WJC: Semi final talk

[Dingo]

and got replaced by world class players, we had freaking Jimmie Ericsson in that game as 0ur 1st Center

i thought it was Berglund?

either way, it was an impossible ask after Backstrom was banned.

 

[Dingo]

Very weird.

The short version is that Gretzky promised all kinds of spots to players (like Bertuzzi) well in advance of the tournament instead of relying on the guys that were performing well that season (like Spezza and Crosby).

In any event, Sweden was the deserved winner.

I cant remember who it was, but i believe it was in reference to Bert and Jovo over the young guys who were killing it, but i swear i remember hearing, "its their turn to win Gold"

i thought it was outrageously arrogant. Even if im remembering wrong, our attitude towards that tournament was such that I couldnt get enough of them losing..... and then i felt bad because from the couches of Canada always comes the, "they dont care about hockey! Overpaid primadonnas, etc" crap. Those guys gave it their all, but they were likely, some of them, not the right guys.

 

[Old Man Jags]

Hate it but i guess Fin-Cesko in final.
Fin always play good being underdogs. Czech’s always hard to beat if they get a lead. And i think they will. Sweden has lost there confidence.

Oh, I would LOVE that. But I envisage a Sweden - USA final unfortunately. I do think we have a chance against Sweden, but I feel the odds are about 60 or 65 / 40 or 35 in favour of Sweden. They have been very solid during their home championships so far.

 

[Jukurit]

Finland's defense is very weak and their goaltending is shaky. USA has a lot of offensive talent. I think USA-Finland game is going to be a blowout. 7-2 USA

 

[ZEBROA]

Oh, I would LOVE that. But I envisage a Sweden - USA final unfortunately. I do think we have a chance against Sweden, but I feel the odds are about 60 or 65 / 40 or 35 in favour of Sweden. They have been very solid during their home championships so far.

Sweden are usually bad being the favorites. Its the mental state of mind that will make it a win or loose for Sweden. Its 50/50 right now i belive. But maby mentaly 40/60 for the Czech’s.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

a canadian talking about getting help from the refs is funny.

if we win, we cheated, if we lost we choked, u people hate sweden thats the truth, always bashing us

Don't take it personally Canadians hate everyone when it comes to hockey.

 

[Czechboy]

Oh, I would LOVE that. But I envisage a Sweden - USA final unfortunately. I do think we have a chance against Sweden, but I feel the odds are about 60 or 65 / 40 or 35 in favour of Sweden. They have been very solid during their home championships so far.

Our biggest chance is Swedish junior nerves. Round robing I'd say 65-35 Sweden. Playoff? Punchers chance.

 

[Konnan511]

When are the semis?

 

[Summer Rose]

When are the semis?

Tomorrow. In eastern time, Sweden vs. Czech Republic is at 9:00 a.m. and USA vs. Finland is at 1:30 p.m.

 

[illone84]

Tomorrow. In eastern time, USA vs. Finland is at 9:00 a.m. and Sweden vs. Czech Republic is at 1:30 p.m.

Thought it was the other way around?

 

[WayTooCold]

I couldn't care less whether Finland is 4th or gold. I close the TV and it's forgotten no matter what happens. Anyway the reffing has been iihf bad. In OT you don't whistle. May the best win.

 

[Summer Rose]

Thought it was the other way around?

Whoops, you're right!

 

[Dala]

i thought it was Berglund?

either way, it was an impossible ask after Backstrom was banned.

Still annoyed by the fact that the frigging accuser (wada or similar) knew of the lacking paper work and waited the entire tournament until a few hours before the final to complain.

Had they raised it pre-tourny or during it would have been simply to submit the correct form. (asthma medication, routine filled by doctor, who misfiled this one time...)

Easy to say malice, Canada got word and pulled some strings, but i guess pure incompetence / lazyness was at play here is more likely.

 

[llwyd]

Finland's defense is very weak and their goaltending is shaky. USA has a lot of offensive talent. I think USA-Finland game is going to be a blowout. 7-2 USA

I see what you are doing there. I think more like 17-2 if the USA will only use 2 lines. If 4, then it's more like 37-2 because we usually really suck in these kinds of games, especially when we have a mediocre team on paper who didn't perform well in the round robin. Wait, we have always a mediocre team on paper who didn't perform well in the round robin...

 

[Czechboy]

IIHF - Power Rankings

Iihf journalist is drunk

 

[57special]

They're the only team that hasn't really shown any warts to date.

Well, they barely won in a SO against CZE. Hardly impressive.

 

[bossram]

Should be some entertaining semi-finals. Each team has shown some weaknesses, so I expect some competitive games.

 

[Dingo]

Don't take it personally Canadians hate everyone when it comes to hockey.

honestly, we are terrible.

But, i want to say that we are so much better now than when I grew up, and id say the boys from the early 70s were even worse.

We are getting better, i swear!

 

[Czechboy]

Well, they barely won in a SO against CZE. Hardly impressive.

We are the defending silver medalists and eliminated the US the last time we met them from this tourney. We are also back in the semis for a third time.

