Whatever I thought about the final day of the World Championship, I could not have foreseen what actually transpired. Not sure if I should call it a historic day, but I think I will. What a rush!
[Bronze Medal Game]
Czech Republic versus Russia. I had expected to see these guys in the Gold Medal Game so was I disappointed? Yes. But I collected myself and decided that a Bronze would be great for the Russians too. Not that I dislike the Czechs or anthing. I like them. But I have a soft spot for Russia in my hockey heart that goes back to the days of the USSR. I could not tune in for the first two periods though and what a pitty that was! I certainly missed much of a very entertaining game, because as I joined the game in the third period my yaw hit the floor. It was 5-4 for the Czechs! First off all I would have rather seen it the other way around. Second of all, what was up? Were they playing some sort of fun exhibition game where they just let eachother score a few for fun's sake?! While I read up on the state of affairs of the first second periods, the Czechs scored again making it 6-4. They finished the game with an empty net goal and we ended up with the highest number of goals scored in a Bronze Medal game in, well, forever. In short:
♦ 7-4. That is a lot of goals ;)
♦ The Russians twice gave up a lead
♦ Both goalies were left hung out to dry
♦ Russians feel they made too many mistakes, but with a score like this, mistakes must have been rife on both sides
♦ Notable Czech player: Cervenka with a hatt trick
♦ Notable Russian player: Kovalchuck (nice one Kovi, who surpassed Ovi in scoring prowess for the Russians)
[Gold Medal Game]
Sweden versus Finland. A nice Nordic game. I was indifferent to the outcome of this game, although I must admit I had a slight preference for Sweden. I skipped the first two periods and by the time I joined the game it was second intermission and the score was an even 1-1. So I prepared myself for a dull third period. I could not have been more wrong. Just a few minutes into the third period the Finns scored and shortly after they scored again, making it 3-1. The Swedish coach called a time-out and I thought the Swedes would do one of their famous comebacks again, but instead the Finns were hungry for more goals and kept up the pressure. And I do not know why the Swedes collapsed like they did, but in the final 3.5 minutes of the game the Finns netted 3 more goals and quite frankly made the Swedish D look like a bunch of schoolgirls. There is something magical about a team that abandons all fears and just plays like there is no tomorrow and yes, the Finns made it look so easy. 6-1. That is some schooling. Well done Finns! Your energy and exuberance made me smile a big smile!
Well, that concludes a wonderful two weeks of international hockey. None of my favourites took home a medal, but that does not matter. Much! I saw many great games and what can I say, hockey is the best sport in the world. Can hardly wait for next year!
Showing posts with label sweden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweden. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Friday, 13 May 2011
IIHF World Championship | Day 14 & Day 15 | May 13th, 2011
Guys, the Blogger user interface was down for two days, keeping me from posting! *shakes an angry fist at Blogger*. I have had a lot of catching up to do. Will keep the IIHF WC overview short and sweet. Or maybe just short if it turns out to be a boring read lol
Day 14
[Finland-Norway] 4-1. Sad for my buddy Ferdinand, he is Norwegian and quite possibly the biggest Polar Bears fan in the world. I was at work, so I kept an eye on the score on the IIHF site. And when I saw that Norway had the first goal I was pleasantly surprised, but then Finland upped the ante and scored four goals, all in the second period. Norway had no response so they failed to beat the Finns for the 17th or so time.
[Canada-Russia] 1-2. This was a tough game for me. Historically speaking I will root for Canada over the USA, but I will root for Russia over Canada. This year so many of my Leafies were playing for Canada that I had a slight preference for Canada. I have not seen the game, but all reports are saying this was an awesome game. And a Twitter buddy of mine who was actually at the game sent several updates and was especially positive about the atmosphere in the arena and the great hockey played by these great hockey nations. So the Canada loss was harsh, but at the same times seeing Russia move on was splendid in its own right.
Day 15
[Czech Republic-Sweden] 2-5. After that awesome win over the USA, you would think the Czechs would bring that momentum to their next game. Instead they allowed the Swedes to dominate them. First period was a snoozefest but then the Swedes turned up the pressure and although the Czechs managed to score first, the Swedes simply outshot them leading to a lead at the end of the second period. And they kept it up in the final period, making it a rather huge 5-2 win.
