GDT: Quarter Finals: Finland vs Slovakia; Jan. 2, 2025; 17:00 EST

[tobu]

Standard exit for Slovakia.

Positives:
Dvorsky
Pekarcik
Radivojevic

Negatives:
Kralovic
Strbak
Coaching

 

[FinPanda]

We stopped playing after 3-0.. we got soo lucky

 

[Svedu]

Really bad refs. Ban them after this one please.

 

[gritdash60]

Slovakia always my favorite in international tournaments. (after Finland). I hope we meet in gold medal game in the IIHF WC this spring.

 

[king89]

Finland gets it done, good job. Slovaks played well too, this could have been a different result.


Can Finland beat that U.S team twice though ? I dunno.

We will do the whole world a favor and bring down the US once again

 

[Pieck]

Sad result. Slovakia could’ve easily won either last year’s or this year’s QF against Finland but comes out with nothing, and no medal for Dvorsky’s generation

 

[vlady]

Can't be mad. This team didn't have it to go any further. Hard to win with 1 line, no defense and average goaltending.

Congrats to Finland.

Dvorsky and Pekarcik were great. That's the positive. Strbak needs to clean up his act. Pobezal was disappointing. I expected some offense from him. Hope Luka is not seriously hurt.

 

[FinPanda]

GG Slovakia, you were better than us. Dvorsky is a beast.

 

[gritdash60]

Standard exit for Slovakia.

Positives:
Dvorsky
Pekarcik
Radivojevic

Negatives:
Kralovic
Strbak
Coaching

Dvorsky the best player on the ice today, AINEC.

 

[tobu]

Dvorsky reminds me of Demitra.

Yeah I think he is the best C out of our hockey since Demitra.

 

[Albatros]

Really bad refs. Ban them after this one please.

Finland got away with several potential minors in the final minutes.

 

[vlady]

Kukumberg over Pekarcik? f***ing madness

 

[SantosHalper]

Hot damn that was a close, massive victory by young lions.

Magnificent 1st period, i hope our boys can find that pace again in semifinals. But then the pace dropped, momentum dropped and Dvorsky started control the ice.

 

[FinPanda]

Hot damn that was a close, massive victory by young lions.

Magnificent 1st period, i hope our boys can find that pace again in semifinals. But then the pace dropped, momentum dropped and Dvorsky started control the ice.

Now if Czechs win, we have Finland-Sweden semifinal

 

[gritdash60]

Depth wins i guess, Dvorsky and Pekaric were the best players on the ice today.

 

[jcbio11]

We outshot them 36 to 18. Outshot them every single period, 18 - 7 in the 2nd and yet we lose. Just looking at the play, we had possession and initiative the vast majority of the time. Skaters played great, goaltending wasn't there at the start.

I'm sorry, but I won't be blaming this one on the skaters, but on the coaching staff who didn't have Urban start in the net. Lendak let in 3 goals on 5 shots if I remember correctly. That's a sub 500 save percentage. You don't win these closely contested games with that kind of start.

Good game Finland.

 

[FinPanda]

We outshot them 36 to 18. Outshot them every single period, 18 - 7 in the 2nd and yet we lose. Just looking at the play, we had possession and initiative the vast majority of the time. Skaters played great, goaltending wasn't there at the start.

I'm sorry, but I won't be blaming this one on the skaters, but on the coaching staff who didn't have Urban start in the net. Lendak let in 3 goals on 5 shots if I remember correctly. That's a sub 500 save percentage. You don't win these closely contested games with that kind of start.

Good game Finland.

Yeah, Slovakia was definitely better. Everything changed even more clearly to Slovakia after the major.

--

27% shooting percentage for us, thats like 20% more than our average before this game, crazy

 

[Svedu]

Finland got away with several potential minors in the final minutes.

So? Only means they were shit both ways?

 

[jj cale]

We will do the whole world a favor and bring down the US once again

Please do, because if you can pull it off I am really going to lay it on thick to those guys.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

It was a clean hit. Unfortunate that the kid got hurt, but still a clean hit. If he would have rwceuved the hit directly instead of trying to evade it, he wouldn’t have been hurt. Idiotic call by the refs.

