Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

[diggedy derek]

Has there been a thread on this?

My Finnish girlfriend has sadly neglected to tell me that there's a massive kick-ass sporting event that I could take a fresh interest in.

I mean, the semi was Finland versus Russia - where the Finnish player scored this ridiculously sick goal

- and the final is Finland versus Sweden. The two biggest grudge matches possible for Finland!

So, I'm away for the final tomorrow, but what I really want is to be able to download the match somewhere afterwards. With no spoilers if possible. Are there hockey sites for these kind of shenanigans?

[Amor de Cosmos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

I don't know about downloads but TSN is streaming it, and it'll probably be available to view on their site for at least several days afterwards:

www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/

[Muukalainen]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

The scorer was Mikael Granlund, unarguably the most talented player Finland has produced since Saku Koivu. It's the sort of thing you occasionally see a really good player try in practice, but I can't recall ever having seen it tried during a match, certainly never with such perfect execution. Incidentally, in the link "announcer loses it" or similar from DD's YouTube link, is the commentator's reaction to the goal. This is standard fare from Antero Mertaranta -- he loves ice hockey and is as involved in the game as the players are.

Russia were a disappointment yesterday, playing very much as a collection of individuals. Ovechkin was especially culpable, several times not changing with his line, and even more times trying to do something clever on his own when a simple pass would have been more effective. Kovalchuk joined in with this prima donna behaviour in the latter part of the game, and also spent a lot of effort whingeing to the referees. Is he normally like that? I mustn't take anything away from Vehanen though; the Russians still created a number of chances, and he played blindingly well to keep the score sheet blank.

Finland have left most of their NHL stars out of the squad, and have reached the final on the strength of the team functioning as a unit. In my opinion, the two are not unrelated. There's much about the current squad that is reminiscent of that of '95. Against the same opposition, hopefully we'll get the same result.

Can't help at all with the download, I'm afraid.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

I doubt Granlund will get a chance to do that particular party trick again, particularly in the NHL. It's like Pavel Bure scoring a goal off the back of the goalie from behind the net (I think Crosby did the same thing) but they only did it once. Hockey tends not to like a hot-dog and everyone will be waiting for that move. If he tries it I'd expect to see his teammates peeling him off the boards, while the officials — coincidentally — are looking the other way.

[Janik]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Muukalainen wrote:

It's the sort of thing you occasionally see a really good player try in practice, but I can't recall ever having seen it tried during a match, certainly never with such perfect execution.

What is M-M called these days? Anyway, he linked to an identical move scored in the Swiss Play-Offs final a year or so back.

[Janik]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Ah, here we go. It was a Servette goal, needless to say.

[Muukalainen]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Woooooo-hoooooooo!!! Finland are world champions for only the second time. A 6-1 score line does a complete injustice to the Swedes, who led 1-0 and had the Finns by the scrotum until the death of the second period.

DD, you might be able to watch the game from here. I can't access the site to check, but it's worth a try.

Amor de Cosmos wrote:

I doubt Granlund will get a chance to do that particular party trick again, particularly in the NHL. It's like Pavel Bure scoring a goal off the back of the goalie from behind the net (I think Crosby did the same thing) but they only did it once. Hockey tends not to like a hot-dog and everyone will be waiting for that move. If he tries it I'd expect to see his teammates peeling him off the boards, while the officials — coincidentally — are looking the other way.

Point taken about the once seen never forgotten bit, but a better target for being pummelled into the boards would be the team mates on the ice for allowing such a well advertised and easy to stop party trick to happen. As for scoring off the back of the goalie, do you mean puck over the net from directly behind it or shot in from behind and to the side?

[ursus arctos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Amor, I think you've been watching too much Don Cherry.

That move has been replicated in US high school hockey (as well as in the Swedish league), and while it would no doubt engender yet another idiotic Linus Omark spinorama "respecting the game" outburst from the Neanderthals, NHL.com, TSN and ESPN would love it to death.

I wouldn't be shocked if a certain Mr. Subban is working on it right now.

