Preferred quarter final opponent of big 5?

[Czechboy]

So I'm curious. Let's say there was a real best on best. And Russia was playing. Everyone is invited. Swiss, Latvia, Czechs and Russians. All players are available from all the leagues.

Here is the question. Who is your preferred quarter final opponent of the big 5? They are all amazing. So I'm curious who everyone would prefer on the way to the semifinals?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Finland has the worst team of the five, so probably them.

 

[Czechboy]

Finland has the worst team of the five, so probably them.

You seen Finland's quarter final track record at best in best Olympics? 4 out of 5. May be the best one at it.

 

[Namejs]

Definitely Russia so that we could have a bench clearing brawl and a few cases of manslaughter in the stands.

 

[Summer Rose]

I voted Russia. I don't have a logical explanation about why. It may be because we beat them the last time we played them in a best on best quarterfinal. However, thinking as I write at the same time, Canada is obviously the worst one to draw in the quarterfinals. That leaves Sweden and Finland. Those two have a track record and history of a very high level of team play regardless of the actual talent on the roster, so they scare me in that sense. I guess that leads me to Russia anyway.

Joke addition: the ideal opponent to draw in the quarterfinal is the USA, because if we play against ourselves, then we win.

 

[Czechboy]

I voted Russia. I don't have a logical explanation about why. It may be because we beat them the last time we played them in a best on best quarterfinal. However, thinking as I write at the same time, Canada is obviously the worst one to draw in the quarterfinals. That leaves Sweden and Finland. Those two have a track record and history of a very high level of team play regardless of the actual talent on the roster, so they scare me in that sense. I guess that leads me to Russia anyway.

Joke addition: the ideal opponent to draw in the quarterfinal is the USA, because if we play against ourselves, then we win.

US are the paper champs right now.. and they are terrifying. They have F and D that can match Canada and G's that can counter the Russian Troika! Canada is Canada. Swedes are never an easy out. Finn's are the most successful at Quarters using best on best Olympics (4 out of 5 at 80%... possible Canada was 80% too but they lost Semi and Bronze - to Finland in Nagano).

 

[Eye of Ra]

Big 6. Not big 5. Czechs is among the big ones for sure

 

[jcbio11]

Voted Sweden as a fan of team Slovakia. I was also seriously considering Russia and Finland.

 

[heksagon]

Finland has the worst team of the five, so probably them.

I would take a healthy Team Finland over Russia and maybe even Sweden, but Finland lacks depth so an injury to someone like Heiskanen or Barkov drops them below them on paper. We did beat Sweden without Heiskanen in the 4 Nations now that I think about it, with Miro I'd be even more confident. Playing style wise we match up worse against NA opponents though, so it's match up based too.

 

[Eye of Ra]

I would take a healthy Team Finland over Russia and maybe even Sweden, but Finland lacks depth so an injury to someone like Heiskanen or Barkov drops them below them on paper. We did beat Sweden without Heiskanen in the 4 Nations now that I think about it, with Miro I'd be even more confident. Playing style wise we match up worse against NA opponents though, so it's match up based too.

You beat Sweden in OT. An important note.

 

[heksagon]

You beat Sweden in OT. An important note.

Yeah, I think it's a very tight match up no matter what.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Yeah, I think it's a very tight match up no matter what.

And dont forget we where missing William Karlsson and Markström.

 

[Czechboy]

Big 6. Not big 5. Czechs is among the big ones for sure

We are a pesky outsider... D still sucks at a best on best level. My own bias says we are clearly untouchabe at 6.lol

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Russia. C and D are the most important positions...

 

[Czechboy]

Voted Sweden as a fan of team Slovakia. I was also seriously considering Russia and Finland.

Why Sweden for Slovakia?

 

[Czechboy]

Big 6. Not big 5. Czechs is among the big ones for sure

Also, if Czechs were an option here even I would pick them.lol

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I would take a healthy Team Finland over Russia and maybe even Sweden, but Finland lacks depth so an injury to someone like Heiskanen or Barkov drops them below them on paper. We did beat Sweden without Heiskanen in the 4 Nations now that I think about it, with Miro I'd be even more confident. Playing style wise we match up worse against NA opponents though, so it's match up based too.

I would not. Russia’s weakness, centers, is better than Finland’s weakness, the whole defense.

Finland basically doesn’t have more than one guy who can play an NHL PP on that backend and probably only one real first pairing defenseman.

Miro is great, but let’s not make him into something he’s not. He’s not the best defenseman ever. The reason the defense needs him so much is because he’s the only good defenseman.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Russia. I don't think Finland has lost to them since 1998. Sweden would be another choice. Beating them without Heiskanen in 4 nations was nice enough.

 

[Lartsaman]

Canada is next to impossible to beat at the games that matters. As for Russia, we have a pretty good record on kicking them out of the competition so I definitely choose Russia.

 

[heksagon]

I would not. Russia’s weakness, centers, is better than Finland’s weakness, the whole defense.

Finland basically doesn’t have more than one guy who can play an NHL PP on that backend and probably only one real first pairing defenseman.

Miro is great, but let’s not make him into something he’s not. He’s not the best defenseman ever. The reason the defense needs him so much is because he’s the only good defenseman.

