Konna should be out. I don't get the overrating he always gets. Players should be evaluated on how they play the big games against big countries. Few slick passes in pre tournament games against Germany isn't reason to expect much from him after this season. I still see him as a disappear guy in tough games against big countries.
But if he's in anyway, by all means I hope the best for him.
I understand the doubts if Kontiola is useful for Team Finland in this tournament. I don't, however, get the bashing against Kontiola regarding some past tournaments. It's really weird how things can be seen. In 2013 Kontiola was the leading scorer of the tournament and a key player in QF, and still he's bashed because he wasn't as good in last two games. This can happen only in Finland. Nothing is really enough.
Finland has been in the WHC final 9 times in last 25 years and won two of them. I guess it's quite typical that many players seem to "disappear" because only two team can get to finals. And it's not just in Team Finland. Team Canada has 5 consecutive QF exits and still they've been generally good in round robin since 2011. Canada has a way better player material and still the players have disappeared in QFs. How's that? Is it that they're (in 2013 there were guys like Stamkos, Giroux, 2xStaal, Skinner, Eberle, Duchene) not just good enough to play against stronger teams in WHC and should be banned from the tournaments?
If being the leading scorer of a tournament isn't good enough performance in Team Finland, then what should be expected from NHL stars in Team Canada.
On the other, do you remember last spring? The team wasn't scoring enough in round robin to win even those lesser teams, and barely made to QFs. Everyone complaint how crappy players there were. I guess many fans take for granted that Finland makes to QFs and those goals in round-robin come like "manulle illallinen". No, they don't come like that. Someone must score also in round-robin to win games.
In 2013 it's was largely due to Kontiola that Finland got top seed and got easier opponent to QF and Kontiola helped team Finland to SF. Without Kontiola I guess Finland would have had stronger opponent in QF and could have quite likely been eliminated already in QF.
Still some people see nothing else but how Kontiola "disappeared" in last two games of that tournament. It's same time quite sad and also tells how ridiculous the expectations can be. Apparently Kontiola alone should have won the whole tournament for Finland.
Finnish soccer team can just dream of players who could score even against weaker opponents than Finland itself is. In ice hockey the expectations seem to be in heavens.
Whether we like it or not, Kontiola will very likely be in the team. However, now he doesn't need carry the whole team. Maybe he can now just surf until semis and be a key player in last two games, and Barkov, for example, can be blamed of disappearing. There's a thin line between being a hero or "a hollow man" in the last games.
But yeah, could still be a nice line I think!
