WC: Team Finland
- Thread starter Jarey Curry
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A small adjustment on File's I see. It's good. Rajala and Enlund are like placeholders if we would get two more NHL wingers somehow. Haula would take a center position from Lajunen or Niemi and would also knock Suomela to 3rd line.
San Jose beats Vegas and Haula joins:
Granlund-Koivu-Rantanen
Aho-Haula-Teräväinen
Rajala-Suomela-Armia/Salomäki
Savinainen-Niemi-Anttila
I won't dream of Laine yet. Let's keep it fair for other teams in WHC
.Vegas beats San Jose and Donskoi joins:
Granlund-Koivu-Rantanen
Donskoi-Aho-Teräväinen
Rajala-Suomela-Armia/Salomäki
Savinainen-Niemi-Anttila
Loffer
Registered User
- Sep 22, 2011
- 3,938
- 427
Well, if Cockunone is not coming but retired from the NT duties for good - and thank you for him for his reliable and diligent services, one fine man and an embodiment of traditional virtues of the Finnish Way, a true Lion Knight - I can tentatively give a green card to Mr. Koivu (as if anybody gave a f***!) as the unquestionable, firm and steady Leader and Master of the puppets and puppies (btw Granny famously has this startling similarity of look with Chucky the doll or something which actually, when you think about it, only adds to his strange golden boyish charisma; respectively the Carolina slick hand duo, both!, somebow and each in his own personal way manage to remind me of puppies, ain’t this odd and funny coincidence, guys?). But I said a green card (as if anyone gave a f***!), not a carte blanche, i.e., not an open mandate to use his high authority and superior leader status irresponsibly, anyway he wants in his (nonexistent) whims and without any check, internal or external, so doing unintentionally or not paralyzing all the young guns and their creative initiatives and stimuli in favour of ”more structured” and more rigorous game.
Now that you will read this anyhow while pondering whether to join Larry ”last days in the office for some ironic reason” Berry Hill’s youthful bunch of puppies & puppets or not, Mr. Koivu, undeniable Captain Finland with dead serious outlook and rigid dry stern voice in a desparate need for some urgent oiling, let me say this to You and Your undivided attention: Excercise Your Authority with great care and deepest precaution like a caring eagle owl or rather pure white swan father who gently but firmly guides and encourages his off-spring to open their still wet and fragile wings and fly on their own for the very first time in the thin air so that they can travel alongside their master captain when the time comes, not as inferiors but as fair equals, side by side (though probably, while going through some rough patches, also in a more disciplined skein formation if navigational needs dictate this) all the way to the golden land of promise far away no matter how close and close by no matter how far (since this is the nature of this golden land and all of them, if you didn’t know) there somewhere where golden boughs bear golden ripe fruit and gentle breeze cools soft and smooth (and even more vulnerable) skin. I say: Do not shut nor steal the Sun from the eager young flock under your high command, do not hide their rising stars from the Shine, themselves shining, do not keep them in the bay, in the deep shadows of your vast wingspan. Instead: Let them fly and they will. Let them rise and they will. Let them have faith and they will . (Yes, some of them, the most daring rascals, might burn tips of their feathers rising too high too soon but they will not fall nor fail if they may but learn they will and they will learn fast. If Icarus fell once in the Sea flying too close to the Sun he did it with borrowed wings and borrowed confidence also known as hubris.)
Now, Mr. Koivu, ask yourself if you can truly do promise and keep it and let the fly boys do their thing and fly, fly and shine free as birds of youth on the blue and white spring sky in the bright sunlight (foretelling Victory), not shrink and shiver under your restrictive voice and stern watch in the deep shadows of your larger than life figure. If yes, go for it and stamp your ticket. Otherwise - forget about it! I mean it.
