GDT: Quarterfinal • Finland vs. Canada

[Canadian Finn]

Canada definitely had an edge over the Finns during the 1st period, but it was far from "domination".

 

[BB88]

Blackwood is absolute trash. How he's been Canada's starter is pathetic. He has no confidence in his abilities. Leaky as ****.

Just look at our defense or goaltender
Our best players are 17y, a bit too much to ask from them.

 

[The Saw Is the Law]

Blackwood > Vehviläinen
AINEC

 

[bennysflyers16]

really? compared to what. 4th line minutes this game
check previous games its been brutal bench management

Konecny has been shafted

Barely played last game in 3rd and was named player of the game.

 

[JFG]

I don't know why people get defensive. It's not critisism towards Laine's shot but he should have had that.

 

[jesui]

Excpecting that we will be a whole nother team in the period two.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Blackwood > Vehviläinen
AINEC

Thomas Lille > ALL.

AINEC

 

[carlweezer*]

We need to stay out of the box. Still no confidence in that PK , We got lucky w. Mackewon saving a goal for us by flopping around the blue ice like fish out of water

 

[Thebesthockey]

luckey for canada fins playing bad

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Yeah Strome has been terrific and a real leader. His skating looks a lot better and intensity is so much higher compared to OHL playoffs last year. He's always been a decent 2-way player and good on faceoffs, that's what I thought was underrated about him.

Reminds me a bit of Mark Stone. He will have to work on his skating like Mark did but he has such great hockey sense.

 

[llwyd]

Thank God we are not facing Sweden today: they would really know how to pick that shaky defence apart...

 

[rduck1]

I don't know but wha's the matter with Vehviläinen? I read his saving rate in the finnish elite league is much higher/better than at this WJC.

Ok I have no idea about the quality of the finnish elite league but i can't be so bad, here he doesn't even reach 80% and that is very low.

His confidence was pretty much ruined in the RUS game, and the coach keeps putting him out there despite him letting in soft goals game after game. Also this team sucks at defense. A lot.

 

[docbenton]

Blackwood is still much better than the alternatives, so I don't know what people are complaining about. Remember last year we had Zach Fucale? *shivers*

 

[bennysflyers16]

Blackwood has been decent, I think people want to hold him to the standard that TSN talks him up. TSN really is brutal at hyping players that do not warrant it based on draft position and if they are returnees.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

I missed it, how Canada look in the last 5 minutes ?

 

[NyQuil]

Bob McKenzie is picking this thread apart on TSN lol

Everyone blaming Blackwood except people that actually know the game

Sometimes you need your goalie to make a save.

Yes, theoretically, if all the skaters do their jobs all the time, no high quality scoring chances will happen.

But the reality is that the goalie is there to bail out the team.

I'm not saying that he's trash or anything. That's ridiculous.

A save would have been nice.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Thank God we are not facing Sweden today: they would really know how to pick that shaky defence apart...

Sweden doesn't have many weak spots

 

[vaiski]

Terribad breakout passes, terrible turn-overs, most finns look nervous. Kähkönen should have been the starter as he seemed much more calm and poditionally sound in his game, but Jalonen gambled and I guess we ride or die with Vehviläinen. I'm amazed if we are able to turn this performance into a win.

 

[Llewzaher]

Strome is Canada's best player by far...Marner looks bad.

I don't think so , Marner just hasn't had the puck.as much ..he hasn't been caught out of position or anything.

 

[carlweezer*]

1st Period Evaluations.

A - Koneckny, Strome

B- Virtanen, Crouse, Quenville

Needs Improrvement - Marner line, Fleury. Blackwood

 

[Chimpradamus]

I don't know why people get defensive. It's not critisism towards Laine's shot but he should have had that.

I don't know about that, I think people are way too hard on goalies nowadays. When a shot is screened, they have an inhuman reaction time to reposition for the shot they've read.

The moment a goalie can't see the trajectory of the shot, it gets really hard.

 

[Matti_A]

Canada definitely had an edge over the Finns during the 1st period, but it was far from "domination".

Lowry has done a good job scouting team Finland's weaknesses and preparing his team.

They put hard pressure on the Finnish d and fore-checked aggressively and took the body every chance they got. That is exactly how you beat Finland, the d is playing scared and cough up the puck easily.

 

[TLEH]

finland is coming out hot this period.

 

[BDizzle*]

It's been a wild game so far. Can't wait for the rest of it. Let's go Canada.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Sometimes you need your goalie to make a save.

Yes, theoretically, if all the skaters do their jobs all the time, no high quality scoring chances will happen.

But the reality is that the goalie is there to bail out the team.

The reality is that the goalie isn't good enough to make the save. Why can't some just recognize a good play by the opponent?