Exhibition: Aug 26 GDT - Germany vs. Finland (2-4)

[Eds]

I just got back home from the game. Nothing much to report really, it was mostly boring. Germany had a few chances to score and they pretty much used what they were given. Lots of penalties...The Finns seemed a bit tired/lazy, but made the necessary goals. The first one by Peltonen was a beauty.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Selänne - good, we're better off without him

Sometimes I am so ashamed of my countrymen. We are better off without him? Gimme a break. Best goal scorer on the team, no matter how his last season went. He has done more to our countrys hockey team in the last 10 years than anyone else...well...him and Koivu. If we want to go anywhere in this tournament, we need Teemu.

 

[Vincent]

Could anyone post the lines for both teams?

thanks
Vincent

 

[Frozen]

Note: the players might not be on their real places, for example a center can be winger on the list. I just copy pasted the names on their lines, without looking who played on what position.

Team Finland:

Jokinen - T. Ruutu - Peltonen
Hentunen - Lehtinen - N. Kapanen
Hagman - Laaksonen - M. Koivu
Nieminen - Hahl - J. Ruutu

Timonen - Numminen
Salo - Niinimaa
Berg - Lydman

Kiprusoff

Team Germany:

Hecht - Kreutzer - M. Goc
Martinec - Lewandowski - Boos
Reichel - Fical - Retzer
Kopitz - Ullmann - Kathan

Ludemann - Seidenberg
Ehrhoff - Schubert
S. Goc - Renz

Kolzig

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

Sometimes I am so ashamed of my countrymen. We are better off without him? Gimme a break. Best goal scorer on the team, no matter how his last season went. He has done more to our countrys hockey team in the last 10 years than anyone else...well...him and Koivu. If we want to go anywhere in this tournament, we need Teemu.

Best goalscorer on team is Tuomo Ruutu, second is Saku Koivu, third is Jokinen.. Selänne in his current shape and shadow of his former self is fourth, barely in our top 5 scorers. And only worthy of a top 6 roster spot imho because he sucks as a bottom 6 player.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Best goalscorer on team is Tuomo Ruutu, second is Saku Koivu, third is Jokinen.. Selänne in his current shape and shadow of his former self is fourth, barely in our top 5 scorers. And only worthy of a top 6 roster spot imho because he sucks as a bottom 6 player.

Ok let me get this straight. The correct order is Selänne, Lehtinen, Jokinen, Koivu...Ruutu is far from that list right now but in few years (maybe even next year)he will probably lead it. I followed Colorado (and chicago for that matter) closely last year, saw lots of games by Teemu. He was not playing that bad at all when he got the chance. This "he has lost his touch" crap has grown into silly proportions, even to the point where finnish people repeat it like a mantra without seeing Selänne in action at all. It must be true because Iltalehti wrote it.

I can understand you having a hard on for Tuomo, he is a promising young player with loads of character. He will be a great leader in the future. But to say he is our best goal scorer right now is just exaggerating and wishfull thinking. Finns are selling Selänne short just because he had some bad press last year. I wish people would find out for themselves and not take every newspaper article so seriously. Keep in mind Selänne scored 3 goals against sweden not too long before last NHL season. He was pretty much the only one who could not be blamed for that loss.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

Ok let me get this straight. The correct order is Selänne, Lehtinen, Jokinen, Koivu...Ruutu is far from that list right now but in few years (maybe even next year)he will probably lead it. I followed Colorado (and chicago for that matter) closely last year, saw lots of games by Teemu. He was not playing that bad at all when he got the chance. This "he has lost his touch" crap has grown into silly proportions, even to the point where finnish people repeat it like a mantra without seeing Selänne in action at all. It must be true because Iltalehti wrote it.

I can understand you having a hard on for Tuomo, he is a promising young player with loads of character. He will be a great leader in the future. But to say he is our best goal scorer right now is just exaggerating and wishfull thinking. Finns are selling Selänne short just because he had some bad press last year. I wish people would find out for themselves and not take every newspaper article so seriously. Keep in mind Selänne scored 3 goals against sweden not too long before last NHL season. He was pretty much the only one who could not be blamed for that loss.

you're only as good as you're last season/game, and in that period, Selänne's been disappointing.
True he does play well in the national team, and did score thrice against Sweden.. but even then he wasn't at his best, as he failed to score on his breakaway on Tellqvist. He'd have slotted that one in his prime.
At 6-1, Sweden would have surrendered.

