WJC: Prediction Time

[Canada4Gold]

Top Goalie: Thatcher Demko

too old, will be 20 in 3 days

 

[HomerJSimpson]

8 teams make it out of the Group Stage. So if Denmark is being regulated after losing to Belarus... how does Russia not make it out of the group stage?

These were just joke predictions. After reading some earlier ones, i thought that was the theme... Forgive me

 

[tony d]

Finland, Canada, USA get the medals. Belarus gets relegated

 

[BusQuets]

I don't think anyone has shot against Finland if they play to their potential. Just too much top talent and depth, also the best goalies again.

 

[nelsojc]

I don't think anyone has shot against Finland if they play to their potential. Just too much top talent and depth, also the best goalies again.

Lol what? Canada is just as deep on forward, if not deeper. Canada's defence is also way better than Finland. Sweden also has a comparable group. USA also did, until they made a bunch of bonehead decisions and left off great talent.

 

[Wooren]

I don't think anyone has shot against Finland if they play to their potential. Just too much top talent and depth, also the best goalies again.

Ever heard of Canada...?
One could argue about the goalies as well.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

I don't think anyone has shot against Finland if they play to their potential. Just too much top talent and depth, also the best goalies again.

Yeah that camp roster looks so good, i'm sure that Jalonen can prepare Finland's team to play their potential and handle the pressures.
Better than Jortikka did last year.

Jalonen has been behind the bench in tournament, where Finland has been home-team and tournament host ( men's world championships 2012).
So he knows already what to expected, when team plays front of home-crowd and media hype is really high for Finland's team.

I don't know is this only my opinion, but somehow Jortikka's negative attitude affected for players and team atmosphere last year's U20 WJC's.
I'm not sure this but, whether young players feel that if / when coach hasn't motivated and involved to do his job and help for team to succeed.

PS
I won't think that way, like you did.
Canada,USA and Sweden, are dangerous teams, and Finland hasn't afford to underestimate them.

Yes we are tournament host, and home team and of course i'm trustful and i believe Finland's chances to be a medal team.
But anything can happen, and in hockey everything is possible.

As everyone in here hfboards, even i wanna see good and exciting hockey.
Best team win, let's play good U20 WJC hockey in Helsinki.

 

[BusQuets]

Lol what? Canada is just as deep on forward, if not deeper. Canada's defence is also way better than Finland. Sweden also has a comparable group. USA also did, until they made a bunch of bonehead decisions and left off great talent.

Canada doesn't impress me overall, Sweden's offense is lacking and USA just doesn't look threatening.

 

[VictorLustig]

Canada doesn't impress me overall, Sweden's offense is lacking and USA just doesn't look threatening.

Some of you finns like to hype up your teams like crazy every year. Finland is certainly not stronger on paper than Canada or USA, that's just ridiculous.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Canada doesn't impress me overall, Sweden's offense is lacking and USA just doesn't look threatening.

Canada,USA and Sweden, are dangerous teams.
And Finland hasn't, afford to underestimate any of them.

May i remind you, if Finland wont win group B.
That means, in quarterfinals Finland will face Canada/USA or Sweden.

It's good to be trustful, and believe your own country's chances.
So do i, but also i try to be realistic.

And to be realistic isn't same, than to be cocky.
That your attitude for, Canada,USA and Sweden is dangerous.

And it will cause for you big disappointment, if / when Finland loss in quarterfinals.

 

[BusQuets]

Some of you finns like to hype up your teams like crazy every year. Finland is certainly not stronger on paper than Canada or USA, that's just ridiculous.

I don't see lot of hype for finland usually. Probably because there are much more swedish,canadian and american users who hype way more imo. But this finnish team just seems too skillful. Finland won gold with a team that was not even close to this, now imagine that.

 

[BusQuets]

Canada,USA and Sweden, are dangerous teams.
And Finland hasn't, afford to underestimate any of them.

May i remind you, if Finland wont win group B.
That means, in quarterfinals Finland will face Canada/USA or Sweden.

It's good to be trustful, and believe your own country's chances.
So do i, but also i try to be realistic.

And to be realistic isn't same, than to be cocky.
That your attitude for, Canada,USA and Sweden is dangerous.

And it will cause for you big disappointment, if / when Finland loss in quarterfinals.

What a weird post. I would be disappointed in qf loss no matter what i think of the team..

 

[GoldiFox]

Gold - Finland
Silver - Canada
Bronze - USA

Best Forward: Sebastian Aho
Best Defender: Haydn Fleury
Best Goalie: Alex Nedeljkovic

(Unabashed homer picks but it could actually happen IMO)

 

[illone84]

What a weird post. I would be disappointed in qf loss no matter what i think of the team..

We both know Finland does well as an underdog.
If you hype the finns, they won't win jack.

Too much pressure

 

[BusQuets]

We both know Finland does well as an underdog.
If you hype the finns, they won't win jack.

Too much pressure

I said before the 2014 that they will win the gold due to Teravainen and Saros and they did. And now they will win because of their superior talent and depth. So you're wrong my friend.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

What a weird post. I would be disappointed in qf loss no matter what i think of the team..

It's good, to be trustful.
But the point is that, Finland has always succeed better for underdog.

Of course Finalnd's offence will be really good.
And goalies are good too.

But the defence, lacks for world-class leader d-man ( versus of Jacob Chychrun).
Of course Juolevi and Saarijärvi, could be leaders for Finland's defence.

Yes Vaakanainen can be dark horse, remember that he's only 16.
And these world juniors, comes too soon for him.

