Finland is a serious contender in Olympics next year

[IceHockeyDude]

2019 was basically winning fatigue.

Ohh okay, that explains it.

 

[f1nn]

2019 was basically winning fatigue.

 

[IceHockeyDude]

 

[Eye of Ra]

Half of that Swedish D-core (Klingberg, Ekholm, OEL plus A.Larsson and E. Gustafsson) couldnt shut down the Finnish 2019 WHC team full of european players so Im pretty sure they will have their hands full facing players like Rantanen, Aho, Barkov etc in the Olympic Games...

bro it was 1 game. swedish d should have no problem shuting down liiga players. with your logic, russia d and canada d will not be able to shut down rantanen, aho, barkov etc becuse they failed shut down liiga players just as sweden in 2019...

 

[Eye of Ra]

When I look at SWE - FIN, I actually think our offense more easily can go through Swedens defence than vice versa. Sweden has Hedman - the best defenceman there is, but Klingberg, Dahlin, OEL and Karlsson actually are better offensively than in own zone. Offensively Swedens D-core is absolutely better than ours, but defensively I rather have Heiskanen, Hakanpää and Lindell out there.

by some weird way you are forgetting that we have ekholm, brodin and lindholm - all 3 are very good in own zone

 

[Eye of Ra]

Yeah Sweden won in Torino 2006 and it sucked. Are you happy now? Is the year 2006 you always go back to when you see Sweden struggling?

how is sweden struggling in best on best

 

[Eye of Ra]

Better than 2002.

we did win all games in group stage thought. canada, czech and germany could not stop us. that lost against belarus is salos fault. hedberg or tellqvist should have started.

 

[NyQuil]

we did win all games in group stage thought. canada, czech and germany could not stop us. that lost against belarus is salos fault. hedberg or tellqvist should have started.

Who cares about the group stage?

 

[jj cale]

we did win all games in group stage thought. canada, czech and germany could not stop us. that lost against belarus is salos fault. hedberg or tellqvist should have started.

It wasn't Salos fault, you should have buried belarus, it shouldn't have come down to that play to begin with. Canada, the Czechs and the Germans couldn't stop you right? Why did Belarus then?

Do fans there still really believe that game is all on salo? your team failed you.

 

[Lobodomy]

Good joke

 

[IceHockeyDude]

how is sweden struggling in best on best

I don't know. Perhaps every other olympics on 21st century (or u18/u20) except Torino but im done talking with idiots. Now off watching Finland-Germany. My brain just can't handle all this stupidity.

 

[canswetoxic]

I don't know. Perhaps every other olympics on 21st century (or u18/u20) except Torino but im done talking with idiots. Now off watching Finland-Germany. My brain just can't handle all this stupidity.

Struggling Swedes till win over non-struggling Finns most of the time/ best-on-best, of course best memories of 2006. Go watch and get your Gold and come back shouting at us how best you were again. The recent best of best 2016 you were 0-3, so, untill then you Finns still 0 in best-of-best, CANADA>USA>SWEDEN>RUSSIAN>>>>>> FINLAND

 

[Elias40]

Too early to draw any lineups, but this is the depth pool Finland will likely draw its final 25 from:

Tuukka Rask
Kevin Lankinen
Juuse Saros
Kaapo Kähkönen
Joonas Korpisalo
Antti Raanta

Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell
Rasmus Ristolainen
Henri Jokiharju
Jani Hakanpää
Mikko Lehtonen
Juuso Välimäki
Markus Nutivaara
Olli Määttä
Sami Vatanen
Niko Mikkola
Olli Juolevi

Aleksander Barkov
Sebastian Aho
Roope Hintz
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Erik Haula
Juho Lammikko
Eetu Luostarinen
Mikko Rantanen
Patrik Laine
Teuvo Teräväinen
Jesse Puljujärvi
Mikael Granlund
Joonas Donskoi
Kaapo Kakko
Eeli Tolvanen
Kasperi Kapanen
Joel Armia
Janne Kuokkanen
Joel Kiviranta
Artturi Lehkonen
Arttu Ruotsalainen

If I forgot someone, I apologize. Then again, having to make an apology like this is more evidence to the fact that yes, Finland has never had this many world-class options to pick from. And I didn't even count a number of guys who are not quite NHL regulars yet, but could very well break through in the next six months.

