The Hockey PDOcast - Postgame Show Breaking Down the Canada vs. Finland Semifinal

Episode Date: February 20, 2026

Dimitri Filipovic is joined by Thomas Drance right after the conclusion of the Canada vs. Finland semifinal to break down all of the key moments throughout the game, the top individual performances that made a difference, and the 3rd comeback.  If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

dressing to the mean since 2015. It's the Hockey PEDEOCast with your host, Dmitri Filippovich. Welcome to the HockeyPedioCast. My name is Dmitra Filipovich and joining me here in studio immediately following the conclusion of Canada, Finland. Semi-final banger for the ages, my good buddy, Thomas Trans, Tom. What's going on, man? I'm still recovering, to be totally honest with you. That game was heart-wrenching.

I was not having fun at all, but also having simultaneous. The best time ever. An amazing night of hockey. You know, night of hockey, it's still early morning, but it feels like it's been a full day. And the game was played at night. It was, yeah. And you know what? You know that meme of John Tavares when he's sitting on the bench?

Yeah. And the puck is flying towards the bench. And everyone around him is like moving out of the way frantically. Yeah. And he's just kind of like deadpanning sitting there. That was me in the studio today. That was you in the studio. had a full collection here of

everyone at the sports net office and everyone's losing their mind and going nuts and jumping around your co-host on K'anaks talk Jamie Dodd had a personal feud with the chair he was sitting in trying to figure out the positioning of it and I'm sitting here just tracking my scoring chances I was standing and ended up like

there were moments where I ended up like right under the TV's like mounted on the wall but also elevated and there were moments where I like had walked right over to the TV and hadn't even realized like you know like my will had left my body just like had to be as close. Like I was a bug to a flame or a moth to a flame.

You were. You were also mixing up everyone's names. You were calling him Jordan Taves. There was a lot going on, but it was quite a game. I don't even know who there's like been a lot of Taves in hockey and none of them have been named J. Yeah, I can think of at least two, neither named Jordan. We're going to go do our post game show and we're going to work our way through it, obviously. We haven't had time to necessarily digest it or marinate it.

We're going off the cuff here, but that's going to be fun. Where do you want to start with this one? because it's certainly, I mean, it's a second straight game. Canada's had to come back late and steal victory from the jaws of defeat. You know, early on, the broadcast was saying how I think in the NHL era, no teams ever had to do this in back-to-back games like this. And they were saying it heading into a second period when they were down 1-0. And I was saying, I don't think that should qualify as a comeback.

If you are down 1-0, 20 minutes in and then you wind up in the game, this one certainly does qualify, though, considering the third period heroics. I think we have to start with the top line for Canada. And, you know, we've had a lot of debate throughout this tournament about John Cooper's willingness to play them full-time together, whether that was the optimal strategy, especially in light of Crosby's injury and absence from this game. And they started off splitting them up again.

They started with your guy, Seth Jarvis, and Bo Horvatt playing with Nathan McKinnon and Tom Wilson back in his regular top-line role with Celebrini and McDavid. then the first period, they just weren't really able to generate anything for the most part and went down and they just scrapped that plan and went back to what they know works. And this is why we've been so high on this line, not just that it's three of the top four point producers in the NHL, but because it's a nuclear option that can ultimately

be the main Trump card. Like regardless of whatever's happening, whoever's struggling, whatever the game script is like, they're going to find a way to create eventually. and that's what they did throughout this one, ultimately culminating in the power play goal by Nathan McKinnon late. And that really was ultimately the difference between these two teams in this one.

Once they put that line together too, they started, I mean, Swomi put such an incredible defensive effort out there. I thought they were killing, murdering. They were going further than just killing. They were murdering Canada's hard rims. They were absolutely all around it in the neutral zone.

And until those three got put together, you know, midway-ish through the second period, it felt like Canada couldn't find answers to just establish possession and enter the zone cleanly or even enter the zone with speed on retrievals, like on dumpins until that line got put together and then all of a sudden, I don't know that there's a real playbook or answer

for how you stop a line with those three gentlemen all on it through the neutral zone. Like you can take away two guys and there's still going to be a third, especially if they have a puck mover to be a puck moving defender to be sort of a relief option there. And once that happened, everything sort of started to go downhill for Canada and they started to generate more. So, you know, there were things that I was worried about as the game was going on in terms of Canada's deployment. I think about that first period. The first time we saw that mock three line was off of an icing.

Canada gets them out against the finish fourth line. But then it's Sandheim and Shea Theodore. as the defenders and, you know, the best chance ends up on Travis Sandheim's stick. That to me, as it often does. As it often does. It was, as it often did today. Don't say the name of the player that we associate with that

because we were called out for referencing him way too many times in the last show. But it's just a little Ben Chirot coded. And I think the truth is is that the truth is that there were moments like that where I just felt like they needed to be more disciplined about self-matching with that line as we talked about in the last show. ultimately, I give Cooper a ton of credit for the way that he's figured out his lineup over the course of these games. And in particular, you know, I do think he's doing a really sharp bit where he's effectively allowing the seven forwards that aren't Suzuki

Marner Stone and aren't Celebrini McKinnon McDavid, the three hard trophy guys, to effectively figure out with their performance in the first half of the game, who's going to be the third line when the chips are. down. And I think it paid dividends when he sort of found Horvatt Hagel and Jarvis against Chequia. That line was getting after it. They were fast. They were effective on the forecheck. And then today I thought he figured out something pretty interesting too with Marchand, Wilson and Sam Bennett. And they end up sort of turning the game with the key shift that leads to the two two goal. So I mean, I thought that was a, it was one of those where I'm not sure I loved Canada as a pro.

going into the game, but as the game went on, you could see the coaching staff figuring some things out in terms of their deployment, in terms of their lineup, and I think it made a huge difference in allowing Canada to come back. Listen, I think from a results perspective, obviously you come out with a win and the game tying goal 2-2 comes off of one of those sequences where you have the Theodore Sandheim, pairing on the ice for an offensive zone draw coming out of a TV timeout. I still think from a process perspective, I don't necessarily. fairly like it.

