[GDT] 2016 WJC: Quarterfinals. 4 games. Canada vs Finland 9AM MT

[Itse]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Actually the typical Oiler response would be to blame the coach and excuse the players

I'd say the typical Oilers response is everyone shifting blame to someone else...

[Da_Chief]

^And that someone else being the Fins and the other teams who played too hard and better against Canada.

Fins are going to look good in the future major tournaments.

Laine-Barkov-Puljajarvi
Tervainen-Granlund-Rantanen
Komarov-Koivu-Pulkinnen
Aho-Lehtera-Donskoi

Matta-Ristolainen
Leimu-Vatanen
Vaakanainen-Välimäki (Both top prospects for 2017 draft)

The Finish posters can edit the above. Good to see Fins producing to talent again.

[Itse]

I'd put Juolevi in there somewhere. But really I'm not that eager to make predictions. We'll see how it goes.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

^And that someone else being the Fins and the other teams who played too hard and better against Canada.

Fins are going to look good in the future major tournaments.

Laine-Barkov-Puljajarvi
Tervainen-Granlund-Rantanen
Komarov-Koivu-Pulkinnen
Aho-Lehtera-Donskoi

Matta-Ristolainen
Leimu-Vatanen
Vaakanainen-Välimäki (Both top prospects for 2017 draft)

The Finish posters can edit the above. Good to see Fins producing to talent again.

You missed Ville Pokka, Julius Honka on the Finnish back end. Markus Granlund will make a national team at some point I'd wager.

[sureLoss]

Wow Vancouver media still on Virtanen's case. TSN 1040 poll question of the day is who should have the Can####s taken #6 in the 2014 draft.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Wow Vancouver media still on Virtanen's case. TSN 1040 poll question of the day is who should have the Can####s taken #6 in the 2014 draft.

Haha, I can only imagine how Canucks fans are treating this considering they blow everything up 10 times worse than the rest of the country. I mean he was a goat for the rest of us.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

Tom Renney says its not the coaches fault, its the players. Still hasn't lost that OYLAZ stink

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/hockey-...loss-1.2721769

Heres an edgy idea: Why not both?

That being said, that group of players could have done better.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

That, and Sweden is traditionally seen as the USA of Scandinavia. Self entitled, big egos, think they are the greatest.

This is basically true. Scandinavia, according to Scandinavians:

Denmark = Drunk hicks with an unintelligible language and a beastiality problem

Sweden = Arrogant, egotistical aholes

Norway = Crazy, drunk, rich aholes.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by rubecube

This is basically true. Scandinavia, according to Scandinavians:

Denmark = Drunk hicks with an unintelligible language and a beastiality problem

Sweden = Arrogant, egotistical aholes

Norway = Crazy, drunk, rich aholes.

Meh, I don't really recognize those stereotypes. (Beastiality btw is not a crime in Finland either. Not that I've ever heard anyone considering it a widespread phenomenon.)

Really if you want to know about Scandinavian stereotypes, just read Scandinavia and the World. It's pretty much all there.

[Galakanokis]

Canucks were going to do a video montage of Virtanen during tonight's game. I polite said they should probably rethink that in light of all the negativity and seeing how badly he played in the tournament. They are now scrambling to put something else together...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Canucks were going to do a video montage of Virtanen during tonight's game. I polite said they should probably rethink that in light of all the negativity and seeing how badly he played in the tournament. They are now scrambling to put something else together...

Awww...that would have been worth watching! Shame on you!

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by Locke

Awww...that would have been worth watching! Shame on you!

Some of the suits hadn't seen the articles, blew me away they hadn't heard. But yes, in hindsight I should have kept my mouth closed.

[Textcritic]

Is Virtanen playing tonight?

[Aarongavey]

The unfortunate thing for Canada is that our players are already good enough to play in the NHL.

Canada left the following players at home

Aaron Ekblad
Sam Bennett
Robby Fabbri
Jared McCann
Connor McDavid

The US left

Dylan Larkin
Jack Eichel
Noah Hanifin

Nobody else left anyone on their bench. A true U-20 tournament and Canada wins going away in spite of their goaltending and it is very likely a Canada - USA final. Alas Strome, Marner, Virtanen, Point, Crouse and others were top 6 forwards instead of bottom six and it made the tournament close.

The only positive of NHL work stoppages is that they give Canada the opportunity to demonstrate their complete and utter dominance in the sport of hockey.

One day I hope they give countries the chance to put multiple teams in the Olympics, like they do in team sports like 4 man bobsleigh. Properly constructed Canada would have the chance to grab 2 or 3 medals in hockey, helping out our overall medal count. Nothing would be more entertaining for the Swedish or Finnish fan than a Canada v. Canada final after Canada had sewn up the bronze medal with a shootout win over the US.

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Is Virtanen playing tonight?

Not even sure he's back in NA yet. Dan Murphy talked to Benning during the 1st intermission and said that Virtanen will re-join the Canucks on Wednesday and first game action would likely be Saturday.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

Not even sure he's back in NA yet. Dan Murphy talked to Benning during the 1st intermission and said that Virtanen will re-join the Canucks on Wednesday and first game action would likely be Saturday.

