GDT: 2018 WJC • Game 31 • Gold: SWE (1) - CAN (3) F

[JackSlater]

Well, that was a weird game. I'm glad that Canada won, but it was a poor performance. For large stretches of the game Canada struggled to even complete passes. Sweden very clearly played better, but the team that plays better, or even the best team, doesn't always win. Certainly Canada has been on the other side of this situation. I really liked Batherson's play in this game, so credit to him. Timmins and Mete were quite good as well. Credit to Sweden again for playing well in the game. I find Sweden's performances at the WJC consistently bizarre. It's like there is no gear to go up to or no finishing edge. Even when they won in 2012 it took overtime despite Sweden absolutely dominating the final. I don't know what to make of it.

I will also add that while I am not surprised that there is a lot of whining about the reffing I didn't think that it was bad. They let iffy things go for the most part on both sides but Sweden took several penalties that had to be called. The penalty when Kyrou tricked the ref into thinking that his stick was grabbed is the only one that sticks out. I only recall two instances where a Canadian seemed like he might receive a penalty and didn't, and both were accompanied by dives. Not great reffing but not horrible.

 

[NyQuil]

Mackenzie talking about the penalties right now and he said all in all the calls made on sweden pretty much had no choice but to be called.

And Mackenzie has rightly earned a reputation as one of the most non homer guys in the hockey press. he's as reasonable and unbiased as they come.

Case closed!!

I think the contention is that there was stuff going the other way that wasn't called.

 

[jj cale]

I think the contention is that there was stuff going the other way that wasn't called.

Mmmm, what do you think about that?

 

[snipes]

I wannna knooooooooow

Willll you be myyy guuurl?

This is getting weird Trashy, and I don't care.

 

[NyQuil]

Mmmm, what do you think about that?

I don't think it was significant enough to mean that Sweden was incapable of winning.

 

[The Kessel Run]

Those of you criticizing Andersson.

He's an elite athlete near the pinnacle of his profession, he'll probably reach that next season, I don't think anyone here can credibly critique him. If so, speak up with your qualifications for doing so.

I don't think they're critiquing his ability?

Extending your logic, I should have no problem with Mike Tyson's criminal past as I do not have the same boxing credentials as him.

 

[Freudian]

I guess they could have called Timmins on Pettersson but other than that I don't think the refs missed any penalties in the game. The interference penalties Sweden got were well earned.

 

[Talus]

Refs took a few weak calls early in the game. Sweden was the better team imo. Lucky win for Canada. Sorry.

luck doesn't win games skill does but everyone can have an opinion.

 

[wabagee]

Canadian kids so entitled they just sit down in the dressing room and type on the iPhone, I miss the Russian jrs when they celebrated, got drunk, got arrested and got kicked off airplanes. That's a celebration !

 

[jj cale]

I don't think it was significant enough to mean that Sweden was incapable of winning.

Agreed.

 

[RealityBytes]

Mackenzie talking about the penalties right now and he said all in all the calls made on sweden pretty much had no choice but to be called.

And Mackenzie has rightly earned a reputation as one of the most non homer guys in the hockey press. he's as reasonable and unbiased as they come.

Case closed!!

Yeah, but he also said some of the non calls against Sweden were iffy and should have been called.

 

[Huggy43]

Those of you criticizing Andersson.

He's an elite athlete near the pinnacle of his profession, he'll probably reach that next season, I don't think anyone here can credibly critique him. If so, speak up with your qualifications for doing so.

Dislike this pov. Does that mean I can't critique Nickleback because I've never sold a record?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Shocking. Ranger boy defends his prospect.

That's why silver and bronze medals are routinely thrown into the stands, right?

What are your qualifications to critique him?

 

[NyQuil]

Canadian kids so entitled they just sit down in the dressing room and type on the iPhone, I miss the Russian jrs when they celebrated, got drunk, got arrested and got kicked off airplanes. That's a celebration !

?

What a bizarre contention.

 

[TaroTsujimoto]

Hockey is Canada's game! Gold Baby!!!

I'm Canadian and will take the victory, but what's with this ridiculous chest thumping? "Yay, we got outplayed" .... let's take the gold and run, and try to ice a team next year that can actually win in fully deserving fashion.

 

[jj cale]

Yeah, but he also said some of the non calls against Sweden were iffy and should have been called.

I don't think it cost them the game, reffing is reffing, it's never perfect.

We could talk about reffing in just about any game played at any level anywhere and this game was hardly anything to write home about when it comes to reffing issues.

 

[Talus]

Anyone who is an actual fan of hockey can't actually want the efforts of their teams players during a win overshadowed by the referees right? This happens time, and time, and time again. What the hell has this sport become.

the refs had zero impact on this game they were first class.

 

[PensandCaps]

I don't think they're critiquing his ability?

Extending your logic, I should have no problem with Mike Tyson's criminal past as I do not have the same boxing credentials as him.

Criminal behaviour is Totally the same thing when compared to throwing a medal into a crowd....

 

[BM14]

What are your qualifications to critique him?

Where are the hundreds of examples of loser medals being tossed away in disgust from international competitions?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don't think they're critiquing his ability?

Extending your logic, I should have no problem with Mike Tyson's criminal past as I do not have the same boxing credentials as him.

I don't see how boxing and committing crimes are in the same genre.

 

[Pookie]

So...two calls?

Did you catch the two-hander to Timmins's neck that never got called?

Where is your outrage over that?

My point is, in any given game there will be missed calls. There were some that didn't get called on the Swedes, too. But if you are dumb enough that you are going to stick your leg out five feet from the ref, or trip a guy taking the puck to the net on a clear scoring chance...guess what? Those rarely get missed.

C'mon man.

Every call we got was fair. Maybe only 1, the dive by #25 was, questionable.

But you can't tell me with a straight face that the slash and broken stick with the game 2-1, wouldn't be called 99 times out of 100. The fact that it resulted in a turnover that led to a goal seconds later to put the game out of reach is mind boggling.

I can 100% empathize with Swedish fans on that one.

 

[Merya]

Now that Canada won, does the tournament have significance again?

 

[ponder]

Was a really good, hard fought game. Very even, thought Sweden displayed a bit more skill (and excellent penalty killing), but Canada were able to gut out the win.

Re: the reffing, obviously the penalties were very unbalanced, but I thought they called a very good game. They weren’t calling any ticky-tack calls on either team, only the clear penalties. The Swedes were just very undisciplined in this game, taking a tonne of penalties that the refs absolutely had to call, while the Canadians played a really disciplined game. I’m sure the refs would have preferred to have called more even penalties, but Swedish players were the ones taking them.

So many years it’s been Canada playing undisciplined, and paying for it, so nice to see them keep it real cool while the other team took al the calls. Didn’t really help Canada in the end, as they generated nothing on the PP and got a shorty scored on them, but at least they didn’t sink themselves as they have in the past.

 

[NyQuil]

Where are the hundreds of examples of loser medals being tossed away in disgust from international competitions?

Well, Mourinho threw his Premier League championship medal into the crowd with Chelsea.

And then threw another one they gave him.

They did not give him a third.

Maybe he's his idol.

 

[aufheben]

I approve of that, Lias.