Yeah. And I just don't think it's the way to optimize this group. And, you know, it's funny I am in tracking the scoring chances, sent them over to our pal Jack Fraser. He immediately got it out there. And what you'll notice in that is that there's essentially five players on this team, Canada team that were responsible for the entirety of the team's offense. And it was McDavidi and McKinnon each had 10 scoring chance contributions.

And then theater and Sandheim had four apiece and no one else had. more than two. And I thought Sandheim, like, he... He played well. He was around it. He was around it. I think that's a fair way to say it. I don't think it's an optimal strategy necessarily. Like, I'd much prefer... I think you almost certainly need to have either McCar or Harley out there for a lot of those offensive zone draws

and especially the McKinnon or actually McInnes or actually David Minutes because the puck will wind up working its way to them and those are the guys I trust to make the most out of it. But, you know, off of those offensive zone draws, a thing we've been talking about a lot. We saw Finland's first goal in the power play, came off of a clean win by Sebastian Aho right to Miko Rankin and who beat Pinnington.

And then Canada had a bunch of success creating looks off of those very plays where they'd win it back. Theodore will go D-to-D to Sanheim. He'd work his way downhill and get a look on net. And those are dangerous opportunities. They register as scoring chances. But I didn't necessarily feel on any of those that they were actually going to result in a goal.

Until one did. It did, later on in the sequence. Yeah. And, you know, credit to Sandheim, because I thought that sort of quick look up, he had a shooting lane, but I thought the getting it over quickly for the one-timer, especially because you've got Taves, you know, playing on his offside. That was a sharp play. And then, especially with all the chaos that was going on. Credit to Brad Marchand, too.

That was a really heads-up play to scamper out as quickly as he did. I think he deserves, Marshan doesn't get a point on the play. Yeah. Because I think the second assist went to Tom Wilson. He deserves a lot of credit for enabling the entire. play though because if you go back and you were talking about this while we were watching it live here in studio it's like 950 left in the third period yeah they're down 3-2 or 21 sorry it's a seemingly nothing play marshan coming down the left wing just like all effort yeah forces his way to the net

and attacks hasten and lindel who are out there against him it's a one on three essentially and he just like bully balls the way his way to the net doesn't really get a quality look off but he forces sorrows to glove it down. Yeah. Takes us to a TV timeout, offensive zone draw, that line is back out there. And then he has the sequence with Soros where he, you know, accidentally, quote unquote, falls on him. I think he got pushed in by Holla.

I don't think he necessarily was, you know, upset about it. Yeah. And then quickly was really smart to identify that he has to get out of there, allows Soros to reset, theater beats him off the shoulder, and it winds up being two, too. The best part is there's, in addition to just absolutely rushing his way off of Sorrows, he takes an additional step back. You know, like he does the full, like wasn't me. Like an NBA player saying they didn't touch a ball going out of bounds.

I loved that. I loved that extra step back to just make for absolutely dead certain that there wasn't, especially with the play going back up high, that any bounce that went Canada's way wasn't going to be nullified as a result of his actions. And I thought Theodore was excellent beyond the tying goal. Yes. He winds up playing like 11 and a half minutes, but he started this game as the seventh defenseman.

and wound up playing his way partly due to game script into a bigger role and Drew Doughty wound up playing only like 7.5 or 7.50 as a result of it. And even that, you know, because the first period was so ugly and then Canada comes out in the second and they have a lot of offensive zone time. Yeah. They're getting looks on net.

Unfortunately, it was all from defensemen from the outside. But it was, I liked having Harley and Theodore out together. Like they were moving the puck around, at least look in danger somewhat wind up result. drawing a power play shortly thereafter from Tom Wilson driving towards the net. But yeah, Mike Johnson was on it because right after the first period, he was like, all Canada has so far is Connor McDavid creating stuff and defensemen shooting from the point.

And that was really the case for most of the game. Thankfully, Celebrini and McKinnon joined McDavid. And then it became those three guys together, and that wound up cumulatively being enough. I thought that was the other part of this that left me a little concern. too was, you know, Canada was getting bogged down in the neutral zone. They weren't finding ways to get underneath Finland with speed, either on dumpins, like to set up dumpins where you've got the forward just on top of the defender by the time you get back,

or off of the rush in that first period in the first half of the second period. And I thought the move away, like, again, this is a credit two to how Finland defended. And the game that Mekola had and the game that Haskinen had, too. But I thought Canada getting away from hard rims and being selective in their shots, right? While a testament to the finished defensive effort was also sort of part of the approach that I didn't love. We know that Soros as a shorter goalie can be a little bit vulnerable to some of those point shots, especially through layered traffic. So I think that's probably what Canada was trying to do.

But they've gotten to this point in the tournament doing something very specific. and very effective. It's been devastating in their favor when they when they've really been disciplined about taking quality shots and you look at sort of their shot chart, you look at or you just watch the game. There was way more perimeter looks, way more point shots, probably today than they'd taken

the entire tournament up to this point. Even if that is attacking a goaltender against a specific vulnerability and even if that is a product partly of just how nasty Finnish Finland was off buck, I still think Canada got away from some of what had worked for them in the

first half of the game in a way that had me concerned watching it in real time. Yeah, this game ultimately winds up being a cruel reversal of fortune for Finland. Yeah. Just 48 hours ago was in the inverse spot where they were down 2-0 against Switzerland and then wound up coming back by pushing the pace and obviously increasing their urgency offensively and ultimately breaking through. And then in this one, they're holding on to a 2-0 lead for an extended period of time and wind up blowing it late.

