WC: 2016 Team Finland Pt. II

[jalperi]

Tomorrow's game is at yle so tomorrow its good

Yeah, I had to wrote "I recommended you to watch from Katsomo during WHC" but i lost it.

 

[hirawl]

I would love to see Backstrom as starting goalie. Don't like Koskinen that much but Saros is a beast.

Oh my... the PP looks deadly. Pulkkinen and Laine as shooters. Granlund, Koivu, Jokinen, Barkov, Aho... Hietanen is right-handed and able to shoot.

Definitely no Pulju on the team. He is dead tired and have all those little injuries. And also, like said, he's not ready to play in WHC. He was great in WJC and U18. Now that we got all these NHL stars, no room for Pulju in top-9. I take Pillu any day in my 4th line in WHC. Yes, Pulju could've been maybe 13rd forward. But still too risky. Markus Granlund > Pulju. And Markus didn't make the team.

Not so sure about Laine being in 1st and 2nd line automatically. He was good in those ehxibition games vs Sweden but I'm pretty sure Kojo is starting him in 3rd line or maybe 13nd forward. If he shows he can have an impact in that level, he'll be higher.

Good team we got. Gonna be interesting how Finland is actually favorite to win teams like Usa. Maybe even Sweden. Canada and Russia will be tough but Finland is right behind them.

The guy is probably not among top 30 of Finnish goalies these days. There's something very strange going on. Nothing really explains that he can just basically waltz in. I guess he provides some veteran leadership alright and he can be the team mascot. Yay.

 

[Henri M]

Yes, it's one choise. I recommend F-secure freedome proxy. F-secure is Finnish Internet Security company that you can trust and freedome is free for first 30 days.

Sry if this is not allowed but proxies are completely legal so I say it. Yle stream is, of course, Legit.

Thank you very much

 

[Mestaruus]

The guy is probably not among top 30 of Finnish goalies these days. There's something very strange going on. Nothing really explains that he can just basically waltz in. I guess he provides some veteran leadership alright and he can be the team mascot. Yay.

Many haven't mentioned that Bäckström along with Markus Granlund were lures to get Mikael Granlund in and then MiG & Bäckström were the lures for Koivu to join. When the big fish ate the bait we could get rid of the other bait Markus and call in another goalie to knock Bäckström to #3 goalie (I'm sure Bäckström knew all the time that he will be #3 goalie with a small chance to be #2) and it turned out Mikael Granlund was on good spirits even after his brother got kicked out so it all worked out well. Sucks for MaG but good for Finnish team and fans.

I just want to underline the fact that Bäckström really makes up for the best #3 goalie in this scenario for so many numerous reasons. Genius move by KJ.

 

[Henri M]

I recommended you to watch from Katsomo, cause YLE don't broadcast WHC games but MTV.

Edit: BTW. Jalonen said about Markus Granlund case today that they didnt expect that Minnesota and Florida cutted on first round.

Thanks for the information.

 

[FiLe]

A few curious notes:

-What comes to MaG being cut, Jalonen said he simply had to back down on his word to him after it became clear that the Minny and the Cats duos would join. He reneged there, plain and simple. I feel for MaG even more now that we know how things were. Oh well, at least he was man enough to admit it publicly, down and square.

-Koskinen is still the team's designated starter. Saros joining did not change that.

-As a related note, Antti Raanta just signed an extension with the Rangers. I wonder if that came a couple of days too late...

 

[HockeyHistorian]

I feel strongly that Laine is going to be in Flames tomorrow. *knock knock*

With center like Barkov, hes gonna get so much more chances than in Tappara..

I think tomorrow comes a bit early for Barkov though: the guy must still be quite lagged.

 

[Mestaruus]

-What comes to MaG being cut, Jalonen said he simply had to back down on his word to him after it became clear that the Minny and the Cats duos would join. He reneged there, plain and simple. I feel for MaG even more now that we know how things were. Oh well, at least he was man enough to admit it publicly, down and square.

Sucky part is not knowing if MaG didn't play his best in those practice games because he probably felt his spot was secured. Then let's take Pulkkinen who had every reason to play his best games as Jalonen himself called it a "2 game try out". It is unfair for MaG.

 

[FiLe]

Sucky part is not knowing if MaG didn't play his best in those practice games because he probably felt his spot was secured. Then let's take Pulkkinen who had every reason to play his best games as Jalonen himself called it a "2 game try out". It is unfair for MaG.