Here's the thing though, you don't really need more than one PP quarterback if he is healthy. And unlike in the 4 Nations, in the Olympics you can pick someone like Sami Vatanen, Mikko Lehtonen or Atro Leppänen to also run a PP. Your last sentence is questionable: While players like Mikkola, Lindell and Määttä can't really run a PP, they are solid defensively and they are definitely good defensemen. Not great or star players, but definitely good. I have no idea how Mikkola and Lindell still fly so under the radar with so many eyes on Florida and Dallas being Stanley Cup favourites (Well, somehow an even better Forsling still gets that too). We wouldn't have beaten Sweden in the 4 Nations if Heiskanen was all we had.

Sergachev, Provorov, Gavrikov etc. are certainly very good, but you are acting like the rest of Finland's D would be pylons compared to them. The center group of Barkov, Aho, Hintz, Lundell and Granlund over an aging Malkin and co. is just as big of a difference, if not more. Who does Russia have at center, I am genuinely curious if I'm missing someone: Malkin and Namestnikov from the NHL? Buchnevich with his faceoff win-% of 37 seems like a bad idea at center. Kuznetsov, Shipachyov, Demidov, Shabanov from the KHL? There's lots of talent there, but... yeah.

The difference between Finland's and Russia's centers makes up for the difference between Russia's and Finland's defense, especially considering Heiskanen clears all Russian defensemen. Russia's wingers are scary talented though.

For Finland Russia is still the clear pick IMO, the historical results are great and the present match up more favourable than the other options. Allthough none of these are obviously easy at all.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Here's the thing though, you don't really need more than one PP quarterback if he is healthy. And unlike in the 4 Nations, in the Olympics you can pick someone like Sami Vatanen, Mikko Lehtonen or Atro Leppänen to also run a PP. Your last sentence is questionable: While players like Mikkola, Lindell and Määttä can't really run a PP, they are solid defensively and they are definitely good defensemen. Not great or star players, but definitely good. I have no idea how Mikkola and Lindell still fly so under the radar with so many eyes on Florida and Dallas being Stanley Cup favourites (Well, somehow an even better Forsling still gets that too). We wouldn't have beaten Sweden in the 4 Nations if Heiskanen was all we had.

Sergachev, Provorov, Gavrikov etc. are certainly very good, but you are acting like the rest of Finland's D would be pylons compared to them. The center group of Barkov, Aho, Hintz, Lundell and Granlund over an aging Malkin and co. is just as big of a difference, if not more. Who does Russia have at center, I am genuinely curious if I'm missing someone: Malkin and Namestnikov from the NHL? Buchnevich with his faceoff win-% of 37 seems like a bad idea at center. Kuznetsov, Shipachyov, Demidov, Shabanov from the KHL? There's lots of talent there, but... yeah.

The difference between Finland's and Russia's centers makes up for the difference between Russia's and Finland's defense, especially considering Heiskanen clears all Russian defensemen. Russia's wingers are scary talented though.

For Finland Russia is still the clear pick IMO, the historical results are great and the present match up more favourable than the other options. Allthough none of these are obviously easy at all.

I’m talking about good players in the sense of how they fit into the best on best level. This is a level beyond a normal NHL game. This is basically the NHL All-Stars, and Finland only has 1 player at that level on defense. Mikkola and Lindell are not top 50 defensemen in the NHL.

Not only does Russia have those players you named on defense, but you have someone like Nikishin, arguably the best prospect outside the NHL. You have Orlov. Romanov. Zub. To me that’s a deeper and more skilled blue line than what Finland has. I’ll even grant Finland the best defenseman with Heiskanen, but I don’t find the depth all that close.

Russia’s center weakness is bad, but to me it’s not as bad as Finland’s defense. Barbashev has been fantastic the last few seasons. Buchnevich isn’t a natural center, but can play center and is a very good player. They obviously still have Malkin, who is very good even at his old age. It’s a weakness, but it’s stronger than Finland’s defense.

 

[jcbio11]

Why Sweden for Slovakia?

I feel like we've historically had success against them in important matches and that we overperformed (beat them more times than expected), while I feel the exact opposite about Finland.

Examples of important won matches vs. the Swedes off the top of my head -
2010 Vancouver OH we knocked them out in the quarterfinals (and then collapsed vs the Finns in the bronze medal game after being up like 2 - 0 I think)

Last Olympics beat them in the bronze medal game (not NHL players available to be fair, which hurt them more than it did us)

That WJC bronze with Reway we also beat them in the medal game.

Russia is a big unknown at this point, they haven't played serious hockey in years.

 

[Lartsaman]

Russia is a big unknown at this point, they haven't played serious hockey in years.

Not on best of best. The talent and the skills are still there. Finland haven´t had its best players together for years. We can still win a couple of games if lucky. Russia will be on par with us. Not a gold medal contender but can win a medal if everything goes perfect.

 

[jcbio11]

Not on best of best. The talent and the skills are still there. Finland haven´t had its best players together for years. We can still win a couple of games if lucky. Russia will be on par with us. Not a gold medal contender but can win a medal if everything goes perfect.

Of course, I'm not suggesting they've fallen to Austria's level or anything, but not being confronted in serious international matches is hurting them plenty. You can only play Belarus so many times before it starts being embarrassing.

 

[Czechboy]

Of course, I'm not suggesting they've fallen to Austria's level or anything, but not being confronted in serious international matches is hurting them plenty. You can only play Belarus so many times before it starts being embarrassing.

What is funny is that it could benefit Belarus a lot! Playing Russia repeatedly has to improve a program of a rising nation.