 2 each.
Makarov played very well too.

Varlamov had a day off in the net well he did have some saves but nothign major.

 

[Phenomenon]

Team Russia had learned the Finnish penalty killing tactics very well and outplayed our team 100-0. Rask was really alone against the opponent, who did not bother to warm him up with shots from the blueline, but played the puck with quick passes in front of the net. The first line was totally destroyed by not giving Lindgren any space, so Osala and Lehtonen were quite useless without quality passes.

With this amount of penalties and only one line enable to really challenge the good teams Finland has no chance to get a medal. It is time for a wake-up call for Joensuu and the others who have been given so much power play time with zero result.

Russia was really good overall and with this kind of effort and smart play they should be in the finals.

 

[bullsville]

Cherepanov will be a very good player.And Makarov is convincing me.I was dissapointed when Chicago picks him but he is showing that he can be a good player in the NHL

 

[Matti_A]

First off, a big hand to team Russia:

The only ones who can prevent Russia from winning gold are the referees.

As a fan of hockey it was a real treat to watch the offence of team Russia. Just awesome pure talent right there

Also have to say Rask was good today, without him Russia would have reached double digits

The first two periods we weren't even close to scoring in our dreams.

Varlamov was also impressive in net for Russia.

The ref made 1 or 2 bad calls but he definitely didn't cost Finland the game.

I just can't believe how undiciplined our boys have been this tournament.
This game was the first time I've seen a team take 3 penalties while already beeing shorthanded by two. Finland took some incredibly stupid penalties.

It's like a reverse from last year when Komarov took all our penalties, this year it feels like everybody but Komarov have been undiciplined.

 

[Phenomenon]

Varlamov was also impressive in net for Russia.

Did they really challenge him enough to say that he was impressive? I think Finland was really lame on creating any quality chances on him.

 

[Incarnation]

Our 2nd line (Joensuu - Komarov - Huhtanen) simply doesn't work as an offensive line. Huhtanen should be replaced with Osala-type goalscorer which we obviously don't have because it would be madness to split 1st line.

Sandell could be a good choice to replace Huhtanen. He can do some nice passes as we saw in todays game when he created a great scoring chance for Joensuu.
With Sandell in 2nd line, Joensuu would have to make it clear to himself that he needs to shoot, drive to the goal and score some ******* goals. In the past games all the playmaking has been on Joensuu's shoulders and it doesn't work out with that kind of linemates.

 

[Kaktus*]

First off, a big hand to team Russia:

The only ones who can prevent Russia from winning gold are the referees.

As a fan of hockey it was a real treat to watch the offence of team Russia. Just awesome pure talent right there

Classy!

The first two periods we weren't even close to scoring in our dreams.

Russians came out swinging and it looked like Finland was out of gas a little, maybe because they played back to back games and 1st goal was really important for both teams.

Varlamov was also impressive in net for Russia.

He was not really tested. Maybe in 3rd.

The ref made 1 or 2 bad calls but he definitely didn't cost Finland the game.

I could only think of one bad call against Finland that resulted 5th goal on 5 on 3 penalty (I think). I do not know why did they make that call.

I just can't believe how undiciplined our boys have been this tournament.
This game was the first time I've seen a team take 3 penalties while already beeing shorthanded by two. Finland took some incredibly stupid penalties.

Sometimes it's good to lose. Hopefully Finland will learn from it. You guys have a lot of offensive weapons and it looks like you guys will play USA. IMO Finland shots the puck much more then Swedes so hopefully you will be able to take them down because IMO USA goalie is a suspect.
I was really surprised with 5:0 outcome. I thought it would be a much closer game.

 

[TheGreatone94]

No love for Bumagin? He set up Cheranapov for two goals and looked pretty good out there. I think that gives him 7 points in 4 games.

 

[Vodka*]

Russia!

 

[RedAce]

GUYS HELP i can't watch the Video highlites!! it's says i need a codec WHAT do i do???

PLEASE help i link to the right codec??

any help my russian comrads????

Spasiba

 

[Berkut]

GUYS HELP i can't watch the Video highlites!! it's says i need a codec WHAT do i do???

PLEASE help i link to the right codec??

any help my russian comrads????

Spasiba

Download ffdshow codec, everything works with this one.

 

[Slay]

RedAce, try this player http://www.gomplayer.com/main.html

 

[Muscle Bob]

So, with whom do we play in the semifinal ?

 

[Berkut]

So, with whom do we play in the semifinal ?

Doesn't matter, we will crush them

 

[RorschachWJK]

Russia was far and away the better team. Our guys looked a bit tired. I don't think we could have won this game even if the guys had stayed out of the penalty box with more success. However, it would have been a more interesting game. Reffing didn't win or lose this game but I sure hope this Ritchie character never gets to ref a game again...a couple extremely strange calls there.

