WJC: Finland at the 2011 WJC

[Henke333]

When is Finland releasing there WJC team? Is Mikael Granlund going or is he injuried? Do you think J.Armia will take a spot on the team?

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[Eye of Ra]

Joonas Donskoi - Mikael Granlund - Teemu Pulkkinen
Erik Haula - Joel Armia - Toni Rajala
Iiro Pakarinen - Markus Granlund - Joonas Nättinen
Julius Junttila - Valtteri Virkkunen - Jaakko Turtiainen



Tommi Kivistö - Sami Vatanen
Jani Hakanpää - Rasmus Rissanen
Simo Riikola - Jyrki Jokipakka

 

[The Saw Is the Law]

When is Finland releasing there WJC team? Is Mikael Granlund going or is he injuried? Do you think J.Armia will take a spot on the team?

I think the roster will be announced tomorrow. There is not much new info about MG but I suppose he is still injured. Armia is in WJC team

 

[Muuri]

Mikael Granlund will probably play but dont think he will be 100%.

Someting like this:

Donskoi-Granlund-Pulkkinen
Rajala-Haula-Armia
Junttila-Nättinen-Pakarinen
Turtianen-Tuominen-Partanen

 

[bebl]

candidates

Donskoi-Granlund-Pulkkinen
Rajala-Haula-Armia
Junttila-Nättinen-Piitulainen
Turtianen-Tuominen-Pakarinen
Tallberg-Virkkunen-Salomäki
+ Partanen, Ma Granlund

Jokipakka-Vatanen
Kivistö-Kärmenniemi
Riikola-Pulli
Määttä-Pietilä
Manelius-Rissanen

Ortio
Aittokallio
Gibson

 

[Tormentor]

Camp roster

Goalies: (4)
1 Jonathan Iilahti, Blues (-92)
19 Samu Perhonen, JYP (-93)
30 Sami Aittokallio, Ilves (-92)
31 Joni Ortio, TPS (-91)

Defencemen: (9)
2 Juha-Pekka Pietilä, Pelicans (-91)
3 Jyrki Jokipakka, Ilves (-91)
4 Tommi Kivistö, Jokerit (-91)
5 Nico Manelius, Jokerit (-91)
7 Jani Hakanpää, Blues (-92)
8 Rasmus Rissanen, Everett Silvertips (-91)
9 Sami Vatanen, JYP (-91)
15 Olli Määttä, JYP (-94)
23 Jesse Virtanen, Lukko (-91)

Forwards: (15)
6 Teemu Pulkkinen, Jokerit (-92)
10 Erik Haula, University of Minnesota (-91)
11 Miikka Salomäki, Kärpät (-93)
13 Julius Junttila, Kärpät (-91)
16 Henri Tuominen, Ilves (-91)
18 Iiro Pakarinen, KalPa (-91)
20 Joel Armia, Ässät (-93)
21 Valtteri Virkkunen, Blues (-91)
22 Mikael Granlund, HIFK (-92)
24 Teemu Tallberg, HIFK (-91)
25 Toni Rajala, Ilves (-91)
26 Mika Partanen, Mississauga (-92)
27 Joonas Donskoi, Kärpät (-92)
28 Jaakko Turtiainen, HPK (-91)
29 Joonas Nättinen, Blues (-91)

The coach said that it's still doubtful whether Granlund is able to participate or not.

 

[Muuri]

Camp roster announced

1 Jonathan Iilahti, Blues
19 Samu Perhonen, JYP
30 Sami Aittokallio, Ilves
31 Joni Ortio, TPS

2 Juha-Pekka Pietilä, Pelicans
3 Jyrki Jokipakka, Ilves
4 Tommi Kivistö, Jokerit
5 Nico Manelius, Jokerit
7 Jani Hakanpää, Blues
8 Rasmus Rissanen, Everett Silvertips
9 Sami Vatanen, JYP
15 Olli Määttä, JYP
23 Jesse Virtanen, Lukko

6 Teemu Pulkkinen, Jokerit
10 Erik Haula, University of Minnesota
11 Miikka Salomäki, Kärpät
13 Julius Junttila, Kärpät
16 Henri Tuominen, Ilves
18 Iiro Pakarinen, KalPa
20 Joel Armia, Ässät
21 Valtteri Virkkunen, Blues
22 Mikael Granlund, HIFK
24 Teemu Tallberg, HIFK
25 Toni Rajala, Ilves
26 Mika Partanen, Mississauga
27 Joonas Donskoi, Kärpät
28 Jaakko Turtiainen, HPK
29 Joonas Nättinen, Blues

e: late

 

[urho]

Mikael Granlund will probably play but dont think he will be 100%.

He most likely won't and that's a HUGE loss for this team. Big boots to fill.

 

[Gruntfuttock]

He most likely won't and that's a HUGE loss for this team. Big boots to fill.

And one of the guys that should be filling those boots, Nättinen, is not even close to 100%. Salomäki has only played a couple of games at centre this year. Turtiainen also has health issues, he suffered a concussion last saturday. Nice to know that our youth hockey is such a mess, that we have to take 3 forwards to the camp that aren't 100%.

BTW, are Haula and Salomäki even natural centres?

 

[YARR123]

nättinen still has a good 3 weeks to get his game face back on. and even when he's less than 100% he's an important player for the team.

 

[MarkovtoSubban]

Is Nattinen a skilled enough playmaker to take over the top line if Granlund cannot go?

Finns have a good mix of skill and size. If Haula and Armia can make a strong second line they should get to the semi-finals.

 

[FiLe]

Is Nattinen a skilled enough playmaker to take over the top line if Granlund cannot go?

