WC: 2015 — Team Finland

[Sabane]

-Pokka: In the AHL playoffs with the Rockford IceHogs.
-Pakarinen: Injured. Plus his team OKC is in the AHL is in the run.
-Armia: Available now, but wasn't so a week or so ago. Plus his level of play dropped after being traded.
-Lindbohm: In the AHL playoffs with the Chicago Wolves.
-Rissanen: Injured.
-Keränen: A black ace with the Wild.
-Rynnäs: I was not aware we needed a goalie. Even w/o Rinne, they would have had Koskinen.

This information is freely available in the net, by the way. Most stuff these days are, so there's no need for all the mutu analysis.

Like I said, I'm not sure if they'r available or not. And I know we don't have need for a goalie but what's the harm to see if he's better than Engren or Saros?

It's just normally when a semi-young guy breaks up at Liiga and goes to AHL everybody forgets him. Just like Armia, he was great at Liiga and now nobody would even consider him. Keränen was awesome a year ago and now? Vatanen played his first NT games at age 18 and had a break of couple of years when he played AHL. And there are so many of these kind of examples.

 

[QnebO]

The issue with Pulkkinen is this, I think: They have 12 forwards in the lineup, 13 with Komarov. That leaves room for only one skater more. And that slot's earmarked for Hytönen in case they need another centre.

It shouldn't work like that. We need pulkkinen more.

 

[BB88]

Wait, did we have NHL superstars available? Other than Rinne, I mean.

Did I say superstars for us? Start with Ristolainen, and look AHL more closely.

But this year even with the best possible players available we would need an miracle to win a medal. But still build the best team/lines as possible.
Again say yes to Ristolainen. Hopefully this won't hurt Ristolainen's future decisions. He atleast plays against them every night.

 

[QnebO]

Again say yes to Ristolainen. Hopefully this won't hurt Ristolainen's future decisions. He atleast plays against them every night.

I hope the fans tell him that Jalonen is an idiot and we want him in the NT.

 

[FiLe]

And there are so many of these kind of examples.

Only those are non-examples.

-Didn't I just say that Armia wasn't available when the team was put together?
-Keränen isn't available, as he's an injury reserve for the Wild, who aren't releasing him. (This also reads in the post you just quoted.)
-Vatanen had playoff duties in the AHL after he crossed over. J.Jalonen was actually quoted to say a couple of times that he'd be glad to have him.

Also, like I said, if you don't know, you can look these things up. They're up there in the Internet, sites like Wikipedia and Eliteprospects. If you don't know them, it's because you're too lazy to use Google for a minute or two.

 

[BB88]

I hope the fans tell him that Jalonen is an idiot and we want him in the NT.

I wanted to see what he could do with us, he has huge potential and giving him minutes in this tournament would have only made him better.

20y Buffalo's future #1D, I think he earned his shot. We don't have too many of those.

 

[Sabane]

Only those are non-examples.

-Didn't I just say that Armia wasn't available when the team was put together?
-Keränen isn't available, as he's an injury reserve for the Wild, who aren't releasing him. (This also reads in the post you just quoted.)
-Vatanen had playoff duties in the AHL after he crossed over. J.Jalonen was actually quoted to say a couple of times that he'd be glad to have him.

Also, like I said, if you don't know, you can look these things up. They're up there in the Internet, sites like Wikipedia and Eliteprospects. If you don't know them, it's because you're too lazy to use Google for a minute or two.

Pretty familiar with those but it's vappu and I've had a couple of drinks and I just don't remember the teams witch are playing AHL playoffs because nobody cares about that stuff. Yes I know that Pokka plays Blackhawks farm and Pakarinen Oilers but I have no idea what is that AHL team called and I've got no interest to look up that.

 

[QnebO]

I wanted to see what he could do with us, he has huge potential and giving him minutes in this tournament would have only made him better.

20y Buffalo's future #1D, I think he earned his shot. We don't have too many of those.

Yup. Jalonen's decision costs for Finnish hockey.

 

[FiLe]

But this year even with the best possible players available we would need an miracle to win a medal. But still build the best team/lines as possible.
Again say yes to Ristolainen. Hopefully this won't hurt Ristolainen's future decisions. He atleast plays against them every night.

For what it's worth, I think they got too cute by cutting RR as well. But I don't think he would have turned the game around tonight.

