GDT: Gold Medal Game - February 25 - Russia vs Germany

[Atas2000]

Still can’t believe the tied it late on the penalty kill. Talk about not giving up.

I was actually surprised Znarok had the balls to pull the goalie there. I hate the guy, but he deserves credit for that one. Yes, he does.

 

[BMann]

The elation and the despair of the final from the German commentators. So close yet so far:

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A little SKA St.Petersburg fan watching his heroes and in utter despair (like most of us were down 2-3 and Kalinin in the box) before the tying goal:

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Singing the national anthem:

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[snipes]

Congrats Russia, gold as expected without NHL players there.

That was a great final game

 

[canuckster19]

I get that the hate towards Russia is well fed these days and all these doping stuff will haunt us for ages, but have to say it here - a friend of mine who played bandy in Sweden for several years was shocked by the scale steroids are used by general public there. To his impression steroids are used in Sweden at least 10 times more than what he has seen in Russia. Lots of gym guys and amateur bandy players are doped according to his opinion - still top athletes from Sweden (and other western countries) comes out clean by WADA. How could it be?)

I’m not Swedish and don’t care about that stupid sport either.

 

[S E P H]

Anyone have the viewer ratings of each country?

 

[Fantomas]

I don't know who one has to bribe to get English commentary highlights, but here are the Russian ones.

 

[Harry22]

Congrats to Russia. Hopefully we have the best players competing in four years.

 

[Fantomas]

I love how there are no English language highlights of the final anywhere on Youtube - not even an obligatory IIHF short. The CBC Olympics YT channel does not have it.

The agenda is so transparent.

 

[Blue prez]

Yeah, sorry, I was a little bit incorrect. But I doubt he was correct as well. Because there were a lot of question about the team's building before the final. And the only question this final answers, is that Gusev and Kaprizov are really amazing players.

Why did our defense suck? Why did our goalie suck? Why couldn't our forwards, but one line, score to save their lives? Did this final along with Znaroks answer to all these question? I very doubt it.

OAR roster is really overrated. Voynov, Kovalchuk, Gusev, Datsyuk, Kaprizov. These are outstanding players at this Olympics level, and they eventually made the difference. The rest are Europeans' hockey elite, but they are comparable to players in other top teams. And they're better, but NOT MUCH better than the Germans (actually, DEL is somewhat underrated; it's the 6th best league in Europe, but it's much closer to 5th than the 7th).
Lackluster coaching from Znarok, well-prepared opposition - and now it's a very, very close game. They don't suck, it's just the way it is.

 

[Blue prez]

The elation and the despair of the final from the German commentators. So close yet so far:

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A little SKA St.Petersburg fan watching his heroes and in utter despair (like most of us were down 2-3 and Kalinin in the box) before the tying goal:

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Singing the national anthem:

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Gosh, I'm so sorry for the Germans. They deserve the gold.
But, somehow, they won more than just a silver medal.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

So basically whenever the NHL does not go minus 1994 the Russians will win

you just made 10,000 minnesotans salty af

 

[Harry22]

I'm sure that distinction doesn't matter much to Pavel or any of the others on that team. The value of winning was likely unchanged for anyone who actually played. But in terms of determining the true strength of each country relative to each other this tournament was meaningless. For me the olympics is not just about winning the gold, it's just as much about being regarded as having the best players in the world.

That said good for Russia, no reason why they shouldn't celebrate winning. I don't know if I'm in the minority(for a Canadian) but it doesn't bother me one bit that they won this tournament. This was expected, they did iced the best team there.

Russian fans and Russia shouldn’t apologize for winning this tournament. They won fair and square and deserve the gold. Datsyuk won’t care against who he won, he has his gold medal.

Having said that, as a fan of the sport and a fan of the Olympics, I hope the NHL comes back in 2022 so we have the best players in the world playing for their country on the biggest stage. I’m sure Ovechkin, Malkin and Kucherov want a chance to win an Olympic gold as well. And for players like McDavid and Matthews to represent their country for the first time at the Olympics. Come on NHL and NHLPA, get it done and let’s have a true best on best in 2022 and beyond.

 

[Fantomas]

American propaganda machine salty AF.

 

[Back in Black]

Congrats Russia, and good on Germany for taking the KHL team to O/T!

 

[Fantomas]

FYI Sergei Kalinin has the gold medal trifecta: World Juniors, World Championships and the Olympics.

 

[Vladnyc]

translation of the song above is ambiguous
First is "How it was easy!" (it was not) in the same time it turns out and could be translated as "How it turns to become cool eventually"

the song itself



I LOVE THE TEAM )) BOTH, even three (band included)

LOVE that band Leningrad. No one better in Russia.

The best way to translate this song would be, "How f***ing simple and yet how simply f***ing awesome"

 

[Vladnyc]

FYI Sergei Kalinin has the gold medal trifecta: World Juniors, World Championships and the Olympics.

