WJC: Semi final talk!

[Czechboy]

Czechs vs USA
Swedes vs Finland

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[Czechboy]

To my eye.. looks like a Sweden vs US gold medal game.

Also, Czechs have lost one game in the entire tourney and that has made our unlikely gold path.. Canada, USA and Sweden/Finland.

That loss was devastating.lol.

 

[PanniniClaus]

What I do know is that there will be very cheap tickets for any fans of the four countries that want to come watch. Especially the USA ones.

 

[mphmiles]

Would love to be wrong, but I still don't feel very confident in this US team.

The US teams that have won gold in the last decade have been dominant 2 way teams. This team really hasn't been and I think their D core isn't good enough. Augustine at his best might give them a shot, though.

 

[Czechboy]

Would love to be wrong, but I still don't feel very confident in this US team.

The US teams that have won gold in the last decade have been dominant 2 way teams. This team really hasn't been and I think their D core isn't good enough. Augustine at his best might give them a shot, though.

I think they have a 70 percent chance to win gold. Juggernaut

 

[PWiz30]

Would love to be wrong, but I still don't feel very confident in this US team.

The US teams that have won gold in the last decade have been dominant 2 way teams. This team really hasn't been and I think their D core isn't good enough. Augustine at his best might give them a shot, though.

Yeah, US needs the Augustine from the Canada game, not the Germany or Finland game.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Sweden vs Czechs in final

 

[Mr Kot]

Go Canada's underwear!

 

[Faterson]

As an LA Kings fan, I wasn't happy with Carter George's loss, but now that it happened, I hope Czechs will go all the way and win it all.

Especially given that outrage, that monstrosity, that gimmick tournament coming up in February.

The Czechs are the reigning World Champions in the only Worlds tournament that really matters. (Yup, that's the one in the spring – regardless of Canada's weird obsession with the junior tournament, dating back to Don Cherry's antics over the carnage in Piešťany, Slovakia, way back in the 1980s.)

But I admit that the junior tournament does have some significance, too, so if Czechs manage to win this one as well, it would be absolutely delightful to show the upcoming gimmick tournament of four inferior hockey nations for the fraud that it is: a pseudo-event that no one should watch or cover and that everyone should boycott. I mean, what's the use of a "four nations tournament" to which world champions aren't invited?

 

[Svedu]

Finland wont stand a chance if they can't help Rimpinen a lot better around the net. Especially Kiviharju and Pieniniemi.

Helenius and Kiiskinen needs to be so much more effective. Sometimes they are even trying to be fancy but Kiiskinen could've scored a lot more in this tournament if he was poised. Helenius on the other hand? Can he even score, lol.
Rautiainen and Halttunen needs to get going and producing and scoring.
Hynninen had a weaker game than before. Alasiurua as well.
Nurmi keep it going.
Hemming... Poor guy.
Rimpinen not resting once worries me as well. Does he some more games in him of this calibre. He's been outstanding and saved our asses more than twice.

5-3 Sweden. Those D's, ASP, Sörum and Eklund. Have a bad feeling about this one.

 

[gitchiemanitou]

The Finnish machine against high flying swedes. These games should be great. Neutrals for Czechia and Finland.

 

[vippe]

I like these matchups

 

[tabness]

Still think Sweden got this, hopefully Swedish coach went all Inspector Todd on Axel after the Kazakhstan game so he doesn't forget to show up and dominate the rest of the way through.

Czechs vs US will hopefully be more competitive from the get go than what Canada bought

 

[llwyd]

Finland wont stand a chance if they can't help Rimpinen a lot better around the net. Especially Kiviharju and Pieniniemi.

You certainly are consistent... If it were Sudan having 16 skaters would you reluctantly say, "well, we are maybe slight favourites BUT..." Anyway, on paper Sweden is naturally clearly stronger but we almost always play well against them, their goalie looks pretty meh, our goalie has been excellent, and so on. I predict a very tight and even game which we have a good chance of winning.

 

[heynowbababooey]

Obviously I want the United States to go all the way but I think Czechia is gonna beat us and play for gold vs Finland.

 

[Slimmy]

What I do know is that there will be very cheap tickets for any fans of the four countries that want to come watch. Especially the USA ones.

Thats what I was thinking

 

[Shark Finn]

I think they have a 70 percent chance to win gold. Juggernaut

And this number is based on.. what, really? Someone's arse being available and pulling a number from there?

 

[martygod12]

I think USA will beat us and takes Swedes in the final, but I am pretty confident in the bronze medal game against Finland for us. I watched them for a while against Slovaks yesterday and they really looked like nothing special this year. Sure such a talk will backfire and they will beat us in the bronze medal game lol

 

[Faterson]

I watched them for a while against Slovaks yesterday and they really looked like nothing special this year.

If you score 3 goals on your opening 5 shots of the game, there's no reason to bring anything special. Slovakia was an inferior opponent, so you can't judge Finland's strength based on last night's game.

That said, I do believe the US will defeat Finland in the bronze medal game.

 

[martygod12]

If you score 3 goals on your opening 5 shots of the game, there's no reason to bring anything special. Slovakia was an inferior opponent, so you can't judge Finland's strength based on last night's game.

That said, I do believe the US will defeat Finland in the bronze medal game.

Yeah you really failed in converting chances yesterday, lesson from productivity. What I meant is that there was a lot of bad and nervous plays, lot of stupid giveaways from Finland defenders etc. If they would play like this agains Hradec line for example, they will completely tear them apart lol

 

[llwyd]

Yeah you really failed in converting chances yesterday, lesson from productivity. What I meant is that there was a lot of bad and nervous plays, lot of stupid giveaways from Finland defenders etc. If they would play like this agains Hradec line for example, they will completely tear them apart lol

Would and should and could - matches are not brothers, we will be a different team against Sweden, and no doubt in a potential bronze match too. That was a weird game, getting the lead so cheaply etc.

 

[Faterson]

there was a lot of bad and nervous plays, lot of stupid giveaways from Finland defenders etc.

Even more so from Slovak defenders. (See the final Finnish goal last night which was the nail in the coffin: the Finnish forward couldn't have asked for a nicer assist than what the Slovak defender dished out to him after Slovakia won the face-off!)

Not to mention Slovakia was basically gifted the win against Switzerland by the Suisse defender making exactly the same type of boneheaded pass to a Slovak forward with a couple of minutes left in the game. Polite as we are, we returned the favor last night against Finland. Not to mention that atrocity against Kazakhstan...

Basically, Slovakia lucked into quarterfinals, and judging any team's strength based on how they fared against this weak Slovak team (apart from our superstar captain) is just off-base.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

USA 5-3
Sweden 3-2

 

[Goodman68]

I believe we will be active throughout the match. We have already achieved our main goal in the tournament, beating Canada in Canada is a great achievement, the players will no longer be nervous.
Team USA will probably be the favorites, but I think our chances in this match are pretty good. There's nothing to worry about now

 

[ZEBROA]

As a Swede i would be scared of Finland even if they dressed 5 year olds. They want to be heroes and we are afraid to loose.

I hope we got some heroes in the swedish team ( fckn autocorrect insist of writing herpes instead of heroes)