Last seaosn Teemu had 16 goals! His worst ever, in 78 games.
Ruutu had 23, and like 21 of those came in his last 40 games. In his last 40 games Selänne stank the up the joint.
Koivu is a consistent 20 goal scorer in the NHL, for the national team he's even better, 9 times out of 10 he's the best player.
Jokinen has 26 goals last season, and two against Germany yesterday. He is on current form Finland's top scorer. Best pure goal scorer is Ruutu, best has-been is Selänne.

Lehtinen even had 13 goals in 58 games, and is on current form better scorer than Selänne.

Chances of Selänne scoring these days is as good as Pitkänen scoring..

The criticism Teemu has gotten recently is all his own fault, similar to Kurri and Ruuttu, he has dropped like a bomb from his best days and is now more of a liability than an asset.

 

[Bileur]

I'm just wonder, if any of you guys saw the game can you tell me how Christoph Schubert played? I'm a sens fan and never get to watch him but I'd like to hear about how he did. Thanks.

 

[Owen]

Nah, I agree with psycho_dad... Tuomo Ruutu is more likely to cheap shot someone than try to score. ;p
I currently would not have him in the top 5 yet. Selanne, Koivu, Jokinen, Peltonen, Lehtinen.

About Schubert, all I'd say is that he'd most likely be paired with Ehrhoff. They were paired together in the Olympics and it looks like they were for the exhibitions also.

 

[Ola]

3-2 Germany

I really think Finland is the most overated team in this tournament. I like their Kipper, Vesa, and Lehtanin in net but who in the hell is gonna score goals for them. Their game vs Swedan was forshadowing for this tournament. They simply wont score eonough but they will always be in the Games. No one including Canada will blow them out.

Jokanin for finland
Sturm , Marcel Goc (2) for germany

Don´t underestimate the finns. They have many big defenders around 200-220lbs and very good goaltending + they have ALLOT of small, very intense, speedy forwards. They also have very good special teams, a PP lead by Koivu and Selänne who have played together allot. If the Finns get past the 1/4 finals they are going to be lethal in North America. They won´t score many goals but it will be very hard to score on them. If the Finns scores two goals any team is going to be happy to bring that game in to OT...

 

[Freudian]

Selänne didn't really get a good chance from Granato last season. What I saw of him he worked hard and tried to make something happen. But he wasn't as sharp as he have been previously. But I definately think he can be a valuable contributor to Finlands team. He isn't as bad as his numbers last season, and he isn't as good as he was in the 90s.

He always shows a lot of pride and character when playing for Finland.

 

[gib]

you're only as good as you're last season/game, and in that period, Selänne's been disappointing.

I don`t know why I hate sentence: you`re only as good as....Maybe because in many cases it doesn`t have any truth. What if Selänne scores three goals against Chech? Shouldn`t he then be a great because he scored three goals in his last game? Even if he hadn`t scored for 10 games before that.
Basicly you need to change your opinion about player after every game depending how he is playing? If he scores a goal in game he is good player, if he doesn`t he sucks?
Wayne Gretzky, is still great player, cause he had 62 points in his last season? It dosen`t matter even if he stopped playing five years ago?

True he does play well in the national team, and did score thrice against Sweden.. but even then he wasn't at his best, as he failed to score on his breakaway on Tellqvist. He'd have slotted that one in his prime.
At 6-1, Sweden would have surrendered.

So if a player scores three (wasn`t it four?) goals in a game and misses one breakaway he is poor goal scorer?

He (Jokinen: edit by gib) is on current form Finland's top scorer. Best pure goal scorer is Ruutu, best has-been is Selänne.

I must disagree about that Ruutu is best pure goal scorer. Ruutu has never been pure goal scorer. Lots of his game is pased on making the plays, making good passes etc. Ruutu definately is not pure goal scorer, far away form it. You can see it by just looking the stats. Best pure goal scorer in team Finland is Selänne or Jokinen. I can`t say which one of them is purest. Selänne besides with his scoring ability, can also make plays and has great vision of the game. Jokinen because playing center shouldn`t be just pure goal scorer. Still he is pretty much pure goal scorer even he can make plays, but isn`t really a playmaker.

 

[ginner classic]

Well I am sad to see so many Finnish people knocking Selanne. He maybe has not been the best International player, but he is still the best thing your country has ever produced (hockey wise that is....there is one woman in particular that I still have not met the equal of....that is another story). Selanne has done it all and in my mind is still capable of being the best player on that team. He has a big heart, is a decent leader, and still has the skills. Last year was just a bad year, the year before was turmoil in San Jose. Let's see what he can do in this tourney and the upcoming season (hopefully) before we write him off. At any rate the disparaging comments are totally out of line.