Did he break his wrist? Looked like he did.

 

[Yakushev72]

What a great game, after the fact! I cursed the Russian team all night, then gave them up for dead after Germany took the lead, 3-2, with just 5 minutes left. Then with 2:14 left and still behind, Kalinin goes to the penalty box, and a miracle happened. Realizing that they would be shorthanded the rest of the game, Russia decided that they had better hurry up if they wanted to win the gold medal. So, Znarok pulls Koshechkin, and suddenly, Russia plays in a frenzy not seen in 40 years (check out video clips of the 1979 Challenge Cup). They went crazy, digging, scratching, clawing with every atom of energy in their body, and, out of nowhere, Gusev makes his 30th magnificent effort of the game and knocks home a backhander to tie.

Up until that moment, Germany had all the momentum, but after Gusev's goal, they had to believe that there was nothing they could do to make these Russian guys die. In overtime, a beautiful head fake by Gusev sends the goaltender's eyes on a false chase, and he rifles a pass to Kaprizov, who makes a beautiful shot. Unbelievable drama! All credit to Germany, who made most Russian fans believe that the Gold was theirs!

 

[Yakushev72]

Are you seriously saying that 2018 Russia is more talented than 2014 Russia?

There are only 3 significant Russians from 2014 who aren't on this team: Ovechkin, Malkin and Radulov. Radulov was the 2nd best forward in 2014, but Ovechkin and Malkin combined for a grand total of 3 goals among them for the whole tournament. Talent is a meaningless concept without results! This team actually played better than the 2014 team.

 

[Passionis]

The difference was, this Russian team was a TEAM, unlike 2014.

I think if you balance the NHL players properly and have a good long camp with Znarok, he could produce a team that would effictively compete with Canada's best. I'll agree that depth wouldn't be as good and they wouldn't be favorites, but it would be a heck of a battle.

Long term, with a new generation of players finally coming through after the drought of early 2010's, our depth will build up with sprinkles of outstanding talents we'll be right up there with Canada and US. Our Juniors results speak for themselves with consistency year to year.

 

[Sentinel]

There are only 3 significant Russians from 2014 who aren't on this team: Ovechkin, Malkin and Radulov. Radulov was the 2nd best forward in 2014, but Ovechkin and Malkin combined for a grand total of 3 goals among them for the whole tournament. Talent is a meaningless concept without results! This team actually played better than the 2014 team.

Of course this team played better, because their opponents were so much worse!! First of all, it's shocking that you do not consider Bobrovsky, Varlamov, Markov, and Tarasenko "significant." Second, you do not consider that these teams simply played as well as their opponents allowed them. First American and First Finnish team would not allow this one nearly the same freedom on ice and torched them for a few more goals than the Fourth American and First German teams did.

 

[Fantomas]

The difference was, this Russian team was a TEAM, unlike 2014.

Eh, sort of. They still had many problems and two kids saved their bacon.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

The difference was, this Russian team was a TEAM, unlike 2014.

I think if you balance the NHL players properly and have a good long camp with Znarok, he could produce a team that would effictively compete with Canada's best. I'll agree that depth wouldn't be as good and they wouldn't be favorites, but it would be a heck of a battle.

Long term, with a new generation of players finally coming through after the drought of early 2010's, our depth will build up with sprinkles of outstanding talents we'll be right up there with Canada and US. Our Juniors results speak for themselves with consistency year to year.

I think it's obvious what the real difference was

 

[Barraka]

Very enjoyable game. I just occasionally watch hockey, but this was a quite tense match. Sad for germans who were 55 seconds from the gold, but props to them to reach that stage and deliver that great performance. Good for Russia, they deserved it from their performance in the whole tournament, and that will save their olympics.
I hope the fact that no north-american nations reached the final will somehow induce the NHL to let their players go next time.

Does someone know where I could find video of the full match ?

 

[Yakushev72]

Of course this team played better, because their opponents were so much worse!! First of all, it's shocking that you do not consider Bobrovsky, Varlamov, Markov, and Tarasenko "significant." Second, you do not consider that these teams simply played as well as their opponents allowed them. First American and First Finnish team would not allow this one nearly the same freedom on ice and torched them for a few more goals than the Fourth American and First German teams did.

I'll grant you Tarasenko, although in 2014 he was young and not a force, mostly just filling out a roster spot in the Olympics. I agree with those who speak the obvious, this group played much more like a team and was more effective because of the absence of the NHL-KHL hierarchy/royalty that caused such a great gap among the team in 2014. Hopefully, the KHL will develop enough so that the NHL guys can focus on the other side of the Atlantic. I really doubt that the NHL will come back by 2022, if ever (why should they?), so there is time for that to happen.