But I do think, like, listen, the final shot count is 30. 3917 Canada. The final chance count is 30 to 13 for Canada. And those numbers are lopsided and the eye test through the final 40 minutes in particular matches it. I think we're in agreement though that tactically it was the right strategy by Finland, right? Acknowledging that because of the game script where you get a couple goals early and you're out to nothing, you're at a talent disadvantage, even though you obviously have a very good NHL-laden group. You don't have the superstars necessarily offensively that Canada does and then Saros is playing well and so they chose to I don't want to say they parked the bus necessarily because I think there's like

that has such a negative connotation and I think there was a thoughtfulness to like the stuff they were doing in the neutral zone yeah me too and in particular I think part of what forced Canada into a lot of those offensive sets and sequences is that Finland's so organized and diligent about having support that like a lot of the stuff that would work against a lot of other teams in the interior of the ice with like passing plays and giving goes and stuff just isn't available to you because even if you beat the first guy

there's a second or third finish defender that's there to support and so they were knocking away a lot of those potential like backdoor plays where there were a couple excruciatingly close calls where it looked like a Canadian forward was in a great scoring area the puck's working its way towards him and then all of a sudden like a finish stick comes out of nowhere and knocks it away

and nullifies the opportunity and so you kind of have to work your way around that and I think that's what Canon ultimately wound up doing. But I give a lot of that credit, honestly, to the effort and attention to detail the Finland show. And, you know, I certainly would fully expect that problem and they delivered on that front. Yeah, I mean, they were the third best true talent team at this tournament.

I think they demonstrated today that they could. And they were from a result perspective. By square size differential, they were clearly the third best team. Yeah. No, and I mean, they, I think they lived up to their billing throughout this tournament. I think they were wildly impressive. and to be that wildly impressive without Sasha Barkoff is, you know, something we should note, note prominently. Like this team arrived even without the best defensive center in hockey and were a legit gold medal threat.

Like they absolutely could have toppled Canada today and they absolutely would have been a tough out for the United States or Slovakia. We're recording this prior to the second semi-final game in the gold medal game. I mean, they could have beaten anybody in the world and they reminded us of that with a, with a, the performance that probably warranted it in some respects, even as Canada was able to grab a hold of that game. Yeah, similar to what we saw from Czechia, though. Rush chances were 8-8. Right.

Now Canada had 30 total chances, Finland had 13. So 8 of their 13 came off the rush. Cycle chances were 14 to 1 for Canada. Yep. Which means that Canada's really only surrendered four cycle chances. Yeah. Across the last two games. But that's going to happen when you're like,

the clear favorite, right? Right. But you're not going to be able to sustain an offensive zone time for the most part. But I do think Canada's in-zone defending is very good. I mean, they get beaten off of a short-handed rush chance. They get beaten off of the face-off set play. The face-off set play. You know, and I think when you go back to those check-eagulls, too,

rush counter with six men on the ice. And then what was the other, on the power play? Yes. Right. I mean, no one has beaten Canada off the cycle yet, and that's going to be something interesting to watch, I do think that's where the, that's the flip side of the coin with the Sanheim-Pareko side of this, where, you know, against the United States who are going to be able to generate a territorial edge,

Canada's been excellent at something of those plays and not surrendering. If we get that matchup, that'll be a fascinating battleground. The other note on the chances that I wanted to make was there was one total rebound chance in this game, and it was in the first period off of one of those offensive zone sequences where Sanheim got his own rebound. and kind of sent it wide. And I thought Soros was awesome despite all that layer of traffic in front of them. Yes, he was.

There were very few opportunities for like second or third looks. Yep. And either he was cleaning it up or drawing a face off off of it or one of his players in front of him was clearing it. And then Jordan Binnington, who we've given a lot of airwaves time to on his rebound control. Yeah. I mean, the shot volume wasn't necessarily there to make an issue, but there weren't any instances where it was like.

like, oh my God, that was, he kicked it out right into the slot and it was a great A that just wound up missing. And I'd say, you know, this is something Kevin Woodley's been pointing out a lot, that Jordan Bennington's save percentage on low danger is sky high, right? And has been, even as he struggled against Great A's somewhat this season, it really has been five straight, high quality chances that have beat him in the elimination round. I know, I push back. I don't think any Andre Palat chance qualifies necessarily as high danger, but. That was pretty much a tapin. But dude, okay, through the first 40 minutes, would you disagree with this? Like, the raw chances are where they were,

I think there were two legitimately high quality looks total in the first 40 minutes. The first one was this like two on four scintillating rush by McDavid and Celebrini. Yes. That they somehow got a quality look off and then the hollow short-handed breakaway. That was it. Like there were a couple other ones like, oh, like that was promising, but nothing that was like, that was a 10-bell opportunity. Totally.

They required a remarkable save or just missed the net. I mean, even when you consider, like, the Theodore shots a scoring chance, obviously, and it's a one-timer, and there's East West traffic, but, like, that's not a great A. No. You know, and I'd add that I didn't think the, like, I wouldn't have even said the McKinnon game winner. I mean, that probably is closer to a great A, but you have to adjust for who's taking the shot and the East West. And the fact that it was like an accumulation because they generated like four or five. And that, like, that's, that power play was. We should spend more time on it.