Besides, having a bad start does not mean they can't turn it around. Matter of fact, they didn't come rushing out the gates in 1995 and 2011 either. On the contrary, whenever they have come out lookin' great and have steamrolled from win to win at first, there's been an epic crash and burn somewhere along the road. Turin and that 6-5 disaster from 2003 are two pretty good examples.

And sometimes they just barely scrape by and suffer a narrow QF exit. Anything's still possible, is what I mean to say I guess.

Pretty familiar with those but it's vappu and I've had a couple of drinks and I just don't remember the teams witch are playing AHL playoffs because nobody cares about that stuff. Yes I know that Pokka plays Blackhawks farm and Pakarinen Oilers but I have no idea what is that AHL team called and I've got no interest to look up that.

Wait. You say nobody cares about what's going on in the AHL, but yet you were just listing names you think are good enough to play... that does not... how do you even know if... the logic... eh, whatever. It's the May Day after all. I guess you're excused.

Barely.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I think it's funny how all the Finnish media consider us as one of the gold medal favorites.

Comparing our team to Canada and Russia, especially Canada, we dont have a chance on paper. That Canada team could win the Olympics

Even Sweden is better by a fair margin. Czechs and USA are the only top teams close to us IMO and Czechs have the home crowd on their side.

Even the "experts" on TV think we have a good chance. Pisses me off

We are so far from gold medal favorites. And that's why i would've wanted to see Ristolainen out there instead of Mantyla. Give them young guys a chance. Could've even been our best defenseman if he got it going.

Anyways, of course the games are played on the ice and not on paper. But i'd like the media to call us underdogs. Always helps us.

 

[Sabane]

Wait. You say nobody cares about what's going on in the AHL, but yet you were just listing names you think are good enough to play... that does not... how do you even know if... the logic... eh, whatever. It's the May Day after all. I guess you're excused.

Barely.

I meant that nobody cares witch team success and witch don't. AHL is just a platform to bounce for NHL. Players want to play "for themselves" more than for the team. If you know what I mean.

 

[FiLe]

I think it's funny how all the Finnish media consider us as one of the gold medal favorites.

Well, what did you expect? They have to sell that image to sell their pay-tv packages.

 

[FiLe]

I meant that nobody cares witch team success and witch don't. AHL is just a platform to bounce for NHL. Players want to play "for themselves" more than for the team. If you know what I mean.

Yeah I get it. But even if they're playing for themselves down there, they're still stuck with their teams as long as said teams have games left. So our coaches are excused for not picking them, the same way they're excused for not considering players in the NHL playoffs.

 

[Mestaruus]

About KJ's comments about Pulkkinen today. That wasn't a definate no. I'm sure if Pulkkinen's team gets eliminated tonight they will ask him. He probably just said that to ease the buzz about that topic slash tired of being asked about that.

 

[FiLe]

I'm sure if Pulkkinen's team gets eliminated tonight they will ask him.

They'll play tomorrow, not tonight.

But yeah, we'll see. JJ and Komarov can play C too if need be, so they're not completely screwed if they pass on Hytönen.

 

[Johno]

yeah I think we could really use a guy who finished 1st in AHL goal scoring and top 10 in points while playing just 2/3rds of the games compared to the other top scorers. (was projected, had he played as much as the others, to finish with a 15point lead in the scoring race and would have had close to double the goals compared to the #2 goal scorer...

Also proved he could score goals in the NHL and currently has 5 goals in 3 AHL playoff games...

But sure, we can keep grinding and hoping the opposition doesn't score goals since we are likely going to score one goal per game...

 

[BB88]

For what it's worth, I think they got too cute by cutting RR as well. But I don't think he would have turned the game around tonight.

Barely.

Ofcouse not, but you could still try and dress the best team possible. This would have been great tournament for his future. If you have a chance to add RR then you do it. If he wasn't hugely potential/good player then Buffalo woulnd't do what they are doing to him.


I just don't get the talk that we are favourites, I mean we have lots of europian league players and they aren't elite europian players, we are somewhere in the 4-6 range. There is no way that Rinne alone can stop Canada for example, they are just full of superstar players/superstar potential players.

 

[Finnpin]

Forwards dont shoot. D cant play D. What else is new.