Nope.
It was idiotic and absolutely boneheaded play for Pieniniemi hopefully he's not suspended for seminal.

The hit came straight on knee and into IIHF rulebook that's automatic 5+20min.
No excuses and case closed.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Kiviharju... Close game again.

Captain showed up once again and showed how to play soft as soft embo toilet paper.
It is dman's job to clear that goddamn rebound out of A class goal scoring sector
befote opposite offensive player gets it If dman cannot clear puck out of zone
then trip the opposite guy and no matter is it 2min penalty or not.

Even brainless baboon knows that Kiviharju has 3 serious lacks why he won't be NHL player.
Those lacks are 1 Size 2 Skating 3 Physicality.

Kiviharju's contract with HIFK expires after this season.
And if Minnesota Wild management are smart enough and knows
their job with prospect development next season Kiviharju plays in CHL
there he'll get best possible coaching and development if he's serious
with his NHL dreams HIFK and SM liiga is not right place for him to prepare to NHL.

 

[Svedu]

Captain showed up once again and showed how to play soft as soft embo toilet paper.
It is dman's job to clear that goddamn rebound out of A class goal scoring sector
befote opposite offensive player gets it If dman cannot clear puck out of zone
then trip the opposite guy and no matter is it 2min penalty or not.

Even brainless baboon knows that Kiviharju has 3 serious lacks why he won't be NHL player.
Those lacks are 1 Size 2 Skating 3 Physicality.

Kiviharju's contract with HIFK expires after this season.
And if Minnesota Wild management are smart enough and knows
their job with prospect development next season Kiviharju plays in CHL
there he'll get best possible coaching and development if he's serious
with his NHL dreams HIFK and SM liiga is not right place for him to prepare to NHL.

I actually agree. He has been healthy for a while now and can take that step and probably needs it. He needs a lot more individual training and coaching. SKATING is the most important aspect he needs to develop now. SPEED, start and stop, bam, bam, bam. Train with really high intensity and even his skating technique. After that? I actually think it's his shot and puck handling. He will never be a two-way or defensive minded D and especially not in the NHL. Therefor...The shot? He barely scores, he needs to have a crisp shot in his arsenal. After skating that's the next most important thing. That's why he needs more individual focus from competent coaches because he has already been in Liiga for years. He needs to challenge himself and the Wild needs to push him. I think they should focus a lot more on the training aspect and playing in a smaller rink for a year than keeping on playing against men and defensive minded hockey. It just won't take him that much further.

Also, during this tournament he fumbles with the puck at times and after those sequences hits a nonchalant and sloppy pass to his mates making it difficult for them to shoot. Baffled because it happens more or less in every game. I think he plays with a lots of pressure that he puts on himself. He gives the impression of being confident but I believe his latest very mediocre performances affects him more than he thinks it does and it becomes a endless spiral where he can't pick up the level.
These are just things (Skating, shot and puck movement) he should be superior at handling a lot better because of lack of physicality, skating and yeah size.

But yeah, regarding those things you are mentioning in his own zone and D. You are right. His low level actual defending needs to become a lot better. It's not even a matter of being on a respectable level, it's about an acceptable level and not being a liability. Already in this tournament against the US and now Slovakia he looks weak or late in the situation. An opponent very close to the net having the opportunity to just hit it home. Two somewhat similar goals against us. No bueno.

Tsemppiä Kiviharju.

 

[moropanov]

Game would have ended propably like 5-0,1 typic result without that 5 minute penalty that changed momentum and almost cost Finland that game.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Good game Slovakia. It looks like your hockey future is brighter than before, despite this loss. Dvorsky was easily the best player on the ice in this one. He's going to be a beauty. Meanwhile none of our big guns really convinced. The game almost slipped out of hand after we stopped playing at 3-0, always a bad idea to hit on the brakes. I don't think that hit was kneeing or worthy of a 5min penalty but hope the sloval player is ok.

We need a different attitude to beat Sweden in the semis. The attitude shown today is going to lead to the bronze game.

 

[llwyd]

Well, these matches are always difficult - only the result matters, and we did pretty okay anyway. There will be a totally different Finland against Sweden.