WC: 2015 — Team Finland

[Erikfromfin]

No need to panic or overreact.. its just been 1 game. Teams that click from game 1 never win, the ones that develope as the tournament goes on do.

 

[FiLe]

Yeah. Even if they had a bad start, it's good to keep in mind that on paper our squad is still the best we've got in last five years or so. And also the 2nd best in this group.

They'll turn it around. Our teams always do that. Even that last year's boreshow managed to do so in the end. And this year's iteration doesn't have to overachieve even that much to play good hockey.

Actually, that's one of the few good things about having all these same old boring faces like Mäntylä, Hytönen, Pesonen and who else around. They've been in this situation before, so they if anyone know what it takes to bounce back.

 

[FiLe]

Interesting. Jalonen isn't registering anyone today because he "can as well do it later" - and here his exact words are that they simply "intend" to add Hytönen.

Could be I'm simply reading too much into it, but I wonder if they're willing to wait out the Griffins game tonight before making the final decision.

 

[rduck1]

Interesting. Jalonen isn't registering anyone today because he "can as well do it later" - and here is exact words are that they simply "intend" to add Hytönen.

Could be I'm simply reading too much into it, but I wonder if they're willing to wait out the Griffins game tonight before making the final decision.

Well it certainly looks like a case of not shutting any doors that they don't need to. Interesting though, I thought it had already been done. Lindbohm and Hakanpää could also become available in the AHL, though I don't think they're in any kind of consideration at this point.

 

[FiLe]

Well it certainly looks like a case of not shutting any doors that they don't need to. Interesting though, I thought it had already been done.

It sure looks like part media, part team management. Jalonen does not wish to speculate publicly with a player who may or may not become available, not to mention that it would also be an admission that there's a guy with the current squad who might be second choice. It could make things kind of awkward between him and the coach if the supposed first choice slips the net.

 

[Juha]

It would make sense to keep the door open, since there's nothing to gain from simply locking the roster down right now.
Also in the recent years Finland has played poorly against the US in general. Of course there was the bronze medal match, but other than that the US seems to have our number.

 

[rduck1]

It sure looks like part media, part team management. Jalonen does not wish to speculate publicly with a player who may or may not become available, not to mention that it would also be an admission that there's a guy with the current squad who might be 2nd choice. It could make things kind of awkward between him and the coach if the 1st choice slips the net.

Yeah, it's the PR game. It's exactly what he should be saying in public.

 

[seeep]

Where da **** is Salminen and Enlund ?

 

[Jussi]

Where da **** is Salminen and Enlund ?

Salminen I guess wasn't in form and Enlund hasn't done anything in the national team.

 

[Mestaruus]

Couple of positives about last nights game, Barkov looks like he is ready to dominate, all he needs is better linemates, Donskoi looked good in 1st period, then he disappeared, JJ had bunch of scoring chances but he can't score to save his life this season, although i don't know who to put with Barkov, and Kemppainen was great. PS. Mäntylä is horrific.

Who to put with Barkov? 1 option is trying Aaltonen-Barkov-Donskoi and reduce Kontiola's role and put him as 3C. I just don't trust Kontiola this year and he's been given too many chances already, but yeah I do want Donskoi and Kemppainen in same line no matter what.

This won't happen since KJ is more stubborn than even Jukka Jalonen so we can't ever get this:

Aaltonen-Barkov-X (J.Pesonen?/Komarov/Hartikainen/Ruutu)
Donskoi-Kemppainen-Jokinen

I personally would like J.Pesonen in that line the most as it would be a locked PP unit as well then. I believe I've seen Barkov doing the mask man / chaos in front of the opponent's net well.

Well Pulkkinen's team won and has 2-2 now so even that 0.000001% chance to get him is starting to be gone soon. I think his team will take that series. Pulkkinen did only 1 goal this time .

 

[QnebO]

No need to panic or overreact.. its just been 1 game. Teams that click from game 1 never win, the ones that develope as the tournament goes on do.

Well, it's been over 24 hours so my heat is starting to calm down. Maybe it is possible that everything starts to go better now


It has to be said, that pulkkinen scored again.. He has 6 goals in 4 AHL playoff games. He is single handedly trying to win the series. He could be most important guy we could get from all the players we have in any league, Koivu is only player who competes. He simply blasts its and the puck flies in the net. It's that important skill.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Yeah.. Pulkkinen's scoring touch has been amazing this year.

