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WJC: 2016 — Finland Roster Talk

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FinnHockeyFan said:
That would be epic.
Finland's and Sweden's hockey rivalry is a classic in Nordic countries.

But honestly said i wish Finland USA gold medal game.
U18 gold was really close for Finland and now we want rematch for that U18 gold medal game's overtime loss in our home ice.
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That tournament is a poor representation of the top countries...a lot of North American players can't go due to their playoffs I wish they would move it
 
I still can't believe how stacked you guys are this year. Easily my favourite to come out of the other side. You guys should score at will!
 
nelsojc said:
They are not "insanely" stacked...they are arguably at the same level forwards wise as USA Canada and Sweden..it's not like it is the best team ever dressed in the wj's
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I think I told you this once already. Compared to the teams Finland usually dresses, yes we are. Everything's relative.


Why so eager to put Finland down anyway? It's not because Finland usually tops the expectations with second-rate teams, it's scary to imagine what we'll do when we have a genuine contender in our hands, is it?

*sniff, sniff* What's that I smell, little man? Is it... fear?

:naughty: :P


Buchenevich19 said:
The last time I saw this much depth on this team was 2013. Barkov, Armia, Markus Granlund, Teravainen, Aaltonen, Salomaki, Lehkonen, Maatta, Ristolainen, Lindbohm. We finished 7th that year, hopefully no repeat.
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Even if we discount the inept coaching, what puts that team apart from this one is goaltending. Korpisalo was the starter in 2013, and while he seems to have taken huge steps in just three years, he was not playing to the standards expected from a NT level netminder back then. And I'm not just talking about that tournament, but his overall showings. Even through the so-called "dark years", we've certainly enjoyed top-level netminding. I had to scroll back the years pretty far to recall when we had a starter that bad - Petri Engman in 1994. Jonnes probably can't even remember, as it's ancient history even for me.

Riku Helenius also didn't put up a very good performance in 2008, but that was a very bad team overall. Also, Joni Ortio needed another year from to 2010 to be a beast - but despite some good players, that team never quite glued together either. (Btw, Jortikka was coach that year, perhaps that should've been taken as a warning sign...?)

All this being said, I'm happy Korpisalo's career has been going better since then, and he certainly deserves the benefit of doubt if he ever ends up tending the pipes for the adult Lions.


M3ntalpr0 said:
I'll be happy if they just manage to play an entertaining game and avoid the possible ****show that is being entirely frozen from all the pressure.
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This, pretty much. While I'm stoked about our on-paper roster, and they should clear lesser competition with little sweat, I certainly don't expect them to dance in circles around the ice when they start facing the other contenders. Regardless, in the case they win, it's not something you'd call an upset either. It's a strange place to be in, and something that traditionally does not fit us Finns well - or so they say. Whatever the case, it's a place we should learn to be in, if we wish to win it all more often than once a decade.
 
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I might be late to the entire "who plays where, Lord help us" party, but honestly I don't see a problem, like, anywhere. Here's an example forward roster where everyone plays at a position either very natural to them or their current position in their teams this season:

Laine-Hintz-Rantanen
Aho-Saarela-Puljujärvi
Lammikko-Nättinen-Kapanen
Björkqvist-Siikonen-Repo

Sure, you can shuffle some of them from one line to the next (and maybe change some names from the bottom row), but there is just no need for lateral movement and screwing up someone's game by putting them in an alien position.
 
Teukka said:
Sure, you can shuffle some of them from one line to the next (and maybe change some names from the bottom row), but there is just no need for lateral movement and screwing up someone's game by putting them in an alien position.
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Even less so when you consider that all the talk about "alien" positions is nonexistent with some players, such as Rantanen, Kapanen and Laine. They can all just fine be either left or right wings, without their game getting screwed up in any way. Which means you can also bump Repo up to top-9 where he belongs. (Though of course, having him in the 4th only means matching up is going to be even harder for the opposition.)
 