[Finland-Russia] 3-0. Yes I know the Finns are a great team. But I really needed a bit of hockey happiness after a rough time as a fan. Flyers swept by the Bruins. The Red Wings nearly fought back to a series win after a 3-0 game deficit, but then lost Game 7. The Canadians got sent home by the Russians. Does a girl not deserve some hockey happiness? Probably not, because Russia got ousted. I watched the second period and a bit of the third. But after the 2-0 I gave up. I will normally watch any game, suffer the worst of losses, but today I just could not keep it up.
I hope that the Swedes clinch the gold on Sunday and if luck will have it I hope for a bronze medal for the Russians. Right now I need an Advil ;)
Day 14
[Finland-Norway] 4-1. Sad for my buddy Ferdinand, he is Norwegian and quite possibly the biggest Polar Bears fan in the world. I was at work, so I kept an eye on the score on the IIHF site. And when I saw that Norway had the first goal I was pleasantly surprised, but then Finland upped the ante and scored four goals, all in the second period. Norway had no response so they failed to beat the Finns for the 17th or so time.
[Canada-Russia] 1-2. This was a tough game for me. Historically speaking I will root for Canada over the USA, but I will root for Russia over Canada. This year so many of my Leafies were playing for Canada that I had a slight preference for Canada. I have not seen the game, but all reports are saying this was an awesome game. And a Twitter buddy of mine who was actually at the game sent several updates and was especially positive about the atmosphere in the arena and the great hockey played by these great hockey nations. So the Canada loss was harsh, but at the same times seeing Russia move on was splendid in its own right.
Day 15
[Czech Republic-Sweden] 2-5. After that awesome win over the USA, you would think the Czechs would bring that momentum to their next game. Instead they allowed the Swedes to dominate them. First period was a snoozefest but then the Swedes turned up the pressure and although the Czechs managed to score first, the Swedes simply outshot them leading to a lead at the end of the second period. And they kept it up in the final period, making it a rather huge 5-2 win.
[Finland-Russia] 3-0. Yes I know the Finns are a great team. But I really needed a bit of hockey happiness after a rough time as a fan. Flyers swept by the Bruins. The Red Wings nearly fought back to a series win after a 3-0 game deficit, but then lost Game 7. The Canadians got sent home by the Russians. Does a girl not deserve some hockey happiness? Probably not, because Russia got ousted. I watched the second period and a bit of the third. But after the 2-0 I gave up. I will normally watch any game, suffer the worst of losses, but today I just could not keep it up.
I hope that the Swedes clinch the gold on Sunday and if luck will have it I hope for a bronze medal for the Russians. Right now I need an Advil ;)
IIHF World Championship | Day 13 | May 11th, 2011
Just a quick round up of the day. Day 13. It sure was a bad luck day for two of the teams. Really? Team USA? Really? Read on.
[Czech Republic-USA] 4-0. Jagr. What a hockey deity! They guy is twice the age of some rookies, but still plays top-notch hockey. And today he led the Czechs to a shut-out victory, with a hat trick! Mike Komisarek gave the reporters some spin about how the team is young and lacks the international experience, but come on, we all expected them to better than this right? I am OK with the Czech win though. I think we may be looking at the Champions here. Eventhough Canada are still my personal faves. But I could live with the Czechs claiming the title.
And then Blogger went down for two days and ate this article! They rerolled it all and got me back this article in draft form. But missing half of it! What did I write about the other game?
[Sweden-Germany] 5-2. Germany started unlucky this Day 13 by allowing a first goal in the first minute. I hear you think 'Why is this unluck? It happens often'. You are right, but does it happen twice in a row that the first goal was not scored by the opponent but in fact by your very own D-man? Indeed, that is rotten luck. I am not sure if there is a way to practice on avoiding this, but if so, extra training might be called for! The German had a rough first period and the third was not much better. In fact, as soon as the Swedes scored yet another goal all the fighting spirit the German still had simply left. My German buddy Sven said they sure gave it their best shot, but in the end the Swedes were simply better.
[Czech Republic-USA] 4-0. Jagr. What a hockey deity! They guy is twice the age of some rookies, but still plays top-notch hockey. And today he led the Czechs to a shut-out victory, with a hat trick! Mike Komisarek gave the reporters some spin about how the team is young and lacks the international experience, but come on, we all expected them to better than this right? I am OK with the Czech win though. I think we may be looking at the Champions here. Eventhough Canada are still my personal faves. But I could live with the Czechs claiming the title.
