Hi all ice-hockey loving IORRians,

it´s really sad that Sweden is out. Anyway, we´ll meet you in the Winter Olympics next year. I hardly can wait!

Matti from Finland

Canada will be out too unless they win today against Finland.

So Finland won afterall Canada after penalties. This means that in order to Canada to make the quarterfinals either Germany or Latvia need to have a three points win as they will play against each other later today. Otherwise Canada will be out. So sharing points 2 vs. 1 would be ideal for both of them, as both teams would make quarterfinals. See what happens... Odd games, first Sweden making history for not making the play offs, like they always have done. And now probably Canada, too.

Of course it refreshing to see 'smaller' countries doing well (good for international hockey) - but at the same time the quality of the games will go down if teams like Sweden and Canada are out. Games like Finland vs. Sweden and Canada vs. Russia are classics, and always great hockey, since there is always some extra factor involved. The latter might still come true, though.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-06-01 15:16 by Doxa.

The thing is; if Canada makes it to the quarterfinals they might as well win the whole tournament. But I must say the ROC team is the best team I have seen so far in the tournament.
I haven't seen that much of Finland though since they were in the other group. The Czechs are a bit up and down. Very effective in powerplay though. They have some skillful players.

Sweden? They did their worst tournament since 1937. Not much else to say about that. Maybe they had their minds on the beach instead of the ice? It certainly looked like that...

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Stoneage
The thing is; if Canada makes it to the quarterfinals they might as well win the whole tournament. But I must say the ROC team is the best team I have seen so far in the tournament.
I haven't seen that much of Finland though since they were in the other group. The Czechs are a bit up and down. Very effective in powerplay though. They have some skillful players.

Sweden? They did their worst tournament since 1937. Not much else to say about that. Maybe they had their minds on the beach instead of the ice? It certainly looked like that...

Isn't it the first time since 1991 or something that they didn't make it to the final stage?

In contrast, Norway has only made it to the quarter finals once in modern times

I think it's the first time since 1937 (in London that year. Canada won. GB second) we're out of the top 8. At least that is what the newspapers tell me.

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Stoneage
I think it's the first time since 1937 (in London that year. Canada won. GB second) we're out of the top 8. At least that is what the newspapers tell me.

The "play-off"-system they're using today started in 1992. The papers here say that this is Sweden's worst championship since 1992.

Strange, we won gold in 1992...

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DandelionPowderman

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Stoneage
The thing is; if Canada makes it to the quarterfinals they might as well win the whole tournament. But I must say the ROC team is the best team I have seen so far in the tournament.
I haven't seen that much of Finland though since they were in the other group. The Czechs are a bit up and down. Very effective in powerplay though. They have some skillful players.

Sweden? They did their worst tournament since 1937. Not much else to say about that. Maybe they had their minds on the beach instead of the ice? It certainly looked like that...

Isn't it the first time since 1991 or something that they didn't make it to the final stage?

In contrast, Norway has only made it to the quarter finals once in modern times

Hi,
not quite so. Norway´s final standings: 2008 – 8th place, 2011 – 6th place, 2012 – 8th place. And they are getting better all the time just like Latvia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Denmark.

Matti from Finland

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Ya-Yas

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
Stoneage
The thing is; if Canada makes it to the quarterfinals they might as well win the whole tournament. But I must say the ROC team is the best team I have seen so far in the tournament.
I haven't seen that much of Finland though since they were in the other group. The Czechs are a bit up and down. Very effective in powerplay though. They have some skillful players.

Sweden? They did their worst tournament since 1937. Not much else to say about that. Maybe they had their minds on the beach instead of the ice? It certainly looked like that...

Isn't it the first time since 1991 or something that they didn't make it to the final stage?

In contrast, Norway has only made it to the quarter finals once in modern times

Hi,
not quite so. Norway´s final standings: 2008 – 8th place, 2011 – 6th place, 2012 – 8th place. And they are getting better all the time just like Latvia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Denmark.

Matti from Finland

Thanks - how did I miss those years, hehe

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Stoneage
Strange, we won gold in 1992...

Yeah, the papers might have meant that this was their worst performance since the introduction of the new play off-system, though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-06-01 16:58 by DandelionPowderman.

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Stoneage
Strange, we won gold in 1992...

Oh yes you did. You won Finland in a final (5-2 if memory serves). But still that was a huge deal here in Finland, since it was our very first medal ever from world championship games (lots of fourth places along the years, though...). Silver medal also from Calgary 1988 Olympic games, and that was it... The idea of really winning something was just an unrealistic dream back then... Nowadays being number one is only that matters, otherwise a disappointment...

- Doxa

So, quarterfinal time tomorrow, June 3:

- Canada - ROC
- USA - Slovakia
- Switzerland - Germany
- Finland - Czechia

My guess? USA will be clear favorites against Slovakia and ROC should defeat Canada. But you never know with Canada
and ROC has a tendency to choke in important games. The other two games I would say are 50/50.

Can't believe Canada actually made the playoffs! What a difference getting Mangiapane in the lineup after Calgary was late finishing up the NHL regular season because of Covid postponements and his quarantine was finished.
Most years Canada breezes through the round robin but then chokes and loses in the playoffs. Maybe this year will be the opposite!