Brutal quality, weaker defense and from the top5 I would say, the weakest, but the attack and goalkeepers are excellent. In the attack , there are players for all roles in the match. Players in the power play, penalty killing, 5vs5.

I remember the 2016 World Cup, when I said at the time that it was a team for the future and Finland would dominate in a prime confrontation vs Czech Republic. In 2016, however, the Finns were too young, 13 players under the age of 25 are too many. The Czechs only had only six players under the age of 25, they also had the opportunity to take younger players, but they didn't.

Sometimes the thinking of people in Czech hockey is special. Young players have no experience, so they will not take them to the tournament and older players will be given priority. Older players without potential and quality do not win anything and then people in the Czech Republic say that they do not have winnig types, but Finland or Sweden do.

I write all this because people in the Czech Republic in 2016 thought they had the same quality as Finland. When I said it wasn't true, a lot of people didn't believe me. It's five years away, Finland and the Czech Republic will be playing with NHL players at the Olympics, but the ambitions of both teams are completely different. Finland going to win the tournament, the Czech Republic is just a surprise.

 

[ORRFForever]

People ALWAYS underestimate the Fins and the Fins always surprise to the upside.

 

[ddlennon]

Lol ppl really taking the obvious baitposters too seriously just ignore and move on

 

[AB13]

Looking at simply rosters on paper I don't think Finland are in the same tier as Canada, Russia, Sweden or the USA. They are closer to the Czechs, but better than them right now.

 

[Zub]

I knew this thread would be a magnet for toxic wannabee trolls

 

[Zub]

Looking at simply rosters on paper I don't think Finland are in the same tier as Canada, Russia, Sweden or the USA. They are closer to the Czechs, but better than them right now.

Overall i agree, but way better than the Czechs since our offence is atleast on par if not better comparing the USA and Sweden, but defence is too lacking.

 

[AB13]

Overall i agree, but way better than the Czechs since our offence is atleast on par if not better comparing the USA and Sweden, but defence is too lacking.

I think Sweden and the US have better forwards as well. Especially the US.

 

[Zub]

I think Sweden and the US have better forwards as well. Especially the US.

You can think so but Sweden absolutely does not.

 

[Elias40]

Looking at simply rosters on paper I don't think Finland are in the same tier as Canada, Russia, Sweden or the USA. They are closer to the Czechs, but better than them right now.

Not by mistake, the Czechs have worse defense and goalkeepers. The attack is worse than Finland, but not as much as a comparsion of defense and goalkeeper. The Czechs had several young players in the attack, who will belong to the top of the league. So far, the only top player is Pastrnak, Necas has similar potential, no one has given it. I don't trust Zadina or Vrana or Chytil. Good NHl players but not Aho, Rantanen or Pastrnak level.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Anyone who has watched best-on-best hockey since Nagano knows not to sleep on Finland. They are always going to be fighting for a medal.

 

[AB13]

You can think so but Sweden absolutely does not.

Landeskog - Pettersson - Rantanen
Aho - Barkov - Nylander
Forsberg - Bäckström- Teravainen
Hintz - Zibanejad - Lindholm

That’s the most reasonable combined forward lineup. More Swedes than finns, for sure. The next three best ones are Karlsson, Olofsson and Burakovsky for me.

 

[Zub]

Landeskog - Pettersson - Rantanen
Aho - Barkov - Nylander
Forsberg - Bäckström- Teravainen
Hintz - Zibanejad - Lindholm

That’s the most reasonable combined forward lineup. More Swedes than finns, for sure. The next three best ones are Karlsson, Olofsson and Burakovsky for me.

You have Pettersson over Barkov? jeez.

 

[AB13]

You have Pettersson over Barkov? jeez.

Yeah I do, doesn’t change the general point though. Sweden have more offense in general and more capable depth scoring.