GDT: Gold Medal Game • Jan. 5 • Canada vs. Russia • Part V (Mod warning in OP)

[JoeyBeans]

to give up 3 goals in a hurry...

and won.

 

[ps241]

Nurse was amazing, never thought he had it in him.

Kevin Lowe is gonna make him a star.

First part of your post I agree with.....the bolded part though


I assume you were missing this

 

[BanditKeith99]

Obviously Canada planned this to make this a more interesting game

 

[Habs Icing]

Man, I can't believe the crap that is spewed after these international games. Many posters used these games as a reason to utter slurs and insults against fans of opposing teams.

Can't you just enjoy the game.

I look at this Canadian team and I see players from across the world:

Reinhart is of German descent
Domi is of Albanian descent
Duclair - Haitian
Fabbri probably Italian
Fucale is of European descent Italian or spanish
Virtanen has a grandfather who is a proud Finn
Nurse is of American descent
Bowey is not a typical Canadian anglo saxon
Nick Paul doesn't look like a typical Canadian
Petan's parents are 1st generation canadian
And what about Lazar?

So can we stop with the jingoism and congratulate all the teams on a great display of hockey - a game played at its highest level by many nations not just Canada.

 

[ps241]

In general, Russian society is rather blunt and direct. People are more apt to speak their minds, give criticism, or tell people off. Unfortunately this often comes across as arrogant, impolite and rude to other cultures.

Obviously its a huge oversimplification, but it tends to explain why a bunch of adrenaline fueled Russian teenage hockey players (with patriotic sentiment) taunt opponents more than players from other places do (especially North Americans who have a 'hockey code' that strongly prohibits such actions).

Thanks, this is a helpful explanation.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

to give up 3 goals in a hurry...

see if they had lost that might actually matter but they won so it doesn't

 

[Harikkerk]

Alright alright, i was wrong

 

[Davebo*]

to give up 3 goals in a hurry...

Luckily the russians quickly gave up 3 just before that.
Simple matter is, russia never once had the lead in this game - and lost.

 

[ps241]

Canada proves again that they are vastly superior to anybody else when it comes to hockey and Russia proves again that they cannot compete with the standard of excellence set by Canada

 

[Rev2k]

I saw this on the game notes on TSN.

3rd period:

19:57 CAN Faceoff - Sam Reinhart
20:00 RUS Penalty - Ziat Paigin - Throwing the Stick (20 min Game Misconduct)

What's the deal?

On the left... about 10s in. Not the smartest move but the kid was just frustrated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zVCJ5_6r4g

 

[Yakushev72]

This Russian team confuses the heck out of me.

They play mediocre up until the game against Sweden and then tonight.

They easily could have won tonight. (thankfully they didn't)

Without a doubt when they're playing like the last 2 games, they are an absolute awesome team.

The question is why such a huge difference in level of play from them?

I think it has to do with the psychology of the competition. When European teams play the Russians, they have no fear because they have nothing to lose. You get these all-out, emotional, 60 minutes explosions of passion by teams that typically have some kind of perceived historical grievances against Russia, and want to fight to the end. There is also the perception that the Russians won't make them pay a physical price, which might be outdated, but they still believe it.

When these same teams play Canada, they have no history to spur them on to great emotional efforts, and they have a marked inferiority complex, which in most cases results in them surrendering to defeat before the opening faceoff is dropped. Take the opening game against Slovakia, for example. Slovakia played well enough throughout the tournament to show that they aren't 8 goals worse than Canada. Yet they just kind of passively allowed the Canadians to pound it to them, resigning to the inevitable defeat that they had mentally accepted before they ever hit the ice. Take Sweden as another example. Most years, Sweden has enough quality players to successfully challenge Canada, but they have a mental block that causes them to play passively, almost welcoming defeat. The Europeans haven't gotten over the same mental hurdles with Canada that they have with Russia.

 

[General Fanager]

Pretty impressed by Russia last night. Most teams would give up at 5-1. They showed lots of heart by fighting back.......

 

[Yakushev72]

I'll match your missing Russian stars with a missing Ekblad, Horvat, Droin, McKinnon

What is MacKinnon doing for a living these days? Is he still playing hockey, maybe in Europe somewhere?