And then Blogger went down for two days and ate this article! They rerolled it all and got me back this article in draft form. But missing half of it! What did I write about the other game?
[Sweden-Germany] 5-2. Germany started unlucky this Day 13 by allowing a first goal in the first minute. I hear you think 'Why is this unluck? It happens often'. You are right, but does it happen twice in a row that the first goal was not scored by the opponent but in fact by your very own D-man? Indeed, that is rotten luck. I am not sure if there is a way to practice on avoiding this, but if so, extra training might be called for! The German had a rough first period and the third was not much better. In fact, as soon as the Swedes scored yet another goal all the fighting spirit the German still had simply left. My German buddy Sven said they sure gave it their best shot, but in the end the Swedes were simply better.
Monday, 9 May 2011
IIHF World Championship | Day 11 | May 9th, 2011
A busy schedule today and it started bright and early with two games at 12.15 my time. A lunch-time-game? Sounds a bit uncommon considering it is a Monday. But OK, I watched the scoreboard on the IIHF site. And a Twitter-buddy was actually at the Slovakia-Denmark game and fed us with nice updates.
[Slovakia-Denmark] 4-1. Scoring was started by the Danes, but before the end of the first period, Strumpel and Satan had scored for Slovakia, giving them a 2-1 advantage going into the second period. Second period started strong for the Slovaks as well. Satan had some cool scoring opportunities and managed to get himself in a fight as well. OK, that is not really surprising ;) The second period went without goals, but in the third the Slovakia scored two more (Zednik and Hossa!). I for one am glad they at least ended the tournament on a positive note! And I should mention that the Danes had a lot of PPs in the third too which the Slovaks effectively killed off.
[France-Norway] 2-5. Well, it was the longest of all long shots, but a France win and a USA loss were what the Swiss - one of my personal faves - needed to move on the Quarter Finals. So I was looking closely at the France game. With Norway having an alright but not perfect tournament I though perhaps the French would try to redeem themselves a bit before going home. But yeah, the long shot was too long and the Norwegians dealt with the French decisively and in the process clinched their own spot in the Quarter Finals. Well done guys!
[Russia-Finland] 2-3. Had to go all the way to SO. Neither team looked spectacular in the third period and frankly, the OT was a waste of time too. Finns dominated the SO, it feels like the Russians did not even try to score. I had expected to see a bit more from these guys. But according to the IIHF report, the first period was excellent for Russia, with lots of hitting by Artyukhin and good scoring opportunities, but of course I missed that one *sighs*
[Switzerland-USA] 5-3. Well blimey. The Swiss finally found their scoring mojo. If only France had done the same earlier and defeated Norway, then the Swiss would have made it to the Quarter Finals. But it was all a bit too late. It was however, a nice way to redeem themselves a bit and beating the States always looks good on a resumé ;) ... Team USA tried to fight back in the final period and my boy JVR scored a goal to make it a one-goal game. But in the final minutes the Swiss scored an empty-netter, winning this game with a cool 5-3.
[Canada-Sweden] 3-2. My choice for tonight. It was a nice game to watch, nice pace, cool rushes, good saves. Not a big score and not the most spectacular game ever, but it was quite alright. And I am happy because Canada won :)
[Germany-Czech Republic] 2-5. The Germans started this tournament so strongly, so this game is hardly one they will want to remember. I did not watch this game, so I hoped for some input from my German buddy Sven, but he was too mad to talk about this game. Guess that says it all really! The Czechs had a walk in the park, having a bit of a pre-Quarter Finals practice. Oh wait, Sven decided to help me out anyways: "Czechs were better and Germany took too many penalties. Germany also had a bit of bad luck: first Czech goal was an goal in own net by Krüger. Second one flipped from Holzer's leg into the goal and another one was blocked by Nicolai Goc and that was a perfect assist for Plekanec." Ah see, it was not all bad! And thanks for your input Sven!
I am ready for the Quarter Finals. You too?
[Slovakia-Denmark] 4-1. Scoring was started by the Danes, but before the end of the first period, Strumpel and Satan had scored for Slovakia, giving them a 2-1 advantage going into the second period. Second period started strong for the Slovaks as well. Satan had some cool scoring opportunities and managed to get himself in a fight as well. OK, that is not really surprising ;) The second period went without goals, but in the third the Slovakia scored two more (Zednik and Hossa!). I for one am glad they at least ended the tournament on a positive note! And I should mention that the Danes had a lot of PPs in the third too which the Slovaks effectively killed off.
