Posted by a rather depressed fan of a certain ice-hockey team
What in the WORLD happened?
No, shit happened fercryingoutloud!!!
Where was the passion?
I'll bet the guys were already thinking about the finals and forgot that you have play a few games b4 that!
Where was the heart?
Where indeed?
Where were the goal scorers?
Reading the next years contract-offer from the big-ass Swiss/Swedish/Russian teams.
What?
Who cares!
Why?
Because we lost!
How?
Don't rub it in!!!
[*sigh*]
Voijumalautaperkele!
Go Lukko.
Eihelvetinkuustoistajavielävaikkaseitsemäntoistapäälle!
[*sigh*]
Kenkääkokoporukalle!
Right.
Playoffsviiksetmyass!
[*sigh*]
Penahoitaahommankotiin...
[*four letter word*]
Meollaanoikeastihävittytääkausi...
Anyone read any good books lately?
Funny game this ice-hockey. If you happen to sign a bad goalie from NHL, and your opponent hits the jackpot in that department, it is very difficult to beat them in playoffs. No matter how many stars you have in your team. And having the league's most notorious trouble-maker surely does not help.
Posted by: Manu | March 26, 2005 at 01:40
When was the last time we had a decent goalie? El Greco was good in his first season, but unfortunately was soon found lacking in some rather important areas. Like catching the easy ones. Lundell is a great back-up goalie, but not a starter for the whole season. Vokoun just... froze, when he should've excelled (but I don't think he is a bad NHL-goalie, he just couldn't deliver here when he should've). Ari Ahonen was a great one, but then the rest of the team was under par. C'mon, we had Hucko-Kautonen-Wossname -line trying to score goals, while we had the audacity to use Hannes Hyvönen as a defender!
Modern hockey begins with a great goalie: witness Roloson, Bäckström (who was shite with us), Thomas (who propably was the last Great One we had - and who managed NOT to deliver the last time we were at finals), Kiprusoff, Brodeur etc. And then one needs a strong defense, which we actually should've had, but while the roster may have seemed stronger than any other defensive lineup in the SM-liiga, it was somehow a lot less than the sum of its individual components.
Oh yeah, and then you need forwards that can score, but here we go into jutilaisms ("The best defender is one that scores lots of goals and takes very little penalties", also known as matti'isms").
This needs to end with little something Sari just said:
"Tien varrella kasvaa,
pieniä kaniineja".
Posted by: jukkahoo | March 26, 2005 at 09:38
You are absolutely right about the importance of goalies in ice-hockey. If you think about any other team sport, the significance is not that great, in my opinion. Only in ice-hockey an encellent goaltender can virtually shut the opposition from scoring and help his team for the championships, as did Hasek in Nagano. Or he can froze, as you said, and let few easy shots past him.
Scientifically thinking, maybe the reason for this significance arises from two facts: 1. The size of goal compared to the size of goalies. Meaning they cover a larger percentage of goal than for example football or handball goalkeeper. For example, higher percentage of breakaways lead to a goal in these two games than in ice-hockey, where it is more up to the goalie what is going to happen. 2. The number shots at goal per game. Quite obviously, a goaltender has to save more shots in a game than football or field hockey goalkeepers. This offers more opportunities for great saves but also for blunders. If you think about football and France 98, the two all-star goalkeepers were Barthez and Chilavert. Both were great goalkeepers, but I think France and Paraguya did clearly have the two most solid defenses in the tournament, so they did not have to make so many spectacular saves.
Posted by: Manu | March 26, 2005 at 11:59
Manu may have a point there, although I think that the sheer size doesn't matter that much :) The puck is so small and moving so fast that it makes things more even. If it would be the size, the clubs would hire some HUGE goalies maybe from Japan or Hawaii, if you take my meaning. And like you already said, the number of shots works both ways. Great goalies are fast. But quite a few times Lukko punished the defence, not the goalie.
Sorry, folks, but Lukko was better in all areas of the game (with the possible exception of unnecessary fistfights). Its nice NOT to be a fan...
Posted by: Teemu | March 27, 2005 at 13:10
Yes the puck is small and the size of the goalie is not that crucial. But if you just compare the percentage of penalty shots converted in other team sports, football, handball, bandy, field hockey, or water polo, I think you´ll find that in ice-hockey the goalies make most saves, even though players don't shoot from static position. In ice-hockey you are more likely to need a pass and a one-timer or other players to block the goalie's view in order to score. And the reason for this in my opinion is that the goalies cover a large percentage of the goal and can move quickly from post to post.
Posted by: Manu | March 27, 2005 at 22:33
Pienet kaniinit rulettaa :)
Hyvää toista pääsiäispäivää!
Posted by: Anna | March 28, 2005 at 10:30
Right. And in ice-hockey the goalie has all this wonderful gear. Bare-handed he woundn't catch that many shots. AND would propably get killed...
Anyway, now we can hope for a great Lukko-HPK final!
Posted by: Teemu | March 28, 2005 at 11:43
At least something to look for...
Ja pienet kaniinit todellakin rulettaa. Hyvää pääsiäisen kärsimyksen loppua!
Posted by: jukkahoo | March 28, 2005 at 12:48
Kuka tommosest kiako peräs luistelemisest mittä piittaa ny enää ko HPK (Haistakaa Paska Kaikki) teki minkä teki. Prkl. Ei mul sit muut täsä assia olkka sanomist.
Posted by: Veriveli | March 28, 2005 at 22:41
Pienet kaniinit? Ihan söpöjä. Ja maistuvat hyvältä. Ei, anteeksi, jänispaistia se olikin mitä tänä talvena söin. Pääsiäinen oli hyvä. Graduntekoon tuli uutta ryhtiä. Hyvä, Pääsiäinen!!!
Posted by: Omppu | March 29, 2005 at 21:01
Pienet kaniinit? Ihan söpöjä. Ja maistuvat hyvältä. Ei, anteeksi, jänispaistia se olikin mitä tänä talvena söin. Pääsiäinen oli hyvä. Graduntekoon tuli uutta ryhtiä. Hyvä, Pääsiäinen!!!
Posted by: Omppu | March 29, 2005 at 21:05