Iihf Ice Hockey World Championship Betting
17th June 2008, by
Iihf Ice Hockey World Championships Betting Review
What were the odds that a team of youngsters and journeymen would achieve hockey's ultimate glory? Team Canada's rise to the top of the World Hockey Championships was as much a surprise for them as it was for the rest of the world. Even though the strong hockey nation has won more Gold than any other, most put it past them to get there this time. Yet after stumbling through some of the earlier rounds, the Men of the Maple Leaf pulled together to beat last years Olympic & World Champs in the semis and last years Olympic Silver medallists in the final.
The Semis saw them come up against the Three Crowns of Sweden. The Blue and Yellow had only dropped one game in two years of Championship play and last year were the first team ever to win World Championship Gold as well as Olympic Gold. Further, their dominating 7-4 performance over hockey powerhouse Slovakia showed exactly what kind of form they were in. However Team Canada seemed to have their number, coming out firing and putting up 3 first period goals. The final score of 4-1 made the Swedes aware of the pain they inflicted upon Canada in the 2006 Semis. Unfortunately, this year, the courageous Three Crowns went home empty handed.
The final was decided when the Lions of Finland squeaked through to the Championship round after a tight 2-1 victory over host nation Russia. Once the dominant USSR, Russia has yet to see as much success as it once boasted. Nevertheless, this seemed to be the year as they owned the rink in the early stages and qualification rounds in front of their home crowds. Further, they smashed the Czech Republic 4-0 to roar into the Semis. Yet the Finns were desperate for gold, after coming one win short at the Turin Olympics last February. In spite of the fact they looked weak in beating Team USA in the Quarters, and that they were in the enemy's lair, the Lions stormed back from one goal down to take the game to overtime. They then stole the unlikely victory as the fourth period began. The Russians had to settle for bronze, beating the Swedes 3-1 in the third place playoffs.
So Canada and Finland laced up their skates for what seemed to be a great showdown. Both teams had shown an immense hunger and sheer determination to get to the grand stage. Yet, after the first puck fell, it was clear who would walk away with the win. The Lion's keeper Kari Lehtonen had an unusually off-day allowing Tournament MVP Rick Nash to slot two goals past him - the opener and the decider! Again the Canadians raced off to an early lead with two goals in the first (Nash 7' and Eric Staal 14'). They then extended that lead in the second when Colby Armstrong wristed a shot past Lehtonen in the 30th minute.
Things seemed to get interesting though in the final period. Canadian goalie Cam Ward, who had 20 saves for the match, lost his dream for a shut out in the 52nd minute when Petri Kontiola slipped one past him. Then, six minutes later, Antti Miettinen whacked a loose puck into the Canadian nets to cut the deficit to one. But the hope was short lived. With a little over a minute left Nash showed his poise and class, scoring one of the most amazing goals of the tournament. On a breakaway play Nash fought off defenseman Pekka Saravo and then deked Lehtonen to put one more on the board and ensure Canada's 24th World Hockey Gold.
Overall the Championships were a major success, with the dominant nations rising to the occasion and providing many stunning games. The question now is: Will the youngsters and journeymen be able to hold onto the gold when the Championships move to Canada in 2008?
2007 Iihf Ice Hockey World Championships Final Rankings
| Position: | Nation: |
|---|---|
| GOL | Canada |
| SIL | Finland |
| BRO | Russia |
| 4th | Sweden |
| 5th | USA |
| 6th | Slovakia |
| 7th | Czech Republic |
| 8th | Switzerland |
| 9th | Germany |
| 10th | Denmark |
| 11th | Belarus |
| 12th | Italy |
| 13th | Latvia |
| 14th | Norway |
| 15th | Austria |
| 16th | Ukraine |
Centrebet's Iihf Ice Hockey World Championship Betting Options
Centrebet's quotes dozens of Ice Hockey betting options on many of the big games in leagues around the world, but when it comes to IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship betting options, there really is no match for Centrebet's fantastic range. Bet types include draw option, total goals for the day, handicap, game total, pick the score, over/under, time of first goal, last team to score, 1st, 2nd and 3rd winning team, most penalty minutes head-to-head and points scorer head-to-head.
Be sure to check out Centrebet sports because chances are Centrebet will have a winners market for the 2008 Ice Hockey Championships well before the teams hit the ice in Canada. For futures markets on Ice Hockey and many other major championships such as Super Bowl American Football Betting, English Premier League Betting, Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 Football Betting plus tonnes more, Centrebet sports is the only site you need.
Iihf Ice Hockey World Championship History
Records start in 1910 when the European Championships begun. World Championships began in 1920. With the exception of World War 2, there have been World Championships happening every year. Some have been incorporated into Olympic Games, specifically in 1920 and 1968. Although many countries have won the IIHF World Championships, Canada and the Soviet Union stand out as having the most wins in the twentieth century.
Iihf Ice Hockey World Championship Betting - Part Of A Bigger Range
Punters at Centrebet can place bets on the IIHF World Championships as well as a range of other Ice Hockey competitions. These include the National Hockey League NHL Championships, Stanley Cup, Norwegian (Eliteserien & Div 1), Swedish (Eliteserien, Allsvenskan, Superallsvenskan, Div 1 & Allettan), Swiss Nationalliga, German (DEL-Bundesliga, 2nd Bundesliga), Finnish (SM-Liiga, Women's SM-Sarja, Mestis), Austrian EHL, Czech Extraliga, Russian Superliga, Skoda Cup, Intrum Justitia IHC, Polish PLH Ekstraliga, International Friendlies and Danish (Superisligaen, Cup).
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last update : 17th June 2008 17:11