WC: 2016 Team Finland Pt. II

[kunekune]

Our offense looked great but i think Jalonen is still wasting 3 players with these lines, Aho, Komarov and Pulkkinen. Pulkkinen to Koivus line, Aho to Komarovs line. But also i have to say kinda no point messing with the lines when we just scored 6 goals.

Scoring chances on 5v5.

Koivu line 5-4
Barkov line 8-2
Koskiranta line 1-1
Sallinen line 2-1

 

[Finnpin]

I'm pretty sure that Pulkkinen will be replaced by Rantanen which can play the lower line roles better. And we need more size against better teams. On some other year there might have been role for Pulks in the top-6 but not this time.

 

[Panopticon]

On some other year there might have been role for Pulks in the top-6 but not this time.

I disagree. He would do just fine on the Koivu-Granlund line, and Aho would make the Koskiranta-Komarov line a lot better. Pyörälä is past his prime and not doing much anymore, I think the only reason he's on this team at this point is because he and Nokka are probably sauna buddies. Dump him with Sallinen and Pihlström and let him kill penalties.

 

[FiLe]

Pulkkinen showed his worth as a PP weapon in the preliminaries, so being ousted from the lineup would be a bit too quick even if he was invisible today.

Besides, the guy is a pure finisher. As in, someone who doesn't get much done by himself, but is pretty lethal when finishing plays. So give him a proper feeder first and see what happens. If he still doesn't get much done, then think about diminishing his role.

Damn annoying when the coach shafts the players by putting them in positions where they can't use their natural strengths. Right now, it's not just happening to Pulkkinen, but Aho as well. Aho thrives when he gets to be the brains of his line, but he can't be that right now, because there's a crapton of grey matter already between Granlund and Koivu.

 

[mattihp]

I'm not sure why JJ apparently insists on playing the left side. He's a good, versatile player who's perfectly capable of doing his thing from the right side as well. I wonder if this is about JJ wanting to show Laine that rookies come last when it comes to requests like this, but I hope they switch sides by the start of the USA game.

As for Koskinen, he wasn't all that convincing, but I think he needs to fold like Vehviläinen before he loses the starter spot.

Part of it is Old school versus new school. New guys want to get that one-timer position all the time: whilst in the old school if you actually got someone with a righty you really would want him on the right side.

 

[kunekune]

Laine playing LW is not just about one-timer, or actually not at all about one-timer.

His toolbox for attacking the goal is much better from left side than right side.

 

[schmiedi]

There is noch reason to hold on koskinen. Saros is strong enough to play at WC Level. He shows pretty good games in Nationalteam Junior and senior

 

[Mestaruus]

Agreed, I think Koskinen played that first one badly. The second goal seemed to go in off of Kukkonen's leg so that's not on Koskinen. I could've seen it wrong though. Anyway, I don't have the least bit of confidence in him. "He's just big" is what my friend said and it's not that far off. I hope Saros can outplay him.

Koskinen's weakness seems to be stopping odd man rushes, breakaways and that kind of stuff. In the practice game when Czech's Kaspar did 2 goals from five hole on him, well I just don't want our goalie to let that kind of goals in the quarter final game. I just think Saros has more potential to step up in high pressure games.

 

[FiLe]

The lines were unchanged in practice. So no adjustments incoming, save for perhaps Saros in net.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Aho would be better with Komarov. Koskinen was ok. He kept Finland in the game in the first period.

 

[aahola]

Laine playing LW is not just about one-timer, or actually not at all about one-timer.

His toolbox for attacking the goal is much better from left side than right side.

Yeah no kidding. That between the legs drag move is his go to deke and it only works when storming up the left side. Also his backhand isn't very good from what I've seen, so cutting to the front of the net is so much more dangerous when he does it from the left side instead of the right.

 

[QnebO]

Laine playing LW is not just about one-timer, or actually not at all about one-timer.

His toolbox for attacking the goal is much better from left side than right side.

You're absolutely right with this individual message.

 

[agent082]

Long gone are the days Jokinen didn't even make the team. Now he can decide which side he is playing.

 

[Dr Despair]

- L-B-J line worked fine.

 

[MarVell]

Is there a way to rewatch the game somehow?

 

[PariseNation]

Who is the captain? And alternates?

 

[illone84]

Who is the captain? And alternates?

C: Koivu
A: Jokinen
A: Kukkonen

 

[Lempo]

Long gone are the days Jokinen didn't even make the team. Now he can decide which side he is playing.

I hope he chooses Finland still. He's kind of okay.

 

[mattihp]

I hope he chooses Finland still. He's kind of okay.

Good one

 

[Mestaruus]

I bet Saros plays tomorrow vs USA since he isn't even back up goalie today.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Hopefully Pulkkinen will have a bigger role tomorrow, not that I'm complaining about Laine. After two games the 2nd PP has not yet set up a single one-timer for Pulkkinen as far as I can recall. Lindell has just thrown the pucks at the defenders.

 

[JJTT]

Two wins yeah but the 5vs5 lines aren't really working. Aho has no chemistry with Koivu and the fourth line hasn't really done anything.

 

[kunekune]

Hopefully Pulkkinen will have a bigger role tomorrow, not that I'm complaining about Laine. After two games the 2nd PP has not yet set up a single one-timer for Pulkkinen as far as I can recall. Lindell has just thrown the pucks at the defenders.

I doubt Pulu will get any pp time tomorrow. Jalonen said in post-match interview that he wants to try Laine in both pp's.

 

[Mestaruus]

I doubt Pulu will get any pp time tomorrow. Jalonen said in post-match interview that he wants to try Laine in both pp's.

This is not going to happen, but I'd really like Laine to play in both PP units. This is the way you play Erik Karlsson, Ovechkin and these special players. Some other player can take Laine's 5on5 shift after so he won't get tired.

This would also remove the need of Pulkkinen in the line up and then we could promote Rantanen in the line up. Rantanen is way more useful on 5on5 play compared to Pulkkinen. That 4th line wasn't bad but it was our worst and Rantanen really wants to play, so I'd like to see Rantanen get 1 game here and let Pulkkinen rest 1 game. Unless our coaches are really planning to get 2 more NHL additions, they should stamp Rantanen's tournament pass and let him play already.

I know Pulkkinen has played with limited minutes in the 4th line but if you watch Pulu in last 2 games whenever he is on the ice it has been surfing and not getting much done. So let Rantanen who is more useful on 5on5 play 1 game and then decide who plays the game after.

Of course 1 other option is to remove one of Pihlström or Pyörälä. We need to get that 4th line going better. So one of those guys could be 13th forward.

 

[jonlin]

What could have been:

Laine-Barkov-Kuusela
Jokinen-Koivu-Granlund
Komarov-Ramstedt-Aho
Granlund-Koskiranta-Rantanen

Instead we have Pihlström" was good at skating in 2006", Pyörälä"I played for Jalonen so I fit", Pulkkinen"good shot but nothing else".

Our defenders on PP suck MOD. Hietanen, Lindell and Salmela are really bad. lindell looses puck all the time, Hietanen shoots straight at the forward when he has 2 own open. 3 ****ing times today. They are all positionally bad. I`m starting to hope we play 5 attackers at PP.