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RW Kaapo Kakko - TPS, Liiga (2019 Draft) Part 3

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2+1 and one disallowed goal tonight, not too shabby.

In some Liiga games Laine was clutch as hell but he never had a game as dominant as Kakko was in this playoff game. Almost every shift he generated a scoring chance for his team.

Sucks for TPS fans that they only have couple more games left to enjoy Kakko but then again a quick playoff exit for TPS probably means that Kakko participates the U18 tournament. I can't be arsed to check the dates but I assume him participating U18s also makes him available for the WHC?
 
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Lepardi said:
The semi-finals will also end before the U18 tournament begins.

I tuned into the HPK vs. TPS game after my favorite team Ilves went 2-0 down, and the difference to the game in Tampere is like night and day. The North American(s) who said that Kakko doesn't have to face physical battles in Finland should really watch this. It's pretty darn entertaining and intense for an FEL game.
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It was more of a joke in my part, I dont think he will accept invite to u18 tbh. Rest and then aim for a great WC
 
u-18s are in Sweden, it's not like it's a long trip... I really don't see why he wouldn't go, assuming TPS loses 0-4 as expected.
 
Hokinaittii said:
Sucks for TPS fans that they only have couple more games left to enjoy Kakko but then again a quick playoff exit for TPS probably means that Kakko participates the U18 tournament.
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I only watched about 15 minutes of this game but it sounded like the fans from Turku were chanting more for Kakko than for the team.
 
fr9dd9 said:
It was more of a joke in my part, I dont think he will accept invite to u18 tbh. Rest and then aim for a great WC
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I doubt he'll be resting even if he doesn't go to the U18s. Finland's men's team is playing Norway on April 18th and 19th and Sweden on April 25th and 26th. He'll probably be taking part in those games if he doesn't join his fellow teenagers for the tournament in Sweden.
 
fr9dd9 said:
It was more of a joke in my part, I dont think he will accept invite to u18 tbh. Rest and then aim for a great WC
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Since the tournament is played in Sweden, there wouldn't much travelling for Kakko. So if his Liiga team gets eliminated and he has some time to rest, I could see him participating, especially if guys like Lundell, Heinola, Kokkonen etc are also participating. Those are all his teammates from junior years so I'm sure he would like to play one last time with them. Kakko is very competitive guy so I'm sure he would feel some pride in potentially winning the U18 championship.
 
Hokinaittii said:
I can't be arsed to check the dates but I assume him participating U18s also makes him available for the WHC?
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The U18 final will be on April 28th and the men's WHC begins 12 days later, on May 10th. The schedules easily make it possible to take part in both.

Hokinaittii said:
I could see him participating, especially if guys like Lundell, Heinola, Kokkonen etc are also participating. Those are all his teammates from junior years so I'm sure he would like to play one last time with them.
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So do we already think there's zero chance his NHL team releases him for the WJC next season?

I hope it won't be long before Kakko and Lundell get to play together at the men's WHC. I especially hope we get to see them here in Tampere in 2022, and I'd like to see Barkov, Aho, Rantanen and Kotkaniemi here too.
 
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Hokinaittii said:
Since the tournament is played in Sweden, there wouldn't much travelling for Kakko. So if his Liiga team gets eliminated and he has some time to rest, I could see him participating, especially if guys like Lundell, Heinola, Kokkonen etc are also participating. Those are all his teammates from junior years so I'm sure he would like to play one last time with them. Kakko is very competitive guy so I'm sure he would feel some pride in potentially winning the U18 championship.
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Also, if he's playing at Worlds, it'd make more sense to participate at u-18s than to not have any matches until then. TPS u-20 team isn't even in the playoffs.

Well, I guess he could always play with TPS's u-18 B-SM team and win the playoffs with them. I guess he'll do that anyway, even if he goes to u-18 worlds. That would be some domination.
 
