GDT: 2018 WJC • Game 21 • QF1: CZE (4) - FIN (3) F/SO

[addu]

what a classy comment!

Thanks! My first post, glad you liked it

After the initial shock, depression and frustration that I also experienced after the shootout, I must say that I am not as torn as I could be. I saw some great hockey from the Finnish team, just as one would expect in u20's: it was at it's best creative, smart and kind of show-off-y (if that is a word). It was lacking some major stuff, such as intensity and power and winner-quality-goaltending. But I don't feel bad. Can't actually expect to win every year, can you? (Well, maybe you can, if you happen to be Canada or Soviet Russia - Finland? Not yet.)

The main point that I felt we missed was a team. We had some really good hockey players but not a team. Even though I heard on the national TV that they got to stick together and practice for quite a long time (comparing to adult tournaments at least). So it feels to me, that something might (just a hunch, no actual knowledge) have gone wrong in the process of Finnish coaching after we started producing real NHL stars (the goalies were the first wave, now we have Rask and Rinne and such) and over-the-top talented individuals (first goalies and recently PuLa-Aho's). We can bring top talent nowadays but we no longer have the strong-5 that we had as underdogs. If we could get that back, plus this talent, we'd be gold.

But I don't feel bad. Because with this team, it did at first seem worth all the hype. But seeing them play... it was not enough.

Still eager to see the medal games. Now rooting for Czechia!

 

[Mestaruus]

Ohhh MAN that is some terrible coaching

No offense to Juolevi, but he is not a shootout player. He'd probably tell you that himself.
I dont blame Juolevi, that is terrible coaching for selecting him and not Heponiemi.

Indeed. Why he was chosen has to be that the coach values a lot who is hot in the current game. Before the shootout I had one defender in mind who could be chosen if any defenders were and that is Heiskanen, but because Heiskanen wasn't that great that game I would've gone with 5 forwards and Heponiemi as one of them. Perhaps Ikonen/Kupari who are skilled forwards as well over Kuokkanen/Juolevi.

Finland should have ended it before SO though so what ever. Still strange how a coach can choke like that when it comes to obvious decisions for selecting the SO shooters.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Another 3-4 days of the tournament extending, is not the end of the world. However, the IIHF does not grasp that. A shame.

It's easy for you to say. But it's IIHF who would have to explain to Jokerit, for example, they will be potentially missing their top scorer for 2 more games just because you don't like shootouts.

Has NHL team ever let their leading scorer leave the team for 3 weeks?

 

[Past Considerations]

Just because something is done for a long time, does not mean it cannot be changed. QF's should be spread out. Same with the Semis. Another 3-4 days of the tournament extending, is not the end of the world. However, the IIHF does not grasp that. A shame.

A lot of things would have to considered if the schedule was less compact and not all of it is fully up to IIHF. When the tournament is in NA, it usually uses one NHL arena, and the NHL team living there usually only plays road games during the tournament, it might just a few days so there's another scheduling issue that needs to resolved. More days also mean the junior league teams and pro teams in Europe lose their best players for a longer time usually in an important part of the season.

 

[Tuoppi]

Wow, that's the most unfair win I've seen in the last 20 years. After all pro goalies Finland has produced, it's hard to believe Luukkonen was the best alternative. No chance whatsoever that he'll ever play a single game in the NHL.

Canada are already in the finals and will be joined by the US. Sweden won't have a chance against the US. We had an easy group without the top 3 nations and I think our team is overrated.

Luukkonens draft number was 54. We won in 2016 with goalies Kähkönen draft number 109 and Vehviläinen undrafted.

 

[FinPanda]

After I have thought about it, still can't understand why we lost. We can't score, that's it. I am happy that some of our players will play in the next years tournament too, some will play in the NHL. Life isn't fair, hockey isn't fair and it's just a game. More tournament wll come, I think we'll see many great Finnish teams in the future.

Congrats Czechs for winning the shootout, now win the tournament so I can't be that mad if we lost to winner.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

After I have thought about it, still can't understand why we lost. We can't score, that's it. I am happy that some of our players will play in the next years tournament too, some will play in the NHL. Life isn't fair, hockey isn't fair and it's just a game. More tournament wll come, I think we'll see many great Finnish teams in the future.

Congrats Czechs for winning the shootout, now win the tournament so I can't be that mad if we lost to winner.

If your goalie is a sieve and the other goalie is a brick wall, it doesn't really matter how good your team is sometimes. This was one of those times

 

[Mestaruus]

Luukkonens draft number was 54. We won in 2016 with goalies Kähkönen draft number 109 and Vehviläinen undrafted.

Only Kähkönen deserves to be mentioned. Vehviläinen deserves zero credit of that gold. Worst goalie Finland has had for the last 15 years in u20. It's funny how things change though and now he's looking pretty good in SM-Liiga.

