GDT: Gold medal game CAN-RUS part 2

[JAS 39 Gripen]

The russian people are led by friggin Putin, what do you expect?

 

[Trovatore]

Congrats Canada! The best (by a huge margin) team won, no questions about that.
I only hope that next year's Team Canada's roster will be as impressive as this one. Team Russia, their fans, and the Russian hockey federation do need a reminder that they have a long way to go, on an annual basis

 

[Macman]

It looked like there were 3 or 4 more Russian players who didn't leave. Did you guys catch their numbers by any chance?

I just watched extended highlights on TSN and 9 (Panarin), 7 (Kulikov), 63 (Davadov) and 14 (Tikhonov) were among those there for trophy presentation. It doesn't look like any were there for anthem. That was also my impression watching it live.

 

[Sergei DRW]

Zero sportsmanship on the side of the Russian team. Great game Canada.

[mod]

 

[Cellee]

Find another clip where Maclellan said the Russians "stared them down" in warmups and they used that as extra motivation.

Hahahaha

'We talked about what stare down would be more import - - the one before the game or the one after it, and used that as motivation"

Thanks for making sure our vastly superior skill and depth was ready to send a message, Russia.

Stare downs? Really? Too hilarious.

Staring down NHL players. I'm sure that is something that will be laughed about for a long time, and used as motivation against Russia for a long time.

I'd love to know who did it.

 

[Wings4Life]

As predicted from the start, separating all of our elite wingers (Kovalchuk, Tarasenko, Panarin, and then Ovechkin) from our only elite center (Malkin) was a recipe for disaster, and one of several critical errors by Znarok.

Sure, Kulemin and Mozyakin fill their roles well against lesser nations, but both (especially Kulemin) are way out of their element against elite Canadian players. A guy like Tarasenko can actually generate offense for himself (but much more so if he's paired with an elite C like Malkin, as we saw on the PP during the tournament). Is Kulemin ever going to dangle through traffic? Is Mozyakin ever going to beat his man by driving hard from the outside?

Znarok isolated Malkin (who had to put up an amazing individual effort for us just to get by a decent Swedish team) and it cost us in many big games: against Finland, against USA part 1, against the Slovaks, and ultimately in the gold medal game.

What's worse, by doing this Znarok also isolated all 4 of our good scoring line wingers. When it came out that Anisimov was playing injured, we should have loaded up the Malkin line. Instead, Znarok spread out the scoring depth so thinly (across all 4 lines) that it disappeared altogether.

To top it all off, when Znarok finally got desperate and started line shuffling, he put Ovechkin with Malkin...as if Sochi didn't prove that the two have anti-chemistry going on, making each other play worse. Hope Znarok is gone after this joke of a performance.

Not that I believe we would have won this game, even with Mike Babcock at the helm. We were missing all of our decent Dmen, so our bad D got a lot worse. But we could have played Canada a lot closer than we actually did, I mean a bad Czech team basically lost 2-0 with a disallowed goal, due to half-decent coaching. Znarok by comparison is a bad joke.

 

[Wings4Life]

Also Jagr as MVP is funny, he was outside the top 20 in scoring. I miss when these awards used to go to the best players, ie. before this tournament.

 

[sandysan]

I have to agree - I just knew bringing Ovechkin in might mess up everything. Very bad idea by Znarok. Ovechkin has never played particularly well for the national team. We needed Emelin or Markov.

As a habs fan, against team Canada whose greatest asset was team speed you want to throw methusilian markov and Emelin out there?

You would need gallons of aloe Vera for as often as both of them would be burned from the outside.

 

[Davebo*]

Congrats Canada, difference of class against everyone else there.

Russias modesty = non existent, as usual. Few players trying to be decent, 99% simply disappear unless its THEIR anthem and THEIR gold. You guys suck big time.

Also Russian team complained about everything - hotel, food, utility rooms - the ONLY team who complained about anything.

Canada, like the rest of the WC, had no problems. Funny, isnt it?

I think you'll find every other player/family member/guest from all the other participant countries loved their stay in Czech Republic. It was a hugely successful tournament by any measure. No need to have jerks from one country try and cast a shadow on things - yet it's invariably the same country causing ****.