Lepardi said:
The U18 final will be on April 28th and the men's WHC begins 12 days later, on May 10th. The schedules easily make it possible to take part in both.
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Not at all. That's almost two weeks rest between. He could play against Sweden at the Carlson Hockey games on the 5th before the Worlds.
 
ijuka said:
Also, if he's playing at Worlds, it'd make more sense to participate at u-18s than to not have any matches until then.
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Not having any matches until the WHC is not an issue. The men's national team will have plenty of games before May 10th. Two games against Denmark, two games against Norway, and two games against Sweden in April, and then the final EHT event in early May, where they play the Czechs, Russia, and Sweden. But I'd still rather see Kakko at the U18s because I think those games are more meaningful.
 
It was fun when Puljujärvi went to the U18 and dominated, Kakko is a bit different but his playing style could also wreck other kids.

He really is a special player, can't remember a young guy like him getting focused like that but still doing great.
 
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Esko6 said:
It was fun when Puljujärvi went to the U18 and dominated, Kakko is a bit different but his playing style could also wreck other kids.
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Puljujärvi barely even dominated IMO. Kakko's far, far better than Puljujärvi will ever be, also.
 
Lepardi said:
I only watched about 15 minutes of this game but it sounded like the fans from Turku were chanting more for Kakko than for the team.
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indeed.... but who else can u cheer to. Goalkeepers with 77,78% and 80% save%. Or 2nd/3th/4th line forwards who had combined 17 shots (0g), while 1st line had 13 (3g).
Anyway both these games was miserable to follow. Only positive thing in whole match was Kakko and 1st line. Still wondering how Tps was 2nd during season and when Kakko warmed up TPS collapsed as team...
I think that if we count all goals TPS has made in 2019 that Kakko is participating in 60-70% of them.

Anyway "where is our HONEY!!!!"
 
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Esko6 said:
Puljujärvi did almost whatever he wanted in the final.
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Whatever. To me Puljujärvi was a disappointment at u-18s. You could really see him exposed without Laine or Aho. Even Vesalainen was far more impressive.

I'd be shocked if Kakko performs nearly as poorly as Puljujärvi did. Or he'd need to just be coasting without effort.
 
Lepardi said:
Not having any matches until the WHC is not an issue. The men's national team will have plenty of games before May 10th. Two games against Denmark, two games against Norway, and two games against Sweden in April, and then the final EHT event in early May, where they play the Czechs, Russia, and Sweden. But I'd still rather see Kakko at the U18s because I think those games are more meaningful.
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Kakko's spot on the men's national team is by no means a done deal - he likely needs to prove himself in those games if he wants to crack the final roster. He's never even played at EHT. It would be extremely rare if he was selected without any games with the men's team. He may have to sacrifice the U18 Worlds if he wants to play at the men's tournament.
 
Esko6 said:
It was fun when Puljujärvi went to the U18 and dominated, Kakko is a bit different but his playing style could also wreck other kids.
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pulju dominated? so did u only followed iltalehti? cause after u16 pulju havent been dominate anywhere than in u20 wjc (between aho/laine) and massmedia hypetrains. When pulju was u16 there was lot of talks how he is next Gretzky.. but already in kärpät b-juniors he was just a bit better than mediocre player. And dont forget that he played in B and A-juniors with Aho.. It was odd for us that medias was praising puljujärvi and not aho who was carrying him.... in b-, a-jun. kärpät, wjc u20 ..... and then what happened when pulju went to all alone? snap. :D

So youre comparing Kakko to Pulju is same that we compare Pukki to Messi... nonsence...
 
JoukoPouko said:
Kakko's spot on the men's national team is by no means a done deal - he likely needs to prove himself in those games if he wants to crack the final roster. He's never even played at EHT. It would be extremely rare if he was selected without any games with the men's team. He may have to sacrifice the U18 Worlds if he wants to play at the men's tournament.
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Well, Kakko's an extremely rare player, naturally, and I'd expect him to get chosen regardless... But playing at u-18s doesn't even prevent him from playing at the EHT tournament in early May.
 
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ijuka said:
Whatever. To me Puljujärvi was a disappointment at u-18s. You could really see him exposed without Laine or Aho. Even Vesalainen was far more impressive.

I'd be shocked if Kakko performs nearly as poorly as Puljujärvi did. Or he'd need to just be coasting without effort.
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Well that WJC u18 was only tournament where pulju didnt play with Aho. Well in C-juniors he didnt play with Aho, but after c-juniors that was only time before nhl draft.
 
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