Both Pulkkinen and Rajala also have great playmaking abilities. The former, who is more known as something of a mix between a sniper and power forward has especially advanced in that field over this season.

Nättinen's not Granlund, but he's got great faceoff skills and is overall a decent enough two-way centre. The roles may not be quite as same as they were with Granlund in the middle, but it's still got plenty of talent to make an elite-country caliber 1st line, IMO.

Of course, they may also opt to put Haula in the 1st... but in my opinion Armia and Donskoi are more straightforward scorers who could have more use for the extra help from a skilled centre.

 

[Gruntfuttock]

Both Pulkkinen and Rajala also have great playmaking abilities. The former, who is more known as something of a mix between a sniper and power forward has especially advanced in that field over this season.

Wow, people just throw this to any player these days? What power forward qualities does Rajala bring to the table? I haven't seen any.

 

[Systemfel]

Wow, people just throw to any player these days? What power forward qualities does Rajala bring to the table? I haven't seen any.

FiLe was referring to Pulkkinen as being the sniper/power forward mixed-breed.

 

[Gruntfuttock]

FiLe was referring to Pulkkinen as being the sniper/power forward mixed-breed.

Oh, look at that. My English broke down. Well, Pulkkinen is far from a power forward too.

 

[ChadS]

I don't think Pulkkinen needs Granlund on his line if he has a guy who can score on the other wing. He has shown in Jokerit, that even with a below-average centerman he can be the playmaker of a really deadly line. He plays with SM-liiga's leading goal scorer and a centerman who has 15 points less than both of his wingers, but their still considered possibly the best 2nd line in the entire league. The only place where Pulkkinen shouldn't be used as a pure playmaker is the PP. He has to be on the point even though Vatanen is on the team as well. That PP-blueline would be sick with Vatanen as the QB and Pulkkinen on the point...

I would actually like to see Armia and Pulkkinen on a line but since they're both RW, it's unlikely. I don't really think much of Rajala so I hope he doesn't play with Pulu(which is unlikely as well... )

 

[Tormentor]

Pulkkinen throws a few big hits every now and then (at least tries to), but I wouldn't call him power-forward'ish. Overall he's a fairly soft player. As far as his playmaking skills go, they are very good. He excelled in this area already in juniors, but now that he's forced to play more on the perimeter, his passing game in the offensive zone has become more apparent.

As far as Rajala-Nättinen-Pullkinen goes, they have played together in the U17 national team few years back. Shouldn't be a problem, if Nättinen is match fit. Nättinen is a poor goal scorer, but he can dish the puck pretty well. Someone has to play hard in front of the net and screen the goalie on that line, Pulkkinen or Rajala won't be able to do that job effectively.

Since Aravirta started to coach Kärpät, Doskoi has played RW, which seems to suit him a lot better than playing as an off-wing on the left side. Therefore I think that Armia and Donskoi should play on different lines, at least on even strength. Pulkkinen, Armia, Donskoi and Pakarinen would be a strong right side offensively.

Turtiainen has missed the last two games because of a concussion, doesn't look too good. Apparently Joni Karjalainen has been added to the camp roster and will probably travel to Canada for the second part of the camp, if both Granlund and Turtiainen are out.

 

[Grabovski]

I always cheer for Finland after Canada I hope Rajala plays good too.

 

[Prolific18]

looks like the best Finnish team in a while?

 

[Hans Moleman]

looks like the best Finnish team in a while?

If they're 100% then yea this is a fairly strong year.

 

[Jussi]

looks like the best Finnish team in a while?

If Granlund were healthy and playing then yes.

 

[nitz]

I always cheer for Finland (after Canada)

Hopefully you guys can pull off a medal this year, this Canadian is behind you!

 

[CaptPantalones]

who is coaching Finland?

 

[FiLe]

Well, Pulkkinen is far from a power forward too.

Your English is still broken down. If you read my statement again carefully, I said that many seem to think Pulkkinen is a quite straightforward player while he is, in fact, pretty crafty. So I wasn't implying Pulu is a PFW, but that he is often MISTAKEN as one.

Since Aravirta started to coach Kärpät, Doskoi has played RW, which seems to suit him a lot better than playing as an off-wing on the left side. Therefore I think that Armia and Donskoi should play on different lines, at least on even strength. Pulkkinen, Armia, Donskoi and Pakarinen would be a strong right side offensively.

Marjamäki's coaching system is also pretty different from Aravirta's, and Donskoi has a plenty of experience from the left in the NT. We're crazy deep especially with natural RWs since Junttila is also one. This likely means one of those guys has to play on the left, and I think Donskoi is the best fit for that.

If Granlund were healthy and playing then yes.

Even without Granlund, this is the strongest squad since 2005 or so.

who is coaching Finland?

Lauri Marjamäki is the head coach, and the assistants are Raimo Helminen and Karri Kivi. Marjamäki is a pretty fresh face on the Finnish hockey scene considering he is only 33 years old and his day job is to be the 2nd for Espoo Blues' head coach Petri Matikainen (who, ironically, is a 2nd for the Finnish men's NT). I don't think I have to tell you who Helminen is except that he's currently an assistant coach in Ilves and Karri Kivi works in the same role for Ässät.

 

[Gruntfuttock]

Your English is still broken down. If you read my statement again carefully, I said that many seem to think Pulkkinen is a quite straightforward player while he is, in fact, pretty crafty. So I wasn't implying Pulu is a PFW, but that he is often MISTAKEN as one.

OK, nice way of saying you were never wrong, I can dig it. It still doesn't change the fact that Pulkkinen is nothing like a power forward and every people I know and have talked to, think so too. I don't know where you find these people that mistake Pulkkinen for a PF.