Let's save it for the second segment. Okay, let's do it. What else do you want to talk about before we get there? Because I feel like we should probably just get into it. I don't know why you're teasing me and the listeners. I mean, I just think that five on four sequence might have been the coolest I've ever seen. Like, I think it's one of the most impressive five on four. I mean, it's teaching tape for puck recoveries. For puck retrievals, for sure. And, you know, I mean, Celebrini, like, Celebrini's game today where you add him down for nine chances. He was down for eight shots. A lot of those chances too were, yes, the product of being incredible at working to find quiet ice. But also there were a lot of those that would hit his skates and he'd still find a way to fish it out and get a quality look off, even if it won wide. Or where it would be on the finish player stick and they'd get sort of the first touch.

But quick stick lift, he'd retrieve possession and find a way to get a look. I mean, those were not easy chances. He played 18 of the final 40 minutes at 19. I mean, that's insane stuff. He led the entire team Canada with 25-53. I know, incredible. He played more than Cal-McCarr, Celebrity and McDavid all played 25-plus,

but Celebrini played more than anyone on team. Only Miro Hayskin and played more than him at 27 and a half. Unbelievable. Anyone in this game. And those are not easy minutes. Like that motor is completely, you know, ceaseless. Like that kept, he kept firing. He was at an incredibly high ab and, you know,

the fact that he gets the last retrieval and gets the puck to McDavid on the game winner. But yeah, I mean, even the, that entire power play sequence was just so ruthless, so persistent. There were so many good looks, so many opportunities that could have scored if not for Saros's brilliance. And then, you know, McKinnon basically just squeaks it by Soros on that sort of feed from McDavid. I mean, that was a terrifying bit of work from Canada's top unit. I absolutely loved every second. Well, and even drawing the penalty on Mikola.

to create the power play opportunity late in the third. Came off of... Heavily scrutinized, by the way. By whom? Team Mussolani. Okay. I don't think he's necessarily post-career been known for having the best takes. Fair.

Came off of McDavid and Celebrini getting to work down low and forcing a turnover off the forecheck. And then Celebrini, as he did a million times in this game, like maneuvers somehow around a Paris, finished defenders, including Anton Mundell, gets it into the slot for McKinnon, who nearly beats Soros outright on that initial chance. It took this wild, like,

bounce, yeah. Blocker save, and then they score on the power play. Man, we could do a full show on Celebrini. Absolutely. I think what he did here... I think we could do a full show on that power play. What he did here is remarkable, not only the usage and the scoring chances,

but the style in which he did it against the best defensive team in the world. Yeah. Like, how many times did he sort of, just bounce off of a finish defender while he had the puck on a stick and evade a check and then get into a more dangerous area and just narrowly missed the net he was all over it even when nothing was going for canada like in the second period when they were down to nothing he kind of brought them back into it by just peppering these slot looks that sort of at least provided some

hope that and i remember even when they were in the third when they were down you were like he's going to eventually score on one of these and he didn't but it at least provided an out in terms of of like, if this keeps up, like eventually something is going to happen and it did for a line ultimately. He's a human out if you need a goal. And the way that he, you know, the one of the sequences you're talking about, like the finished defender falls, you know, and he's knocked completely off balance and he finds a way to like keep his balance and kind of step around him, get a quick wrist shot while he's

falling. I mean, some of the stuff that he's able to do, you know, where the angle of his shot as a result of the traffic that he's working through has to be changed or has to be. And he's still getting incredible looks off, like shooting with accuracy and velocity with one leg off the ice as he is heading down to the, like, I, the strength that takes, the focus that takes, the persistence. And then, man, like that four on two you're talking about in the first period where him and McDavid sort of have manufacturer rush chance out of literally nothing. I mean, if you're Finland, there's nothing you can do, right? Like, you are in position. Everything is covered.

And they still find a way to make Soros make an incredible save there. And I mean, we saw Marner go through three guys on the overtime winner against Chequia, but that was like four guys, perfect position, three of them are elite defenders in their own right, and he's still open? I mean, he's, you know, as much as like Team Canada feels unkillable after what they've done, the escape jobs they pulled off against Chequy and Finland in quick succession, this guy is completely unguarded. You can have all your boxes checked and you're still wrong.

I mean, David was, as you'd explain. expect incredible, especially earlier on, where he really was the only thing going for them offensively. I do think it's fair to say that celebrating was the best player on the ice. I thought so. And they semi-final, certainly the most dangerous offensively. And then obviously his linemates, McDavid and McKinnon wind up combining to win the game. But yeah, it was just an incredible effort by him, by the top line, and they delivered on everything

that we've been hyping up. Do you want to take our break here? Yep. And then when we come back, we'll jump right back in a way. We're going to keep working our way through Finland and Canada. And the semifinal we watched this morning. You're listening to the Hockey P.D.Ocast streaming on the Sports Night Radio Network. All right.

We're back here in the Hockey-Docast, drive by Thomas Trans. We're doing a post-game show for Canada, Finland. Tom, before we went to break, we were talking about the late power play. And I'm happy to report that we got another situation where a player drew a penalty and then scored in the ensuing power play. Would you say they pulled a dusty? We're going to have to name this sooner or later. That's going to stick, brother.

Yeah. I haven't seen anyone try to make something happen this hard since fetch. Well, should we just call it a Mac? Yeah. Because he's done it in back-to-back games. Yeah. I think that seems topical. Yeah, I think so much more than Dustin Brown.

Yeah. It was really funny. We were right after that show, you and I were driving too Langley to watch the WHL Top Rospects game. because we're, you know, we watch these games obviously in studio and TV, but we're also boots on the ground. Yeah. And trying to scout the next generation.

And also proper sickos. Talent as well, yes. And you were pulling up Dustin Brown's stats. And I was stunned. I know era adjusted and all that, but I forgot that it wasn't necessarily as impressive as maybe the reputation and also just the memory. Well, some of those seasons with 13 power play points and 29 total, I'm like, really? it was Daryl Sutter.

