GDT: May 25 • Gold Medal Game • Part II [MOD WARNING IN OP]

[Rish]

I've visited 28 countries in europe and the US outside of it.

I am not saying that people are forced into games; but that there is a huge need in Belarus to send an extremely good picture of themselves with this spotlight. Encouraging people in different ways to see the games is part of that. Look at the average wages in Belarus. The entire higher middle class can't be crazy about hockey.. There is bound to be quite a few free tickets etc.

I think it is safe to say that most of the countries would care to portrait themselves in a good light. Though, I agree with you: pressure on Belarus is way greater than on many others. I kinda doubt about free tickets, however. It is unlikely that ticket price was set that high to begin with.

 

[BobDobolina]

Congrats to Russia!

[mod]

 

[BobDobolina]

They have less of a purpose than Belarus to fill the arenas so no. It sounds crude, but to some extent this world champs has had well attended games because it was set in a country where not all people can make their choices all that freely.

Sounds kind of jealous since the games in Sweden & Finland were so incredibly crappy both years.

 

[satchmo]

Congrats to Russia. You were and are the better team. But please stop the diving, its embarrasing. Ovechkin looked like an Italian soccer player. (the falling down from Immonens "cross-check" was a thing of art). [mod]

 

[JJTT]

Why are you all crying about the penalties? Sure few bad calls(Salomäki and Immonen penalties) but the fact is we took 7! minor penalties which were right calls and you can't win that way.

Malkin highstick would have been a 2 minute minor or 2+2 at best.

Get over it

 

[Fantomas]

1. Historically this was also the death gesture.
2. Do you seriously think that Znarok is (was) going to kill Sweden coach?

Wasn't the thumbs up the death gesture? I might be mixing this up.

 

[mattihp]

Sounds kind of jealous since the games in Sweden & Finland were so incredibly crappy both years.

Over priced tickets in one country where people have less and less money and one country where they'd rather watch really poor football...

The world champs will never get all that many spectactors in the nordic countries...

 

[Fantomas]

I didn't watch this. Still pissed about the Olympics.

Sort of pleased they won, but this is not the same. Sorry.

 

[Salavat Yulaev]

Wasn't the thumbs up the death gesture? I might be mixing this up.

thumbs down was the signal that a defeated gladiator should be condemned to death; thumbs up - that he should be spared

 

[Idontlikebacon]

Deserved win for the Russia. Referees were quite bad but to be fair its been the case all tournament long. Few soft calls.. They managed to score .. Not a big deal. We had changes to score.. Palola hit the post 2 times..

Better luck next time i guess. Hopefully we see better referees in next tournament though.

 

[Gsus]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BogEL2iCYAAVQ-C.jpg For that american who said it's not in the head level. No matter how you look it, the refs were just ridiculous and helped Russia a lot. But overall, Russia was the best team in the tournament so they earned their win.

 

[Fantomas]

thumbs down was the signal that a defeated gladiator should be condemned to death; thumbs up - that he should be spared

It must have dreamt it being the other way around. The contrarian in me, I guess.

 

[Finnsane]

thumbs down was the signal that a defeated gladiator should be condemned to death; thumbs up - that he should be spared

You've got some historical evidence about it? Just generally interested

 

[Clrs]

You as a Russian honestly feel comfortable preaching "tolerating Europe" about freedom of expression?

Yes. I have an absolute freedom of expression. But it's impossible for you to believe kidnapped in propaganda.

By the way, the "diver" Plotnikov is going directly to Germany for surgery right after the WHC. What a diver, what a diver.

 

[Rish]

You've got some historical evidence about it? Just generally interested

"The notion of the pollice verso thumb signal was brought to popular attention by an 1872 painting by French history painter Jean-Léon Gérôme titled Pollice Verso (usually translated into English as Thumbs Down). It is a large canvas that depicts the Vestal Virgins signifying to a Murmillo they decree death on a fallen gladiator in the arena." - Just a small extract from Wiki. No need to overload forum with more as I am sure you are more than capable of using Google on your own.

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

Photo Gallery of Russia's gold medal celebration.

@jatkoaika.com

 

[Numminen]

Congratulations to Russia. I'm pissed, but I'm hiding my anger to a pint of beer.

Weird tournament for Finland overall. PK sucked in the final game (and Russia was very good on PP), no can do. I'm happy that no matter what, atleast we can still so extremely good character. This is just a small road block in our way for olympic gold!

 

[QnebO]

We haven't forgotten 2006 since you guys keep bringing that out. We had an awful Olympic in 2006 for some reason. Sure we lost to Russia, but we also had many other difficulties throughout with other much weaker teams. Nobody is saying Canada won every Olympics. Of course not, but at least we can say that we've won the last two. That's better than any other national team. So until Russia ran boast the same result, you're inferior.