 

[Scotty B]

I think it has to do with the psychology of the competition. When European teams play the Russians, they have no fear because they have nothing to lose. You get these all-out, emotional, 60 minutes explosions of passion by teams that typically have some kind of perceived historical grievances against Russia, and want to fight to the end. There is also the perception that the Russians won't make them pay a physical price, which might be outdated, but they still believe it.

When these same teams play Canada, they have no history to spur them on to great emotional efforts, and they have a marked inferiority complex, which in most cases results in them surrendering to defeat before the opening faceoff is dropped. Take the opening game against Slovakia, for example. Slovakia played well enough throughout the tournament to show that they aren't 8 goals worse than Canada. Yet they just kind of passively allowed the Canadians to pound it to them, resigning to the inevitable defeat that they had mentally accepted before they ever hit the ice. Take Sweden as another example. Most years, Sweden has enough quality players to successfully challenge Canada, but they have a mental block that causes them to play passively, almost welcoming defeat. The Europeans haven't gotten over the same mental hurdles with Canada that they have with Russia.

Russia didn't play well in round robin, plus have a history of playing possum...Having said that...it is true that SVK had stage fright in game one, and that Sweden Jr's, historically, do have psychological hangups about playing Canada..They talk a good game beforehand ( from the time of Forsberg Sr and Jr onward ), but almost never play one...

 

[Crabapple]

Man, I can't believe the crap that is spewed after these international games. Many posters used these games as a reason to utter slurs and insults against fans of opposing teams.

Can't you just enjoy the game.

This ^^ I had to close the thread midway through the game because of the crap that posters were spewing about these teenagers. I had a lot more fun on /r/hockey

 

[Yakushev72]

Connor McDavid, Reinhart... along with Tavares, Crosby, Stamkos, Seguin, and Hall. The future looks really good.

This photo makes it look more dramatic than it was. Its not as if McDavid made a great move to get open - the Russian defense just left him alone on the ice to make a line change, and the two defensemen in the picture, Gavrikov and Yudin, are coming directly from the bench and trying desperately to catch up with the play. That's the Russians screw-up, so its inaccurate to overhype McDavid's play. As you can see, Sorokin gave him a huge target in the 5-hole, but the replay shows that he barely squeezed his shot through,

That's really the only thing McDavid did all night to let you know that he was even there, and if he had gotten stoned on that, the game may have gone differently. I haven't seen that much of him, but what I have seen has always been in big games where he was almost a non-factor. I understand that he's young, but the basis for the hype must be in league games that I don't see. I just can't imagine how he and MacKinnon will ever be able to live up to the hype that the Canadian media has built him around.

 

[GuillaumeLetsundress*]

What a game, all the stars were out to watch as well, didnt look around too hard but managed to get picture with onrait, draper + jiri fischer (who were working), Paul Reinhart, peter holland.

Couldnt hear myself think half way through the first period, really crazy atmosphere!

Exactly what i expected with fucale though, every time they came down the ice people started praying .. ugh

 

[Yakushev72]

Why do the Russians taunt so much? Is it part of their culture? Being sincere, not sure how else to ask it.

Call me naïve, but I don't believe it was one-sided. The Toronto management staged an emotional extravaganza, and the Canadian team came out in an emotional frenzy that they never could have duplicated in a European venue. Canadians were running all over throwing themselves at everything in sight, and I think the gestures toward the bench were the Russians way of saying "bring it if you got it!" I don't think that is unique to any culture.

 

[Frank the Tank]

What is MacKinnon doing for a living these days? Is he still playing hockey, maybe in Europe somewhere?

If this is a shot at a recent Canadian #1 draft pick, as an Oilers' fan I would trade Yakupov for MacKinnon in a heartbeat.

 

[heretik27]

If this is a shot at a recent Canadian #1 draft pick, as an Oilers' fan I would trade Yakupov for MacKinnon in a heartbeat.