What comes to this team's needs, cutting MaG was of course no biggie. What I consider the sucky aspect of this development is that we don't know what kind of ramifications it will have for the future. There's always the bigger picture to consider. We still need guys like MaG on a leaner year.

I mean, the initial thought is that the stance Marjamäki should take is not to promise these not-so-prestigious NA players any surefire spots. However, the reason for granting these spots, as Jalonen admitted himself, is that if they don't promise them spots, they may not be interested in showing up at all - and it's not just because they're prissy babies who want everything on a platter. There are also practical aspects like training schedules to consider.

It's a nasty conundrum for sure. And the the most sordid thing of it all is that Jalonen is not the one who has to solve it or deal with its ramifications, since he'll be out the door after this tournament. First he escalates the problem, then practically dumps it on Marjamäki's lap. I don't mean that someone like MaG should hold it against Jalonen's successor, but it's a delicate issue regardless.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

Sucky part is not knowing if MaG didn't play his best in those practice games because he probably felt his spot was secured. Then let's take Pulkkinen who had every reason to play his best games as Jalonen himself called it a "2 game try out". It is unfair for MaG.

Although I think Pulkkinen should have had the spot automatically, I agree. The management didn't do a good job there and now because of what they did there's all this unnecessary drama.

Oh well, whenever I feel too bad for hockey players for some reason, I find it useful to think that they are getting paid for playing hockey and they are richer than I'll ever be. Then I start feeling bad for this world we live in instead.

 

[Periwinkle]

Sucky part is not knowing if MaG didn't play his best in those practice games because he probably felt his spot was secured. Then let's take Pulkkinen who had every reason to play his best games as Jalonen himself called it a "2 game try out". It is unfair for MaG.

If he did that, he deserved the boot. He's no Koivu, Barkov or his own brother.
For the record, I have a hard time believing a player of his stature would do such a thing.

 

[Mestaruus]

If some missed the practice earlier. There's a 1 hour video of it recorded here. Good stuff in my opinion:

http://www.leijonat.fi/maajoukkueet...live-tarjoaa-a-maajoukkueen-harjoitukset.html

It's a nasty conundrum for sure. And the the most sordid thing of it all is that Jalonen is not the one who has to solve it or deal with its ramifications, since he'll be out the door after this tournament. First he escalates the problem, then practically dumps it on Marjamäki's lap. I don't mean that someone like MaG should hold it against Jalonen's successor, but it's a delicate issue regardless.

Yea only KJ can do it because it's his last year but I guess Jere Lehtinen continues as the GM so next time he asks MaG it's going to be interesting. We saw how Ristolainen handled the rejection so I hope MaG is a 2-way beast next year and in the future.

If he did that, he deserved the boot. He's no Koivu, Barkov or his own brother.
For the record, I have a hard time believing a player of his stature would do such a thing.

I mean it's more of a unconscious thing. He would of course do his best and think he plays his best but having that feeling that he doesn't need to fight for his life like Pulkkinen. I think there's a difference.

KJ should've told him before 2 last games that his spot is not secure anymore. Then it would've been somewhat more okay situation but I don't think that happened. I don't know for sure though that it went like that. I'm just glad it didn't affect MiG after seeing MiG's interview.

 

[Mestaruus]

I wonder why Laine is wearing that "underager helmet" and Aho isn't in this practice vid. They are both 18 or is the line drawn on undrafted players in men's?

 

[kunekune]

I wonder why Laine is wearing that "underager helmet" and Aho isn't. They are both 18 or is the line drawn on undrafted players in men's?

The line is birthday. So 18 years old can play with visor. But if you started the season with full visor you can't change it during the season.

So because Laine played those 2 EHT games with full visor he can't change it before next season.

 

[Mestaruus]

The line is birthday. So 18 years old can play with visor. But if you started the season with full visor you can't change it during the season.

So because Laine played those 2 EHT games with full visor he can't change it before next season.

Ok thanks for the info. Would love it if he didn't have to wear that, but at least it's more noticeable now who is the younger guy when he plays against Matthews now .

Laine is our "golden helmet" guy .

 

[FiLe]

Yea only KJ can do it because it's his last year but I guess Jere Lehtinen continues as the GM so next time he asks MaG it's going to be interesting. We saw how Ristolainen handled the rejection so I hope MaG is a 2-way beast next year and in the future.