Many Finns were complaining that at the Olympics, we used North American referees at all major games including Canada's games. Which do you prefer now?

I was also complaining before the game against Canada but after the game, I also commented it was best reffing in long time in IIHF. That was in Sochi when Canadian ref whistled Finland - Canada game. In Vancouver, I don't remember myself complaining about refs at all. I was complaining but about Jalonen's "jätön jätön jättö, pakki-pakki jättö" (it makes a good kids song), which didin't work at all in small rink with NHL squad.

Kummola also said (IIHF vice president) that they will look into chance to get NHL refs and best KHL refs to work in these tournaments.

 

[QnebO]

Even though it was rigged, Congratulations for Russia again. It wasn't average fans fault at least, and I can give you that you were the best team in tournament overall, gold is not wrong for you.

 

[Gsus]

http://www.katsomo.fi/?progId=349634 If someone wants to see a nine minute clip by refs doing good job last night, it's there.

Still the IIHF needs to punish Russia for breaking the rules with Znarok.

As pissed as I am, I gotta still gongratulate Russia from being the best in the tournament.

 

[Canuckistani]

I didn't watch this. Still pissed about the Olympics.

Sort of pleased they won, but this is not the same. Sorry.

Do you reckon this the sentiment of most Russian fans?

Had Canada won WHC gold in 1998 or 2006 it would have been little consolation for the preceeding Olympic disasters. Had we lost in Vancouver I wouldn't have even watched the WHC that year.

 

[Gaps]

Why are you all crying about the penalties? Sure few bad calls(Salomäki and Immonen penalties) but the fact is we took 7! minor penalties which were right calls and you can't win that way.

Malkin highstick would have been a 2 minute minor or 2+2 at best.

Get over it

Thank you. Before the final, Finland had taken 45(!!!) minor penalties, which equals to 5 per game. That's a lot of penalties no matter how you slice it. Or were the refs against Finland in the other games too? The refs did a bad job in many games, but claiming Russia won because of that is pathetic.

 

[Flou]

Why are you all crying about the penalties? Sure few bad calls(Salomäki and Immonen penalties) but the fact is we took 7! minor penalties which were right calls and you can't win that way.

Malkin highstick would have been a 2 minute minor or 2+2 at best.

Get over it

Actually Malkin would have been ejected from the game. Haula broke his jaw from that hit and thus Malkin would have gotten 5+20 due to the injured player rule IIHF loves so much.

 

[Yakushev72]

Do you reckon this the sentiment of most Russian fans?

Had Canada won WHC gold in 1998 or 2006 it would have been little consolation for the preceeding Olympic disasters. Had we lost in Vancouver I wouldn't have even watched the WHC that year.

The reason that Canadians are genuinely terrified of Russian hockey is a fear for the future. They've seen Russia (aka USSR) catch up even with them in the past and probably surpass them, creating the need for a home-staged Canada Cup tournament, which even then Canada won by the margin of single goal in over 20 games. Canadians fear the likelihood that it will happen again, which is why they cry out so emotionally over a game that took place long after their team had flown home to Canada. Russia is busy in an expansion of youth hockey, and what happens if Canada eventually just can't match the numbers? Truthfully, no other country poses this same threat to Canadian self-images of superiority. They fear the inevitability, maybe as soon as 2018, where they will be looking up the podium to shake hands with the new sheriff in town.

 

[Canuckistani]

The reason that Canadians are genuinely terrified of Russian hockey is a fear for the future. They've seen Russia (aka USSR) catch up even with them in the past and probably surpass them, creating the need for a home-staged Canada Cup tournament, which even then Canada won by the margin of single goal in over 20 games. Canadians fear the likelihood that it will happen again, which is why they cry out so emotionally over a game that took place long after their team had flown home to Canada. Russia is busy in an expansion of youth hockey, and what happens if Canada eventually just can't match the numbers? Truthfully, no other country poses this same threat to Canadian self-images of superiority. They fear the inevitability, maybe as soon as 2018, where they will be looking up the podium to shake hands with the new sheriff in town.

Nope. Team USA poses a far greater threat to Canada, both in terms of talent pool (500,000+ registered players) and recent performances at the top level (silvers in 2002, 2010, a 1-0 SF loss in Sochi).

Russia, meanwhile, has about 70,000 players, has stopped producing top-notch defensemen, and can't seem to get out of the QF at the Olympics, even on home ice.

Russia still has the talent to always be capable of winning, but lately they just haven't. If anything Canadians are becoming complacent about Russia, not fearful.