WC: Team Finland

[teravaineSAROS]

Basically a nice addition with grit and tenacity. But nothing more. Welp, he might be able to play okay in any of the lines, replacing Clay Woman in the first, Kaps on the second and so forth. But then again, it would have a negative effect on the team spirit, which in this particular case smells already almost like teen spirit. In the end he would bring quite little value added on the table compared to the current squad. So, all in all, let Salomäki return to his ancestors' gyms to iron his muscles further.

Clay Woman? I can't tell if you're google translating the names or not

 

[Ippenator]

It's a minor injury and he can still play, but I guarantee you it's affecting him still. Should prove that Kapanen is taking the face offs over him and Rants has played center in the AHL and juniors (Kapanen has not as far as I'm concerned). He's not been the same even in the playoffs after his injury, it's not like he accidentally scored over 80pts... he isn't playing 100% I can tell you that for sure. Also Sakic let him to participate in the WJC in 2016 while he was suffering a minor injury back then too. He sucked there at first also, but was Finland's best player in the last two games. Hopefully he will be better in the important games this time too.

I’m pretty sure he is not injured. If he was he would say that there is something small and just belittle it and say that everyone plays injured at this point of the season. He wouldn’t straightforwardly deny being injured if he had at least something going on. I also don’t believe that he would have been let to come to the WHC if he was injured. Not just because of Sakic, but I also don’t believe that Marjamäki would have taken him if it was known that he has an injury.

He has not been playing differently than how I saw him play in many games last season. Not maybe at his best, but also not at his worst. Hasn’t found real chemistry with his linemates for sure. I think he would work much better with Aho and Teräväinen, but Marjamäki is one of those stupidly stubborn coach types that hold on to their original ideas practically to the bitter end, so I’m not expecting much of changes with the lines.

 

[illone84]

Leijonille ilouutisia NHL:stä: Eeli Tolvanen saapuu MM-kisoihin Tolvanen coming!

 

[FinPanda]

Very happy about Tolvanen.

 

[Loffer]

Leijonille ilouutisia NHL:stä: Eeli Tolvanen saapuu MM-kisoihin Tolvanen coming!

As expected. He should replace Kapanen who can adopt a pesky pest and hound dog role in the bottom 6.

 

[Razamanaz]

Ooops ... and that is the (good!) news already out!

'ere we go Leijonat!

 

[FinPanda]

Tolvanen-Granlund-Rantanen
Savinainen-Aho-Teräväinen
Kapanen-Suomela-Palola/Jormakka/Manninen
Anttila-Pesonen-Mäenalanen

 

[santeri]

Kapanen - Granlund - Rantanen
Savinainen - Aho - Teräväinen
Mäenalanen - Suomela - Tolvanen
Jormakka - Pesonen - Anttila
13. Manninen

 

[Loffer]

Clay Woman? I can't tell if you're google translating the names or not

There was a time when a guy named Paavo Haavikko (RIP), the most renowned and eminent intellectual poet of Finland during the latter half of the 20th century wrote: "I go into the arms of a clay woman, I go into the soil...". In Finnish actually which yields: "Minä menen savinaisen syliin, minä menen maahan"- put that to Google Translate and hope the best. To use the last remark as a pons asinorum let me add this team could also need some google translate when facing Canada tomorrow (?), it could give them a new secret weapon with nice old ring to it: Some digitalized Tiki Talk born in the depths of artificial intelligence: Tici Talc of Google to begin with. Hah.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Tolvanen-Granlund-Rantanen
Savinainen-Aho-Teräväinen
Kapanen-Suomela-Palola/Jormakka/Manninen
Anttila-Pesonen-Mäenalanen

Kapanen will have a brain aneurysm if Tolvanen takes his spot.

 

[FinPanda]

I don't know why they gave a roster sport for Palola instead of Niemi. Oh well. Typical Marjamäki, he just doesn't think.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Savinainen should not play in top 6, kapanen is much better . kapanen and tolvanen should both be in top 6

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Savinainen should not play in top 6, kapanen is much better . kapanen and tolvanen should both be in top 6

Wut? Savinainen has been excellent and that line should not be touched.

 

[Jussi]

As expected. He should replace Kapanen who can adopt a pesky pest and hound dog role in the bottom 6.

Tolvanen hasn't played a game for like 5 weeks. He needs to earn Kapanen's spot.

 

[edd1e]

How many natural centers we have on this team? 1?

 

[IceHockeyDude]

I think Tolvanen should play in top 2 lines but now we could have two deadly PP special teams. Granlund-Rantanen-Tolvanen-Heiskanen-Honka and TT-Aho-Kapanen-Nutivaara-Pokka.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Wut? Savinainen has been excellent and that line should not be touched.

he was not good enough for shl lmao

 

[TheFinnishTrap]

Well, Tolvanen should immediately take a spot on either PP, that's for sure. I'd like to see him even on the 1st PP, they need a shooter bad. As for even strength, the 2nd line shouldn't be touched, but on the 1st line Kapanen hasn't been that bad. Then again, if the 3rd line keeps playing like they have, he will be mostly wasted there, unless he is the spark that gets them going. Will be interesting to see how he lands, having rested he could be energized, or rusty.

 

[JJTT]

How many natural centers we have on this team? 1?

Suomela. Rest are wingers.

 

[FiLe]

I think Tolvanen should play in top 2 lines but now we could have two deadly PP special teams. Granlund-Rantanen-Tolvanen-Heiskanen-Honka and TT-Aho-Kapanen-Nutivaara-Pokka.

Savinainen over Pokka. Your PP2 needs a box player and it already has a RH shot in Kapanen.

---

So, the skater spots are now full with Tolvanen and Mikkola added. It's noteworthy however that they didn't register Kilpeläinen yet and can thus still add a goalie. It's a clear indicator that at least one of Rinne/Saros has not declined, as of right now. Fingers crossed.

 

[Razamanaz]

he was not good enough for shl lmao

Who even cares about that overhyped SHL, anyway?

Big bad Anttila wasn't "good" enough for SHL you may say - but still he's lurking around in Finlands National Team like a big Lurch even today.
Over even more prominent players, remember.

The same goes for hard-as-nails Savinainen - nobody ever never succeeds in Leksand, never ... too bad of a hockeyteam. Easy.

And the same goes for Örebro by the way!

 

[Gsus]

he was not good enough for shl lmao

Who cares?

The 2nd line is clicking so why on earth would you break it.

 

[schmiedi]

Rinne and Saros?

 

[Ippenator]

Kapanen will have a brain aneurysm if Tolvanen takes his spot.

But he seriously should, as Kapanen is really not in the national team anything more than he is in the NHL - just an energetic 3rd or 4th liner whom just does not have scoring skills and hockey IQ enough to play in the top 2 offensive lines efficiently.

Tolvanen goes also completely wasted if he will play in the 3rd or 4th lines, as those lines have no playmakers that he would really need to be efficient at this level. In my opinion a no-brainer that Tolvanen takes Kapanen’s spot after all.

 

[Mestaruus]

Other thing with Marjamäki is that I don´t like his center decisions. In big picture we have center problem and that´s not his fault. But he makes it worse by trying to be creative. Last year we had that Pihlström experiment. Pesonen as center has been fine, but I don´t think he should play center. And some of the selections seems to be made thinking he can play also center like Manninen (disapointment) and Mäenalanen (been mild surprise). The result ends up looking half-assed-

Agreed. Aho and Pesonen played center very little this season and MiG didn't do that at all. That is guaranteed to show in the faceoff % against top countries who have some natural star centers. It's a big give away. Marjamäki could've at least added Lajunen or something to the roster before the selections.