Of course he can made final team, but 7th defenceman wont play much during the games.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Sweden's offense is lacking.

April Fool....?

 

[FiLe]

Lol what? Canada is just as deep on forward, if not deeper. Canada's defence is also way better than Finland. Sweden also has a comparable group. USA also did, until they made a bunch of bonehead decisions and left off great talent.

The games aren't won on paper, which another typical HFBoards mental lapse - compare the paper roster and think things will go exactly as their relative strengths indicate.

We Finns have one extra secret weapon in our bag - coaching. Finland already took everyone to school in 2014 by showing what even a lesser team can do with a competent bench boss.

This year, the team is run by a guy who helmed the men's team for a number of years, and walked out of that job with - among other things - an Olympic bronze and a WHC gold. He also has a crapton of podium finishes from our domestic league. You could say he's the closest thing Finland has to Mike Babcock. (And for those who have trouble with comprehension - no, I didn't say he's as good as Babcock. Well, he's certainly not as merited, but still perhaps as revered here in Finland.)

And now he's looking to take the most talented WJC class Finland's ever had and guide them to great things. Will he pull it off? Can't say, games still aren't played anywhere but in the rink. But in "paper" terms, I'd say that this Team Finland + an overly competent coach is a formula that makes me feel boastful for once.

And like I said earlier, you know what means. Time to run for the hills.

P)

 

[Canada4Gold]

What a weird post. I would be disappointed in qf loss no matter what i think of the team..

it's an even weirder post when you consider that guy had said earlier Finland would dominate and starting arguing with anyone and everyone who had Finland dissapointing.

Finland has some talented players, but they're pretty young up front(as is Canada with Marner , Strome, and USA with Matthews and Tkachuk), and other teams have great players as well, I had it as a 4 way tie for 1st but now that USA went full ****** and left off a bunch of good forwards I'll say 3 way tie for favorites.

 

[Wooren]

Canada doesn't impress me overall, Sweden's offense is lacking and USA just doesn't look threatening.

I said before the 2014 that they will win the gold due to Teravainen and Saros and they did. And now they will win because of their superior talent and depth. So you're wrong my friend.

The games aren't won on paper, which another typical HFBoards mental lapse - compare the paper roster and think things will go exactly as their relative strengths indicate.

We Finns have one extra secret weapon in our bag - coaching. Finland already took everyone to school in 2014 by showing what even a lesser team can do with a competent bench boss.

This year, the team is run by a guy who helmed the men's team for a number of years, and walked out of that job with - among other things - an Olympic bronze and a WHC gold. He also has a crapton of podium finishes from our domestic league. You could say he's the closest thing Finland has to Mike Babcock. (And for those who have trouble with comprehension - no, I didn't say he's as good as Babcock. Well, he's certainly not as merited, but still perhaps as revered here in Finland.)

And now he's looking to take the most talented WJC class Finland's ever had and guide them to great things. Will he pull it off? Can't say, games still aren't played anywhere but in the rink. But in "paper" terms, I'd say that this Team Finland + an overly competent coach is a formula that makes me feel boastful for once.

And like I said earlier, you know what means. Time to run for the hills.

P)

This is just hilarious.

I will laugh hard when this Finland ''team of century'' chokes in quaterfinals.

 

[FiLe]

Finland has some talented players, but they're pretty young up front

Laine and Puljujärvi are young, the rest aren't underage in any notable manner. (It's worth noting that players who are too old to play for U18s are universally considered fit for U20s, so -97 borns aren't considered all that young either.)

And with players like Rantanen, Kapanen and Repo in (all '96 borns), one does not have to rely on those two to do all the scoring either.

 

[FiLe]

This is just hilarious.

I will laugh hard when this Finland ''team of century'' chokes in quaterfinals.

Despite using words such as "hilarious" and "laugh", I think you just proved you have no sense of humor.

 

[Canada4Gold]

young in the same sense that Canada(Marner/Strome) and USA(Matthews) are young. A lot of the better players this year aren't 19. Basically Nylander and Rantanen. They're not crazy young, but they're younger than U20 teams usually are. It's not a criticism just a comment, you yourself commented in another thread that a lot of the Finland team can come back next year, ergo they're not 19.

 

[FiLe]

young in the same sense that Canada(Marner/Strome) and USA(Matthews) are young. A lot of the better players this year aren't 19. Basically Nylander and Rantanen. They're not crazy young, but they're younger than U20 teams usually are. It's not a criticism just a comment, you yourself commented in another thread that a lot of the Finland team can come back next year, ergo they're not 19.

And like I said, since there isn't an official "U19" level, any player not eligible for U18 anymore shouldn't be considered notably young. Feds don't do it either, since very few teams consist only of the "main class" (as in, those not eligible the year after) but they've always been more or less an even mixture of those born in the said year and those born the year after.

Players born in 1996 or 1997 aren't therefore "young", those born in 1998 are earlier are. Marner, Strome and Matthews are all born in -97. And even if you wish to consider '97 borns young, let it be noted that Finland's entire first unit is expected to be made of those born in 1996. That makes the younger players support scoring, their time to bear the brunt of expectations will come the year after, if they aren't in the big league by then.

 

[NTDP]

People need to stop overreacting about the U.S. team. Lots of talent there and it's coming from many people who I'll bet never get to see guys like Donato, Hitchcock, and Borgen etc. Leaving off Roslovic and Connor was a question mark, but if they perform poorly with the roster they have it won't be because these two aren't there. Still have the talent to win.