[France-Norway] 2-5. Well, it was the longest of all long shots, but a France win and a USA loss were what the Swiss - one of my personal faves - needed to move on the Quarter Finals. So I was looking closely at the France game. With Norway having an alright but not perfect tournament I though perhaps the French would try to redeem themselves a bit before going home. But yeah, the long shot was too long and the Norwegians dealt with the French decisively and in the process clinched their own spot in the Quarter Finals. Well done guys!
[Russia-Finland] 2-3. Had to go all the way to SO. Neither team looked spectacular in the third period and frankly, the OT was a waste of time too. Finns dominated the SO, it feels like the Russians did not even try to score. I had expected to see a bit more from these guys. But according to the IIHF report, the first period was excellent for Russia, with lots of hitting by Artyukhin and good scoring opportunities, but of course I missed that one *sighs*
[Switzerland-USA] 5-3. Well blimey. The Swiss finally found their scoring mojo. If only France had done the same earlier and defeated Norway, then the Swiss would have made it to the Quarter Finals. But it was all a bit too late. It was however, a nice way to redeem themselves a bit and beating the States always looks good on a resumé ;) ... Team USA tried to fight back in the final period and my boy JVR scored a goal to make it a one-goal game. But in the final minutes the Swiss scored an empty-netter, winning this game with a cool 5-3.
[Canada-Sweden] 3-2. My choice for tonight. It was a nice game to watch, nice pace, cool rushes, good saves. Not a big score and not the most spectacular game ever, but it was quite alright. And I am happy because Canada won :)
[Germany-Czech Republic] 2-5. The Germans started this tournament so strongly, so this game is hardly one they will want to remember. I did not watch this game, so I hoped for some input from my German buddy Sven, but he was too mad to talk about this game. Guess that says it all really! The Czechs had a walk in the park, having a bit of a pre-Quarter Finals practice. Oh wait, Sven decided to help me out anyways: "Czechs were better and Germany took too many penalties. Germany also had a bit of bad luck: first Czech goal was an goal in own net by Krüger. Second one flipped from Holzer's leg into the goal and another one was blocked by Nicolai Goc and that was a perfect assist for Plekanec." Ah see, it was not all bad! And thanks for your input Sven!
I am ready for the Quarter Finals. You too?
Sunday, 8 May 2011
IIHF World Championship | Day 10 | May 8th, 2011
My hockey week is shit! Pardon the expression, but it is. Why must Russia and Switzerland add to my hockey sorrow? Oh well, Russia is still in the running, but the Swiss are pretty much out of the race.
[Czech Republic-Russia] 3-2. I managed to catch bits and pieces of this game. Was at my parents' place for Mother's Day, so could not sneak away for too long to watch hockey ;) ... but what I saw was gritty, aggresive, intense, almost emotional mixed up with moments of the complete opposite. Weird game. And it is never right when one guy stands out for aggresive behaviour. Quoting Jaromir Jagr on Yevgeni Artyukhin: "He’s just a huge guy. It’s tough to stop him when he wants to hit somebody, because he’s like a huge monster coming after you. One [hit] was pretty bad because our guy didn’t have the puck." I admit this guy is rough lol ... but would not mind him on my Flyers, with a bit of polish ;)
[Sweden-Switzerland] 2-0. *sighs* I like the way the Swiss play, so why do they forget how to be offensive when it really matters? Sweden have qualified for the Quarter Finals and the Swiss have a tiny sliver of hope, but lets face it, it is not going to happen for them. Again. I tried to figure out what scenario they would need, but the standings and schedules have been set up so awkwardly on the IIHF site that I let this endeavour go. If someone has it figured out, please leave me a note lol {edit: Sven figured it out, thanks ... the Swiss would have to beat the USA, and Norway would have to lose to France ... sounds impossible!}
[Slovenia-Belarus] 1-7. Poor Slovenia. That was some ass-kicking they suffered and with a score like this it is not hard to tell who dominated ;) This was one of the two Relegation Round finals. Basically it was who wins stays, who loses drops to Division I. And lets just say Belarus safeguarded their spot in the Top Division with some fury ;) ... as for Slovenia, well not even sure if Anze Kopitar could have saved them, but I am sure his presence would have helped the Slovenians along. Back to Division I for them, but it was a good run.
