Right now it is starting to get interesting - if Finland ends up last (and to B divari) or not. Lions still need 5 more points from 4 games (Slovenia, Norway, Swiss, Canada) to be on the safe side (= tied with Belarus, assuming they win all their remaining games). We shall see.
WC: 2017 Team Finland
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BB88
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- Jan 19, 2015
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I wouldn't have guessed a year ago that 12 months later I'd have to say I can't stand Marjamaki, at all.
We can barely beat the worst teams in the tourney, the weakest team can cause panic with this team and they've already shown multiple times they can't hold a lead.
All year I've seen no development, yet I keep reading about this damm "it's just 1 game" thing, no creativity, no speed, the players aren't having fun.
Marjamaki needs to let our skill players play with skill, our faster players use their damm speed. Stop the low starts.
Having said that good thing they won, I want to watch more hockey.
We can barely beat the worst teams in the tourney, the weakest team can cause panic with this team and they've already shown multiple times they can't hold a lead.
All year I've seen no development, yet I keep reading about this damm "it's just 1 game" thing, no creativity, no speed, the players aren't having fun.
Marjamaki needs to let our skill players play with skill, our faster players use their damm speed. Stop the low starts.
Having said that good thing they won, I want to watch more hockey.
Not trying to hate on him because I like the guy but I just think Puljujarvi is a horrendous player. Been saying this since U20 so I'm not just jumping into conclusions based on these games. Turnovers left and right, seems slow, fumbles the puck all over the ice. I read an article he switched to a longer stick a few years ago and I really think that hurt his game. He had a couple of good shifts in his first game here, but other than that I think that he has been awful. I'm interested to hear my fellow Fins opinions.
EverybodyLovesRay
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- Sep 21, 2008
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ATM I agree completely. Hopefully he turn things around sooner or later.. But I think that Kekäläinen was right all along for picking Dubois instead of Pulju.
We really don't have that many skill players though. The NHLers and Pulju are pretty much it, since the Aaltonens haven't really done anything. The rest are grinders with more or less limited ability on the puck, so we kind of need to rely at least somewhat on organized choreographies to start attacks.
Unfortunately I have been thinking mostly the same things since the season when he won the U20 scoring. It was obvious that Laine and Aho were much better and more important players already there. Pulju was just skating a lot and with that getting chances and creating them with a lot of lucky bounces.
His puck control is absolutely horrendous and he keeps fumbling and loosing the puck everywhere. He also has really questionable hockey IQ. But one thing I don't agree with you at all though, and that is your claim of him being a slow and bad skater.
So many people have problems with realizing that players as big as Pulju might look slowish with their feet movement. Pulju is definitely fast and a pretty good skater for his size otherwise too. But his problems make him look often seriously goofy with his skating too. I'm still hoping for him to develop considerably his weaknesses and become a real star player, but honestly I'm quite sceptic if it will ever happen.
Again this is same stuff like 3 years ago (WHC 2014). People whined all the time because we almost dropped out of the playoffs with scrup team like this is. Ultimately we got lucky and got spot to top 8. After all we WON silver medal even that we got stolen by referees at final... There is only 2 things which matters... 1.We need to get to top 8 2. Result after that.
If we manage to do again same stuff, i´m pretty sure that same people which are whining and crying here and everywhere in social media etc. are first glory hunters if that happens. I´m just saying.
Everyone knows exactly that Marjamäki´s playing style is not pretty but it is really effective in long run. Hes tactical style is not modern, but we cant play that kind of hockey because our players skill setup is not high enough. We are still not KANADA or Russia. In the future we can play that kind of hockey when our new generation is old enough. Maybe 2 or 3 years. We got dropped out of good players because of NUORI SUOMI bull****.
People still have to watch whole picture. This team is FINNISH B-Team (medicore atmost.) with three future elite players. Nothing else.
If we manage to do again same stuff, i´m pretty sure that same people which are whining and crying here and everywhere in social media etc. are first glory hunters if that happens. I´m just saying.
Everyone knows exactly that Marjamäki´s playing style is not pretty but it is really effective in long run. Hes tactical style is not modern, but we cant play that kind of hockey because our players skill setup is not high enough. We are still not KANADA or Russia. In the future we can play that kind of hockey when our new generation is old enough. Maybe 2 or 3 years. We got dropped out of good players because of NUORI SUOMI bull****.
People still have to watch whole picture. This team is FINNISH B-Team (medicore atmost.) with three future elite players. Nothing else.
Hockeyisl1fe
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- Dec 8, 2016
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I just hope Pulju will not bust... there's unfortunately a chance for that. At this point I'm hoping for a future top 6 winger. As he gets stronger he could eventually compensate his lack of puckhandling with better puck protection with his big body and reach. That being said, his passing and decision making needs to improve too... lots of work ahead. But yeah, I wasn't surprised when Kekäläinen passed on him. Keller and Tkachuk have imo both passed him already.
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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Pulju has a head too big for a standard helmet, the edge of the visor is usually at his eye level. The kid has a big tongue too which makes one think he could use it to wash the visor if it were on the standard level protecting his nose. All in all the kid is a unique, hilarious, natural, always smiling, good natured, big warm hearted specimen with something horse like in his demeanor, a Finnish work horse of rural descent. The clumsy side in his game can be a permanent original trade mark or then still a slowly fading relict from his fast growth spurt and related temporary motoric incoordination. In any case, the kid is a special player. Not your every day average joe on skates. A phenomenon of natural forces. A treat to watch on ice. Since no matter if he fumbles or stumbles or scores after a coast to coast solo it is always funny .