Since juniors me and my friend were just amazed by his shot. But it was clear he needed better accuracy.

Well he's worked on it and now it starts to pay off.

He's the only goalscorer we have. And to be honest, Finland's best goalscorer.

Would be really cool to see him out there.

JJ is just a frustrating player to watch and doesn't fit with Barkov that well IMO. They tried it in the NHL and it didn't work out.

 

[FiLe]

Komarov and Hytönen both added now, so we can forget about Pulkkinen even if the Griffins lose the decisive game tonight.

 

[QnebO]

Komarov and Hytönen both added now, so we can forget about Pulkkinen even if the Griffins lose the decisive game tonight.

KoJo doesn't surprise positively. That guy is hard to like.

Even if he wins gold I just hope we get rid of him fast. This time with him at the bench is pain in the ass. Now I can see how Swedes were so frustrated when they had that one coach earlier.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Komarov and Hytönen both added now, so we can forget about Pulkkinen even if the Griffins lose the decisive game tonight.

Well that's a bummer

 

[FiLe]

Even if he wins gold I just hope we get rid of him fast. This time with him at the bench is pain in the ass. Now I can see how Swedes were so frustrated when they had that one coach earlier.

Now that's just grossly uncalled for, not to mention displaying massive entitlement. His job is to win games, not pick players random fans like.

And even if he comes packing Mestis players and pulls that off, he isn't and shouldn't be going anywhere.


Of course, the jury is still out there with him being a winning coach on this level. It's far too early to judge him either way. I mean, you want to get rid of him after ONE major tournament game? Turn on the lights, bonehead.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

I'd live to have added Pulu, but the way he's playing - he'll still be playing when the WC's are all over. Maybe the nose is just being realistic.

 

[QnebO]

Now that's just grossly uncalled for, not to mention displaying massive entitlement. His job is to win games, not pick players random fans like.

And even if he comes packing Mestis players and pulls that off, he isn't and shouldn't be going anywhere.


Of course, the jury is still out there with him being a winning coach on this level. It's far too early to judge him either way. I mean, you want to get rid of him after ONE major tournament game? Turn on the lights, bonehead.

Well he's not likely gonna win, and I believe partly because wrong choises. But if he really even gets this team playing well, it'll of course make him look better deservedly.. My job is not to automaticly like every coaches selections or brain farts, as a fan my job is to hope we actually win the gold. Realisticly this can be succes even without gold. Just get the team playing well at very minium level. No horrible defensive mistakes ect.


It's still more the players who pull of the golds, not the coaches. Gold teams always have the great individual players. At least we have Barkov and Rinne if he gets his game going.

Here's how it works: If I disagree strongly, then I tell it. If I'm wrong then Im wrong. I think it's better than first being quiet and in case if succes, be like "yeah I always trusted him", but then if it fails, be like "well thats what I said and thought really!". This is a discussion board after all. Perhaps I can try to focus on positives bit more but it doesn't mean I've changed my mind on Palola, Pulu or Risto.

 

[FiLe]

Here's how it works: If I disagree strongly, then I tell it. If I'm wrong then Im wrong. I think it's better than first being quiet and in case if succes, be like "yeah I always trusted him", but then if it fails, be like "well thats what I said and thought really!".

It's just that whether you end up being right or wrong, drawing long-reaching conclusions from such a small sample is an incredibly moronic practice. Even if you end up being right, you can't exactly merit it on having intricate knowledge, but making a wild, lucky guess.

Bottom line: It rubs me the wrong way because... It's. Not. Smart.

 

[QnebO]

It's just that whether you end up being right or wrong, drawing long-reaching conclusions from such a small sample is an incredibly moronic practice. Even if you end up being right, you can't exactly merit it on having intricate knowledge, but making a wild, lucky guess.

Bottom line: It rubs me the wrong way because... It's. Not. Smart.

Taking Mäntylä over Ristolainen needs to waited how many games before it can be even claimed wrong? As a note, he screwed the last game. Seriously man, its just wrong and you don't need a single game to talk about it

And I saw the two games before the tournament. They were horrible too. How big amount of games you actually want, these tournaments arent very long.

What the hell should be discussed here anyway then?

You're just attacking me because you don't like what I'm saying.