[Latvia-Austria] 4-1. Another pretty conclusive score in the second Relegation Round final. Could not find a stream for this one, nor for the other game, so just summing up a few things I have read: Latvia was the more accomplished team, creating chances, whereas Austria had very little scoring chances. Which is much in keeping with the rest of their tournament.
Tomorrow a busy sked. Six games and it is as if everyone is playing lol ... will be scorewatching at work, it is crazy to have very early games on a Monday! So finally I get to watch a tournament with some normal European times and they still manage to make it impossible for me to watch ;)
[Czech Republic-Russia] 3-2. I managed to catch bits and pieces of this game. Was at my parents' place for Mother's Day, so could not sneak away for too long to watch hockey ;) ... but what I saw was gritty, aggresive, intense, almost emotional mixed up with moments of the complete opposite. Weird game. And it is never right when one guy stands out for aggresive behaviour. Quoting Jaromir Jagr on Yevgeni Artyukhin: "He’s just a huge guy. It’s tough to stop him when he wants to hit somebody, because he’s like a huge monster coming after you. One [hit] was pretty bad because our guy didn’t have the puck." I admit this guy is rough lol ... but would not mind him on my Flyers, with a bit of polish ;)
[Sweden-Switzerland] 2-0. *sighs* I like the way the Swiss play, so why do they forget how to be offensive when it really matters? Sweden have qualified for the Quarter Finals and the Swiss have a tiny sliver of hope, but lets face it, it is not going to happen for them. Again. I tried to figure out what scenario they would need, but the standings and schedules have been set up so awkwardly on the IIHF site that I let this endeavour go. If someone has it figured out, please leave me a note lol {edit: Sven figured it out, thanks ... the Swiss would have to beat the USA, and Norway would have to lose to France ... sounds impossible!}
[Slovenia-Belarus] 1-7. Poor Slovenia. That was some ass-kicking they suffered and with a score like this it is not hard to tell who dominated ;) This was one of the two Relegation Round finals. Basically it was who wins stays, who loses drops to Division I. And lets just say Belarus safeguarded their spot in the Top Division with some fury ;) ... as for Slovenia, well not even sure if Anze Kopitar could have saved them, but I am sure his presence would have helped the Slovenians along. Back to Division I for them, but it was a good run.
[Latvia-Austria] 4-1. Another pretty conclusive score in the second Relegation Round final. Could not find a stream for this one, nor for the other game, so just summing up a few things I have read: Latvia was the more accomplished team, creating chances, whereas Austria had very little scoring chances. Which is much in keeping with the rest of their tournament.
Tomorrow a busy sked. Six games and it is as if everyone is playing lol ... will be scorewatching at work, it is crazy to have very early games on a Monday! So finally I get to watch a tournament with some normal European times and they still manage to make it impossible for me to watch ;)
Friday, 6 May 2011
IIHF World Championship | Day 8 | May 6th, 2011
Guys, did not get around to watch any of today's games, so really just a quick update so I have all the days covered when I read this back in a while :)
[Germany-Finland] 4-5. Whoa, the first loss for Germany this tournament. But against the Finns who of course have a repute to protect. But the reports tell me the Finns had no walk in the park and had some goaltending issues. And the game had to go all the way to SO to be decided so there is no shame in losing for the Germans. Plus I learnt something today: a player can appear twice in the SO lol ... did not know that, or is it an IIHF rule only? If - unlike me - you do have a clue, please drop me a comment about this!
[Canada-USA] 4-3. Ahhh the good old rivalry. I remember many a Winter Olympics with these two teams headlining *nods reverently*. But this Team USA hardly sets my heart aflutter, whereas Team Canada sports some of my fave NHL Players and is looking pretty good out there. I was not sure what to expect. But we got pace, hits, goals and it went all the way to SO. Speaking of hits, Dion had a big one heheh. If I find it somewhere I will add it for enjoyment! Anyways, in SO Eberle scored as well as ♥ Rick Nash ♥ ... so from my point of view ... good stuff and I am sorry I had to miss it :(
[Czech Republic-Slovakia] 3-2. The Czechs are on a nice roll as they notch down another win. Our NHL-buddies Elias and Havlat did great for the Czech Republic with various assists and goals. And on the whole this must have been an interesting game by the looks of it, with both teams generating chances. In the end the Czechs clinched it and they are looking good.