He drew 13 penalties and scored 13 power play goals. That's why people have called it to Dusty. I think it's the Mac now and I think we can just settle on that. I do think the ref missed the high stick. I do think it was a high stick.

And the reaction. I do think the ref reacted to McKinnon so I could understand why Finland would be upset about that. I didn't think the goal was offside though and I didn't think that it was goaltender interference. So I know there's going to be a lot of criticism of the referees,

but I actually don't know what should have gone differently. In fact, I would say the two plays in the third period that were not offside and were blown dead were the worst bit of refereeing in that game for me because you can always take a goal off the board with review but you can't give a scoring chance back to an offensive team. And that happened twice to Canada in a game that, you know,

the Marchand won with Tom Wilson where they combined really nicely and that should have been a really interesting chance for Canada. I mean, that's tied game statement. at that point, but still, the other one happened when Canada was still trailing. For me, that's way worse work than anything else that people are going to be talking about

from the perspective of the referees. Yeah, Canada got called for a too many men penalty early on, and I can only assume they were like, wait, that's not allowed. Right. Yeah, any other notes on the special teams we talked about Canada's late power play goal? Eric Holla made a 2-0 with a beautiful backhand shelf. Gorgeous.

Goal against Bennington and Hala and Armio were awesome for Finland throughout this tournament in their role. Finland, one of the things that makes Finland so dangerous at this tournament is like, who has more irrational confidence guys? Well, so guys who level up in that uniform, right? Like Michael Granland, who is one of their more dangerous players than this one always is when he plays for Finland. And every time Canada tried to make the right play, you know, tried to generate a quality chance, like how many times was it? Canadian forward streaking down and puts a pass to a guy who looks open and then very quickly, it's Mikhail Granlin skating the other way with the puck. Like, how many attacks did he snuff out like that?

Like, Godot have been three in the first 40 minutes of the game alone. He was incredible. Incredible. I thought the Lundell, Lusterine, and Kakoa line was good as well. Like, they had a couple looks in the third. I was almost shocked when Arturoleleckoning didn't score off the rush to make it 3-1 early in the third and kind of just missed the net wide a little bit because I'm just so programmed to assume that he's going to score every big goal.

I guess it wasn't in overtime, so maybe that's why he didn't score. We've even seen Kivaranta go absolutely nuke in must-win situations And then obviously Nikomikla And by the way, Mekola and Ristelainen were awesome today So I'm just up and down the lineup Even the even the sort of Swamy depth guys They're just all irrational confidence like heat check guys

And I do think that makes them incredibly dangerous And I thought that made them dangerous I'd add this too I thought McKinnon, it was McKinnon's error on the power play goal. And he ends up sort of scoring the heroic moment, the big heroic game winner for Canada. Also, I think on it, Ryanhardt loses the puck along the wall. And he scores too. And he winds up scoring out front with a tip.

For sure. But you're going to lose the puck along the wall. It's McKinnon's decision to dive down that compounds that error. That's the one that I think is the bigger deal. You know, it's a mistake by Reinhart too, but that's a mistake that's going to happen. whereas the positional mistake by McKinnon is something more, like something more that a coach, I think, would be more annoyed by generally, unless it's Nathan McKinnon who made the mistake.

And then it's like, well, I need you to get back in this game. Yeah, he'll let's own for it. I thought McKinn in the first half of the game didn't look right physically. No. I think quite visibly in terms of his reactions and some of the shift lengths he was taken. There's a few Canadian players. I'd add Suzuki. I thought Suzuki was awesome.

I thought Suzuki Stone and Warner. Like, they only really had the one offensive moment where Stone, cycles it around, Marner makes a finished defender miss and then gets a quality look in the third. That was only, their only moment, that was like if you're kind of casually watching.

Totally. But they made a lot of connective plays, especially in zone, leading to, I think, I think like, a job, a line like that does defensively

is, I think, a big reason as well why Canada is so good defending in zone. Right, because all those guys are just make great decisions and are always in the lane, and so it's really difficult to sustain possession against them. And that's a big part of this team's build

and what makes them successful at 5-15 in this tournament. No doubt. But I do think Suzuki looks like he's battling a bit, but I thought he was just making incredibly smart reads and plays all over the ice. A really gutty game from him. So, yeah, I mean, that's sort of an interesting wrinkle here where we'll see what with Crosby. We'll see with Josh Morrissey. Although is Josh Morrissey not an option or are they just sticking with a winning lineup at this point? I think that's an interesting question. He's been practicing, but I'm not sure. And then, and then, you know, there's a bunch of Canadian players that we're playing but are on watch to be like, oh, and then they don't play for the first five games back

when they return to their NHL teams in the regular season and we'll have a better sense of what they're playing through right now. You know, Suzuki and McKinnon both on that list for me, and those are critical. I mean, those are top six pieces. Those are indispensable pieces for this team Canada. So, yeah, I mean, I did think that Stone Line had a good game. And then, you know, like, I really do find it interesting

the way that Cooper is finding these lineups. Right? The one guy who was going that I felt like got marginalized was Hegel. Yep. He, you know, Horvatt and Jarvis didn't really have it. I can understand that. But Hegel, I thought, was going in the very limited ice time he got, what played like six and a half, right?

Yeah, I think he was the low man. 728, Hagle. Yeah. So I'd like to see more Hagle, I think, if they play the United States, especially. I think they're going to need that dog. And then I guess I'd add this too. I thought it was clear that Kale McCarr shot for Reinhart's.

stick. Like I thought that was absolutely, he might as well have called bank. I think that was very clear that he shot for Reinhardt's stick. You think Ryanhart knew that he was shooting for his stick? I don't. Yeah, he didn't seem like, I mean, he had a stick there in a good spot, but he didn't necessarily sell it as if it was an intentional act, but I guess good things are going to happen when you're standing in front of the net with your stick available. 100%. So, no, you get credit, you get credit for being right place, right time. But I literally think McCar was, that that's exactly where McCar was aiming,

because that was shot wide, but with purpose. So, yeah, no, I mean. Yeah, Ryan Hart winds up

playing 624 and gets the power play goal. Yeah. That's an Alex Cheson line if I've ever seen it. Yeah, designated hitter.