I never liked Jalonen, started actually almost like him couple months ago but nah, basically nothing but hate now after letting RR go.

 

[mattihp]

Forwards dont shoot. D cant play D. What else is new.

Usually that is balanced by our offense being able to play D and our defensemen being able to somewhat shoot.. Now it feels we are in limbo.

 

[behemolari]

Forwards dont shoot. D cant play D. What else is new.

I never liked Jalonen, started actually almost like him couple months ago but nah, basically nothing but hate now after letting RR go.

how in the hell one could take Mantyla over Ristolainen, doesn't make a sense at all

 

[Periwinkle]

My feelings about the first game are some weird mixture of not being too concerned (it's the first game, we almost always seem to pull ourselves together for advancing to secure a decent placing in the tournament; the numbers didn't imo reflect the game itself accurately, we could have gotten this; Rinne probably jet-lagged) and then concerned because USA on paper is among the weakest "big" teams and they flew past us with their good finishing.

I think it would be rather misleading to get hung up on the Risto ditcing as reasoning for stumbling, even with how Mäntylä played. We need solid defense and from what I saw, Risto is potentially even a more loose cannon than the rest of our D corps. (Obviously the selected guys then necessarily don't have his game-breaking ability.)

I don't expect us to really compete this year, the level of rosters is surprisingly high this year (Canadian players wanting to show their willingness to play for the country with World Cup in mind?). I'm surprisingly content right now with the Finnish selections, all things considered.

 

[FiLe]

+1 to above.

The thing is, coaches don't make their calls based on TV screen alone. They have far more data of the players available than we ever do. Yes, I would have picked RR too and wonder about the snub, but unlike some here, I don't imagine I know more or even the same than Jalonen does.

That being said, there was far more wrong with the team than the play of a single d-man, so I don't see how replacing one guy with another could have done much. Especially since as a whole, the team still has all the correct player types and in good proportion - unlike last year. If you want to be angry at Jalonen, be angry over that clusterbuss we saw last night, not at single player pick. If most of the team gets its act together and yet there are a player or two who can't quite get it on with the rest of them, then it's time to speculate whether another guy who could do the same job could have done it better. But right now, it's nothing but a particularly moronic case of fan dumb.

In a nutshell: It's okay to be angry, but what you dumb shmucks could do is direct the anger at the right things.

 

[rduck1]

Yeah, let's not forget that the team selection is actually far closer to the consensus than usual. Ristolainen and maybe Palola are the ones who aren't there that were considered good options. That's two players, one of which is a maybe.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

+1 to above.

The thing is, coaches don't make their calls based on TV screen alone. They have far more data of the players available than we ever do. Yes, I would have picked RR too and wonder about the snub, but unlike some here, I don't imagine I know more or even the same than Jalonen does.

That being said, there was far more wrong with the team than the play of a single d-man, so I don't see how replacing one guy with another could have done much. Especially since as a whole, the team still has all the correct player types and in good proportion - unlike last year. If you want to be angry at Jalonen, be angry over that clusterbuss we saw last night, not at single player pick. If most of the team gets its act together and yet there are a player or two who can't quite get it on with the rest of them, then it's time to speculate whether another guy who could do the same job could have done it better. But right now, it's nothing but a particularly moronic case of fan dumb.

In a nutshell: It's okay to be angry, but what you dumb shmucks could do is direct the anger at the right things.

It's not really about yesterday's game. Even if we had Risto we lose anyway.

What pisses me off is the love for these older players who shouldn't even be there. I'd understand if Mantyla was a good KHL defenseman but he's not.

You're passing on a young NHL defenseman because you want "experienced" guy out there. That's one thing but when the older player is not good enough to play at the level needed i just don't get it.

There would've been nothing to lose by picking Risto. Low risk high reward. If he played badly you don't have to give him top 4 minutes.

With Mantyla, is there really any reward at all ? So confusing.

What i like to see is young and hungry players. Especially when they are good enough and have potential. Like Jokipakka, Moses made a fool out of him but then he scored the tying goal. That's the nature of these guys.

 

[mattihp]

Yeah, let's not forget that the team selection is actually far closer to the consensus than usual. Ristolainen and maybe Palola are the ones who aren't there that were considered good options. That's two players, one of which is a maybe.

True. Usually it is four players with no business in team and 3-4 who should be there.