World Championships only really start on Tuesday: Finnish Lions face Russian test

Opening matches betray difference in quality between leading teams and minnows

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The IIHF World Championships in Moscow got under way towards the end of last week. However, such has been the difference in between the teams matched up so far in the preliminary round - at least in Finland's group and in the group featuring the USA and the Czech Republic - that many are saying the tournament will only get into gear when the top-ranked teams in each of the four groups face off in the final matches of this first phase of the tournament.
      Without ever looking like world-beaters, and often appearing to be doing only the bare minimum on the ice, Finland disposed of Ukraine by a 5-0 shutout on Thursday and beat Denmark equally comfortably on Sunday by six goals to two. By avoiding any awkward banana-skins, they have already guaranteed they will progress into the qualifying round stage.
     
In a sense, these first two games have been a kind of warm-up or dress rehearsal to get the squad ready for their first serious encounter, against the hosts Russia in a sold-out Hodynka arena on Tuesday. The Russians themselves have cantered through their opening games, building a 17-2 goal fifference with a 9-1 drubbing of Denmark and an equally comprehensive 8-1 win over Ukraine.
      Head coach Erkka Westerlund and the Lions are not looking to Tuesday's game with any sense of trepidation - in fact more as a way to see what shape they are really in after two overly easy encounters.
      Whoever wins on Tuesday will carry forward three valuable points to the next stage of the tournament, and they will not meet each other again before the semi-final phase, always assuming they both progress that far.
     
In other matches, too, the relatively narrow nature of international ice hockey has been quite evident.
      The Czechs and Americans both cruised effortlessly through their opening Group B matches against Austria and Belarus, notching up fourteen goals and eleven goals respectively.
      Groups A and C have only seen one round of matches apiece, with the second games being played this evening. Sweden thumped Italy 7-1, but Switzerland and Latvia were more closely matched, with the Swiss edging it 2-1. Canada were given a bit of a scare by the Germans in Group C, but came through 3-2, while in the other Group C game Slovakia eased past Norway 3-0.
      The Canadians will have to deal with Norway without their defenseman Shea Weber, who received a three-match suspension for a high tackle in the Germany game that left Yannic Seidenberg with concussion.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Head coach Westerlund looking to Jere Lehtinen on eve of Hockey World Championships (26.4.2007)

Links:
  IIHF World Championships
  World Championships Official Site

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