Now that you will read this anyhow while pondering whether to join Larry ”last days in the office for some ironic reason” Berry Hill’s youthful bunch of puppies & puppets or not, Mr. Koivu, undeniable Captain Finland with dead serious outlook and rigid dry stern voice in a desparate need for some urgent oiling, let me say this to You and Your undivided attention: Excercise Your Authority with great care and deepest precaution like a caring eagle owl or rather pure white swan father who gently but firmly guides and encourages his off-spring to open their still wet and fragile wings and fly on their own for the very first time in the thin air so that they can travel alongside their master captain when the time comes, not as inferiors but as fair equals, side by side (though probably, while going through some rough patches, also in a more disciplined skein formation if navigational needs dictate this) all the way to the golden land of promise far away no matter how close and close by no matter how far (since this is the nature of this golden land and all of them, if you didn’t know) there somewhere where golden boughs bear golden ripe fruit and gentle breeze cools soft and smooth (and even more vulnerable) skin. I say: Do not shut nor steal the Sun from the eager young flock under your high command, do not hide their rising stars from the Shine, themselves shining, do not keep them in the bay, in the deep shadows of your vast wingspan. Instead: Let them fly and they will. Let them rise and they will. Let them have faith and they will . (Yes, some of them, the most daring rascals, might burn tips of their feathers rising too high too soon but they will not fall nor fail if they may but learn they will and they will learn fast. If Icarus fell once in the Sea flying too close to the Sun he did it with borrowed wings and borrowed confidence also known as hubris.)
Now, Mr. Koivu, ask yourself if you can truly do promise and keep it and let the fly boys do their thing and fly, fly and shine free as birds of youth on the blue and white spring sky in the bright sunlight (foretelling Victory), not shrink and shiver under your restrictive voice and stern watch in the deep shadows of your larger than life figure. If yes, go for it and stamp your ticket. Otherwise - forget about it! I mean it.
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BB88
Registered User
- Jan 19, 2015
- 41,758
- 22,246
Kaps speed would be a threat, and fun to watch.
With Laine missing practises I'd be very surprised if we saw him at the Worlds this year if Jets get eliminated, I really hope they don't though.
b0rn2beWild
Registered User
- Dec 8, 2011
- 197
- 12
Is it confirmed that Kappy plays for AHL-Marlies rest of the playoffs?
It was fun to watch him against Bruins. There will be some penalty kill-magic with MG if he joins this tournament.
It was fun to watch him against Bruins. There will be some penalty kill-magic with MG if he joins this tournament.
Amidst all this speculation, I can't help thinking that our management could well be planning something no armchair analyst can think of... because more often than not, they actually do. Coaches are funny like that. If he's hesitant to split Koivu and Granlund, maybe he ends up inviting Lajunen and planting him in the middle of the Carolina duo. Rolewise, it would kinda make sense.
I also keep thinking about special teams rolings, because they sometimes give insight about ES lines as well. I'd say Koivu and Rantanen would not end up being on the same PP unit, because like Aho and Granlund, they're natural fits for the same role - front-of-net presence and secondary playmaker. So perhaps the TT-Aho-Rantanen line becomes a reality, and to complement MiG and Koivu, our coach is just going to plant someone like Junttila as the third wheel. Then Lajunen gets invited and they play musical chairs in the bottom-six with him, Niemi and Suomela in regards to who's going to be the extra forward. And in the end, Suomela ends up being the odd man out, because Lajunen is much more useful in a multitude of roles whereas Suomela is pretty much a pure offensive playmaker - unquestionably an apt one at that - and thus not the first choice for PK duty.
You just know that when the final team is picked and we see those first reports of practice lineups, there's always something that makes us go, "what the heck is he thinking?" In fact, we could say the most surprising thing is if there isn't such a moment.
Gsus
MVP
Looks like he isn't coming over anytime soon.
Suddenly excited for this team. Actually the best team in years considering the amount of NHL'ers and the quality of them.
Legend Leinonen
Registered User
Size may be overrated, but since this team seems to be already overloaded with smallish wingers (Granlund, Aho, Teräväinen, Savinainen), I'd really consider Kristian Vesalainen over Rajala (or Pulkkinen for what it's worth).
A line of
Vesalainen-Koivu-Rantanen
Could potentially be really good imo.
Well, Vesalainen had dissapointing Finals numbers-wise, and I do understand it's kinda unlikely at this point that he makes the team - but just my 2 cents.
