GDT: Quarterfinal • Finland vs. Canada • Part IV

[Neely2005]

Virtanen's 2 penalties cost us the game. Not Marner's. Do you not underatand what you are watching?

B.S. We would have had a power play if not for his stupid selfish penalty. There was no need for Marner to throw that punch, it was exactly what the Finnish player wanted and in international hockey they're going to call that penalty against Canada every time.

 

[Spawn]

lol bizarre timing for TSN to air a Virtanen=heart commercial just now.

 

[Brewsky]

No worries boys, we could've had McDavid, Bennett, Reinhart, Ekblad on this team.

When we don't medal at the Olympics, THAT'S when we panic.

GO CANADA GO GOLD MEDALS OLYMPICS BABY WOOOOOO!

BACK2BACK

 

[bruins3]

Konecny, gauthier, stephens hardly getting ice time. Lowry playing his favorites that did nothing much but take bad penaltys. Konecny stephens and beauvillier flying every game and getting little ice time. Virtanen taking brutal costly penaltys every single game and getting rewarded with top minutes for it. What an absolute joke. I cant even believe that hahaha

 

[chaosrevolver]

Barzal...

Who was invisible when games mattered most?

doesn't matter, nerves take over and these guys are young. Marner gave them a chance, if a team Canada relies on the PP that much anyways, they don't deserve to medal. Sure it was stupid, but the guy almost had a hat trick.

Sure they are young but nerves don't mean you should be stupid like that.

What seems to be getting overlooked is I'm not saying his goals weren't important, great or anything like that...but that he took the most unnecessary penalty in this game and it came at a moment where you get a PP to tie it up with a couple minutes left. Not only do you negate the PP but you take your hottest offensive player off the ice for 2 minutes.

It was stupid.

 

[SubyDubyTML]

What an exciting game. Best of luck for the rest of the tournament Finland

 

[McMozesmadness]

That "heart" commercial was an ironic touch to the broadcast.

 

[karnige]

Really TSN? The Virtanen fluff piece segment NOW?

Why not? Virtanen convo would make sense

 

[IAmBobo]

Best players: Marner, Dermott, Crouse

Worst players: Virtanen, Virtanen, Chabot

 

[Sweetpotato]

They really need to pick these teams better my god and improve coaching. Last year was night and day. The defense this year was poor, the forwards didn't perform. Full credit to Finland though Laine and Juolevi looked outstanding, I'm sure GMs are salivating over the top 10 of this draft.

 

[Fragmuffin]

I like how people freaking out at Lowry when he really pulled the maximum out of this Canada team. Face it, you weren't at par with the other 3 big dogs this tournament.

Lowry played his cards alright tonight, the forchek and PP for Canada were lethal... those are signs of good coaching. Not his fault that Virtanen felt a bit patriotic (the wrong patria btw). Canada apart from Marner did not have any game breakers this year. Finland had quite a handful of studs.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Virtanen's 2 penalties cost us the game and then Marner negated a PP that would have been crucial late with an unnecessary punch.

Learn to watch the game without rose coloured glasses.

It was a routine scrum where he was given some cross checks first. It only got called because the Finish player sold it well. Wouldn't be a penalty in North America, especially not at that point in the game.

 

[finnbalor*]

Oh well, great game, this has been a fantastic tournament, most balanced in years. Canada didn't have an adequate blueline or goaltending.

Sweden vs Finland is a dream match up.

 

[Snippit]

The real question is, how was Blackwood not pulled?

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Oh boy, TSN follows up the game with a Virtanen profile.

All being told, three major factors led to Fins winning:

1. More talented forwards on the Finnish side
2. Coach Lowry
3. Virtanen

 

[Hasa92]

Weakest Canadian team ever versus the best Finland team ever?

2nd. weakest Canadian team against the offensively best Finnish team ever.

Can't remember the last time we had so bad defence & Goaltending.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Virtanen's 2 penalties cost us the game and then Marner negated a PP that would have been crucial late with an unnecessary punch.

Learn to watch the game without rose coloured glasses.

Lmao. Marner was the best Canadian on the ice today. If you can't see it then maybe you should heed your own advice.

 

[VanIslander]

Funny how it's Lowry's two favorite pets that are both in the box for the 5 and 3 at the end of the game.

And then the coach put both of them back out there with a minute remaining.

 

[GAT0R]

The loss is on Virtanen, Lowry, and the goaltending. Absolutely awful coaching and goaltending.

exactly.

As a Canucks fan, I would be pleased if they waived Virtanen right now.

 

[IDuck]

Pain....IS....COMING

 

[Megustaelhockey]

TV ratings suddenly go way down without Canada.

Plenty of people in Canada will watch to the end.

 

[jaloviina]

Congrats and good luck to Finland, great game!

Canada helped kill themselves with these awful penalties it's crazy how dumb this team was. Virtanen should really feel shame letting his teammates down that was really embarassing.

GG Canada now Finland has the torch

 

[canadianmagpie]

Canadians never got the goaltending they needed, Blackwood should have been pulled once Finland made it 4-3. He looked shaky throughout the last two periods. Even on his saves he was looking around for the puck.

Won't excuse Virtanen, shouldn't have taken the penalty while on the PP and while I disagreed with the refs calling the first penalty on him, it was a clear slash and Virtanen made a poor decision to do it.

Marner shouldn't have put his hands anywhere near the Finnish forward's face. You're down by 1, you're going to go on the powerplay, you don't give the referee the opportunity to even it up.

The story of the Canadian team this year has been undisciplined plays at inopportune moments. That's more on the coaching not realizing that a change was needed in the strategy. Others may blame Virtanen, Marner, Hicketts or Blackwood for the loss, but I think the blame should lay squarely on the coaching team. I think this is the last time you see Lowry as the coach for Canada.

 

[Alerion]

Who is in charge of pulling the struggling goalie?

Who is in charge of putting Virtanen out there, shift after shift, despite the dumb penalties?

It definitely is on Lowry because he had full control over fixing the things that hurt Canada the most, but refused to do so.

McDonald showed nothing to suggest he'd be any better. With regards to Virtanen I agree but you almost have to wonder if the Canucks had some sort of agreement with Hockey Canada regarding his ice time.

 

[OilerPensfan97]

Lol, feature on Virtanen on TSN. Probably not the best time right now, haha.

I feel bad for Virtanen. He may have played bad this tournament, but he seems like a great guy and he does have a lot of potential.

Sucks to see so much personal bashing at one player.