2006 World Juniors Hockey Championship

[Pekka]

sounds the game we had.. we got 28 minutes of penalties, you can't play when half the game is 4 men on ice. US got 20 minutes worth, but two of those were in the last minutes so it doens't really count because the game was settled before.

4 PP goals against us, it's a telling figure. The ref supposedly sucked REALLY badly, even in the minds of Americans. And yes US got BS calls too, just less.

Seems to me the refs are getting worse in international games, the decline has been visible but it's mostly due to FEW extremely BAD refs who always makes it to the games somehow. Some of them have been eliminated so it's getting better, so what, the junior games are now plagued?

YOu know, a ref who sucks in junior games should go to hell. They might kill the chance for some young player to make his dreams with his bad calls. YOu know that's a huge thing, a young person who has worked hard all his life, to get this one big dream, and he is there, but then this PUNK ref who is totally out of his mind goes and does his things and BAM it can effect your future really badly.

Those refs should be SHOT in the back of their HEADS.

[Pekka]

Is it only me but do the refs sometimes want to be the stars in junior games too? In adult games, I don't see much of that, some bad calls in every game, sure, but in some junior games, the refs think they are the rockstars and they want to 'play the game' too as much as possible. You know they shouldn't be interrupting the game or influence the outcome, which seems to me is the case sometimes with these bad referees we have.

It's especially wrong when juniors play IMO, that game is pure and a lot of PASSION, they should understand the less they are seen, the better they are doing. Not trying to steal the show.

[Pekka]

Well, Norway is out of the way with 9-1 win.

First round was impressive with shots 24-1 and 7 goals, then it got a bit boring.

The Swiss TIED the US 2-2.. you know this US team has been praised with Kessel and what not, I don't see why. Anything can happen, Switzerland has a tough team, but especially Kessel, I don't see what the hype is about. Maybe he's jsut having bad tournament.

[Flubber]

Well the canada-US Finland pool went as expected at the end of the day. The Swiss ?? nice try and thanks for coming but its the relegation round for you.

So Finland gets Sweden and the winner gets a date with Canada in the semis. On the other side the Russians wait for the winner of US and Czech.

Canada and the US tieing was a fair result ( I know Canada won but only because the US had to pull their goalie to try to win so I still think of the game as one where the teams played equal)

[Pekka]

This is how I see it unfolding, since Sweden grabbed a position higher than expected:

We win Sweden on what is a very tight game, Czech vs US, could go any way but let's say US wins it.

Then we lose to Canada, and US also loses to Russia.

1. Russia
2. Canada
3. US
4. Finland

That's how it will happen

[trickey]

[SIZE=1]
US also loses to Russia.

I can't see it.

I'm predicting US/Canada in the gold. After such a close game yesterday, I don't see any team having a clear advantage.

Russia will most likely take the bronze, but the Finnish team will give them a run for their money.

[Asher]

so how about that jack johnson?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher
so how about that jack johnson?

IMHP should have been suspended-- a headhunt shot way behind the play on NO provocation-- But I understand no suspension will be coming

[trickey]

Definatly should have been a match penalty. If that wasn't an attempt to injure, I don't know what is.

[Pekka]

What a joke. These are junior games so consequences are always following dirty acts and the likes. For example start running your mouth and you go to the shower. Start fighting, well, we'll see what happens after the game. This? THis could have landed penalty beyond that game in any league, so why not the junior games???

It's a joke, that's what it is. No ban for star player... what a joke.

[Asher]

Finland wins!!

[Pekka]

More like robs..

Sweden shot like over 50 times.. they were dominating most parts of the game but the fact is they were able to generate very little true scoring chances, they didn't get to rebounds, and Rask was phenomenal goalie. He is future prospect #1 plus only 18... go figure.

Anyway, had Sweden won, I would have said they deserved it but ... lots of work, no butter.

It was predictable in the OT, they got little frustrated and opened up their game a little with lacking pressure like they put on in the regular time, so I expected that maybe few good players would score like Korpikoski or Tukonen, who generated few scoring chances earlier.

Defensively the team played awesome, offensively, not so awesome But with goalie on fire and good tight defense and only few scoring chances, it's not unheard to win games like these.

I still do feel quite bad for the Swedes though.. besides, what BS was that ref on again.. maybe not worst officiating in these games but still pretty bad, excluding third period. First two periods were horrible, we had so many penalties that were questionable, and so did Swedes, so at least it wasn't biased.

And the last penalty for Sweden when we capitalized, I mean come on, this is quarter finals, junior WC U20 and OT, what do you do, don't call that ... Even our commentators said when the penalty came that it would be kind of stupid if we scored now and that's exactly what happened.

Oh well.

[Pekka]

Other thoughts, how tight are these refs going to judge these games? I can't understand, you never know what will be called. I just don't like this, even though today it was unbiased.

Also, where Sweden failed, Canada won't fail, that is that Sweden didn't get much any offensives with 1 or 2 man advantage, it was always 2-2, 3-3 etc.. they weren't able to come out of the corners too much, but that CAnada can do with strong players. They won the center of the ice all the time but couldn't win in front of our goal, to get those rebounds, to get those quality scoring opportunities and this is I think something that Sutter is thinking will be the key, to dominate in front of both goals just like they did in the first game.

I don't see this coming game to be a problem for Canada. Like said, we still don't have a good team, just get inside scoring sectors good and make quality shots and not rabbit slap shots like today, they won't go behind Rask, period.

Then again, these weaknesses are Canada's strengths so.. I hope our team doesn't even think about going there to play the same game, defensive and passive and trusting on Rask and getting the seconds pucks, I hope they go all out, try to play more physically, try to generate more space for themselves, do forechecking, get that offensive game going on. We'll see, I hope it will be entertaining and not 10-0 blowout.

[Pekka]

I'm still amazed how well Sweden was able to control the game for 3 periods.. we are not THAT far away from each other and we were supposed ot have better team than they, offensively, and these teams have met before too.. I guess they had a good night, they worked hard that's for sure. I think they wanted it more too.. so it's kind of shame they lost, even when they are our rivals. Did you guys watch the game, how amazing is Rask?!?!?

See how he moves? Sometimes he moves a bit far from the other corners but he is freaking fast when he moves and oh it was so beautiful. No fumbles, no panic, just picking the shots like berries no problem... and only 18 years old, such mature player, he will be a superstar for sure. Also what about Korpikoski, that dude is dangerous, when the rest of the team plays like it's the last slow dances of the night, he makes turnovers, and basically generates the only chances himself. I feel we had almost as much TRUE scoring chances as they did, but only because Korpikoski was so good.

I have a nickname for Rask though, I think this should be his NHL nickname so you guys spread it around.. It will be The Cooler. BEcause he's the cooler, the last ace of spades in the deck and robs it all the way and gives the opponents heart attack at the end. He IS The Cooler. over 50 shots, QF game and shutout, and never really was even in big trouble, except for one shot on the post. That's it. Hence...

The Cooler.

[trickey]

I'm really looking forward to watching these two semi final games.