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GDT: Finland vs. USA | 13 February 2025 | 8:00

Finland doesn't really belong. 8-1 to not Finland because no one will take this very seriously after the first period.
 
As a US fan, this feels a bit like a trap game. I'm nervous about getting goalie'd. The Finns aren't great on paper, but they almost always outperform their roster.

Our top scores will need to be patient, and be okay with relying on garbage goals.

I expect a close game through 2, then USA breaks through in the third.

4-1 USA with an empty netter.
catnip said:
Finland doesn't really belong. 8-1 to not Finland because no one will take this very seriously after the first period.
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Finland is a proud hockey nation, I don't see them folding the tent.
 
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Why is Jalonen not coaching? Would he not be the perfect coach to compensate for Finland's lack of defensemen?
 
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Not saying USA aren’t the clear favourites here.

But.

People tend to mix defensive pairings with how good or bad a team is defensively. It’s a team game and Finland has the best defensive forwards throughout the lineup and they’ve known to have good structure as a team as well. They don’t really need the d-men to do other than make a good easy breakout pass (usually to one of those centers who all have a good iq and are great two way players).

Add to that the Finnish lineup (maybe the defense also) is the biggest by size in the tournament - something that the Finns have usually lacked. A guy like Niko Mikkola isn’t scoring a lot of points but he’s elite defensively.
 
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Finland is always a scrappy team that always seems to be greater than the sum of their parts. I'm predicting a close, low-scoring game that could go either way. The optimist in me wants to say 2-1 for us, maybe 3-1 if we can get an empty netter to seal it.
 
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heksagon said:
I'm honestly more afraid that Pennanen's coaching is the real problem, as it's still a complete wild card how he does.
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Eh? B2B medals in U20 Worlds and both tournaments played in NA. 1 men's gold & 1 U20 gold as JJ's assistant coach. I'd say coaching is least of our problems. Pendo's last Liiga project was a failure but it's just seems that people in Finland has disregarded everything what he did before.
 
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It's so easy to look at the paper rosters and so those beautiful American Forwards and those Finnish D and assume 10-0. Maybe that happens but I think people expecting blowouts don't remember that most of the huge blowouts you see are at the World Jrs and usually Canada/US beating the shit out of the 10th team in the tournament. US look amazing but Finland isn't the Denmark U20 team about to be crushed 12-0.

I think Finland makes a game of it and drives people nuts.

After the 1st yesterday, people were already burying Sweden and asserting Canada as the champs... went to OT in a great game!

Given the lack of star power on D, I fully expect the F's to be back and helping out. Finn's are great at this!

I say 3-2 US in a close game. If the Finn's had Heisk and a few others... I was picking them. Heisk was a top 3 Fin guy for me and he has no replacement in Finnish hockey today. I'd say him and Barkov are the 2 key cogs in 2026 Olympics.
 
It’ll be nice to take a break from all the idiocy and BS going on in this country to cheer for the red white and blue. Can’t blame Canadians one iota when they inevitably boo the anthem, but do hope it motivates the team in some way or another.

4-1 US sounds about right
 
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Summer Rose said:
Finland is always a scrappy team that always seems to be greater than the sum of their parts. I'm predicting a close, low-scoring game that could go either way. The optimist in me wants to say 2-1 for us, maybe 3-1 if we can get an empty netter to seal it.
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THIS and since I'm a bit of a nutjob during the World Jrs and ready every single post.lol NO ONE was picking the Finn's to do well. There they were in the finals in a 4-3 OT loss to a team most posters were picking to win gold. Finn's find a way to annoy.lol
 
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Czechboy said:
THIS and since I'm a bit of a nutjob during the World Jrs and ready every single post.lol NO ONE was picking the Finn's to do well. There they were in the finals in a 4-3 OT loss to a team most posters were picking to win gold. Finn's find a way to annoy.lol
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Finland also destroyed us 5-0 in the 2014 bronze medal game despite me considering the US one of the few favorites for gold that tournament. On the other hand, my country has an embarrassing record in bronze medal games across all levels, which I think is largely an attitude problem prevalent in our hockey program.
 
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Summer Rose said:
Finland also destroyed us 5-0 in the 2014 bronze medal game despite me considering the US one of the few favorites for gold that tournament. On the other hand, my country has an embarrassing record in bronze medal games across all levels, which I think is largely an attitude problem prevalent in our hockey program.
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USA makes no sense to me. on paper they have a top 2 roster in the entire 2000's (today I'd argue the best paper roster) and not one senior medal anywhere. The fact the Czechs have more senior golds in this span is crazy to me because we've been trash for most of the 2000's.

The bronze argument is true.. Czechs and Finns go like hell in those Bronze games while Canada/US tend to let off the gas a little.

Swedes in elimination games at the World Jrs is another mystery to me as I love those teams and rosters yet they always come up short.
 
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