Congrats, Muuk. I'm certain that it was our pilgrimage to the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in Tampere that put them over the top.

BTW, has anyone questioned whether Granlund's presumably Swedish heritage makes him anything less than a true Finn (with a small "t")?

[Amor de Cosmos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Amor, I think you've been watching too much Don Cherry.

Lawks a mussy, no!

I didn't say I agreed with what would happen in the NHL. Muukalainen's right that savvy defenceman would be unlikely to let that happen in a game in any case. And if it was tried anywhere except practice your coach would have a few words because most of the time it's a sure fire way of losing possession. TV would love it for sure, and so would fans, including me — if it worked — but it's low percentage show pony stuff and, one way or the other, you'll get punished for it.

As for scoring off the back of the goalie, do you mean puck over the net from directly behind it or shot in from behind and to the side?

Over the net. Flip the puck in the air and play it in off the back of the goalie.

Big congrats to Suomi BTW.

[ursus arctos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Amor, by definition we all have been watching too much Grapes recently.

He was particularly incoherent last night.

BTW, seven more games.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

I didn't mind Cherry once upon a time. He was kind of cartoonish corrective to the blandness of HNiC and, in pre-interenet days, an authentic representative of a side of hockey culture without a published voice. But that's not true anymore and neither is he. With ever appearance he becomes more excruciating to watch.

BTW, seven more games.

I think it might be a couple more than that. But the portents are good.

[ursus arctos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Yes, I never could stand him (even when he was with the Bruins), but he was entertaining and genuine. He has now fallen into the quicksand that traps everyone who becomes a caricature of themselves.

I don't count the losses (which are inevitable).

That was a huge third period last night. But only if they carry it over to the next game.

BTW, was I the only one who laughed out loud when Lapierre channeled Bobby Orr after scoring?

[Reed John]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Somebody for Michigan scored a goal exactly like that agains Minnesota some time ago. I don't remember who it was, but it gets replayed a lot.

While it's extremely difficult to do that, I don't think that it ought to be regarded as mere "showpony" stuff. I don't know if we'll see a lot of goals like that, but I don't see why skilled players, now some 50 years after the introduction of curve-blade sticks, shouldn't try to find new ways to control the puck.

Perhaps this kind of thing will be like the behind-the-back shot in lacrosse. Once it was just something for practice or for one of the Gaits to try to excite the fans when their team were already up by a bunch of goals, but now it's a standard, albeit rare, part of a skilled attackers arsenal, especially in the indoor game.

Speaking of tricky and lacrosse, check this out.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6553632&categoryid=2378529

Relevant bit starts at 1:30.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

@ Ursus

Totally missed that, possibly because it was from the other side of the net.

That was a huge third period last night. But only if they carry it over to the next game.

Aside from Luongo's braincramp I thought they played a strong game top to bottom. They really carried things over from the third period of the Nashville series. It took a couple of tries to figure out the Sharks PK but after that they were pretty dominant. The crowd was very edgy though, with luck they'll be more relaxed come Wednesday.

[We probably shouldn't hijack this thread eh?]

[Muukalainen]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

Thanks guys. I hadn't realised that you've visited these shores, ursus, hopefully it was a good trip.

ursus arctos wrote:

BTW, has anyone questioned whether Granlund's presumably Swedish heritage makes him anything less than a true Finn (with a small "t")?

Heh. Tongue in cheek obviously, but you can be sure the last people to question Granlund's background will be Soini's odious misfits. Granlund, incidentally, is from here, and is one of the six players in the squad (Kukkonen, Jaakola, Pyörälä, Aaltonen and Pesonen being the others) who came up through Kärpät's juniors. Exceptionally, he never played for the senior team. The club made him an offer he could refuse, and HIFK weren't slow to step in. Their gain is our loss.

[ursus arctos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

We had a great time, Muuk, though HIFK's triumphal march though the finals meant that we missed any hockey.

And we only got as far north as Tampere, though there is definite interest in venturing further north on our next visit.

[ursus arctos]

Ice Hockey World Champtionship download request

So, do you think that the Finns were excited about Granlund's goal?