WC: 2021 Finland Roster Talk
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Conspiracy Theorist
Registered User
- Jan 30, 2016
- 5,860
- 2,097
Yes, that's what I meant. The 2019 roster looked like they may not make it through to the QF and they won gold at the end. So I really don't dare to say this couldn't be a medal squad.
My take is that him and Tiivola look like the most likely spare pieces. But you never know with this coach of ours, he tends to do some unpredictable stuff sometimes. (And I don't really mean bad unpredictable, just... unpredictable.)
im sorry but where is KHLbig line? at least expected hartikkainen to play and dominate at finland games. i feel finland having as always too many 4th line players and no scoringplayers. feeling bad for lake country . Always badest nhl players willing to to taking finland down at events. as of many years since best nhls not accepting coming . also some weirdos im sure there in, like parents working in mediagroup or similiars
sir avgard hockeyprofsessor
sir avgard hockeyprofsessor
I like Lankinen very much and said it many times here. But I watched few games late at the season and when Blackhawks game started to crumble so did Lankinen´s technique and confidence. This was actually (atleast the way I look it) only seconds season as starting goalie in adults.
Olkinuora and Säteri are fine. Somehow I got the feeling we may end the tournament with Säteri on goal. But there is two decent options. Haven´t really seen much of Olkinuoras games in last few seasons, but I have heard that he has been really good.
Defense seem to be strength of this team. Ohtamaa, Pokka, Määttä, Koivisto, Kaski and Lindbohm makes good core. Did not expect Kivistö be the cut, but I guess the team wanted young and hungry puck moving D´s. I´m fine with it. I think it gives more of options in lineup.
Offense is bit of yikes. Does Kontiola still have it. Is Lundell recovered really. Other key pieces in offense would be Ruotsalainen and Ruohomaa. Bottom six... well decent. Savinainen (could have been in top six too) is a big loss, but there is ton of leadership and work ethic (Antila, Sallinen, Björninen...).
Finland has long history of doing well with underwhelming rosters on paper. But this can end in a medal rounds or they may struggle to finish in top 8. Atleast the team has been mostly together for a long time.
Olkinuora and Säteri are fine. Somehow I got the feeling we may end the tournament with Säteri on goal. But there is two decent options. Haven´t really seen much of Olkinuoras games in last few seasons, but I have heard that he has been really good.
Defense seem to be strength of this team. Ohtamaa, Pokka, Määttä, Koivisto, Kaski and Lindbohm makes good core. Did not expect Kivistö be the cut, but I guess the team wanted young and hungry puck moving D´s. I´m fine with it. I think it gives more of options in lineup.
Offense is bit of yikes. Does Kontiola still have it. Is Lundell recovered really. Other key pieces in offense would be Ruotsalainen and Ruohomaa. Bottom six... well decent. Savinainen (could have been in top six too) is a big loss, but there is ton of leadership and work ethic (Antila, Sallinen, Björninen...).
Finland has long history of doing well with underwhelming rosters on paper. But this can end in a medal rounds or they may struggle to finish in top 8. Atleast the team has been mostly together for a long time.
SantosHalper
Get off my lawn
Great team, very strong defence. Jalonen actually picked more skill upfont than i anticipated, but it's good thing to have scoring depth. Team is nice combo of veterans + kids and 2019 world champions, just like last time Finland will outwork everybody. Strongest workhorse team in the tournament. Finland's gonna play in the gold medal game.
Ruotsalainen - Ruohomaa - Ojamäki
Sallinen - Lundell - Turunen
Mäenalanen - Kontiola(A) - Karjalainen
Pakarinen - Björninen - Anttila(C)
Innala - Tiivola - Puustinen
Ohtamaa(A) - Kaski
Koivisto - Pokka
Määttä - Rindell
Lindbohm - Sund
Seppälä - Nousiainen
Olkinuora
Säteri
Juvonen
Fifth line guys will get to play against Kazakstan and Italy.
Ruotsalainen - Ruohomaa - Ojamäki
Sallinen - Lundell - Turunen
Mäenalanen - Kontiola(A) - Karjalainen
Pakarinen - Björninen - Anttila(C)
Innala - Tiivola - Puustinen
Ohtamaa(A) - Kaski
Koivisto - Pokka
Määttä - Rindell
Lindbohm - Sund
Seppälä - Nousiainen
Olkinuora
Säteri
Juvonen
Fifth line guys will get to play against Kazakstan and Italy.
Olkinuora is a good goalie but Lankinen would've been repeat gold for Finland. Not sure about it now.
I wouldn't give Kontiola (A) = Assistant captaincy. Kontiola wasn't amazing in those EHT games and it's easier to throw him out of the active line up if he isn't good in the first games of WHC. I guess that Kontiola will be the (A) since he was that today over Sallinen.
