There is something true about what You wrote. It is naturally easier for the NHL teams to look for the bottom 6 forwards/3rd pair defensemen primarily among the NA players. Plus many talented players coming from Europe overseas don't earn their spot in the NHL not because they are not good enough but because they have problems with their adaptation to the NA lifestyle, both regarding hockey and personal things. This was the case of some Czech guys as well, who returned after often less than one year in the NA, with "no, this has not been my cup of tea." Especially for the players who don't come there as juniors but some years later, it is sometimes difficult to get used to a very different culture and manners.
GDT: Semifinal - May 25 - Russia vs Finland
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There is something true about what You wrote. It is naturally easier for the NHL teams to look for the bottom 6 forwards/3rd pair defensemen primarily among the NA players. Plus many talented players coming from Europe overseas don't earn their spot in the NHL not because they are not good enough but because they have problems with their adaptation to the NA lifestyle, both regarding hockey and personal things. This was the case of some Czech guys as well, who returned after often less than one year in the NA, with "no, this has not been my cup of tea." Especially for the players who don't come there as juniors but some years later, it is sometimes difficult to get used to a very different culture and manners.
What? Snoozer of a game? There was chances everywhere, it could have easily been a 8-goal game
So f&&&ing happy we got rid of that plug Marjamäki, and got JJ back! Yes!!!
Malkin's playing with a plug and he was godlike when playing with good players. Ovechkin's been awful, just like at last WHCs.
The eyeball will deceive us all, so the truth is probably somewhere in between. But I do remember appreciating their overpassing at times.
Finns played an excellent game, I'm not saying anything else. I'm saying that Russia probably felt the pressure to win a bit more and could have simplified their game more.
Ukkosenjumala
Registered User
Well like I said, the cream of the crop is miles ahead in the NHL but alot of guys playing bottom 6 roles or bottom pairings could be substituted with european players playing in european leagues and I would argue you would see improvement. Coaching has alot to do with it, all of the coaches in NHL are NA and whether people want to deny it or not, they have a preference for NA players. Good example is when an american coach took over the Kunlun red stars he substituted ALL of the finnish players for NA players immediately.
No need to be cocky. Anything can happen in one game..
Chimpradamus
Registered User
ManWithNoName
Unregistered User
Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.
BennsGonnaGetYou
Registered User
I partly agree, however the way Finland outworked both teams took away a lot of energy from them.
Jussi
Registered User
But this time the talent did work hard, the other team just worked a little bit harder.
The talent worked hard, true. Russia didn't show the usual coasting. The coaching system was dreadful, though. Jalonen completely outcoached Russian coach, whoever it is. It felt like Russia's gameplan was "stretch pass or pray" and "give the puck to a super star and hope they make something happen".
FinnLightning26
Death and no taxes
With Marjamäki this team is out in round robin. I'm so glad that clown is out.
BennsGonnaGetYou
Registered User
Sentinel
Registered User
I don't know what game you watched, but other than Vasilevsky and maybe Kaprizov, the entire team looked like shit. Less life in it than in a dead elephant. Completely gutless performance with all individual skills out the window.
BB88
Registered User
- Jan 19, 2015
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Hahahahahahahhaahhahahahaha
what the hell is happening here?!?!?!?
#12 the living legend.
what the hell is happening here?!?!?!?
#12 the living legend.
Ukkosenjumala
Registered User
I would say after looking at what happened with Jokerit and the national team respectively under Jalonen and Paskamäki, we can conclude that Marjamäki was indeed Paskamäki. Just a hypejob pencil pusher who can work a rigid system to win something in Liiga and that's about it.
All those who said that Russia was the overwhelming favorite throughout this tournament only focused on their 3 "superstar" offensive talents (Ovechkin, Malkin, Kucherov), and didn't look at all at Nesterov, Khaifizullin, Zadorov, and Zaitsev. Aside from Kaprizov, who was a monster when it counted, the overall talent level on the roster is actually fairly modest. Overall, they just lacked the hunger, toughness and discipline that the Finns show, which is why the Finns so often beat them.
Some will blame the coach, but he actually did a better job defensively than Znarok. especially considering the sparse defensive talent he had to work with. What Russia counted on was that one of the best goal scorers in NHL history would deliver when most needed, and that didn't happen. Sorry to bust your theory, Atas, but I didn't see much of the Ovechkin speed that you talked about (you will no doubt post some videos from 2007 showing him flying). He deserves respect for showing up and working hard, but he was a total non-factor in this game and really, the whole tournament.
The Russian roster is about half NHL and half KHL, and that combination just doesn't work very well, from what I can see. Part of it is unfamiliarity, but they just seem to lack the nationalist fervor that some teams like Finland and Canada exhibit. They didn't play badly, but to be shut out in a Semifinal match is embarrassing. I would guess a Finland-Canada match, and I will be cheering for Finland.
Some will blame the coach, but he actually did a better job defensively than Znarok. especially considering the sparse defensive talent he had to work with. What Russia counted on was that one of the best goal scorers in NHL history would deliver when most needed, and that didn't happen. Sorry to bust your theory, Atas, but I didn't see much of the Ovechkin speed that you talked about (you will no doubt post some videos from 2007 showing him flying). He deserves respect for showing up and working hard, but he was a total non-factor in this game and really, the whole tournament.
The Russian roster is about half NHL and half KHL, and that combination just doesn't work very well, from what I can see. Part of it is unfamiliarity, but they just seem to lack the nationalist fervor that some teams like Finland and Canada exhibit. They didn't play badly, but to be shut out in a Semifinal match is embarrassing. I would guess a Finland-Canada match, and I will be cheering for Finland.
Jussi
Registered User
We have a habit of making the other team look bad even though they're not. Russia didn't look lifeless or frustrated to me.
