WC Group F: May 3 GDT - Finland vs. Russia (4-0)

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Finland vs. Russia
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My prediction: 3-3
A must-win for the Russians. I don't think they'll pull it off though.

Even with a win, it is more than likely that Russia will be eliminated from the tournament after this game. USA only needs a point from Denmark.

Finland should take this, unless someone like Kovalchuk plays a phenomenal game (Like Bure in Nagano). As a team Finland is stronger but goal scoring is a problem.

Finland will win 4-2. Sokolov hasn't impressed me, but then again, neither has Noronen.


I predict that either Pirnes or Rintanen will finally get one in the back of the net. Assuming they get some ice time.

4-2 Finland
Jokinen 2, Nummelin, Laaksonen
Yashin, Tverdovsky

I'd like some juggling in the lines...

Peltonen - Jokinen - Kallio - this line plays well but must start lighting it up against good teams. Otherwise swap in Rintsi instead of Tomi...

New second line: Ruutu - Pirnes - Hentunen - The neutral zone is ours :D
Third line: Laaksonen - Kapanen - Rintanen - Good two-way line, Laaksonen fast as hell and Rintsi a great stickhandler
Viuhkola - Pirjetä - Pärssinen
Hagman

Sounds good to me. Especially the last part where you leave Hagman as the 13th forward.

For once the Finns have some luck. I didn't understand some of the penalties we got, but who cares now. I hope they can keep it up.

3-0 and good bye Russia.

the ref sucks big time...

Yeah, he sucked, but thankfully we won regardless.

What exactly did Ovechkin look like?

He looked shaky and uncomposed. He made a couple of nice passes behind his back but in overall looked weak, not very strong skating but decent, pretty good physical play but not really great, he looked lost and had bad positioning both offensively and in the neutral zone. Didn't seem to find his place out there, had one or two great strides in his skating but overall looked average, lacked explosivity but showed some skill. Composure and concentration wasn't there at all.

Sounds like Kimmo "rintsi" Rintanen you´re talking about! ;)

Do you think it was the lack of chemistry with his linemates? Was he working hard?

congrats to suomi :bow:

go slovakia go :banana: :banana: :banana:

congrats to suomi :bow:

go slovakia go :banana: :banana: :banana:

Thanks! Slovakia seems to go far this years, they´ve learned how to play defensive!

P.S. dont eat too many of those bananas, they seem to be moving!

Anyone else think that if we actually go anywhere in these games we've got Noronen to thank for it?

Nummelin, Hentunen and Peltonen are looking good too, but our lack of size up front really worries me. And having Niemi and Nummelin as the defencive combo behind the Teletubies brought back flashes of Aravirta, they looked much better in their own end after Niinimaa and Salo started playing with them.

Thanks! Slovakia seems to go far this years, they´ve learned how to play defensive!

P.S. dont eat too many of those bananas, they seem to be moving!

:banana: is simly the best smiley i've ever seen i love it

Noronen has been great for us. I am just thankful that the team isn't the old girl-school system like under Ara. They actually play like men, throw their weight around. The defense plays together and makes up for their mistakes and Niemi has surprised me alot, he's been solid. Salo sure looks Niinimaa look decent.

Can't find anything nice to say about Janne in spite of a PP assist and two assists by setting up breakaways? Are you perhaps just a little biased?

Janne got his act together yesterday and played like a top defenceman should. Really great performance.

Worryign thing about Russia was Kovaltchuk. He didn't pass. At all.
That was not a team, it looked like the sad bunch of slackers that chrashed and burned in St Petersburg in 2000, same symptoms, players not passing to each other, not working at both ends and not giving their all..

Ovechkin was solid but not spectacular, he looked more like he should have been on a lower line. He's good enough to compete at this level but not on that line he was on and not with that much icetime.

Sounds like Kimmo "rintsi" Rintanen you´re talking about! ;)

This is best of the day! :lol:

Worryign thing about Russia was Kovaltchuk. He didn't pass. At all.



Quiet frankly, in every game i have seen Kovalchuk with Russia he played that way. :dunno:
At the olympics it was a total joke:
he was on a line with Fedorov and Samsonov and along the entire tourney he has not passed to them a single puck when they were on transition; yeah, he was very young but it doesn't seem that has changed much.
Fetisov at the Olympic wasted Samsonov using him on that line where he was never given the puck when open.
Maybe it is better to put Kovalchuk with two defensive forwards, at least it would make sense let him eat the puck every time he gets it.

Anyway , he showed some more co-operation with Datsyuk last year.