You and every GM in the league. Yakupov might have a good offensive potential, but his attitude towards team play is going to be his biggest downfall. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls a Kovalchuk and returns to play in the KHL before he's 26.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Call me naïve, but I don't believe it was one-sided. The Toronto management staged an emotional extravaganza, and the Canadian team came out in an emotional frenzy that they never could have duplicated in a European venue. Canadians were running all over throwing themselves at everything in sight, and I think the gestures toward the bench were the Russians way of saying "bring it if you got it!" I don't think that is unique to any culture.

Do you really think Toronto crowd's passion for watching their national under-20 team play on home ice is somehow staged? Nonetheless, I heard similar excuses after the QF destruction of the Russians in Vancouver 2010. I think the term from the quotable Ilya Bryzgalov then was, "They came like gorillas coming out of a cage," Four years later not only did the Canadian team prove that they could dominate even more when playing a more controlled game in a less excitable atmosphere (I would have predicted hostile, but the Sochi crowds were pretty bland), but the Russian team crumbled under the same home ice situation.

You and every GM in the league. Yakupov might have a good offensive potential, but his attitude towards team play is going to be his biggest downfall. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls a Kovalchuk and returns to play in the KHL before he's 26.

While I think MacKinnon has a better ceiling than Yakupov, his attitude towards his team mates is fine. It is his hockey sense at the NHL level that needs to be developed and transitioned into creating offense against the best competition.

 

[RewBicks]

WTake the opening game against Slovakia, for example. Slovakia played well enough throughout the tournament to show that they aren't 8 goals worse than Canada. Yet they just kind of passively allowed the Canadians to pound it to them, resigning to the inevitable defeat that they had mentally accepted before they ever hit the ice.

Surely you're not suggesting that after Canada absolutely shredded Slovakia in two straight games, that we shouldn't conclude they are the vastly superior team...? The score in the second game could have been worse than the first if not for Godla's absolutely heroic game.

Canada let up for three minutes against Russia. That's the story.

 

[RewBicks]

This photo makes it look more dramatic than it was. Its not as if McDavid made a great move to get open - the Russian defense just left him alone on the ice to make a line change, and the two defensemen in the picture, Gavrikov and Yudin, are coming directly from the bench and trying desperately to catch up with the play. That's the Russians screw-up, so its inaccurate to overhype McDavid's play. As you can see, Sorokin gave him a huge target in the 5-hole, but the replay shows that he barely squeezed his shot through,

That's really the only thing McDavid did all night to let you know that he was even there, and if he had gotten stoned on that, the game may have gone differently. I haven't seen that much of him, but what I have seen has always been in big games where he was almost a non-factor. I understand that he's young, but the basis for the hype must be in league games that I don't see. I just can't imagine how he and MacKinnon will ever be able to live up to the hype that the Canadian media has built him around.

He led the tournament in scoring and he's 17.

 

[Mehar]

Following your logic...Canada was lucky to have 5 goals instead of 2 because first goal was rather lucky one,second onbe was pure luck with loose stick, fourth goal was fully Sorokin fault. Talking about referees? There is a many who think vice versa so its pointless to argue here. In the end, Canada won it, good for Canada and be happy.

What the hell is the matter with you? Canada's first two goals were great accurate shots that no goalie, even Fucale would have saved, especially that Duclair shot. I would not have pulled that Russian goalie after those two goals, since you cannot really fault him.

Why you upset, when i said that two of the Russian goals that made it 5-4, were pure bad luck? That is the fact.

One of the shots went off Gauthier and was accidentally redirected in to his own net, because of his positioning in front of Fucale. The other Russian goal was a shot Fucale should have made the save on, but instead it went off his skate and trickled in behind him. I stand by what i said, whether you like it or not.

In the end- Canada deserved the Gold Medal, since they easily could have broken after those three goals in the Second, and the 4 straight penalties. They did not break and give up the lead, and actually came very close to scoring a 6th goal on a couple of times, but the Russian goalie was excellent in the Third Period. Congrats to Russia on their Silver Medal as well. They were clearly the Second Best team in this tournament, while all along, i thought it was the US.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Any word on TSN's viewership for this game. I suspect a record must've been set, will be interesting to see how many tuned in.