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It's interesting. It's like picking an NHL team full of players who are good at corsi but bad at actually scoring any goals, then winning corsi vs everyone and complaining about poor luck when they can't win any games due to failing to score the goals necessary despite generating scoring chances.
Am I the only one who thinks this when it comes to this year's Team Finland? Marjamäki seems to just play in order to get as many scoring chances as possible and seems to completely devalue actual individual skill or goalscoring ability.
To me it just seems that no one has a clue what coach wants them to do. Same at the WC where we're a complete mess and after a couple losses the players decided we need to play differently. Not that it changed the results but it looked better and it sure as heck wasnt due to the coach. To the people saying Aho looks tired, I say it takes a special kinda coach to make him look that lost.
Patrik Barkov
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- Jun 25, 2016
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I didn't think he should go top 5. He played so well at the wjc and dominated juniors with his physicality that it kinda locked him for that 3rd position. Kekäläinen went against most opinions and picked PLD instead. Pulju doesn't seem to be a very high IQ player and his decisions and puck control worry me the most. Then again he has so much raw skill, big frame and a possible future center of McDavid that he could well enough develop into a 70+ point player. There's a chance for busting but I still believe in him.
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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This sums up Pulju's conundrum quite perfectly. He can be anything between a grinder of the fourth line to a top 20 scorer in the league as McJesus wing and only the following few years will tell where he will land on this absurd spectrum. Most likely he will be a solid 2n line winger in the show, of course depending on how he will settle in the Oilers package. If not then a fringe top6 forward whose "potential" is there somewhere almost budding but never really turns to that gold and diamonds people expect.
This tournament is horribly frustrating. I have watched almost all international tournaments since 1998 and this is probably the 1st time that I feel humiliated as a Leijonat fan.
I never thought that I would fear that game vs Norway.
I really hope that this disaster in terms of results and play will encourage those that stayed in NA to join the team next year. My disappointment is even bigger when looking at other teams (Lundqvist, Drasaitl or Kuznetsov joining). Those no shows might come from the coach/staff but the issue is deeper I think : some Finnish players may have a poor mentality (NHL careers > representing their countries)
I never thought that I would fear that game vs Norway.
I really hope that this disaster in terms of results and play will encourage those that stayed in NA to join the team next year. My disappointment is even bigger when looking at other teams (Lundqvist, Drasaitl or Kuznetsov joining). Those no shows might come from the coach/staff but the issue is deeper I think : some Finnish players may have a poor mentality (NHL careers > representing their countries)
Ismo Lehkonen & Ilkka Palomäki made lines together. They would drop Sallinen and Hännikäinen out of the line up. I'm not sure I agree with that. Sallinen was good in last game:
Oskar Osala - Valtteri Filppula - Mikko Rantanen
Jesse Puljujärvi - Miro Aaltonen - Sebastian Aho
Mika Pyörälä - Joonas Kemppainen - Juhamatti Aaltonen
Veli-Matti Savinainen - Jani Lajunen - Antti Pihlström
Oskar Osala - Valtteri Filppula - Mikko Rantanen
Jesse Puljujärvi - Miro Aaltonen - Sebastian Aho
Mika Pyörälä - Joonas Kemppainen - Juhamatti Aaltonen
Veli-Matti Savinainen - Jani Lajunen - Antti Pihlström
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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Now looking at it with my bare naked honest eyes - oh man, this team is mediocre on paper and on ice also. Miro Aaltonen! Jani Lajunen! And the Dmen... wow.
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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Welcome on board, Dahli! Your frustration nevertheless carried you this far, among the greatest hockey fans, writers and experts on the planet - or any other, for that matter. Think about that! And your welcoming commitee consists of one of the most legendary writers and contributors on this magnificent all encompassing hockey forum: me, Loffer the man: controversial, original, always resourceful and interesting - Loffer - and nobody else, for that matter.
Welcome, this is the place to be, read and write and once again read about the great game of hockey.
Jarey Curry
Avalanche of Makar
I count 5 future elite potential players... Rantanen, Aho, Puljujärvi, Honka, Korpisalo
DoubleGold
X2
B-teams haven't stopped us in the past. I'm tired of you Marjamäki apologists **** on other fans. I don't identify with the hicks who've moaned about Marjamäki ever since the World Cup, but at this point critique is certainly in order.
And no one's stopped us yet this time either.
Our B-teams have lost in single games to countries like Denmark, Belarus and Latvia in the past. So losing in a single game to France shouldn't be worth this much griefing. (And even less after the fight they put up against Canada, did you catch that?) Especially since the rest of the results, like winning Belarus narrowly, Slovenia somewhat comfortably, and losing to the Czechs narrowly, are exactly within the norm.
Yes yes, the way they play looks garbage, blah blah blah, but somehow that hasn't really affected the results - at least in the big picture.
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Marjamäki has killed the emotions on the ice on the home sofas. The game has been horrible since the World Cup. Where's the gritty, hard working and skating and pain in the ass to play against team Finland? If that youngster can keep his job after this tournament then we are even more effed up.
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