Yeah, he's not listed on the roster. Grenier was called up I think in his place.

[Trojan97]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

The unfortunate thing for Canada is that our players are already good enough to play in the NHL.

Canada left the following players at home

Aaron Ekblad
Sam Bennett
Robby Fabbri
Jared McCann
Connor McDavid

The US left

Dylan Larkin
Jack Eichel
Noah Hanifin

Nobody else left anyone on their bench. A true U-20 tournament and Canada wins going away in spite of their goaltending and it is very likely a Canada - USA final. Alas Strome, Marner, Virtanen, Point, Crouse and others were top 6 forwards instead of bottom six and it made the tournament close.

The only positive of NHL work stoppages is that they give Canada the opportunity to demonstrate their complete and utter dominance in the sport of hockey.

One day I hope they give countries the chance to put multiple teams in the Olympics, like they do in team sports like 4 man bobsleigh. Properly constructed Canada would have the chance to grab 2 or 3 medals in hockey, helping out our overall medal count. Nothing would be more entertaining for the Swedish or Finnish fan than a Canada v. Canada final after Canada had sewn up the bronze medal with a shootout win over the US.

This is really why Canadians need to chill out when it comes to this tournament. The kids that do go from our country aren't always the best in their age group yet they play their asses off for their country nonetheless.

It's a reality of being the dominant hockey nation in a tournament of this nature. Most years you can assemble a group that can overcome it, some years (this year), they can't. It's not a big catastrophe, they'll be back strong next year.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

The unfortunate thing for Canada is that our players are already good enough to play in the NHL.

Canada left the following players at home

Aaron Ekblad
Sam Bennett
Robby Fabbri
Jared McCann
Connor McDavid

The US left

Dylan Larkin
Jack Eichel
Noah Hanifin

Nobody else left anyone on their bench. A true U-20 tournament and Canada wins going away in spite of their goaltending and it is very likely a Canada - USA final. Alas Strome, Marner, Virtanen, Point, Crouse and others were top 6 forwards instead of bottom six and it made the tournament close.

The only positive of NHL work stoppages is that they give Canada the opportunity to demonstrate their complete and utter dominance in the sport of hockey.

One day I hope they give countries the chance to put multiple teams in the Olympics, like they do in team sports like 4 man bobsleigh. Properly constructed Canada would have the chance to grab 2 or 3 medals in hockey, helping out our overall medal count. Nothing would be more entertaining for the Swedish or Finnish fan than a Canada v. Canada final after Canada had sewn up the bronze medal with a shootout win over the US.

I guess they didn't get that memo in 2006, 1998, 1994, 1990 and every single winter games since 1952.

Oh what's that? It's because they didn't allow professionals? Well firstly, the Olympics are reserved for amateurs, and secondly, Wayne Friggen Gretzky played in 1998. So yeah.

Tone down the homerism.

[dash_pinched]

I should also add that during that interview with Dan Murphy that Benning said that a final decision has not been made on whether or not Virtanen will remain with the Canucks for the rest of this season.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

The unfortunate thing for Canada is that our players are already good enough to play in the NHL.

Canada left the following players at home

Aaron Ekblad
Sam Bennett
Robby Fabbri
Jared McCann
Connor McDavid

The US left

Dylan Larkin
Jack Eichel
Noah Hanifin

Nobody else left anyone on their bench. A true U-20 tournament and Canada wins going away in spite of their goaltending and it is very likely a Canada - USA final. Alas Strome, Marner, Virtanen, Point, Crouse and others were top 6 forwards instead of bottom six and it made the tournament close.

The only positive of NHL work stoppages is that they give Canada the opportunity to demonstrate their complete and utter dominance in the sport of hockey.

One day I hope they give countries the chance to put multiple teams in the Olympics, like they do in team sports like 4 man bobsleigh. Properly constructed Canada would have the chance to grab 2 or 3 medals in hockey, helping out our overall medal count. Nothing would be more entertaining for the Swedish or Finnish fan than a Canada v. Canada final after Canada had sewn up the bronze medal with a shootout win over the US.

Originally Posted by Trojan97

This is really why Canadians need to chill out when it comes to this tournament. The kids that do go from our country aren't always the best in their age group yet they play their asses off for their country nonetheless.

It's a reality of being the dominant hockey nation in a tournament of this nature. Most years you can assemble a group that can overcome it, some years (this year), they can't. It's not a big catastrophe, they'll be back strong next year.

Finland has less people than the Prairies. A WHL allstar team should be able to smoke them. We also seem to have a size disadvantage to Sweden and Finland now. Not sure if it's genetics or nutrition or a bit of both but it was very noticeable in the last two games.
2013 was best-on-best because of the lockout and Canada got smoked by the US in the semis. Now a guy who's eligible to play for Mexico is likely going to be drafted first OA. Things are changing, other countries are catching up and Canada seems to be treading water. I think the days of winning this thing five times in a row are over.