It's not going to happen but what a treat it would be to watch Laine-Rantanen-Puljujarvi -line. It's weird to see Finns absolutely stacked up with power forwards after years of developing mainly skilled dangler forwards.
 
trick9 said:
It's not going to happen but what a treat it would be to watch Laine-Rantanen-Puljujarvi -line. It's weird to see Finns absolutely stacked up with power forwards after years of developing mainly skilled dangler forwards.
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Would by far be the best line in our WJC history imo (especially with Rantanen's ability to playmake and dictate the game). Three guys, which all have immense size, skill, scoring and skating. That line would flatout dominate in all three zones. However, Rantanen hasn't played C for a long time and not sure how good he would be on the dot. Also I'd prefer not to see this, since it's more preferable to spread the talent around so that there's that scoring threat present no matter what line you throw onto the ice.
 
Edit: Deleted. Found my info.

illone84 said:
Prior to the tournament Finland will play two exhibition games – on 21st of December in Hameenlinna against Switzerland and on 22nd of December in Lahti against the U.S.
The final roster for the hosts will be announced after these games.
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[mod]

Does anyone know what time the game starts tomorrow?
 
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Oilers Apologist said:
Kahkonen or Vehvilainen? Who's going to get the majority of the starts?
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Based on how team Finland has operated on previous international tournaments, I'd guess that they both get to start one round robin game to figure out which one of them plays better. After that they play the hot hand heavily, possibly all the way through the tournament.
 
kelsier said:
Would by far be the best line in our WJC history imo (especially with Rantanen's ability to playmake and dictate the game). Three guys, which all have immense size, skill, scoring and skating. That line would flatout dominate in all three zones. However, Rantanen hasn't played C for a long time and not sure how good he would be on the dot. Also I'd prefer not to see this, since it's more preferable to spread the talent around so that there's that scoring threat present no matter what line you throw onto the ice.
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While Rintintin has been on the wing primarily over the past few years; he did play C last season when he joined the Junior squad for the playoffs.
 
cgf said:
While Rintintin has been on the wing predominantly over the past few years; he did play C last season when he joined the Junior squad for the playoffs.
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Being able to do it in Jr.A is a bit different from doing it in the WJC, though. I still think Hintz, Nättinen and Saarela should be the top-3 centers(in whatever order fits best with the wingers), especially since Saarela has finally started to get results in Liiga as a center. I'm sure you could stick one of those on the wing, and put Aho or Rantanen in the middle, but I just don't see the point.
 
rduck1 said:
Being able to do it in Jr.A is a bit different from doing it in the WJC, though. I still think Hintz, Nättinen and Saarela should be the top-3 centers(in whatever order fits best with the wingers), especially since Saarela has finally started to get results in Liiga as a center. I'm sure you could stick one of those on the wing, and put Aho or Rantanen in the middle, but I just don't see the point.
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Not disagreeing at all, just pointing out that he has spent some time (successfully) playing C in the past calendar year, even if it was at a lower level. Though I too hope that he gets to play RW at this tourney and just dominates from the spot he's most comfortable in.
 
I can't wait to see Rantanen, still beasting in the AHL and hopefully continues that in the tournament.
I want to see him dominate :handclap:
 
JJTT said:
CWQCgEgWsAApLIu.jpg


Puljujärvi had "A" on his jersey during the practices, highly doubt there is any bad blood between him and Jalonen.
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As a curiosity, those shirts are recycled from the 2015 tournament for promotional purposes, the name tags have simply been ripped off. They made them wear those for the video they shot, because they look better than practice jerseys.

That 9+A combo Pulju is wearing was originally made for Julius Honka to be worn last year. When you look at him shooting on the vid, you can clearly see that the sleeves are a bit short, because it was made for a player who's 15cm shorter.


Of course, there's no reason whatsoever to suspect schisms between him and Jalonen regardless.
 
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Highly doubt Puljujärvi would have bad blood between any of the coaches he has worked with down the road. The kid is all smile and good mood. Coachs' wet dream.
 
Puljujarvi is going to bring it... and bring it hard after being unlucky at the last WJC. Just my guess but I see him top 3 in points by the end of it.
 
3-4 after the kids put some **** and shifts together. Well, I can take that. Still a long way to go. Sweden, USA, Canada - one of these monsters might be on the other side of the red line come the QFs - if the Finns stumble against Russia in the group. -So, in the end, the first test and probably most important task psycologically are the Ruskies.

You lose that one and I bet the kids will lose the QF against one of the mighty trinity in group A (?) also. :shakehead
 
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