PGT: 9/18/16 North America vs Finland - North America 4 Finland 1 F

[Deadly Dogma]

This actually is quite bad for (international) hockey. If games are gonna be like this there isn't much point for the larger audience to tune up to watch their NT get wrecked by collection of "best-of from pool X".

This one I can write off one-off as "it takes the combined forces of USA ans CAN to beat up the Lions!" but few individual countries can match up a team/lines hand-picked from among NHL superstars.

It's an aspect of the international game that a team has a known deficit like "we got good D but no goalie" or "there's superb goalie but no finishing skill whatsoever", which an all-star team can navigate past.

There being no apparent exploitable weakness in Team NA is good for those rooting for the team, but in the long run the supposed opponent fodder just won't bother to show up.

Which is no excuse for Finland today, they were just bad. I especially apprecited the continuous "one man assaulting only to look around to see that absolutely no support was coming along with him" approach.

Its the same for Team Canada. Their roster also has no weakness to exploit and its considered "fair" to play against them.

 

[BayStreetBully]

really because they beat a European team that was jetlagged had never played together before and was coming off Olympic qualifying games. lost to the Czechs and beat the worst team in the tourney and you say they already punched above their weight class. hardly. win the next 2 games then we will talk.

All I see are excuses.

 

[ffh]

All I see are excuses.

and all I see is rose coloured glasses.

 

[BayStreetBully]

and all I see is rose coloured glasses.

I see 3 wins in 4 games.

 

[CornKicker]

i see a team of underexperienced players putting a whooping on a veteran team. it was a beat down

 

[FinPanda]

Time to press the panic button.

 

[Scotty B]

i see a team of underexperienced players putting a whooping on a veteran team. it was a beat down

Suomi is a young team too

 

[MardyBum]

Team NA were easily the better team. Part of that is the ridiculous talent they have, the other part is Finland is in a transition phase. They have a ton of youth on their D, what, all but one yesterday was U-25? It's not surprising they looked overmatched, because they were.

Once your D is getting dominated it doesn't matter how good your forwards are, they can't get the puck in space and have no transition game.

It's a U-23 team but it's absolutely stacked, and the only D on Finland that would make the U-23 team is Risto.

 

[jj cale]

I honestly have my doubts for the game against Sweden, as Finland has been completely disorganized troughout the whole tournement. Our younger players need to mature more.

But Finland always plays a great team game right?


They punch above their weight at every tournament.

 

[ffh]

i see a team of underexperienced players putting a whooping on a veteran team. it was a beat down

I see a team that lost to the Czechs who by the way lost 6-0 to Canada. I need to see more from them before I put them in the final

 

[Pi]

i see a team of underexperienced players putting a whooping on a veteran team. it was a beat down

Well Finland isn't too old themselves. They are a young team.

 

[MardyBum]

i see a team of underexperienced players putting a whooping on a veteran team. it was a beat down

They're not veteran where it counts though.

Pokka - '12 pick
Lindell - '12 pick
Risto - '13 pick
Maata - '12 pick

Vatanen was 09 I think.

So 1 25 year old.
4 22 and under.

Its a young D

 

[BayStreetBully]

I see a team that lost to the Czechs who by the way lost 6-0 to Canada. I need to see more from them before I put them in the final

And NA U-23 killed Europe, who killed America, who always holds its own against Canada. Circular logic is fun.

 

[major major]

It's a U-23 team but it's absolutely stacked, and the only D on Finland that would make the U-23 team is Risto.

I wouldn't put Risto on the U24 team. I don't think he's as good as any of them 5 on 5. His big edge is powerplay and Team NA has more than enough options there.

That's just my opinion. But I also doubt in general that Risto would get selected over any of the other RHD - Ekblad, Jones, Parayko, Trouba. Maybe Trouba, but I prefer Trouba.

 

[Jussi]

I wonder if Europeans will give Team NA respect and show honour?

We'll just fart in their general direction.

 

[snipes]

We'll just fart in their general direction.

Hopefully not in the sauna.

 

[Jussi]

They're not veteran where it counts though.

Pokka - '12 pick
Lindell - '12 pick
Risto - '12 pick
Maata - '12 pick

Vatanen was 09 I think.

So 1 25 year old.
4 22 and under.

Its a young D

You need to look at played games in the NHL to realize how inexperienced our D really is.

 

[Auston Marlander]

You need to look at played games in the NHL to realize how inexperienced our D really is.

Is that a function of being inexperienced or not being a great player? The 4 newest have had 3 seasons or 246 potential opportunities to play in an NHL game. If they haven't, outside of injury, that is a function of talent, not opportunity.

 

[Curufinwe]

You need to look at played games in the NHL to realize how inexperienced our D really is.

They'll be much better at the Olympics.

 

[PJackb]

The thing about the under 23 team is I don't even think of them as a young team of inexperienced players. Some players on the team have played 150- 200+ NHL games.

Kids today are a lot more NHL ready.

Good point
Saad has 2 SC and Murray has 1

 

[al secord]

We'll just fart in their general direction.

Yes! The loss to NA was merely a flesh wound.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Is that a function of being inexperienced or not being a great player? The 4 newest have had 3 seasons or 246 potential opportunities to play in an NHL game. If they haven't, outside of injury, that is a function of talent, not opportunity.

Don't agree all the way. Of course talent is a part of it, if they were top end talents they would be in the league already. But as a general rule, D-men are not in the NHL at their age regardless of how well they project.

They have 5-6 guys that project to become top four guys in the NHL, but this tournament is just not a good time for Finland. They are in the middle of a lost generation, and the next one with Laine, Puljuice, Aho and the defense is too young to be really competitive in a tournament like this yet. Doesn't help that they rely on a goaltender who is a shadow of himself too.

 

[Ezekial]

So I'm guessing it is best out of three...

If it was a one game match Na could take it...but best of three canada will win

that was the joke

That would be a fitting ending to this farce. I'm sure the ACC crowd will love seeing their country lose to other guys from their country.

 

[The Gloaming]

they beat to the weakest team in the tournament. their defencemen are soft and they will get exposed plus I wonder how the forwards will react once they get punched in the face. but hey their fast.

No they drubbed team Europe already.

They can play hockey. I guess you'd rather see face punching than actual hockey.

 

[ffh]

No they drubbed team Europe already.

They can play hockey. I guess you'd rather see face punching than actual hockey.

those were exabition games against Europe they don't count for anything. and I meant get punched in the face figuratively not litarally . tonight the play Russia who will be fighting for their lives. I wanna see them face some adversity and some push back. its not a knock but I think if it gets chippy like Canada vs u.s they will struggle.