WC: General Talk '14 — Finland (Part II)

[Idontlikebacon]

Im not even mad anymore about who should be in the team and who should not. They took these players and now they play like this..

I guess its the best this team can play.. Better luck next time.

 

[FinPanda]

They just don't play with heart and they don't leave everything into the ice. They played like they have to, not like they want to. They can't success with this bad attitude. It is really weird in finnish hockey. I've never seen it before.

 

[Periwinkle]

Thrashing the players is useless. Especially when most of them have not been bad - and those that have have clearly played at the brink of their skills. Bad rolings affect things as well. For example, Komarov and Pakarinen are great as energy players but it should be pretty clear that they've got no business in top-six.

The management, however, deserves a full thrashing. They made many questionable picks that backfired, got too cute, scouted lazily and thought the group they have at hand will do, etcetera.

This is basically what I tried to convey. I understand the players are playing in wrong roles/probably are trying their hardest (not in today's game though...). It still doesn't remove the frustration of seeing the supposed scoring unit players entering the offensive zone, and then at full speed approach...the boards/corners, and/or make a subpar pass/miss an open net, etc, because they lack the skill to (consistently) do better. But I'll try to hold my tongue (for the most part) because, again, it's not like we should expect that much better.

 

[FiLe]

I'd rather have Tami "aurinkokuningas" Tamminen as the coach. He'd have the brains to pick the best players available.

*Snert* Tami is as much of a relic as Erkka is. He'd haul half the team out of retirement if he could.

 

[rduck1]

*Snert* Tami is as much of a relic as Erkka is. He'd haul half the team out of retirement if he could.

Plus his club team success has been limited to the minor level. IMO a national team coach needs to have a European top-level championship before even being considered. If we ever get relegated, I'd be happy to have him though.

 

[Erikfromfin]

well said.

About Komarov, I think it showed in the Olympics already that he just doesn't have it to be a top-6 player at the international level.
He wants to be there, he tries his best, he gives his all - but 3rd line is where he belongs. Energy forward, pest, he's perfect at that. But just not good enough to be a winger who is expected to put the puck into the net

Yea i agree. Komarov himself stated he wanted to try in NHL in bigger role but it just isnt there. Even i had some hope he would perform better in this tournament. I quess he will have to settle for being worlds better bottom six guys.

 

[rduck1]

In non-WHC news: Karri Kivi is leaving the U-20 team for the Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL. Hannu Aravirta has been approached about the U-20 job, and says he's not averse to it. Rautakorpi is also moving to the KHL, and there are rumours around Marjamäki as well. It seems Finnish coaches will soon be the majority in the KHL.

 

[teddy83]

In non-WHC news: Karri Kivi is leaving the U-20 team for the Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL. Hannu Aravirta has been approached about the U-20 job, and says he's not averse to it. Rautakorpi is also moving to the KHL, and there are rumours around Marjamäki as well. It seems Finnish coaches will soon be the majority in the KHL.

So Urama the next coach of U-20? He was so awesome with the U-18 guys......
Good for Karri but very bad for the u-20 club, was Kivi the first u-20 coach who actually went to north america to watch our CHL players play?

 

[BOB3000]

Noooooo! I always hoped that Kivi would have stayed in the national-team and by 2018 taking our Lions to its first olympic gold medal!

He is the only coach from Finland that I really liked... well good for him anyways.

 

[rduck1]

And so we've made the playoff rounds. It will take a monster performance from Rinne for us to have any chance against Canada, but he's certainly capable of providing that. Even for this disaster of a team everything is up for grabs.

 

[Killerinstinct]

With B-team to quarterfinals, not bad. Kick some Canadian ass

 

[FinPanda]

I am happy only about one thing = we didn't finish 9th.

 

[mattihp]

Do KHL teams get bonuses for having as many WCH-players as possible?

 

[rduck1]

Do KHL teams get bonuses for having as many WCH-players as possible?

Indirectly in the form of visibility to their players, which in turn improves the team's brand. More high profile players => more high profile team => more ticket and merchandise sales.

 

[FinPanda]

If we lose to Canada are we 7th or 8th? Just checked that Czech and France have 10 points so they will have 11/12 or 10 and 13.

If France have 11 who will be 7th?

 

[FiLe]

If we lose to Canada are we 7th or 8th?

