Quote:
Originally Posted by Joborule
This is great for international hockey. Have a finals matchup that isn't automatically Canada/USA is a good sign that the rest of the world development may be catching up a little.
Likely a fluke, and not going to become a more regular occurrence, but would be nice to see the field become more competitive.
|
It's always hard to say how much everything is a "fluke". If you're not that far behind, you should win a game every now and then. People around Team Finland felt they had a good team this year.
Obviously they were the underdog, but having watched the game they beat Canada with the way these things typically happen: better goaltending, better special teams (2 PP goals, killed minute and a half of 5-on-3), solid team defense. I felt the shots also exaggerated the difference in that game.
People in Finland are hoping this becomes the "Calgary Moment" for womens hockey.
(In the 1988 olympics Finland beat USSR in the last game of the tournament to snatch their first ever medal, a silver. This is often considered a turning point (along with the success of Jari Kurri etc. in the NHL), after which the next generation of Finnish hockey players started to believe they could reach the top of the world in hockey and be serious contenders in international games. They've won 18 medals in various adults competitions since then. Mostly from 1994 forward.)