I cry if Finland loses...

[Tuggy]

Maybe so, but I think Czechs losing Hasek, Elias, Prucha, Havlat, and having Jagr injured hurt their chances significantly.

Ya, I'd say so.

 

[Random Oracle]

My point is that Niittymäki has been very good replace to Kipru&Lehtonen, but surely some Pitkanen is way better than some AJ Niemi or Nummelin!

Yes, Niittymäki has been good so far, but our defensive depth is lacking - Nummelin and Niemi just aren't strong enough against teams like Canada. On the other hand, having Sami Kapanen or Tuomo Ruutu in the second line instead of Ville Peltonen would also be very useful. Peltonen made some bad mistakes against Canada like giving Nash the breakaway. I feel we rely a bit too much on our first line for offence and having Tuomo Ruutu would help in that regard.

 

[Snap Wilson]

I'll cry if Russia loses (and will complain about the big ice and will say that the Olympics should go back to amateurs ). We haven't won like in 50 years, and lost any possible respect. My confidence level is at an all-time low.

What are you talking about? You won in '92. Sure, it was the "Commonwealth of Independent States" but the players were all Russian.

 

[psycho_dad*]

I thought Finland was a classy country

And Jarkko Ruutu hitting Jagr makes Finland a less classy country?

Thing is, nobody is untouchable, as long as you play by the rules. You may not like the fact that a pest hit a star, but the hit itself was every bit legal. Ruutu could have drilled him much worse if he wanted to, but then it would have been a charging. Ruutu went easy on Jagr, unfortunately the ref reacted to the names on the back and blood on the ice, not the actual hit. But hey, refs are only human, and they do not get to see the dozens of reviews and camera angles we do. So mistakes happen.

If they could check hits like that from video, there would not have been a penalty. And that is exactly what international hockey is saying now by letting Ruutu play in the games.

Even Jagr has not moaned about it at all. In fact, would be a very classy move from Jagrs part to come out and say that it was a clean hit. He already changed to a real helmet instead of that eggshell...that is saying something.

 

[ShaneDoan]

Yes, Niittymäki has been good so far, but our defensive depth is lacking - Nummelin and Niemi just aren't strong enough against teams like Canada. On the other hand, having Sami Kapanen or Tuomo Ruutu in the second line instead of Ville Peltonen would also be very useful. Peltonen made some bad mistakes against Canada like giving Nash the breakaway. I feel we rely a bit too much on our first line for offence and having Tuomo Ruutu would help in that regard.

Well Ville seems to have sure-place in every international finnish team, cos did that hat-trick against Sweden in 1995.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Well Ville seems to have sure-place in every international finnish team, cos did that hat-trick against Sweden in 1995.

It's too early for Ville to score yet.

He likes to score important goals!

 

[Random Oracle]

Well Ville seems to have sure-place in every international finnish team, cos did that hat-trick against Sweden in 1995.

Who could forget that? I have nothing against the guy, but I don't think he has what's needed to compete against the top teams.

 

[Legionnaire]

Who could forget that? I have nothing against the guy, but I don't think he has what's needed to compete against the top teams.

What? You mean like hard work, and giving every last ounce of your body to try and win?

 

[ShaneDoan]

Who could forget that? I have nothing against the guy, but I don't think he has what's needed to compete against the top teams.

Well to Ville Sweden`95 World Championships secured place to Finnish national team to whole career...Real "saunakaveri"

 

[Czech Your Math]

And Jarkko Ruutu hitting Jagr makes Finland a less classy country?

Thing is, nobody is untouchable, as long as you play by the rules. You may not like the fact that a pest hit a star, but the hit itself was every bit legal. Ruutu could have drilled him much worse if he wanted to, but then it would have been a charging. Ruutu went easy on Jagr, unfortunately the ref reacted to the names on the back and blood on the ice, not the actual hit. But hey, refs are only human, and they do not get to see the dozens of reviews and camera angles we do. So mistakes happen.

If they could check hits like that from video, there would not have been a penalty. And that is exactly what international hockey is saying now by letting Ruutu play in the games.

Even Jagr has not moaned about it at all. In fact, would be a very classy move from Jagrs part to come out and say that it was a clean hit. He already changed to a real helmet instead of that eggshell...that is saying something.

Hey, I already edited my comments about Finland, I don't think it reflects poorly on the country, but I do think it reflects poorly on the team to condone such plays.

You can argue about rules all you want, but I think even most Finns would agree it was an unnecessary hit with the intent to injure.

I have no idea what Jagr's opinion is of the matter. I only know that if most of us had sustained such a hit, we would be pressing the morphine button in the hospital, not playing hockey the next day.

I will drop the matter on this thread, there has been plenty of discussion on other threads of the matter. It just struck me that Finland hockey fan was looking for respect, something I had more of entering the tournament than I will at its conclusion (regardless of how Finland finishes).

 

[KRM]

I meant that some Canada is like Goljat in hockey and Finland still like Daavid...

We are so little country and our success began to be good in 80`s (Kurri was star in NHL, then we got first medals).

Canada, Russia, Czechs, Sweden and even USA won lot more earlier their first medals...

As far as I know Finland has only won 1 medal and that was in 1995, I don't think Kurri was on that team.

