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Why is Finland so tough opponent for Russia?

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Russia's defense is bad, they need to get some younger guys in there who can move the puck. You can have amazing forwards but if the D can't get the puck out and up to them it doesn't matter
 
All of the european ice hockey nations is under Russian control, except for one small country in Scandinavia (present-day Finland), whose inhabitants are made invincible by a magic property created periodically by the Druid Getafix.

To discover the secret of the Finns' strength, Centurion Vladimir Putin, commander of the Russian garrison at the fortified camp of Moscow, sends a spy disguised as a Finn into the country.

The Russians Znarovs identity is revealed when he loses his false moustache, shortly after he discovers the existence of the magic property "sisu"; whereupon he reports his discovery to Vladimir Putin.
 
Firsov99 said:
Ukraine can't get back on the hockey scene, because it NEVER was on the hockey scene. Its hockey system (which has Russian roots) practically ceased to exist after the break up of the USSR. Hockey is simply not popular in Ukraine, and no one, in one's right mind, will invest in the Ukrainian hockey in the near future.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Hockey_Championship

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine_men's_national_ice_hockey_team

One of the reasons the USSR was so good is because they took the best players from all of it's countries, including Ukraine. But it seems like hockey is still alive in Ukraine even after the USSR broke up. We also see the odd Ukrainian player every once in a while in the NHL, and many top Canadian players have had Ukrainian roots/ancestry. A very quick google search shows they still play hockey in Ukraine.

On topic I think Finland is a tough opponent, not only to Russia, because they play as a good team and they have strong defense.
 
WMT said:
lol

1998 Nagano Russia-Finland 7-4 (semifinal)
2008 Quebec Russia-Finland 4-0 (semifinal)
2012 Helsinki Russia-Finland 6-2 (semifinal)
2014 Minsk Russia-Finland 5-2 (final)
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Only Nagano is a best on best tournament of those.
 
Zamuz said:
Only Nagano is a best on best tournament of those.
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Yeah but pretty much everyone in this thread is talking about other tournaments as well.

Example:

Since then Finland has eliminated Russia in each of the last three times Russia has hosted an event.

2007 WHC - Finland 2-1 OT (SF)
2014 OLY - Finland 3-1 (QF)
2016 WHC - Finland 3-1 (SF)

So if you want to only look at the best on best tournaments, the score is 2-1 in favor of Finland. Hardly a domination.
 
last ten games finland won 8 lost 2,
answer to original question because is said already but i will repeat it and this thread can be closed.
finland plays the best team hockey in the world, russias power is individual skill. rock beats scissor. beijos
 
(mod)

I do think that Sweden gets beat by 2 or more goals by Russia.
On the other hand, anything can happen, but I think Finland wins against Russia by 1 goal, maybe in OT.

It will be different seeing Finland play Russia on the small ice (best on best). The last time was in the 2002 olympics and Finland took it. It's 50-50, and could go either way.
 
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Best teamwork against the Worst teamwork.

Simple as that.

No wonder Russian KHL teams try to hire all the Finnish hockey coaches on their league. :)

It's quite funny. At 70's, 80's and 90's, it was the opposite way. We weren't acquiring the coaches that much (even though guys like Jursinov and Majorov came here), but tried to copy their systems and training programs.

Lots have changed during the decades, and a big part in Finnish rise has happened because of the existence of Sovjet union Hockey, and, because of the collapse of Sovjet Union hockey.
 
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WMT said:
lol

1998 Nagano Russia-Finland 7-4 (semifinal)
2008 Quebec Russia-Finland 4-0 (semifinal)
2012 Helsinki Russia-Finland 6-2 (semifinal)
2014 Minsk Russia-Finland 5-2 (final)
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Nagano is the only best-on-best out of those and Russia doesn't have a Pavel Bure to score 5 goals, 3 of which were on breakaways.
 
ijuka said:
Nagano is the only best-on-best out of those and Russia doesn't have a Pavel Bure to score 5 goals, 3 of which were on breakaways.
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And we don't have Niinimaa to assist on all 5.

I've hated the guy since that game, one of the worst performances of a single player in Finnish hockey history. Bure probably loved him :D
 
As a birth gift we have got strength of which elsewhere there is lack of. Who deems Finland poor... sisu is unknown to him. Even if it will bend, break it won't as from juniper it is and holds on.
 
Blunder said:
Ovechkin being a black hole for Russia against us seems like a recurring theme honestly.


For us Russia is a big rival. I would argue it's a more passionate rivalry than against Sweden nowdays. Im not sure how it happened. Im not sure if Russia quite feels that way though. So i guess you could say we just want it more.
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No.. totally no. Sweden will be the biggest rival till my last breath.
Sweden is like the joker from Batman.. Like the agent Smith from the Matrix.. Like the first shivers I experienced when we won against them in late 90's.
Sweden (hockey team) is the ultimate irritation.
 
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