It's not really about MaG, but any player who comes from overseas but is not yet all that prestigious. This all started with Ristolainen last year, who complained about having to hang around the team with no knowledge of whether he would make it or not. If not, he felt the time on camp would be better spent relaxing so that he could start his summer training on schedule. When KJ refused to give him any inkling, they had a falling out.

This year, they wanted to avoid that issue by stating to MaG that coming across will be worth it, since he'll have a place in the team. And then... well, like Jere Lehtinen put it, "something else happened".

So in the future, any NA-based player, who does not feel he's among that prestigious group who will make it in all cases, may just flat out refuse because they feel their position is too uncertain, no matter what the management says. And some year, the team may indeed be weaker because of that. If MaG has a breakthrough next season, he may become one of those players Marjamäki can safely promise a spot (just like Ristolainen would have been such a player this year). But there may be some other up-and-coming players who could potentially be a good addition to the team, and they may refuse because of this. And it may hurt big time, since we won't have a team this good every year.

And worst of all, KJ pretty much engineered this situation, but now has to take no part in sorting it out.

 

[HockeyHistorian]

If some missed the practice earlier. There's a 1 hour video of it recorded here. Good stuff in my opinion:

http://www.leijonat.fi/maajoukkueet...live-tarjoaa-a-maajoukkueen-harjoitukset.html

Today I learned that Pulkkinen can shoot from left in a pinch (at 50:40).

 

[schmiedi]

A few curious notes:

-What comes to MaG being cut, Jalonen said he simply had to back down on his word to him after it became clear that the Minny and the Cats duos would join. He reneged there, plain and simple. I feel for MaG even more now that we know how things were. Oh well, at least he was man enough to admit it publicly, down and square.

-Koskinen is still the team's designated starter. Saros joining did not change that.

-As a related note, Antti Raanta just signed an extension with the Rangers. I wonder if that came a couple of days too late...

Koskinen will start the tournament, but will he finish it also?

 

[Periwinkle]

It's not really about MaG, but any player who comes from overseas but is not yet all that prestigious. This all started with Ristolainen last year, who complained about having to hang around the team with no knowledge of whether he would make it or not. If not, he felt the time on camp would be better spent relaxing so that he could start his summer training on schedule. When KJ refused to give him any inkling, they had a falling out.

This year, they wanted to avoid that issue by stating to MaG that coming across will be worth it, since he'll have a place in the team. And then... well, like Jere Lehtinen put it, "something else happened".

So in the future, any NA-based player, who does not feel he's among that prestigious group who will make it in all cases, may just flat out refuse because they feel their position is too uncertain, no matter what the management says. And some year, the team may indeed be weaker because of that. If MaG has a breakthrough next season, he may become one of those players Marjamäki can safely promise a spot (just like Ristolainen would have been such a player this year). But there may be some other up-and-coming players who could potentially be a good addition to the team, and they may refuse because of this. And it may hurt big time, since we won't have a team this good every year.

And worst of all, KJ pretty much engineered this situation, but now has to take no part in sorting it out.

I understand this concern, and I definitely agree KJ should have considered his words more carefully when promising spots. Still, I'm not as concerned about the effects for years to come or agree to the extent team management should be coddling mediocre players.

If we need to offer guarantees and special treatment (to a degree) to get our better players to come, sure, that is what you do. They do have guaranteed spots and I have hard time believing someone like Koivu will say "no" because they see the similarity of their situation with MaG. But the not-quite-there-yet- players...eh. They haven't really shown that much in their career, and if they can't be bothered to take a week or two off their training schedule in April for a chance to play for the national team, so be it. It is an excuse anyway- NHL season starts in October, the training camps couple of weeks earlier. I don't want mediocre players running our national team - that would be embarrasing. Also, one has to consider that times-are-a-changin'. The new talent creates excitement, and even in a World Cup year we are icing one of the most promising Worlds teams, in no small part no doubt because of the new talent and because the old talent wants to play with the new talent. I think we will be fine.

I didn't know that about Ristolainen. If that was about bad communication, shame on the management, if it was about the ego of Ristolainen - well. Seems like a right call was made by both parties.

 

[FiLe]

I understand this concern, and I definitely agree KJ should have considered his words more carefully when promising spots. Still, I'm not as concerned about the effects for years to come or agree to the extent team management should be coddling mediocre players.