 

[pihinalle]

Finns were very lazy. Niinimaa made several mistakes. I hope this Nieminen - Hahl - J.Ruutu -line keeps it's form and gets to play. I think they are much more valuable against NHL-players than those Germans who play in Europe.

 

[Paxon]

(hockey wise that is....there is one woman in particular that I still have not met the equal of....that is another story).

I think that story needs to be told.

 

[bling]

I think that story needs to be told.

Kinda caught my eye too....

 

[ginner classic]

I think that story needs to be told.

Better left in the deep recesses of the denial section of my brain. After all....we all have one of 'those' at some point in our lives if we are lucky.

 

[Amen evil king]

Kiprusoff played?

How is Lehtonen meant to show he's the better goaltender if he's hardly given a chance!!!

 

[Owen]

Bah, play Lehtonen in Atlanta, not in World Cup. The guy's only played like 2 NHL games in his career. You can be good in Finland and good in the AHL, but he is yet to prove himself in the NHL. He needs to be the third goalie.

 

[psycho_dad*]

He maybe has not been the best International player, but he is still the best thing your country has ever produced (hockey wise that is).

He HAS been great in our international competition. Pretty much always. But I disagree though...he is not the best hockey player from Finland....Kurri still is.

 

[kenabnrmal]

you're only as good as you're last season/game, and in that period, Selänne's been disappointing.
True he does play well in the national team, and did score thrice against Sweden.. but even then he wasn't at his best, as he failed to score on his breakaway on Tellqvist. He'd have slotted that one in his prime.
At 6-1, Sweden would have surrendered.

Last seaosn Teemu had 16 goals! His worst ever, in 78 games.
Ruutu had 23, and like 21 of those came in his last 40 games. In his last 40 games Selänne stank the up the joint.
Koivu is a consistent 20 goal scorer in the NHL, for the national team he's even better, 9 times out of 10 he's the best player.
Jokinen has 26 goals last season, and two against Germany yesterday. He is on current form Finland's top scorer. Best pure goal scorer is Ruutu, best has-been is Selänne.

Lehtinen even had 13 goals in 58 games, and is on current form better scorer than Selänne.

Chances of Selänne scoring these days is as good as Pitkänen scoring..

The criticism Teemu has gotten recently is all his own fault, similar to Kurri and Ruuttu, he has dropped like a bomb from his best days and is now more of a liability than an asset.

Did you see many games Selanne played last season, or the year before that, or are you a stats-book junkie?

Selanne's had one poor season in his career. I hope most Finns don't have your attitude towards the man, because he's been the best ambassador of Finnish hockey any nation could ever ask for. Kurri's the best Finnish hockey player ever, Selanne's a close second.

Now, this aside, does anyone know what Teemu's injured with?

 

[mattihp]

3-2 Germany

I really think Finland is the most overated team in this tournament. I like their Kipper, Vesa, and Lehtanin in net but who in the hell is gonna score goals for them. Their game vs Swedan was forshadowing for this tournament. They simply wont score eonough but they will always be in the Games. No one including Canada will blow them out.

Jokanin for finland
Sturm , Marcel Goc (2) for germany

The worst link is in nets if Kiprusoff continues to be in goal, goals always come from here and there and Selänne hasn't lost his touch on the national team. His goalscoring lack in the NHL most likely is an effect of getting bad instructions from an unexperienced coach.

Kipper needs an intense defense to play well, and Finland clearly lacks that kind of player types and should thus put either Toskala or Lehtonen in nets.

 

[mattihp]

Selanne's had one poor season in his career. I hope most Finns don't have your attitude towards the man, because he's been the best ambassador of Finnish hockey any nation could ever ask for. Kurri's the best Finnish hockey player ever, Selanne's a close second.

I'd put Selänne as the second most memorable finnish player all time and one of the real legends in finnish icehockey, Reijo Ruotsalainen or Urpo Ylönen as second best player. Both are still having a huge influence on finnish hockey, Ruotsalainen as member of the staff on Kärpät developing new confident finnish defensemen and Urpo Ylönen leading his goalkeeping academy for TPS.

 

[Padawan]

A little OT.

Now, this aside, does anyone know what Teemu's injured with?

I remember him talking about it in an interview. He said that he needs to get his knee repaired and if there's a lock out he just might get it over with and head to the operating table.

Ruotsalainen as member of the staff on Kärpät developing new confident finnish defensemen.

I thought he said he wasn't available for Kärpät for the upcoming season?

 

[mattihp]

I thought he said he wasn't available for Kärpät for the upcoming season?

I must've missed that, well... At least he has had a huge impact on earlier Kärpät D-men.