There's nothing I can say or write that hasn't been muttered or written by someone else. I can't break this game down into systems or skill sets. Simply put: this should be a beauty. The Gold Medal Game at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships is set to be a beauty, and I am pumped as Canada attempts to win their fifth gold medal in a row, and 15th in the history of the tournament.
Now, I'll probably take some heck for putting Sweden as the top-ranked team on that picture, and that's fine. They have the best goaltending statistically, have taken the lest number of penalties, and have the best penalty-killing unit. Defence wins championships, but all those clichés fly out the window tonight in Ottawa.
Canada has the best scoring efficiency (total goals compared to total shots), the best powerplay in the tournament, and have that little advantage called THE FANS. However, defence wins championships, and Canada has to be better than they were against the Russians in the semi-final.
Buckle in for the rematch from last year's gold medal game. This one should have a ton of skill, a lot of hits, and some spectacular goaltending. If you're a hockey fan, this is one game you do not want to miss.
Until after the gold medals have been awarded, keep your sticks on the ice!
I just want to say this: hockey is the national sport ONLY in Canada. I don't think there is a reason to be proud to win the youth championship, the other countries are not even serious about this sport. another reason to hate hockey: How is possible that fighting is allowed??...that is just plain retarded....sorry but it is the true..
ReplyDeleteReally? So countries like Sweden and Russia shouldn't care as much as they do, right? They shouldn't have any national pride, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why you think that there's nothing to be proud of.
Fighting isn't allowed in hockey. Players are penalized for engaging in a fight. While players aren't suspended like they are in football or baseball, fighting in hockey has existed due to the physical nature of the game. I don't condone fighting, but it has its usefulness if it is done correctly. If you watched hockey instead of hating it, you'd understand.
And if you hate hockey so much, why are you reading a hockey blog?
Swedish hockey did their job and produced skilled hockey players, but did they ever look afraid to play against a more physical Canadian team. Sure they racked up the shots, but how many of them were perimeter because they were afraid to pay the price to get to a better scoring area? Makes you wonder if the Swedes should be looking at doing what the Russians do and get their juniors more exposure to the North American game as they develop.
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