[Sweden-France] 4-0. Nothing like a a three-goal lead in the first period to kill the opponent's will. It takes a strong team to get back from such a tough start and the French just were not cut out for it. The Swedes simply dominated and smoothly sailed through this one.
Just checked the sked for tomorrow and how we are going to make it through the day, I do not know! Six games tomorrow you crazy hockey fans!
[Germany-Finland] 4-5. Whoa, the first loss for Germany this tournament. But against the Finns who of course have a repute to protect. But the reports tell me the Finns had no walk in the park and had some goaltending issues. And the game had to go all the way to SO to be decided so there is no shame in losing for the Germans. Plus I learnt something today: a player can appear twice in the SO lol ... did not know that, or is it an IIHF rule only? If - unlike me - you do have a clue, please drop me a comment about this!
[Canada-USA] 4-3. Ahhh the good old rivalry. I remember many a Winter Olympics with these two teams headlining *nods reverently*. But this Team USA hardly sets my heart aflutter, whereas Team Canada sports some of my fave NHL Players and is looking pretty good out there. I was not sure what to expect. But we got pace, hits, goals and it went all the way to SO. Speaking of hits, Dion had a big one heheh. If I find it somewhere I will add it for enjoyment! Anyways, in SO Eberle scored as well as ♥ Rick Nash ♥ ... so from my point of view ... good stuff and I am sorry I had to miss it :(
[Czech Republic-Slovakia] 3-2. The Czechs are on a nice roll as they notch down another win. Our NHL-buddies Elias and Havlat did great for the Czech Republic with various assists and goals. And on the whole this must have been an interesting game by the looks of it, with both teams generating chances. In the end the Czechs clinched it and they are looking good.
[Sweden-France] 4-0. Nothing like a a three-goal lead in the first period to kill the opponent's will. It takes a strong team to get back from such a tough start and the French just were not cut out for it. The Swedes simply dominated and smoothly sailed through this one.
Just checked the sked for tomorrow and how we are going to make it through the day, I do not know! Six games tomorrow you crazy hockey fans!
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
IIHF World Championship | Day 6 | May 4th, 2011
Almost bedtime here, but I had another fun hockey night. Here a write up of today's World Cup action.
[Denmark-Latvia] 3-2. That settled it. The Danes are on to the Qualification Round and the Latvians are headed for the Relegation Round. That is the third time since they joined the Top Division in 1997 and each time they survived. Back to the game. It seemed to be an even game and the end result could have gone either way. Nothing like a shoot-out to test your luck. Although the Danes were a bit more confident as they had won a few exhibition games that went to SO, maybe that really did help.
[Austria-Norway] 0-5. WHOP! That was a whopping result for the Norwegians aka Polar Bears. Cute nickname that. Although they may not appreciate the fact I called them cute. Anyways, I did not know about the 'Polar Bears' till today, but it sure explains why a buddy of mine wears a white bear costume to games lolol ... I assumed it had something to do with the cold and ice and snow, so I never asked. But yeah, things make sense now. Said buddy probably was at that game today. Lets just assume he will partying all evening. Anyways, the Norwegian are safe in the Qualification Round and the Austrians will have to fight for survival in the Relegation Round.
[Finland-Czech Republic] 1-2. I am learning new things about international hockey everyday. Apparently these two countries have a bit of an international rivalry going on and often the games are close with only little scoring. I have not seen this game so I will trust the report is correct and that this was a very physical and tough game with both sides taking lots of penalties. Fun bit: Pavelec was very close to a shut-out, but the Finns scored with just 20 seconds left on the clock (6 on 5). Hahah, so close!