I'd be like he had like a good decade of, of these where he'd score a power boy goal and play under 10 minutes. Yeah. It's sort of odd that he hasn't been able

to get going at this tournament because he is overqualified. And he's also like a big game player who thrives against elite competition. Like he's a playoff monster. We've seen him score a Stanley Cup winning goal in game seven against the Oilers. And he's like a genius defensively and he finds open ice well.

Like he's kind of, on paper it feels like he should be clearly one of Canada's six most used forwards. And for whatever reason, it just hasn't clicked in. Hopefully that goal can get him going. I mean, you have one big performance, one big moment in the gold medal game and the entire narrative of your tournament flips. No one will remember that, you know, or they'll just say, And it was funny because he'd struggled up to that point in the tournament. And I wouldn't even, I don't even know if I'd go so far as to say he's struggled. I would just say he hasn't made the sort of-

He's been marginalized. He's been marginalized and he hasn't made the sort of impact that his skill would usually lead us to expect. Yeah, it's been strange. Because, you know, if he didn't have that playoff track record, I'd be like, all right, maybe it's just a case of a type of player like that. But, like, I feel very confident that's not the case. No. And I guess sometimes ultimately, like, with teams that are assembled like this,

not everyone's going to be able to thrive and get all the touches that they need and to get in rhythm. And maybe that's what's happening here. But yeah, he had a good look on that third period power play as well before McKinnon scored coming down downhill off the face off. He's certainly going to keep getting those looks on PP1. And if he delivers there, I don't think anyone's going to complain about his usage or the 515 production. Yeah. Yeah. And so, I mean, the last thing is team Canada feels they've got.

ought to be feeling pretty bulletproof. No matter how banged up they are, no matter what the first period or the first 30 minutes or the first 40 minutes or the first 50 minutes against the United States looks like assuming they win against Slovakia because we're recording this prior to that second semi-final game. You know, going through the sort of difficult to watch white knuckle games that they've gone through in succession against Czechia and the, and Finland, you would hope that that maybe can give them some, something of a mental edge as they go into a game in which, you know, I think especially if they don't have Crosby and especially if we think McKinnon's laboring, I like, I don't know if they should be favored, right? So they probably will be because of the Celebrini, McDavid McKinnon mock three of it all. Yeah, they garner a certain level of respect. And listen, they wind up winning the game.

So I guess it was the right call. But I was pretty surprised that they were listed at such a heavy favorite heading into this one. Yeah. And maybe I just respect. what Finland's capable of more, but I feel like that take why not proving pretty correct because Finland given everything they could handle. Yeah, you could have gotten Finland at like, you know,

even money plus the Vig at plus two and a half. Yeah. You know, one thing I think is worth watching, and you've been pointing this out throughout, but I'm not sure what the final total was, but in the later stages of this game, Finland was winning like 70% of the draws.

And, you know, there's certain ones where they don't matter as much. And we've talked about how especially for that McDavid line, like in the offensive zone, him or McKinnon can lose the draw and Celebrini can just win a bat right back and actually be in a better situation. But I think it is something worth noting,

especially if we get that USA matchup in the final. And particularly when the states are in the offensive zone, because they've cooked on a lot of those set plays. And especially if you lose it cleanly in situationally like that, like I feel like it could lead to a lot of trouble and we've seen that throughout this tournament. And so I think that is, you know, I don't mean to be like an old school hockey guy

being like, look at the face-offs. But I think it actually is like a big chess match element of the game. Yeah, I mean, maybe you use Bohorvat a little more. Team USA has been pretty dependent, frankly, on those set plays off of draws. And they do some diabolical stuff to open up good looks. So at least making sure that they're not getting clean wins is going to be essential.

Maybe we see more quick shifting, like quick changes with Bo Horvatt taking more draws. I guess that would be an option available to Canada, not something that they did in this game, probably right not to do it in a trailing game state. Oh, one of my favorite moments of the game that we haven't touched on, the moment Team Canada makes it 2-2, Colton Pareco. I loved that. I loved that, like, the moment the game state was neutral again, we get that Colton Pereco, and he skates like all the way back around his net and all the way up ice and gets the dump in.

I was just, I loved that. That was so on brand for this edition of Team Perko. The Undertaker meme celebrating, like the guy who scored all out of their hands up and he's just like lurking in the background. So, so good. And then, and then, I mean, look, you also take the lead with 33 seconds and it's like, that's Pareco time, baby, right? Like, you do want him for those moments. But I just thought it was amazing that the moment the game state permitted the team to use Pareko again, it's like he was prominently involved. Yeah. I mean, listen, there's injuries throughout this tournament. Canada didn't have Crosby and Morrissey, of course. for this game and other guys are banged up, but this also would have been a very perfect Sasha Barkov game. Oh, no question. You have any other notes on this? I was looking at the usage and I think part of it is because they were up to nothing for such an extended period of time and kind of nursing the lead. But, you know, Finland's top players aside from from Haskin and

Lundel, especially the forwards, didn't wind up playing as much as you'd ideally like to. I know earlier in the tournament after that first game against Slovakia, Finland was pushing back on the recorded ice time saying ranton and actually did play. more than was reported, but he winds up playing 60 and 9 in this one really. The only moment was the power play goal from him that he scored. I guess he almost wound up setting up the Leck and then rush opportunity as well later on, but, you know, that group was pretty quiet. I thought hints throughout this tournament.