Kudos for a job well done from Canada - your friend AND allies.

 

[Davebo*]

Not that I believe we would have won this game, even with Mike Babcock at the helm. We were missing all of our decent Dmen, so our bad D got a lot worse. But we could have played Canada a lot closer than we actually did, I mean a bad Czech team basically lost 2-0 with a disallowed goal, due to half-decent coaching. Znarok by comparison is a bad joke.

Actually I think you'll find national pride from playing at home was the greatest motivator - some countries have it - other - not so much. And that Czech team wasn't bad at all - they would have taken russian down, I believe, if opponents were switched the game before.

 

[Jussi]

Russian hockey federation will be fined for leaving the ice before the anthem. IIHF boss Rene Fasel called the behavior "disrespectful".

 

[rduck1]

Don't know if this has been posted yet, but apparently the IIHF is planning on fining the Russian Ice Hockey Federation for the team's unsportsmanlike actions after the game.

 

[Macman]

Russian hockey federation will be fined for leaving the ice before the anthem. IIHF boss Rene Fasel called the behavior "disrespectful".

 

[Davebo*]

Russian hockey federation will be fined for leaving the ice before the anthem. IIHF boss Rene Fasel called the behavior "disrespectful".

Good stuff - well deserved.

 

[Antonglk]

It's a shame. Didn't think they can act in such way. Stupid *******s.

 

[CanuckistanFlyerfan]

It's a shame. Didn't think they can act in such way. Stupid *******s.

No offence intended to you but...don't they usually act this way?

 

[Garl]

Russian hockey federation will be fined for leaving the ice before the anthem. IIHF boss Rene Fasel called the behavior "disrespectful".

Yep, and whoever is responcible, should pay it from his pocket IMO.

Russian sports minister Mutko has condemned this behavior btw, probably will be some internal sanctions.

 

[Antonglk]

No offence intended to you but...don't they usually act this way?

They not supposed to act in such way. They have to respect national anthem and flag. Also they need to respect wining team. They lost in final to definitely stronger team. Our media said that Kovalchuk called them. He should be suspended for play in national team forever, as well as all others who left.

 

[Garl]

They not supposed to act in such way. They have to respect national anthem and flag. Also they need to respect wining team. They lost in final to definitely stronger team. Our media said that Kovalchuk called them. He should be suspended for play in national team forever, as well as all others who left.

Holy overreaction

Should be fined for sure, but you're acting like a typical Russian on the issue. Thinking in extremes only.

 

[Macman]

Yep, and whoever is responcible, should pay it from his pocket IMO.

Russian sports minister Mutko has condemned this behavior btw, probably will be some internal sanctions.

It doesn't reflect well on the coaching staff. I don't know if they tried to keep the players on the ice or were willing participants in the walkout. Either way, it's not good for them.

 

[Antonglk]

Holy overreaction

Should be fined for sure, but you're acting like a typical Russian on the issue. Thinking in extremes only.

Nope. It is not overreacting. This is not just this tournament. Kovalchuk shows similar behavior in KHL as well. I think we should stop sending national team of this level to WHC. We have U-20 team and we need to send this team to WHC. No need to send tired veterans from NHL.

 

[Kalasch]

This whole Putin obsession is sick

Everything is Putin's fault go read some other Papers instead of ur BBC/FOX/BIAS News and inform u properly.

Had to say it.

Canada was the better Team, congrats!

Russian Players should definitively apologize to the Canadian Players/Fans for going away.

 

[NyQuil]

Russian Players should definitively apologize to the Canadian Players/Fans for going away.

It won't be forgotten.

 

[Fabs]

Do wish they'd rethink that closing ceremony to begin with. Between handing out medals, the trophy, tournament all star team and the anthem it just takes too long when you're the losing team.

 

[rduck1]

They not supposed to act in such way. They have to respect national anthem and flag. Also they need to respect wining team. They lost in final to definitely stronger team. Our media said that Kovalchuk called them. He should be suspended for play in national team forever, as well as all others who left.

Kovalchuk should at least be done, if it really went as it has been told. Some goes for the coaches that didn't stop them.

Kudos to Ovechkin, Malkin, Tikhonov and those others who had the integrity and poise to defy the team leaders in this case though.