I'd start with this probably:
----------------------
Ruotsalainen-Lundell-Sallinen
Turunen-Ruohomaa-Pakarinen
Innala-Kontiola-Karjalainen
Mäenalanen-Björninen-Anttila
Määttä-Rindell
Atte Ohtamaa – Oliwer Kaski
Lindbohm-Pokka
Koivisto-Nousiainen
I didn't want to break Turunen-Ruohomaa-Pakarinen & Mäenalanen-Björninen-Anttila which seemed nice in some games.
I predict that Kontiola will be underwhelming during the tournament and will be put out of the line up and Ruotsalainen will be a center then.
mattihp
Registered User
This team is better than stats suggest. It will be a tough nut to break down, that's for sure.
Ruotsilainen will be a key figure in attack.
Kind of agree with you on Kontiola Mestaruus but man do I hope he fires one last time on the international stage and becomes a leader of the team. Once more to the well for old times sake to give us a great story to tell.
I'm happy enough with this lineup and can't wait for the tournament now.
Also on Lankinen, this tournament made him. Nobody was dancing on rooftops when he was named on the 2019 team. Just an AHL goalie to most.
Who knows... More stars could be born this tournament on the path for gold or we might get get knocked out in the quarter finals. Either way I'll be watching with hope....... At a normal f***ing time too for once. Those world juniors and u18s were killer for sleep deprivation.
Ruotsilainen will be a key figure in attack.
Kind of agree with you on Kontiola Mestaruus but man do I hope he fires one last time on the international stage and becomes a leader of the team. Once more to the well for old times sake to give us a great story to tell.
I'm happy enough with this lineup and can't wait for the tournament now.
Also on Lankinen, this tournament made him. Nobody was dancing on rooftops when he was named on the 2019 team. Just an AHL goalie to most.
Who knows... More stars could be born this tournament on the path for gold or we might get get knocked out in the quarter finals. Either way I'll be watching with hope....... At a normal f***ing time too for once. Those world juniors and u18s were killer for sleep deprivation.
SoundAndFury
Registered User
- May 28, 2012
- 12,284
- 6,274
Artorius Horus T
sincerety
Kontiola should be only playing few minutes a game, pp minutes.
he doesn't belong to neither, top 6, and def not to the bottom 6
Artorius Horus T
sincerety
I think Kontiola is only there because both Lehtinen & Jalonen want's him to win something in his career
felt sorry for him and picked him, he really shouldn't play a whole lot in this tournament, just not good enough player.
Artorius Horus T
sincerety
1. Puustinen-Ruohomaa-Turunen
2. Ruotsalainen-Lundell-Pakarinen
3. Sallinen-Björninen-Ojamäki
4. Mäenalanen-Tiivola-Anttila
Innala, Karjalainen, Kontiola
1. Määttä-Pokka
2. Ohtamaa-Kaski
3. Lindblom-Rindell
4. Sund-Nousiainen
SG : Olkinuora
BG : Säteri
2. Ruotsalainen-Lundell-Pakarinen
3. Sallinen-Björninen-Ojamäki
4. Mäenalanen-Tiivola-Anttila
Innala, Karjalainen, Kontiola
1. Määttä-Pokka
2. Ohtamaa-Kaski
3. Lindblom-Rindell
4. Sund-Nousiainen
SG : Olkinuora
BG : Säteri
I see some HPK bias in the selections. Let's remember that Jukka Jalonen has a strong HPK background and I believe that Pennanen is still the assistant coach of our WHC squad and he coached HPK to be champions in 2019.
I'm aware that Kontiola has been in HPK for just 1 season when Pennanen wasn't there so what I mean by "HPK bias" is that Jalonen and Pennanen have been looking at HPK much closer than other teams, because that's their team in Liiga. That's why we have 3 forwards selected that were HPK players last season. Don't get me wrong, they are good players but some other good players were left out instead of them just because they have looked at HPK who didn't even make the "sääli-playoffs", so time will tell if they made the right choices with the selections. On the positive side, they probably know these players throughout and knew what they selected hopefully.
I also want to say that Kontiola is a good player and didn't win most points made in Liiga by accident, but being a star player in Liiga doesn't always translate to international play. He wasn't amazing in this EHT Czech tournament. So I got my doubts on Kontiola at WHC. I hope that he proves me wrong.
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Artorius Horus T
sincerety
But international is a complete different level, his pace, strength, quickness with the puck, etc. etc., just not good enough
anymore for the international level, if he can't produce on the pp, he is completely useless, my opinion, but that's how he was at this EHT.
If i was Jalonen, i wouldn't play Kontiola vs the top teams, 10-15 minutes vs Norway & Kazakhstan will do.
then only play him, if someone gets injured (knock on wood).