Congrats to Russia for a good game! I think you guys will win gold this year. Only Canada seems good enough to be a threat.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Congrats to Russia for a good game! I think you guys will win gold this year. Only Canada seems good enough to be a threat.

I agree. Russia seems to be a very strong candidate for gold this year.

 

[Panopticon]

Wow, 1 or 2 bad calls?

Even if the calls weren't bad (which I think some of them were) they weren't called evenly. Laakso and Lahti got a slashing penalties for a little taps (especially Laakso, these refs really seem to have something against him) while the Russians were allowed to swing their sticks all the time much harder and actually ruined the first Finnish PP that way.

Russia got away with pretty much anything in that game and I'm not denying the fact that they were the better team, but the referee made that game 5-0, not Team Russia. It would've been a 1-0 or 2-0 or possibly 2-1, 3-1 with better refereeing. They had very few real chances on even strength, and the even strength goal was after the game was already over and everything that could go wrong on that play went wrong. They couldn't clear the puck and Rask couldn't hold on to it and all he had to do was tap it in.

I was also kind of annoyed about the few Russians celebrating their goals that much. Dancing and whatever. I don't mind when they do it in the NHL (I actually like it there) after a good play, but those goals were tap-ins on 5-3 PPs... what's so fantastic about that?

But like I said, Russia would've won it anyway, I just don't understand how someone could say that the referee didn't affect the score...

 

[Den]

I was also kind of annoyed about the few Russians celebrating their goals that much. Dancing and whatever. I don't mind when they do it in the NHL (I actually like it there) after a good play, but those goals were tap-ins on 5-3 PPs... what's so fantastic about that? ...

Well, the first group place is fantastic. You are just sour grapes, let the kids celebrrate. You are also too optimistic about 1-0, 2-0 or 3-1.

 

[edd1e]

I just dont think that was a hockey game anymore just because of that ridiculous amount of penalties. Dont know was it because of that ref or young finns who cant hold their temper.

Not very flattering to watch..

 

[edd1e]

Well, the first group place is fantastic. You are just sour grapes, let the kids celebrrate. You are also too optimistic about 1-0, 2-0 or 3-1.

huh?

Russia got to rest better than Finns and at one point there where 5 Finnish players in the box at the same time. I think it's fair to say the score would have been different with better officiating.

 

[Kaizer]

You have to notice also, that most part of the 3rd period Russia changed ice time for lines and 4th line got major ice time with major PP time. Also Vojnov was their PP QB in 3rd, not Buravchikov or Zubarev.

 

[Panopticon]

Well, the first group place is fantastic. You are just sour grapes, let the kids celebrrate. You are also too optimistic about 1-0, 2-0 or 3-1.

First group place is fantastic, but if the game is already basically over and you score two goals on a 2 man PP that are simple tap-ins you are basically celebrating:

a) ref giving you the game
b) running up the score
c) a goal that a 2-year-old could've scored


The only goal that really justified such a joyfully wild celebration was Churilov's 4-0 goal, because he fought hard to get that goal and deserved to celebrate it. And interestingly enough, he probably celebrated it less than Zubov and Cherepanov celebrated theirs. Especially Zubov.

And yes, I'm sour grapes, and no, I'm not too optimistic. The game was very even for the few minutes it was played 5 on 5. The 2nd period penalties where Finland had 5 or 6 men in the penalty box at once, it wasn't just that they had to play with 3 men for so long, but also all of those players in the box were (important?) penalty killers or at least players who have seen a lot of PK time, including 3 centers leaving us with pretty much no one to win face-offs, and even if Laakso's and Sandell's penalties ended before the goal, they couldn't come out of the box. I'm surprised Russia only got one goal in that period...

 

[Panopticon]

Did they really challenge him enough to say that he was impressive? I think Finland was really lame on creating any quality chances on him.

He had like two impressive glove saves (Joensuu's breakaway and another that I don't remember too well... he also made a nice glove save on Laakso's shot from the neutral zone ) and one very important pokecheck in a situation where Enlund would've had the open net if Varlamov hadn't pokechecked it away (Enlund should've just shot the puck and not try to deke).

 

[Joe MacMillan]

The only goal that really justified such a joyfully wild celebration was Churilov's 4-0 goal, because he fought hard to get that goal and deserved to celebrate it. And interestingly enough, he probably celebrated it less than Zubov and Cherepanov celebrated theirs. Especially Zubov.

The first goal wasn't worth a joyful celebration? It was a beautiful goal followed by a beautiful play.

I agree with Den, let the kids celebrate. This tournament means a lot for them.