Yeah. It wasn't as dynamic as I'm accustomed to seeing from him. It really was like the Lundell line was probably their most dangerous unit. I thought by thought. Throughout. Yeah. And then you get these haul out. Armia shifts where they would look threatening as well.

But that's kind of how it shook out for them as opposed to, you know, Ajo had some opportunities and some looks. Had a couple big games, I thought. You almost got loose with five seconds left. He did, and that would have been huge. I mean, you know, he winds up really helping them beat an overcom in Switzerland in the previous round scores that two one goal helps set up the other one. But yeah, a lot of those top guys for them were relatively quite.

It was in a very traditional finish fashion, like a very collective team effort. It was. And like sticking to the script, playing towards the game plan, no freelancing. And it almost got them to the finish line and they fell just short. Yeah. And I mean, this game script worked in their favor, right? Like this was the sort of game if they were going to beat Canada that it needed to look like. You know, likewise, if they were going to beat the States, they probably needed it to look something like this, but they could hang.

I mean, I really do think so. And I also think that as slanted as the scoring chance numbers are and the shots are, if this had been zero, zero. for longer, I don't think it would have looked like that. Like, I think Finland had a gear to actually skate with Canada, but once they had the 2-0-0 lead, you know, they were trying to or, yeah, they were trying to win it 2-0 or 2-1, and that's perfectly reasonable. I guess maybe it's...

Well, I do think the period-by-period breakdown reflects that. Yeah. Coming out of the first shots for 8-8 and chances were 6-5 for Canada. Like, it was pretty narrowly played. I thought Finland out-played them for the most part in that period, and then strategically they sat back a little bit and prioritized defense. and maybe they should have gotten a couple more counterattacking looks. I guess they could have been a little more dynamic.

Right. Creating, like I would say that it didn't feel like there was, there was no margin for error, but it did feel more like Canada was up against the clock and Finland's exceptional defensive game as opposed to at a huge risk of Finland extending the lead. Like just watching the game, it didn't feel like what was going to kill Canada was two on one the other way

that put the game out of reach. So I suppose that that, maybe could be one area of constructive criticism or whatever of how Finland played. But, I mean, I thought they were exceptional at this tournament throughout. And I really do think they could have won goal. Well, I guess you, that's a good point. I think maybe you just got to give more credit to Canada's blue liners. While it's not my preferred strategy, I don't really recall too many moments where

the point shots they were taking were blocked out in the neutral zone. Yeah. And created some of those opportunities. Unity's fulfilling into attack. A lot of them were like at least going to more harmless areas. Yep. And extending the offensive zone time as opposed to immediately killing this sequence. And so I guess that would be a silver lining. Yeah, it'll be, I mean, we don't know who Canada is playing in the final yet. And so I don't, you know, out of respect to Slovakia and the fact that in these single-in-nation games, anything can happen. I don't want to do like a Canada-U.S. breakdown here. And their power play's been sick. I mean, it's not a, it's not like a wide path that Slovakia has to walk if they're going to beat the United States, but they're is a path. Certainly.

Against the team that we've had questions about their offensive upside. And they've had a bunch of Slalakiaz, he-hechak guys as well. Yeah, no question. Anything can happen. But I do want to look ahead a little bit to the final from Canada's perspective.

Sure. And obviously we don't know the availability of Crosby and Morrissey, and that would impact things dramatically. How much of it do you put just on the game script in terms of Canada being, playing from behind and having to prioritize offense in terms of Dowdy's usage and and theater playing ahead of them instead. And then heading into the final, like, what do you think the ideal combinations are? Do you think we see them, despite the success of that top line, once again, start off?

This is becoming like a Chris Knoblock situation where he starts off with Tom Wilson on the top line, and then John Cooper immediately puts McKinnin back out there. They dominate win the game. And then everyone's like, what a genius adjustment. I actually haven't seen too many people, to be fair, framing it as that, as being like, wow, he's pulling all the right strings from putting these guys together. I think everyone's giving a lot of the credit justifiably to the actual three players for being so good together. Yeah, and I actually think he deserves more credit for finding the right third line.

You know, he's changed up his third line in-game, in consecutive games, and I think he's got it right both times. So I think that's where he deserves more credit as opposed to putting that line together. I don't know. I don't think I want to go, especially if they're playing the United States, I don't want to see them go into that game, I think, with a fat lineup at this point. I think it's clear that McKinnon, Celebrini and McDavid, give you the best chance of getting the lead. I think that's going to be critical against this U.S. team. I don't think you want to be trying to break down that, you know, those layers of size and speed and sort of tenacious checking that they can come at you with at a deficit.

So, yeah, I mean, I think I'd like to see him start by sort of taking his best shot at what the third and fourth line should look like, and he can tweak it as they go. I wouldn't start with a fatter lineup. I would I would start with that mock three line right from the jump against the United States or Slovakia, frankly, like get into that gold medal game with the intent of playing the way you've finished the last two games right from the start. Yeah. Yeah.

Other note that I had. I bet they will. Like they've clearly been trying to find a secondary attacking group. And, you know, I don't know that they have, right? Like they didn't get a ton of chances from their forwards that weren't McDavid, celebrini. McKinnon today. And I just think that's how they're going to have to live at this point. Like I think that's, you don't want to lop, you don't want to dull the tip of your spear, you know, in order to sort of give yourself a secondary weapon. Just, you know, take your best

shot at this point. Well, I do think acknowledging. That would be my view. Yeah, I think that's fair. I think acknowledging also that a lot of guys are probably are playing banged up and at less than 100 percent two guys I feel very confident that are going to be capable to play 25 to 27 minutes and do so at an elite level are McDavid and McDavidney. Right. It helps the one is 19 years old and very fresh. And the other is a cyborg who doesn't experience fatigue or fatigue.