[Sweden-USA] 6-2. Watched this game tonight and it was awesome. The first period was interesting enough with the Swedes building pressure and firing a lot of shots at Al Montoya, who bless him, was great. And a bit unexpectedly Team USA equalised on a PP with a bit over a minute to go. The Swedes were great to watch, great skating, great skills. Then the second period started and Montoya went on to disprove my comment about him being great. Basically he mucked up. He was skating behind the goal, trying to keep the puck in the game, but instead of getting rid of it properly, some Swedish guy called Kruger stole the puck and scored, pretty much an empty-netter ;) ... and for the rest of the period the Swedes were on a roll as Mattias Sjogren and Patrik Berglund scored to make it 4-1. The third period did not start very sparkly at all. I was expecting the USA to crank up the speed and start pressuring for a goal, but it was all a bit lacklustre and even the PP the USA had halfway through was played without any real energy. After the PP the Swedes actually upped the pressure a bit with a few good shots at the goal. And just as I was least expecting it, Team USA struck and Wheeler netted one for the USA. With the game against Norway still fresh in mind where they came back from a 2-0 deficit I thought we might be in for some last period fireworks. And we were! But it was the Swedes who made it happen. Where USA failed to pick up speed, Sweden did bring it and they scored two more goals to make it a huge 6-2 win. Ouch Team USA, splendid job by Sweden. Oh, it was also the most physical game I have personally seen at this World Cup, lots of skermishes and fistycuffs and at one point even one of the refs joined in and totally ninja'd a Swedish player. Hopefully someone will eventually upload a vid so I can add it. It amused me!
And I must share this. Some reporter on the IIHF.com site wrote: "The bigger Swedes played a physical, aggressive game that bothered the Americans much of the night." Right. In what universe do some hard as steel NHL/AHL players have issues with a physical and aggresive opponent? *shakes head*
[Denmark-Latvia] 3-2. That settled it. The Danes are on to the Qualification Round and the Latvians are headed for the Relegation Round. That is the third time since they joined the Top Division in 1997 and each time they survived. Back to the game. It seemed to be an even game and the end result could have gone either way. Nothing like a shoot-out to test your luck. Although the Danes were a bit more confident as they had won a few exhibition games that went to SO, maybe that really did help.
[Austria-Norway] 0-5. WHOP! That was a whopping result for the Norwegians aka Polar Bears. Cute nickname that. Although they may not appreciate the fact I called them cute. Anyways, I did not know about the 'Polar Bears' till today, but it sure explains why a buddy of mine wears a white bear costume to games lolol ... I assumed it had something to do with the cold and ice and snow, so I never asked. But yeah, things make sense now. Said buddy probably was at that game today. Lets just assume he will partying all evening. Anyways, the Norwegian are safe in the Qualification Round and the Austrians will have to fight for survival in the Relegation Round.
[Finland-Czech Republic] 1-2. I am learning new things about international hockey everyday. Apparently these two countries have a bit of an international rivalry going on and often the games are close with only little scoring. I have not seen this game so I will trust the report is correct and that this was a very physical and tough game with both sides taking lots of penalties. Fun bit: Pavelec was very close to a shut-out, but the Finns scored with just 20 seconds left on the clock (6 on 5). Hahah, so close!
[Sweden-USA] 6-2. Watched this game tonight and it was awesome. The first period was interesting enough with the Swedes building pressure and firing a lot of shots at Al Montoya, who bless him, was great. And a bit unexpectedly Team USA equalised on a PP with a bit over a minute to go. The Swedes were great to watch, great skating, great skills. Then the second period started and Montoya went on to disprove my comment about him being great. Basically he mucked up. He was skating behind the goal, trying to keep the puck in the game, but instead of getting rid of it properly, some Swedish guy called Kruger stole the puck and scored, pretty much an empty-netter ;) ... and for the rest of the period the Swedes were on a roll as Mattias Sjogren and Patrik Berglund scored to make it 4-1. The third period did not start very sparkly at all. I was expecting the USA to crank up the speed and start pressuring for a goal, but it was all a bit lacklustre and even the PP the USA had halfway through was played without any real energy. After the PP the Swedes actually upped the pressure a bit with a few good shots at the goal. And just as I was least expecting it, Team USA struck and Wheeler netted one for the USA. With the game against Norway still fresh in mind where they came back from a 2-0 deficit I thought we might be in for some last period fireworks. And we were! But it was the Swedes who made it happen. Where USA failed to pick up speed, Sweden did bring it and they scored two more goals to make it a huge 6-2 win. Ouch Team USA, splendid job by Sweden. Oh, it was also the most physical game I have personally seen at this World Cup, lots of skermishes and fistycuffs and at one point even one of the refs joined in and totally ninja'd a Swedish player. Hopefully someone will eventually upload a vid so I can add it. It amused me!
And I must share this. Some reporter on the IIHF.com site wrote: "The bigger Swedes played a physical, aggressive game that bothered the Americans much of the night." Right. In what universe do some hard as steel NHL/AHL players have issues with a physical and aggresive opponent? *shakes head*
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