A line of
Vesalainen-Koivu-Rantanen
Could potentially be really good imo.
Well, Vesalainen had dissapointing Finals numbers-wise, and I do understand it's kinda unlikely at this point that he makes the team - but just my 2 cents.
Loffer
Registered User
- Sep 22, 2011
- 3,938
- 427
Let’s see how things pan out. They usually do settle themselvess quite well and in an orderly fashion all the pieces of the puzzle taking care of themselves in the end finding the slots of fit, and the role of the coach is more that of a sensitive midwife letting this natural flow and self-organisation happen without forcing unnatural combinations with no mutual spontaneity or temperamental similarity/complementarity, referred to as ’chemistry’ and lack of it also.
The roster has the potential of shaping into a very interesting, refreshingly sparkling and bubbling mix of up and coming young blood one could characterize with the tag ”almost famous” combined with already established, yet still relatively young star power with a recognized hockey celebrity status complemented, hopefully, with only a hint of salty veteran presence known as experience and slow feet - plus a free ticket to join. If Mr. Berry Hill can keep his shit together and inhibit those characteristic disciplinary obsessions he is infamously known of overcoaching and micromanaging cautiously all the flow out of the game this team has all the needed ingredients for creative offensive game with dynamic fast paced transitions in which the need for speed and wit are both met and satisfied. Only Larry Berry Hill himself can spoil the promise (maybe with a keen help of Captain Koivu) and he surely has the capacity and personal attributes for that but let’s hope the guy has finally made his homework and sat his time in detention and ends his brief and bizarre stint in the NT with a high note.
As a former defense man turned to a winger myself I appreciate these modern allround Ds with offensive capabilities, soft hands and smooth skating combined with a sharp eye for the flow - that makes me drool. These intelligent skilled mobile defenders - they make the game and my day. And here we have the most exciting promise of the still evolving roster, all these names Honka, Heiskanen, Jokiharju, Juolevi etc. (and who was this Riikola, hopefully of the same brave family, some poor man’s Heiskanen??) - they all should be slotted in with a bold non-hesitating and unprejudiced mindset (not only the first two names on the list) and the magic (and evolution) will happen from the get go, from the flow of easy break outs and natural puck moving prowess out of the troubles way.
Will Mr. Berry Hill bend and break under pressure resorting to his old bad habits and safe conservative choices, especially when the heat is on and most intense? He surely might but had he any ambition of being remembered of any, even the most modest, legacy left behind his bizarre and brief period as the NT head coach he should do just the opposite, just the opposite of his personal makeup and temperamental inclinations and give the needed power and freedom to the new generation of creative skilled confident players for the inevitable development and change to take place. That might indeed be a tall order. Too tall to a short man like Mr. Larry Berry Hill.
The roster has the potential of shaping into a very interesting, refreshingly sparkling and bubbling mix of up and coming young blood one could characterize with the tag ”almost famous” combined with already established, yet still relatively young star power with a recognized hockey celebrity status complemented, hopefully, with only a hint of salty veteran presence known as experience and slow feet - plus a free ticket to join. If Mr. Berry Hill can keep his shit together and inhibit those characteristic disciplinary obsessions he is infamously known of overcoaching and micromanaging cautiously all the flow out of the game this team has all the needed ingredients for creative offensive game with dynamic fast paced transitions in which the need for speed and wit are both met and satisfied. Only Larry Berry Hill himself can spoil the promise (maybe with a keen help of Captain Koivu) and he surely has the capacity and personal attributes for that but let’s hope the guy has finally made his homework and sat his time in detention and ends his brief and bizarre stint in the NT with a high note.
As a former defense man turned to a winger myself I appreciate these modern allround Ds with offensive capabilities, soft hands and smooth skating combined with a sharp eye for the flow - that makes me drool. These intelligent skilled mobile defenders - they make the game and my day. And here we have the most exciting promise of the still evolving roster, all these names Honka, Heiskanen, Jokiharju, Juolevi etc. (and who was this Riikola, hopefully of the same brave family, some poor man’s Heiskanen??) - they all should be slotted in with a bold non-hesitating and unprejudiced mindset (not only the first two names on the list) and the magic (and evolution) will happen from the get go, from the flow of easy break outs and natural puck moving prowess out of the troubles way.