Indeed. I guess that he will start in the active line up and USA game might already show bad signs and eventually he will be replaced, but prove us wrong Kontiola.
SantosHalper
Get off my lawn
Top-6 and 4th line gets the hardest minutes in my lineups, so Kontiola gets easier minutes. I don't believe that Jalonen took Kontiola along for just to sit in the stands. But if Kontiola can't keep up at the group stage games it's easy to fix, put Kontiola in press box and put Sallinen as a 3rd line center.
Ruotsalainen or Mäenalanen to the middle works too. Did Mäenalanen play as winger or center in Jokerit most of this season? Does anyone know?
Somewhere Peter Tiivola is reading this thread and wondering if he's chopped liver...
Well, he is an unknown quality for this level ATM, but if Jalonen has to pluck one of the preferred centres out of the lineup due to poor performance, the natural way to go will likely be to give the fifth natural centre he picked a shot before slotting one of the wingers down the middle, even if they can fit in there in a pinch.
Well, he is an unknown quality for this level ATM, but if Jalonen has to pluck one of the preferred centres out of the lineup due to poor performance, the natural way to go will likely be to give the fifth natural centre he picked a shot before slotting one of the wingers down the middle, even if they can fit in there in a pinch.
Pajuniemi, Koivistoinen, Saarijärvi and Saarela weren't good enough for this team?
Here are the forward lines I think Jalonen is looking at right now:
Turunen - Ruohomaa - Pakarinen
Sallinen - Lundell - Ruotsalainen
Innala - Kontiola - Karjalainen
Mäenalanen - Björninen - Anttila
Lines #1, #2 and #4 feel kinda obvious to anyone who watched the last EHT leg and owns half a brain. In order to keep building that chemistry with so little preparation, remixing the entire lineup from those games is not the answer. #1 was together for two games and looked like it had some chemistry going on. HIFK linemates Sallinen and Lundell got two games as well, stuck together, with Puustinen being the third string. Because they knew they have to insert Ruotsalainen into the lineup, Puustinen looked like the obvious placeholder for him. #4 is a pretty self-explanatory checking unit.
#3 is what I'm struggling with. There's just no ideal way to build a good-looking line out of the remaining players. Karjalainen potted two goals vs. Russia and perhaps earned his spot with those, especially since he looked pretty good overall. To my eye, he had more chemistry with Tiivola than Kontiola, though, and I'd perhaps personally prefer to see Tiivola centering the line, but Konna is Konna and I doubt Jalonen brought him along just to sit him on the sidelines. LW is also tricky, as I feel there's room here for a reliable power forward, but none of the remaining players quite fit that mold. It felt so clearly a spot earmarked for Claywoman. Now all we have left are these smallish scoring types who don't, however, seem particularly good at scoring. Well, Ojamäki does fit the mold somewhat, but he'd be on his off wing - which is not, however, that big of a shift as people sometimes make it out to be. Ultimately, though, I think Innala's going to get the first shot here. He was in three EHT events this season and dressed for all games in them - so he's obviously someone Jalonen trusts, even though why may not always be so obvious as a spectator.
Turunen - Ruohomaa - Pakarinen
Sallinen - Lundell - Ruotsalainen
Innala - Kontiola - Karjalainen
Mäenalanen - Björninen - Anttila
Lines #1, #2 and #4 feel kinda obvious to anyone who watched the last EHT leg and owns half a brain. In order to keep building that chemistry with so little preparation, remixing the entire lineup from those games is not the answer. #1 was together for two games and looked like it had some chemistry going on. HIFK linemates Sallinen and Lundell got two games as well, stuck together, with Puustinen being the third string. Because they knew they have to insert Ruotsalainen into the lineup, Puustinen looked like the obvious placeholder for him. #4 is a pretty self-explanatory checking unit.
#3 is what I'm struggling with. There's just no ideal way to build a good-looking line out of the remaining players. Karjalainen potted two goals vs. Russia and perhaps earned his spot with those, especially since he looked pretty good overall. To my eye, he had more chemistry with Tiivola than Kontiola, though, and I'd perhaps personally prefer to see Tiivola centering the line, but Konna is Konna and I doubt Jalonen brought him along just to sit him on the sidelines. LW is also tricky, as I feel there's room here for a reliable power forward, but none of the remaining players quite fit that mold. It felt so clearly a spot earmarked for Claywoman. Now all we have left are these smallish scoring types who don't, however, seem particularly good at scoring. Well, Ojamäki does fit the mold somewhat, but he'd be on his off wing - which is not, however, that big of a shift as people sometimes make it out to be. Ultimately, though, I think Innala's going to get the first shot here. He was in three EHT events this season and dressed for all games in them - so he's obviously someone Jalonen trusts, even though why may not always be so obvious as a spectator.
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