Suomi has made the best impression of all the teams so far. For me, the team is the big favorite for the title.

Some statistics: Counting from the year 2000 the gold medal winners have been:

- Canada, 5
- Russia, 4
- Czechia, 4
- Sweden, 4
- Finland, 2
- Slovakia, 1

Bonus statistics: USA has only won twice. The last time in the Squaw Valley Olympics in 1960.

Wow, we beat Russia in OT! Again, Mangiapane scores with an awesome setup from Troy Stecher, probably the highlight move of his career. Troy is from the Vancouver area and my brother actually taught him math and science when he was attending the Okanagan hockey academy in Penticton. He's now with the Detroit Red Wings after the Vancouver Canucks didn't re-sign him.

Well, the ROC team choked as, somewhat, predicted. They played well for 3-4 minutes then - nothing. Sometimes I think it would have been better if someone
had whispered the name Canada to them before the game - so that they could have choked on beforehand. Congrats to Canada, anyway.

Team USA impressed against Slovakia, an easy win. Congrats to Finland who managed to defeat Czechia with 1-0. So, coming up on Saturday:

- USA - Canada
- Finland - Germany

My guess? I think Team USA and Finland will face each other in the final. Well deserved in that case.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021-06-04 18:31 by Stoneage.

Hmm... what's the wrong with other group that supposedly was stronger? All of them lost...

So Finland has already won all the teams left (but all were tight games). Of them, Team USA was clearly the strongest, and it was a small miracle that Finland ended up winning that game. USA already beated up Canada badly, but Team Canada has already shown that anything can happen. I am sure they are looking for a rematch. Germany is a damn tough team that plays with a big heart, and I think of any of the teams left, it plays with that kind of style that might work for the boring looking but tactically effective way Finland plays. Also being the underdog might help Germany mentally (or to put it differently: Finland might have problems handling their status as a clear favorite).

So my prediction is that to continue the theme of odds things happening in these games so far in the final we will see Canada against Germany...

- Doxa



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2021-06-04 11:02 by Doxa.

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Doxa
Hmm... what's the wrong with other group that supposedly was stronger? All of them lost...

So Finland has already won all the teams left (but all were tight games). Of them, Team USA was clearly the strongest, and it was a small miracle that Finland ended up winning that game. USA already beated up Canada badly, but Team Canada has already shown that anything can happen. I am sure they are looking for a rematch. Germany is a damn tough team that plays with a big heart, and I think of any of the teams left, it plays with that kind of style that might work for the boring looking but tactically effective way Finland plays. Also being the underdog might help Germany mentally (or to put it differently: Finland might have problems handling their status as a clear favorite).

So my prediction is that to continue the theme of odds things happening in these games so far in the final we will see Canada against Germany...

- Doxa

Canada - Germany is a kind prediction (for Germany), but I guess that Suomi will make it and get through to the final winning the title then. But I like to be surprised.

Germany has never reached the gold medal game, right?

So Canada did it. And now? Finland - Germany 2-1 - finished.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021-06-05 20:27 by MAF.

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Topi
Germany has never reached the gold medal game, right?

1930: 2 (1:6 against Canada)

1953: 2 (Runner up in the final round to Sweden)

1932: 3

1934: 3

But I had to check Wikipedia. The Rolling Stones didn't even exist back then, so it's a time you can't even imagine.

That's it. In 2018 they reached the final match in the Olympics and were defeated by Russia in the overtime.

Goaltending made the difference between Germany and Finland. Which often is the case in ice hockey. USA ran out of fuel against Canada. I hope Finland can gather the same amount of energy
tomorrow against Canada as they usually do against Sweden. Show some sisu. Otherwise Canada will find a way to the gold. A habit of them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-06-06 00:22 by Stoneage.

I can't believe how great Mangiapane has played for Canada! One more game tomorrow, let's go Canada!

Yes, Mangiapane is certainly up for MVP of the tournament. And the All Star line.

Congrats to Team Canada on a rags to riches tournament. From losing the first three games and barely making it into the playoffs to beating Russia, US and then Finland! While the majority of the team is made up of NHL players, none of them can be considered all stars but there's always a sense of pride to play for your country.
One thing to note for Team Canada and USA is that it's a bit of a transition to have to play on the larger ice surface, 200x100 versus the 200x85 surface.
Owen Power on Canada is only 18 and he is projected to be the first overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft. I'm sure every NHL team had scouts watching the tournament so hopefully there will be some players that get signed!


Once again, congrats to Team Canada!!

Congrats to Canada, their 27th gold medal. They are now on par with CCCP/Russia/OSS/ROC in the medal table. Canadian teams always find a way of winning, European teams always find a way of losing.
Well, not always but sometimes it feels like that...

Perfect day with Canada winning gold and Montreal beating Winnipeg to go up 3-0 in the series!

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Stoneage
Canadian teams always find a way of winning, European teams always find a way of losing.
Well, not always but sometimes it feels like that...

There's some truth to that. Look at Finland, they have been to the gold medal game a dozen times by now but only won 3 times.