Will Mr. Berry Hill bend and break under pressure resorting to his old bad habits and safe conservative choices, especially when the heat is on and most intense? He surely might but had he any ambition of being remembered of any, even the most modest, legacy left behind his bizarre and brief period as the NT head coach he should do just the opposite, just the opposite of his personal makeup and temperamental inclinations and give the needed power and freedom to the new generation of creative skilled confident players for the inevitable development and change to take place. That might indeed be a tall order. Too tall to a short man like Mr. Larry Berry Hill.
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Legend Leinonen
Registered User
^That most likely means Koivu is not coming.
Anyway the more I think about this the more it makes sense to include Vesalainen to the forward group. He really brings qualities missing from the rest of the gang, who apart from Rantanen, seem to be made pretty much from the same mould.
Anyway the more I think about this the more it makes sense to include Vesalainen to the forward group. He really brings qualities missing from the rest of the gang, who apart from Rantanen, seem to be made pretty much from the same mould.
If Granlund and Aho are centers and we are getting no more pieces from NHL then I really hope for Pulkinenn and it has to be the below for me:
TT-AHO-RANTANEN
Pulkinenn-Granlund-Rajala
Sheer fun to watch. I suspect it will come undone in the latter stages physically but man will we have fun along the way.
TT-AHO-RANTANEN
Pulkinenn-Granlund-Rajala
Sheer fun to watch. I suspect it will come undone in the latter stages physically but man will we have fun along the way.
Legend Leinonen
Registered User
FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
Marjamäki planning to use MiG and Aho as centers is indeed a strong inclination that Koivu has declined. The good news is that this will be big ice, which makes these two better suited for the role than in the NHL.
It also allows Late to stuff the lineup with as many of his winger familiars as possible, since we have a ton of them on the camp roster.
Something like:
Rajala* - Granlund - Rantanen
Savinainen - Aho - Teräväinen
Peltola* - Suomela - Junttila*
Enlund - Niemi - Anttila
*Or Pesonen/Kiiskinen/Jormakka/Manninen/Palola, etc, etc.
Furthermore, no way he adds Vesalainen into the mix, since he has too many tough cuts to make as it is. Not that I'd mind being wrong on this one.
It also allows Late to stuff the lineup with as many of his winger familiars as possible, since we have a ton of them on the camp roster.
Something like:
Rajala* - Granlund - Rantanen
Savinainen - Aho - Teräväinen
Peltola* - Suomela - Junttila*
Enlund - Niemi - Anttila
*Or Pesonen/Kiiskinen/Jormakka/Manninen/Palola, etc, etc.
Furthermore, no way he adds Vesalainen into the mix, since he has too many tough cuts to make as it is. Not that I'd mind being wrong on this one.
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FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
Palola, Jormakka and Puustinen have at least shown something with the national team. What has Pulkkinen ever done?
BusQuets
Registered User
- Jul 16, 2010
- 12,103
- 3,095
He has only 10 games and 4 points so not much of a sample size. Pulkkinen however has outperformed everyone of them vastly in his career outside of men's national team. So educated guess would be that he would do the same in men's national team if given the same role as they have had.
Vesalainen looked really tired for the majority of the playoffs, his skating is nowhere near the level it was few months ago, don't really see a point in inviting him.
Jarto
Registered User
- Feb 12, 2016
- 76
- 11
A week is more than enough of rest for a young guy like Vesalainen. I really hope he gets an invite and makes the team, would love to see how he manages against NHL stars.
FinPanda
Barkov Stanley cup champ!
Teemu Pulkkisen NHL-unelma jäihin, palaamassa Eurooppaan – "AHL-pelit osaltani pelattu"
They didn't even ask Pulkkinen. Not surprised.
They didn't even ask Pulkkinen. Not surprised.
Irishguy42
Mr. Preachy
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