WC: Team Finland

[Mestaruus]

Young and offensively talented Finnish group. Very refreshing, well done Marjamäki. I have zero complains.

Finland's group has tougher than normal Germany (Olympic team + Draisaitl) and Denmark (home team, Toronto's goalie, maybe Ehlers etc), which could've caused problems with wrong Finnish team selections, now after the selections I have a lot of faith that Germany and Denmark will be easily dealt with, securing us a better seed for the game of death, which is everything for this tournament.

Canada and USA are the main opponents for us in the group stage and it will be interesting to see what happens against teams full of NHL players. With Euro sized rink we can pull off some upsets. I predict that we beat one, if not both of USA or Canada, securing #1 or #2 spot of the group.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Couldn't care less (sort of) still rooting for us thou...(duh), but Marjamäki is such a turn-off for me,
he always finds ways to lose when it counts the most. . another turn-off; always alters his tactics more
defensive at games, that what was seen at EHT won't occur at the worlds.

Few positives: selecting Suomela was good from Marjamäki,
Pesonen&Mäenalanen too, Husso selection was a pleasant surprise

The negatives: selecting Riikola over Jokiharju was a bonehead move,
Manninen,Palola,Kapanen* and maybe even Jormakka all bad selections,
i'd prefer; Vesalainen,Sandell,Immonen,Pyörälä

* am i mad you say?, well...as good as Kappy seems to be,
he mostly is tons of speed and nothing else, i'm thinking many hair pulling,grabbing and
yelling "open net, why can't you score !!!" moments because of missed scoring opportunities.
Yeah, he scored that highlight reel goal and all, but mostly that's not him,
that's not what us fans should expect from him at these upcoming worlds .

Kappy is our own Aaron Lennon of hockey

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Finland's group has tougher than normal Germany (Olympic team + Draisaitl) and Denmark (home team, Toronto's goalie, maybe Ehlers etc), which could've caused problems with wrong Finnish team selections, now after the selections I have a lot of faith that Germany and Denmark will be easily dealt with, securing us a better seed for the game of death, which is everything for this tournament.

Canada and USA are the main opponents for us in the group stage and it will be interesting to see what happens against teams full of NHL players. With Euro sized rink we can pull off some upsets. I predict that we beat one, if not both of USA or Canada, securing #1 or #2 spot of the group.

That is so not gonna happen | you sure have faith in Marjamäki, oh-boy,...
if we don't get scored 6 times against in both USA and Canada games,.. that's already a win for us.

Super tough group for us, usually we never play against Canada nor USA in the round robin,
Germany&Denmark rarely. Norway always seem to play their best game of the tournament against us,
can't say much about Latvia, Korea should be a cake walk.

 

[Mestaruus]

That is so not gonna happen | you sure have faith in Marjamäki, oh-boy,...
if we don't get scored 6 times against in both USA and Canada games,.. that's already a win for us.

Super tough group for us, usually we never play against Canada nor USA in the round robin,
Germany&Denmark rarely. Norway always seem to play their best game of the tournament against us,
can't say much about Latvia, Korea should be a cake walk.

Euro rink is a big deal vs USA and Canada. They very often play below expectations in Europe on all levels, men's, U20 and U18. You could see it with Canada vs Czech in U18. These surprising results have happened all the time during the years in Euro sized rinks for NA teams and will continue to happen.

What it comes to Marjamäki, it is true that it's not easiest one to predict. He can do something unpredictable and stupid and ruin it for us. I'm hoping he has learnt from his mistakes by now and will finally get a good result from this tournament. Same story was said before every tournament I know but I'm hoping it's finally going to bring in a good result and these player selections are supporting that the play style is going to be more offensive minded.

Canada's roster seems tough as hell, there's no denying that, with the Coach Bill Peters who coached them to the gold in WHC 2 years ago, beating our team in the final I believe. I think the same story could happen now, where we beat Canada once, but in the rematch we would lose to them.

 

[Eye of Ra]

if erik thorell was from finland would he be part of this team?

 

[BennsGonnaGetYou]

When will it be announced who gets the C and A's? What's your thoughts peeps?

 

[Blue prez]

Where're Lepisto and Hartikainen, btw?

 

[Mestaruus]

When will it be announced who gets the C and A's? What's your thoughts peeps?

File convinced me that the captain will be Granlund and now that there's no Peltola, it seems quite obvious. Other captain choice could be Pesonen but i think he will be (A). Rantanen, Aho or Nutivaara will get the second (A). Kärppä backgrounds would matter in Aho's and Nutivaara's cases.

 

[FiLe]

if erik thorell was from finland would he be part of this team?

Maybe, maybe not. We have a couple of forwards like Manninen and Jormakka who are roughly the same caliber as him. Then again, Marjamäki also cut/didn't invite a plenty of forwards, like Rajala, Puustinen, Haapala, and Junttila, who are on the same level.

So, no, it wouldn't be a given Thorell would make it, were he a Finn. And if he did make it, he would likely be an extra or at best a third liner.

When will it be announced who gets the C and A's? What's your thoughts peeps?

C - Granlund. One A to a veteran forward, either Pesonen or Savinainen. Another A to a future leader, either Rantanen or Aho.

 

[Solnik]

Good roster overall. Kinda pity that Jokiharju and Juolevi couldn't make it but their time will come sooner than later.