I agree US are better but a little respect.lol

 

[Dingo]

Still annoyed by the fact that the frigging accuser (wada or similar) knew of the lacking paper work and waited the entire tournament until a few hours before the final to complain.

Had they raised it pre-tourny or during it would have been simply to submit the correct form. (asthma medication, routine filled by doctor, who misfiled this one time...)

Easy to say malice, Canada got word and pulled some strings, but i guess pure incompetence / lazyness was at play here is more likely.

So, what you have said here is something that I have been incorporating into my thinking over the last few years. Without diving into politics, i have begun to realize that I may have been too quick to see malice, or perhaps conspiracy, when simple incompetence will suffice as an explanation.

And it certainly could apply when discussing international hockey (although, the other reason could also apply)

Look no further than the Sweden - Switzerland game that we are discussing. Those calls were terrible, and the tournament is in Sweden - bingo! conspiracy!

but wait, the refs missed calls the other way in that same game, and whoever reffed the game vs Finland likely handed Finland a chance in OT by not calling tripping on the empty net breakaway play.

Incompetence is ALWAYS a possibility. And one thing ill add for refs is that players screw up all the time - they get some heat for it, for sure, esp from their own negative fans. Most people recognize that they are trying their hardest, though. Refs get shit on from every seagull of every flock, and most of the time they are the only unbiased people involved. I say this as a guy who occassionally has to umpire kids ball. Good lord that is a thankless and difficult job.

 

[wintersej]

Think the big ice is great the team USAs small and speedy d-group. And it was not good for Canada’s d-group.

 

[Svedu]

USA-Sweden in the final. The US are just too good for us and they had the easiest way to the semis and should be a lot more rested than the finns.

Czechs looked a bit gassed or shook in the third against Canada before the winning goal? Or am I wrong here? And as we all know Sweden had an easier way with the refs playing a part in their win. Imagine some of their fans referred to justice and the earlier game against Finland when their leading goal before the equalizer was questionable to say the very least. Lol! It's one thing to be lucky and quiet about things but stating that it paid out evenly is still a bit laughable and hypocritical. I mean Jonas Andersson himself stated that the penalty at that very moment was harsh and actually wrong.
I will root for Finland and the Czechs even if a win against Sweden in the final would be the sweetest and perhaps the most exciting one.


Well, well, the bronze goes to Czechia I believe.

 

[NyQuil]

So, what you have said here is something that I have been incorporating into my thinking over the last few years. Without diving into politics, i have begun to realize that I may have been too quick to see malice, or perhaps conspiracy, when simple incompetence will suffice as an explanation.

And it certainly could apply when discussing international hockey (although, the other reason could also apply)

Look no further than the Sweden - Switzerland game that we are discussing. Those calls were terrible, and the tournament is in Sweden - bingo! conspiracy!

but wait, the refs missed calls the other way in that same game, and whoever reffed the game vs Finland likely handed Finland a chance in OT by not calling tripping on the empty net breakaway play.

Incompetence is ALWAYS a possibility. And one thing ill add for refs is that players screw up all the time - they get some heat for it, for sure, esp from their own negative fans. Most people recognize that they are trying their hardest, though. Refs get shit on from every seagull of every flock, and most of the time they are the only unbiased people involved. I say this as a guy who occassionally has to umpire kids ball. Good lord that is a thankless and difficult job.

I never think it’s a conspiracy.

There are good and bad refs, and good and bad ref performances.

I actually think refs can easily officiate games involving their own countrymen but it’s really the optics that prevent it, as opposed to some kind of desire for one team to win over the other.

The IIHF style of refereeing is a low floor / high ceiling situation where there is no regard for game management. As a result, they will call anything they see.

It can be a positive, because players are never safe from punishment, but can also be a negative, if they make an incorrect call or miss something glaring at a particularly crucial point in the game after setting a high standard earlier on.

Game management is sort of an attempt to find the middle ground, and while no one is happy about it, it often doesn’t lead to the kind of outrageous stuff you can see in the international game IMO.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Is this tournament still going on? I thought it just ended if Canada gets eliminated in the quarterfinals?




Jk. Im always glad to see strong teams from countries like Czech, Finland, Slovakia. Makes for a much more interesting tournament even if it means Canada getting bounced early more often.

 

[Czechboy]

USA-Sweden in the final. The US are just too good for us and they had the easiest way to the semis and should be a lot more rested than the finns.

Czechs looked a bit gassed or shook in the third against Canada before the winning goal? Or am I wrong here? And as we all know Sweden had an easier way with the refs playing a part in their win. Imagine some of their fans referred to justice and the earlier game against Finland when their leading goal before the equalizer was questionable to say the very least. Lol! It's one thing to be lucky and quiet about things but stating that it paid out evenly is still a bit laughable and hypocritical. I mean Jonas Andersson himself stated that the penalty at that very moment was harsh and actually wrong.
I will root for Finland and the Czechs even if a win against Sweden in the final would be the sweetest and perhaps the most exciting one.


Well, well, the bronze goes to Czechia I believe.

Canada was anhilating us in the 2md and 3rd.... Not sure if that was fatigue or Canada just dominating.lol