 

[FiLe]

Taking Mäntylä over Ristolainen needs to waited how many games before it can be claimed wrong?

Here's the thing: None of us know if Mäntylä was picked over Ristolainen, specifically. Maybe it was Ohtamaa, Salmela or Jokipakka who made it over him.

And I saw the two games before the tournament. They were horrible too. How big amount of games you actually want, these tournaments arent very long.

We should wait 'til the last game of the tournament, whenever that comes. Because the nature of these tournaments goes as follows: You can play like crap the first few games, as long as you're scraping the necessary points together. But if you somehow turn it around and play well the final three games - no one's going to remember those crap games you had.

What the hell should be discussed here anyway then?

How about what we have and what is going on instead of what should have been, as you seem hell-bent on doing. Because that is a pointless exercise. The time of what ifs comes once the result is on the table and it isn't satisfactory.


The thing is, last year the team was garbage on paper. It was hard to make any kind of sensible lineups out that mess Erkka picked. I recall complaining about it too back then, just hoping the show would be over with and that next year was better. Now we are in the next year, and hey, things are better. Noticeably. We actually have a good team this time around. One we can expect good things of. It has all the necessary pieces - skill guys, grinders, stay-at-home d-men, ODs. Everything. And yet what is going on whenever I check out this thread? People still whining after their Lost Lenores. It ticks me off, because it tells me that some folks obviously aren't able to be happy before they get exactly what they want.

 

[BB88]

Here's the thing: None of us know if Mäntylä was picked over Ristolainen, specifically. Maybe it was Ohtamaa, Salmela or Jokipakka who made it over him.


.

Mäntylä is playing Ristolainen is not so obviously he was ahead of Ristolainen and how on earth is that possibly, none of our guys would be getting a #1D chance in Buffalo.

Right now we are somewhere in the 4-6 range with this team. We lack everything expect goaltending.

 

[FiLe]

Mäntylä is playing Ristolainen is not so obviously he was ahead of Ristolainen and how on earth is that possibly, none of our guys would be getting a #1D chance in Buffalo.

Buffalo is Buffalo, Finnish NT is the Finnish NT.

The thing is, Jalonen - or any coach to that matter - does not try anything but pick the best possible squad. Ristolainen being snubbed is possible, because he had some idea why the current D corps are better than one that would have included him. I don't know what that idea is, but he has one, no question - because he didn't do so just to spite us fans.

Now, whether that idea is a good one or not, I can't say. And while I have my doubts too, I still think the least we can do is to give the man a chance to prove us wrong.

So yeah, before we criticize, let's have him give us a reason to criticize. Simply snubbing a player is not a reason, if the squad as a whole can still get to a good result. I think it's especially ridiculous that we actually have people here saying that even a gold medal is not good enough because they wahh wahh didn't get to see Ristolainen.

 

[rduck1]

I think it's perfectly justified to call out choices that you think are wrong. It can make for interesting conversation, and can help identify what were the controversial choices when looking back at the tournament, successful or not. What I don't feel is justified is calling the whole tournament a failure regardless of the end result simply because of some personal disagreement, though. If it turns out that things go well despite your objections, you have to own up and admit that the management had it right.

 

[BB88]

Buffalo is Buffalo, Finnish NT is the Finnish NT.

The thing is, Jalonen - or any coach to that matter - does not try anything but pick the best possible squad. Ristolainen being snubbed is possible, because he had some idea why the current D corps are better than one that would have included him. I don't know what that idea is, but he has one, no question - because he didn't do so just to spite us fans.

Now, whether that idea is a good one or not, I can't say. And while I have my doubts too, I still think the least we can do is to give the man a chance to prove us wrong.

So yeah, before we criticize, let's have him give us a reason to criticize. Simply snubbing a player is not a reason, if the squad as a whole can still get to a good result. I think it's especially ridiculous that we actually have people here saying that even a gold medal is not good enough because they wahh wahh didn't get to see Ristolainen.

Yes but again you don't do what you do to Ristolainen if he isn't/wasn't greatly potential. And he got nice amount of love for his performance during that #1D testing.

Coaches easily fell in love with their players and reward them even if they haven't earned that. You know D is weak weak weak and Canadien team especially is full of NHL superstars, Ristolainen played against them every night and now we have only Jokipakka who hasn't had the same pressure as Ristolainen has had. Pretty thin on the blueline.