I'm happy for Mäenalanen, he was a beast during the entire Playoffs. Who knows, maybe it will give him a boost and eventually he'll end up in the NHL just like his mates from that famous 2014 WJC line.

 

[Razamanaz]

Couldn't care less (sort of) still rooting for us thou...(duh), but Marjamäki is such a turn-off for me,
he always finds ways to lose when it counts the most. . another turn-off; always alters his tactics more
defensive at games, that what was seen at EHT won't occur at the worlds.

Few positives: selecting Suomela was good from Marjamäki,
Pesonen&Mäenalanen too, Husso selection was a pleasant surprise

The negatives: selecting Riikola over Jokiharju was a bonehead move,
Manninen,Palola,Kapanen* and maybe even Jormakka all bad selections,
i'd prefer; Vesalainen,Sandell,Immonen,Pyörälä

* am i mad you say?, well...as good as Kappy seems to be,
he mostly is tons of speed and nothing else, i'm thinking many hair pulling,grabbing and
yelling "open net, why can't you score !!!" moments because of missed scoring opportunities.
Yeah, he scored that highlight reel goal and all, but mostly that's not him,
that's not what us fans should expect from him at these upcoming worlds .

Kappy is our own Aaron Lennon of hockey

Well, that ain't exactly what the craving Toronto Maple Leafs-fans write and say about him (Kapanen) playwise and what I have seen of him myself on the telly.

He should have a way more prominent role in the Toronto-rooster than that the poor:
Around-9-minute-a-no-go-defensive-role that bonehard coach Babcock have only gave him in Toronto this season.

They/me think.

But coach Mike Babcock is a ol' bonehead, remember.

Well, he's been around quite a lot.

And I'm actually forced to hold with him with one thing ...

... Kasperi Kapanen is a way better player today (defensive!) then when he jumped on the NHL-bandwagon!

 

[Mestaruus]

^
I also think that Kapanen has gone forward with his ability to finish and with his all around game. Still not expecting miracles as a finisher from him though. He's not Laine.

 

[Razamanaz]

And what the 'ell are some of you crying about already Finland!?

We freakin beat the Swedes on their home-turf for Christ sake - with maybe a fraction of our final rooster!

Yesus ... I thank God that our younger generation doesn't have the same mindset.

 

[Razamanaz]

... and Sweden had pretty much every NHL-player they will play with in the World Championships.

 

[MoeTheHobo]

As EHT, Pre-season results don't mean shit either

 

[Razamanaz]

Way better to win 'em - rather to lose 'em.

Comprende?

That means Finland can stand the heat.

 

[Mestaruus]

Way better to win 'em - rather to lose 'em.

Comprende?

That means Finland can stand the heat.

Wins can sometimes give one a false sense of feeling that things are going good and don't need to improve much. I think Finland has never won a WHC championship by winning all games. I know that U18 just did it, which is rare.

I would rather lose a game to our rivals once and then have a chance for a revenge later on in a more meaningful game. I don't want it to go like 2 years ago when we beat Canada's stars (McDavid, Corey Perry etc) 4-1 was it and then they could get a revenge on us in the final. No, I want it to go the other way around. It very often goes so that the top nations bounce back after a loss against the same opponent.

So I'm not saying losing is good, but wins dont matter unless it gives you a better seed for the QF match. It's totally meaningless whether you win these EHT games or don't win them.

 

[WhatWhat]

Thoughts on likely defensive pairings?

 

[Razamanaz]

Finland are one of a helluva hockeynation.

Nothing more and nothing less.

We (Finland) kicked the mighty USA right in their bollocks more worse than even The Sex Pistols did back in their heyday ... a couple a days ago in U-18 back in Russia.

And remember - there are cities in USA that are way bigger than whole of Finland!



So just follow the youngsters lead and you'll be fine in Denmark Leijonat!

 

[Legend Leinonen]

Wow.

 

[JJTT]

Thoughts on likely defensive pairings?

Who knows. Other than Kivistö-Honka none of them played in any practice games together.

I'd assume the will go with 6 or 7d-man at the start.

Kivistö-Honka
Nutivaara-Pokka
Koivisto-Heiskanen
Riikola
(Mikkola)

 

[Eye of Ra]

... and Sweden had pretty much every NHL-player they will play with in the World Championships.

sweden was terrible in the last eht before wht last year too,,,,sweden ended up with gold in that whc....eht means nothing

 

[kooma 13]

Oh my gooodness we are going to get burned on the penalty kill against Canada and USA in the group stage thats for sure.

 

[Loffer]

Some reactionary idioticism and turtling in the D cut like not including the rising stars of Juolevi and Jokiharju. Otherwise okay so far from Larry the Coach. Except this Mäenalanen or something. - Well, okay, yes, he scored in bunches on TT's line IIRC back in the day when Finland won the WJC gold in Gothenburg or something, so maybe he will bring the same spell of luck with him and will be slotted next to TT and Seabass.

 

[Sanf]

Oh my gooodness we are going to get burned on the penalty kill against Canada and USA in the group stage thats for sure.

PK is concern of mine too. Interesting to see overall how the special teams will be build.

I didn´t go through stats, but I believe this may be the youngest defence since mid 80s when Suhonen started to cut out the veterans. Koivisto is the oldest and he is 27! In late 90s we had that period when Timonen, Lydman, Niemi, Berg.. arrived to the team but even the there were few veterans. Would have loved Ohtamaa on the team though (especially looking at the PK).