If Czechs win against France on regulation, 7th. If France gets a point and gets to 11, they'll have better GD. Finland 8th.

If the Czechs lose, Finland will be 7th either based on points or GD.

This all on assumption that an elite country wins its QF, of course.

 

[FinPanda]

If Czechs win against France on regulation, 7th. If France gets a point and gets to 11, they'll have better GD. Finland 8th.

If the Czechs lose, Finland will be 7th either based on points or GD.

This all on assumption that an elite country wins its QF, of course.

Ok thanks!

 

[Mehar]

With B-team to quarterfinals, not bad. Kick some Canadian ass

You have your B team, but Canada has its D team, and i am surprised they actually are first place (LOL). Anyways- as a Canadian, i am nervous about this Finland game. I wanted Belarus rather than Finland. Canada has not won in the QF in 5 years. I just want them to get over this QF hurdle. I think Rinne can win this for Finland. I have seen the guy at his best, and he can be dominant. Right now- i give the edge to Finland. Hope i am wrong though. Looking forward to a great game!

 

[QnebO]

You have your B team, but Canada has its D team, and i am surprised they actually are first place (LOL). Anyways- as a Canadian, i am nervous about this Finland game. I wanted Belarus rather than Finland. Canada has not won in the QF in 5 years. I just want them to get over this QF hurdle. I think Rinne can win this for Finland. I have seen the guy at his best, and he can be dominant. Right now- i give the edge to Finland. Hope i am wrong though. Looking forward to a great game!

This is not our B team to be honest.. Probably this is C at best, because we are missing top Liiga players and many KHL top players plus, ofcourse, NHL players. We had better team on paper in Helsinki EHT tournament early this year..

 

[rduck1]

You have your B team, but Canada has its D team

Which is still on par with our A-team as far as any individual merits are concerned. All we going for us is Rinne.

 

[Idontlikebacon]

You have your B team, but Canada has its D team, and i am surprised they actually are first place (LOL). Anyways- as a Canadian, i am nervous about this Finland game. I wanted Belarus rather than Finland. Canada has not won in the QF in 5 years. I just want them to get over this QF hurdle. I think Rinne can win this for Finland. I have seen the guy at his best, and he can be dominant. Right now- i give the edge to Finland. Hope i am wrong though. Looking forward to a great game!

If we play against each other 10 times.. Canada would win 9 times soo.. Im going to give the edge to Canada.

 

[Erikfromfin]

This is almost perfect scenario to go into that match against Canada. With lesser material underdog team that was on the brink of elimination. Best goalkeeper by a mile in the tournament and leading players yet to play theyre best games I have great trust theyll beat team Canada. Forget the skill vs grinder ratios etc this is a new game. Character and will to win will decide it and Rinne, one way or the another.

 

[FiLe]

Finland is closer to its D team too, to be frank. Here is a list of players that all could have made this team in some capacity or other but were sidelined. There are roughly 35 names on that list. And that's only counting the guys players, not the NHLers. With them, the list would be around 60 strong.

Finland is missing three teams' worth of guys. So very much a D team.


It'll be interesting to see how this team fares against Canada. It's true that nobody will disappointed if they don't win. The history in a meeting like this has not been kind to Finland, no matter the team though. Save for a handful of bronze games, last time Finland has managed to beat Canada in the final round (QF, SF, Final) was in 1991.

 

[FiLe]

Forget the skill vs grinder ratios etc this is a new game.

Even if they manage to eke out a win here, the team was still put together in a completely frigged up manner. I'm not swaying from that stance even if they somehow win gold.

Messing up with the team composition does not, after all, make it impossible to win. But it does make it hell of a lot harder.

 

[Gaps]

You have your B team, but Canada has its D team, and i am surprised they actually are first place (LOL). Anyways- as a Canadian, i am nervous about this Finland game. I wanted Belarus rather than Finland. Canada has not won in the QF in 5 years. I just want them to get over this QF hurdle. I think Rinne can win this for Finland. I have seen the guy at his best, and he can be dominant. Right now- i give the edge to Finland. Hope i am wrong though. Looking forward to a great game!

This is not our B team, more like the D team. Anyway, the material (and moral for a significant amount of time as well) of this Finnish team is so weak that with all due respect, if Canada doesn't win, the players should be ashamed of themselves. No offense. And that's even with taking Rinne into account.