Finland has respect in the hockey world, I think all countries would like too produce goaltenders as Finland does.

 

[Sampe]

Well Ville seems to have sure-place in every international finnish team, cos did that hat-trick against Sweden in 1995.

Ville Peltonen has done quite a bit more for Finland than scoring one hat-trick. He's on his way to becoming a top 3 Finnish scorer in international competitions (World Championships, Olympic Games, Canada/World Cups) ever. The other two shall be some guys named Teemu Selänne and Saku Koivu.

 

[Wisent]

and it makes me very bitter if USA will knock-out Finns in Wednesday...I mean our country is very underrated in hockey even we live in new century.

It took years to gain some respect from others in hockey and now we have reached top totally...so USA can screwed everything in wednesday...i hate USA too much, they got so much confidence that it makes me sick.

Otherway Finland is today lot better team, though some players has last chance to win something big.

I just can imagine how good we could be in Turin, if our team would have Pitkanen, T. Ruutu also in squad...

And I thought that Finland is a vastly respected hockey contrz and is never taken lightly. I guess the only thing that damaged the reputation as a medal contender was the last worldchampionships. And why would you wish for Pitkänen and Ruutu? The squad they have did very well so far.

 

[ShaneDoan]

As far as I know Finland has only won 1 medal and that was in 1995, I don't think Kurri was on that team.

Finland has respect in the hockey world, I think all countries would like too produce goaltenders as Finland does.

I meant Finland began to get medals late 80`s and 90`s were quite good.

And Kurri lead finnish coming to top-level as he was NHL-superstar in 80`s. Jari got only 3 international-medals and they were Canada Cup 91,World Championship-silver in Italy 1994 and olympic-bronze in Nagano 98.

 

[Borlag]

As far as I know Finland has only won 1 medal and that was in 1995, I don't think Kurri was on that team.

Finland has respect in the hockey world, I think all countries would like too produce goaltenders as Finland does.

Only one gold yes, plenty of other medals. And I'd add defensemen to that list, we tend to produce them too in quite steady pace. It's the top forwards that we're lacking.

 

[shawn_kemp*]

What are you talking about? You won in '92. Sure, it was the "Commonwealth of Independent States" but the players were all Russian.

Anything before 1998 doesn't count. Period.

 

[BigE]

I've always said that the Olympics should be an 8-team round robin with the top 2 teams playing in the final. Period.

But of course, it wouldn't be as exciting, and the intensity wouldn't be there.

You forget that there are THREE medals to be handed out.

 

[Random Oracle]

What? You mean like hard work, and giving every last ounce of your body to try and win?

Every Finn playing for the national team in the Olympics should give their everything. Sometimes that's not good enough, Ville wasn't strong enough against the tough Canadians and made a few bad mistakes. Hopefully he'll prove me wrong in the games to come.

 

[Caz]

As far as I know Finland has only won 1 medal and that was in 1995, I don't think Kurri was on that team.

The first Finnish medal in international games was 1988 OGs
where Finland grabbed silver and the first World Championship
medal is from 1992, also a silver.

So the FIN hockey medals are as follows:

World Champs 1992-2005
G - S - B
1 - 6 - 1
14 championships, 8 times a medallist.

Olympic games 1988-2002
0 - 1 - 2
5 OGs, 3 times a medallist.

About 60% of the tournaments after FIN managed
to get the first medal, they have kept on doing it in
international championships.

I agree it's not the best record in the tables of these
periods, but still a few more than the one of 1995.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

Calgary '88 was great. That was when we got our first major medal and beat the Soviets in a major tournament. Jukka Tamminen, Jarmo Myllys were the heroes of that tournament,

 

[Freudian]

Finland has been doing a lot of the small things right (first on the puck, solid first pass, being observant of not being offside etc). US, Sweden and Canada of course have the capacity to also do the small things right. Hopefully they will use the day off to get better as teams.

 

[kjri]

and it makes me very bitter if USA will knock-out Finns in Wednesday...

That's just the way it is. It would be foolish write off a team like the USA.
I have never liked quarterfinals. It is truly a "game of death". It would be better to have just semifinals between the 2 best in each group.

 

[Legionnaire]

That's just the way it is. It would be foolish write off a team like the USA.
I have never liked quarterfinals. It is truly a "game of death". It would be better to have just semifinals between the 2 best in each group.

Ahhh, but that's what makes Olympic hockey so great. You live and die on one game.

 

[Legionnaire]

Hey, I already edited my comments about Finland, I don't think it reflects poorly on the country, but I do think it reflects poorly on the team to condone such plays.

You can argue about rules all you want, but I think even most Finns would agree it was an unnecessary hit with the intent to injure.

I have no idea what Jagr's opinion is of the matter. I only know that if most of us had sustained such a hit, we would be pressing the morphine button in the hospital, not playing hockey the next day.

I will drop the matter on this thread, there has been plenty of discussion on other threads of the matter. It just struck me that Finland hockey fan was looking for respect, something I had more of entering the tournament than I will at its conclusion (regardless of how Finland finishes).

My favorite part? How you edited out anything "bad" that Finland may have done, but left the part about the US doing anything to medal.

 

[shawn_kemp*]

You forget that there are THREE medals to be handed out.

Okay then the 3rd and 4th teams play in the bronze medal game.