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

Why the f*** these games are decided by shootouts anyways? I would understand the round robin games, but not these. I'm pissed.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Also you fellas need to keep in mind Luukkonen is huge and 18. Those monster-sized goalies take long time to develop. He sure is all over the place at the moment but his draft position isn't necessarily unwarranted.

Having said that, it sure sucks for Finland he was their best option for this tournament.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Yes, lets just have "a couple of more arenas". Maybe IIHF can build them by using magic or something. Buffalo is a large hockey market and the 2nd arena they're using now (where one QF, SWE-SVK, is played today) is the Sabres' practice arena and merely resembles a barn. And if you have four QFs per day, you need four arenas.

Buffalo is a pretty short bus ride from a whole crapload of arenas in Ontario. Pretty sure Niagara Falls isn't much further from Buffalo than the stadium where the outdoor game was played.

Of course if any games were played outside Buffalo they wouldn't be able to claim to be the exclusive home of these games, but so what. If you don't have enough rinks, and you're in the northern USA, just look north....there'll be one nearby.

 

[Claypool]

Why the **** these games are decided by shootouts anyways? I would understand the round robin games, but not these. I'm pissed.

Because 18 year olds shouldn't be playing more than three hours of hockey.

 

[maclean]

Wow, people still get really upset about shootouts, eh?

 

[Mestaruus]

If your goalie is a sieve and the other goalie is a brick wall, it doesn't really matter how good your team is sometimes. This was one of those times

AKA what Finland does to other top countries at men's level with their good goaltending.

 

[addu]

Wow, people still get really upset about shootouts, eh?

It's a really terrible way to lose a game. You can't disagree on that.

 

[FinPanda]

If your goalie is a sieve and the other goalie is a brick wall, it doesn't really matter how good your team is sometimes. This was one of those times

True. Disappointing performance from Luukkonen.

 

[joey16]

Embarrassing is too strong a word IMO, but we did get outplayed badly. I liked our drive though, didn't give up even when the Finns were toying with us. Kořenář was great and we were very opportunistic with the few good moments we got.
Just hoping now that we can survive the semis without an embarrasing 6-0 or 7-0 result.

OK, maybe it is a bit strong but we really didn't play good at all today. It just somehow doesn't feel right to win like this after wating so long for this moment. On the other hand we had some plentiful bad luck in the past so I guess it evens out Just too bad Finns had to pay for that, I would have liked to see them in the medal games.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Why did the OT last only 10 minutes anyway?

 

[TheFeistyFinn]

well deserved win for the czechs! our team never came together. overhyped def also. i didn't see any worthy 1st rounders out there.

 

[Breakers]

That Valimaki - Heiskanen pairing was really really bad.
they were -2 today
they were -2 the game before against the US,
Valimaki and Heiskanen had a CF% of 44%, and 48% respectively
While Juolevi and Jokiharu were 84% and 80%

Vali and Heiskanen could not get out of their zone as they usually had substantially worse transitions as well. I didn't understand the coach not breaking them up, anybody watching saw they were getting exposed.

 

[DDRhockey]

Why did the OT last only 10 minutes anyway?

in the finals, OT is 20min

 

[FinPanda]

Terrible to watch all the finnish players interviews. Young guys just crying and so disappointed. They are kids after all.

 

[Kaos Kommando]

Just because something is done for a long time, does not mean it cannot be changed. QF's should be spread out. Same with the Semis. Another 3-4 days of the tournament extending, is not the end of the world. However, the IIHF does not grasp that. A shame.

So it's 70 minutes of trying to find who wins. One would think that after that we should have a winner. Nope we should extend it as long as we can because "I feel like it". We should forget leagues like NHL and KHL and just play a few more days because "I feel like it". Who cares about schedules because "I feel like it". Three to four days because "I feel like it".

It's easy to say that they should do this and that. Actually making it happen is difficult. But hey, at least you can have fun criticising it. So, because "I feel like it" people can have fun with that. So you kinda win. You can have that.

Shame that there are actually things planned year before this tournament. Same in NHL. There's (maybe) a concert at fudge you a'clock, and your flight leaves at this (time). "But why can't we just play till we find a winner". Because we chose this venue for our game/band a year ago, and your flight is leaving in an hour. That's why.

Sorry.. someone should correct my spelling..

-Charles Eleventh the Twelfth-

 

[ManWithNoName]

Luukkonens draft number was 54. We won in 2016 with goalies Kähkönen draft number 109 and Vehviläinen undrafted.

He could have been picked first overall, he is still useless. He is the worst goalie of this tourney and I doubt he impressed anyone within the Buffalo organization.

 

[maclean]

It's a really terrible way to lose a game. You can't disagree on that.

Getting blown out is a terrible way to lose a game. In comparison a shootout loss is relatively painless