And so I think that's a, you know, a feather in their cap. And I think enables them to, I'm curious to see what that looks like. Because, you know, throughout this tournament for the most part, we have seen partly because it's this unique collection of talent for these better teams, ice time's been pretty evenly distributed for the most part. We haven't seen other than Hayeskin and Insider on their respective blue lines, like playing

these crazy ice time totals. It's generally been pretty evenly distributed. And then so in this one, you get into this game state and all of a sudden celebrating 26 minutes and so as McDavid. And so that certainly gives you the best path towards victory regardless of the opponent. Yeah. No, and I think we're going to see that again in the gold medal game, especially if it's needed, right?

You know, look, I will say this too. McDavid could have 10 points in the last two games and he has what, a couple in each. Yeah, I think pretty disappointing that he didn't get three points in this one. Only two assists for him.

Right. Based on the standard that he's set. I mean, but like he could have double that. Like he, on form and based off of what he's generating and how many quality looks, you know, he's taking himself or that he's setting up, he could have double that. Yeah, he set up eight, chances in this one. So I would just say like, you know, one thing about Canada at this point, they're battle tested, we know they're not going to be phased or tight by whatever they see in the

goal metal game. I thought they looked pretty tight in the second period of this one. I thought they looked tight against Chequia too, but how much is that us projecting? I guess you weren't tight. You were pretty loose. No, I think Finland was genuinely frustrating. I'm like, yeah, I think so too. A note that I had and, you know, the McKinnon Power Play goal at the end, like, it looks a little soft because it kind of like squeaks through sorrow short side like down low but that was one of the few times I can really recall Canada getting a shot off a pass

right and it's on the power play so it's easier to do so but a lot of the looks they were getting even off the rush where like a guy skating in in a straight line manner and sorrows being able to to line it up and so it's harder to pull off when there's sticks and lanes and such defensive discipline but the one time they were able to actually get like a seam east-west pass

and create a little bit of movement all of a sudden it opened up a little pocket in the net that otherwise wasn't previously available to them so it was like the lack of that and then they were just demolishing Soros's mask in this one I don't know how many times he wound up saving it with his mask but they were going up high all the time yeah it was at least three yeah and yeah you know we talked about

with Celebrating too where so many of his good opportunities good looks where he actually found good ice pass still didn't get to him clean or you know there was a guy in the lane or partially blocked. One of those law ones in the second, like it looked like a great look, but kind of feebly got on it, and then you see the replay, and it's Lindell getting a stick on it. Getting him blocked, yeah. So, yeah, I mean, the

Finns were good. I think the McDavid factor is still what Canada is going to have to lean on, and it does feel like, you know, I'll say this, I think Canada and the U.S. is going to be a if that's how this goes, is going to be a wildly, evenly

matched game, but it does feel like McDavid it is, you know, at any point set to just explode offensively in this. Undoubtedly. All right, buddy. Well, that was a lot of fun. You know, it's nice sometimes after the quarterfinal, we had a couple hours because of scheduling to like marinate on a little bit. And this one, we just jump right into it. But it's nice. Honestly, it's tough. I'm still like trying to control my heart rate. I was so. Yeah, you're looking a little jittery. I was so jittery throughout that game, man. It was so much fun. Oh, man. I'm very excited to see what you look like at 5 a.m. Pacific time on Sunday. Ready to go. Hop to.

up on coffee. I'll have bells on. All right, what do you want to promote on the way out? Sunday. Sunday, Sunday. Listen and we'll do a post-game reaction. Has there ever been a more Sunday special than Sunday show? No, this is going to be a special Sunday special. So the plan is

we're going to meet here in studio, watch the game. It's going to be very, very bright and early, although as we've joked about, I've been doing a lot of 3 a.m. start times at all this tournament, so 5 is going to be actually a nice little sleep in for me at this point. But we'll see I might be too hopped up to even sleep the night before.

We will watch the game. We'll hop on here right afterwards, break it all down. I think it'll provide us an opportunity to reflect on the tournament as well, maybe, towards the end. We can do a true pediocast special at the end, like maybe spend five or ten minutes just raving about like random our guys from this tournament. I know the listeners are going to enjoy that as well from some of the lesser talk to both countries. People definitely want more lureds and talk. And the other plug that I had here is that during

the off day between the quarterfinal and semifinal, you and I did not take the day off because we got in here and recorded a very special show. I was like summer series style. I don't want to give way too much, although the people in the Discord know who it is already, but it was a really fun conversation with a name you've certainly heard of. And I'm very excited to get that out there. It's been really testing my discipline, not just having Sportsnet post it right now because I really want people to Listen, but I don't want to distract from the Olympics. I don't know focus on these games and these breakdowns. And we're going to have that to start next week fresh as we look towards the stretch run for the NHL.

Everyone can check out Canucks Talk. Canucks Talk? On Sports Night Radio Network, the athletic. Thank you. What are you writing about these days? The Canucks? The trade deadline. I mean, we're going to have a lot of trade deadline coverage beginning next week.

But working through the Olympic coverage, still supporting the great work that Arpaon and Pierre and. our team over there, Mark, are doing. Yeah, no one focused more on David Camp and Teddy Blugers at this event than you did. 100%. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I got takes. All right, give us a five-star review wherever you listen. Subscribe to the PDOCAST Patreon as well.

We've got extra content there, including all the write-ups for these game breakdowns and scoring chances I've been doing throughout. We'll be back Sunday. As I said, for the gold medal game post-game. Thank you for listening to the Hockey Ocast streaming on the Sportsnet Radio Network.