If we need to offer guarantees and special treatment (to a degree) to get our better players to come, sure, that is what you do. They do have guaranteed spots and I have hard time believing someone like Koivu will say "no" because they see the similarity of their situation with MaG. But the not-quite-there-yet- players...eh. They haven't really shown that much in their career, and if they can't be bothered to take a week or two off their training schedule in April for a chance to play for the national team, so be it. It is an excuse anyway- NHL season starts in October, the training camps couple of weeks earlier. I don't want mediocre players running our national team - that would be embarrasing. Also, one has to consider that times-are-a-changin'. The new talent creates excitement, and even in a World Cup year we are icing one of the most promising Worlds teams, in no small part no doubt because of the new talent and because the old talent wants to play with the new talent. I think we will be fine.

I didn't know that about Ristolainen. If that was about bad communication, shame on the management, if it was about the ego of Ristolainen - well. Seems like a right call was made by both parties.

It goes without saying that our A rate players can be promised spots from the get-go - we all know that if, to use a recent example, Komarov would have arrived on a "tryout", it would have been mere pretense, especially after the season he had. Jalonen wanted to avoid the Ristolainen situation from last year, so he promised MaG a spot too right out the gates. However, here's where he erred - RR did not either demand a spot from the get-go last year, he simply wanted to know where the land lays a bit ahead of schedule, after he had played a couple of games.

Now that I think of it, the solution Marjamäki should employ is actually rather evident. He should not promise a "B-lister" a spot right away, but simply keep talking to them. Tell him the management wants to see a game or two from him, and then they'll tell him how's it going and if they wanna paint him in. It also gives them the time to evaluate how the situation is developing overseas and what could become available.

So yeah. As it looks like, in order to solve the last year's problem KJ simply decided to walk into the other end of the pool and dive in there, while there was a middle ground to be found - so he flubbed almost as badly in trying to fix it. Well... except it did not hurt the team this time around. I admit, it's quite easy to say this in hindsight, but it's not like the solution couldn't have dawned on them ahead of the time as well. At least Marjamäki should know now to handle these issues better in the future.

 

[Khokhlach86]

today lines

Laine-Barkov-Jokinen
Pyörälä-Koskiranta-Aho
Pulkkinen-Sallinen-Pihlström
Rantanen-Lajunen-Komarov

Ohtamaa-Kukkonen
Jaakola-Melart
Kivistö-Hietanen
Salmela-Pokka

PP1
Pokka-Laine-Jokinen-Barkov-Koskiranta

PP2
Hietanen-Pulkkinen-Pyörälä-Aho-Komarov


hm, interesting defenser pairs.

How do you think what will be PP units with Lindell, Granlund and Koivu?
Granlund for Koskiranta, Koivu for Pyorala and Lindell for Hietanen or Komarov?

 

[sooni]

PP1
Pokka-Laine-Jokinen-Barkov-Koskiranta

PP2
Hietanen-Pulkkinen-Pyörälä-Aho-Komarov


hm, interesting defenser pairs.

How do you think what will be PP units with Lindell, Granlund and Koivu?
Granlund for Koskiranta, Koivu for Pyorala and Lindell for Hietanen or Komarov?[/QUOTE]


PP1 Pokka-Laine-Jokinen-Barkov-Lindell
PP2 Hietanen-Pulkkinen-Koivu-Granlund-Aho/Komarov

 

[fouba]

Ok thanks for the info. Would love it if he didn't have to wear that, but at least it's more noticeable now who is the younger guy when he plays against Matthews now .

Laine is our "golden helmet" guy .

Recent update to that; special permission for Laine to use same helmet as other

http://www.iltalehti.fi/mmjaakiekko-2016/2016050321508924_jj.shtml

 

[Gsus]

How do you think what will be PP units with Lindell, Granlund and Koivu?
Granlund for Koskiranta, Koivu for Pyorala and Lindell for Hietanen or Komarov?

I honestly believe that Lindell will play 1PP. He was already superior at there when he played liiga last season. The amount of shots he gets to the net is insane. I remember being at the game once when Lindell played for my hometown team and I told my buddy that "probably 80% of his shots go to the net" and that is crazy number and I believe in that. He later showed his skills at the WHC's last year.

 

[jjjshab]

will the exhibition game tonight be broadcast?