WC: Team Finland

[Vohaul]

Im not ready to go in "praise Marjamäki" mode just yet, but for the majority of this tournament so far this has probably been the most entertaining team Finland I've seen maybe outside of WJC 2016 in the last decade.

Maybe the word championship in 2016 had an even stronger team with the likes of Laine, Koivu, Barkov, Koskinen etc but i feel Kari Jalonen is a very conservative coach and the attitude and style this team has been playing is just so much fun to watch. Its good we have loads of exciting youngsters like Tolvanen and Heiskanen and even the captains Granlund, Aho and Rantanen are all pretty young still. Just never expected such an active and offense oriented playstyle from Marjamäki based on his past with The national team and Kärpät.

 

[Lepardi]

Manninen was probably the worst player with those penalties.

No need to use the plural. Manninen took one penalty.

 

[Ippenator]

No need to use the plural. Manninen took one penalty.

Sorry, you are wrong. Manninen took two penalties with only about 10 minutes of separation. And he was generally piss poor along with Jormakka. Neither should be playing at all in this class of a tournament.

 

[Lepardi]

Sorry, you are wrong. Manninen took two penalties with only about 10 minutes of separation.

Sorry, you are wrong. It was clear as day in the replays that it was Heiskanen whose stick hit the Canadian in the head at 32:35. The referees got the wrong man. That's why Manninen was shaking his head all the way into the penalty box.

 

[FiLe]

Guys, those of you who talk of QF spot secured now, this win gave so big boost that Germany will be taken out quite easily tomorrow. 5-2 I'll say. Should focus on theories or ways to avoid Sweden now.

I, instead, saw exactly something like this happening.

 

[BB88]

I have this bad feeling Pokka is going to be a regular on our national team and always play too much, his offensive skills are not that good.
Still trying to figure out how some think Kapanen is going to score 25+ next season.

3rd was great, too late but they woke up, again carried by the kids. Hopefully Marjamaki rewards them.

 

[QnebO]

Wonder why rantanen dove deep in same corner with kapanen but didint do anything there costing the 2on1 for germany, yet some biased haters blame kapanens iq after good rush.

 

[Legend Leinonen]

Wonder why rantanen dove deep in same corner with kapanen but didint do anything there costing the 2on1 for germany, yet some biased haters blame kapanens iq after good rush.

Kapanen made good rush - almost scored. And then backpedalled like crazy to try prevent German goal. Alas, "the brainless speedster" was too slow (due lactic accid buildup) to stop Germans from scoring. The irony.

He did nothing wrong on that play.

 

[Mestaruus]

I, instead, saw exactly something like this happening.

I saw both scenarios, just a matter of how you put the % on each side. I was slightly more towards us getting an easy win. It's a crapshoot really with this team. You can see that the team is very young now and surprising things happen, good and bad.

We do know that this team's weakness are back to back games, the second part of them of course. If Finland survives that far, Finland will get one more back to back game in semi final and the day after. It kinda sucks it could be the final, giving us the silver. However all other teams will be dealing with the same thing, unlike in our games vs DEN & GER, so it could be a different thing, hopefully. First need to make it that far though.

 

[Mestaruus]

I have this bad feeling Pokka is going to be a regular on our national team and always play too much, his offensive skills are not that good.
Still trying to figure out how some think Kapanen is going to score 25+ next season.

3rd was great, too late but they woke up, again carried by the kids. Hopefully Marjamaki rewards them.

KHL could do good for Pokka. He didn't seem to improve much in AHL and many AHL teams are said to be bad for development so maybe he was in the wrong place.

 

[Mestaruus]

Kapanen made good rush - almost scored. And then backpedalled like crazy to try prevent German goal. Alas, "the brainless speedster" was too slow (due lactic accid buildup) to stop Germans from scoring. The irony.

He did nothing wrong on that play.

Umm well, if we go into details he could've got on the other side of that player at the neutral zone instead so that 2on1 would've been 2on2, but I agree with you and Qnebo that Rantanen should be the scapegoat instead probably.

Doesn't really matter though. This one point was huge, so we aren't 4 points behind USA. Everything is in Finland's own hands still. Even if we had beat GER and got full points, we could've ended up with 3rd place of the group when Canada and USA could both pass us so the game in some way wasn't that meaningful.

Not facing SWE in the QF is the biggest thing for the tournament now and SUI is the dream. I'll take RUS or CZE no problem even though they seem good as well.

 

[FiLe]

Doesn't really matter though. This one point was huge, so we aren't 4 points behind USA. Everything is in Finland's own hands still. Even if we had beat GER and got full points, we could've ended up with 3rd place of the group when Canada and USA could both pass us so the game in some way wasn't that meaningful.

Well, getting the equalizer before the horn had a huge meaning. But the subsequent OT loss was largely meaningless. I'm sure this is what you meant, but had to clarify.

---

In other news and notes, I see Marjamäki made a line shuffle late in the third. He switched Kapanen and Tolvanen around, with Eeli going to the Granlund line and Kappy ending up into the 3rd. Will be curious to see if it sticks. I was kinda expecting it, but figured he'd do it on the break instead of going for it so late. Because of that, we didn't really get any meaningful data on whether it was for the better or not. Well, whether it was for the better for the top unit, I should say, since IMO, it was for the better of *Kapanen*, that I can say. After that switch, Kappy could immediately utilize his true strengths a lot better - as in, be a speedy pug hog that outskates the opposition and tires them down - instead of trying to be some kind of setup man or finisher. Eeli, instead...

Luckily they have an off day tomorrow, so they can keep honing the new lines if Late wishes to stick to it.

It'll also be interesting to see if something else happens in the third. I'd kinda like to see Suomela back. Not because Manninen has been horribad centering the unit, but he hasn't exactly felt like an improvement either. But at least Suomela is a pure centre, and because of that, he's been decent with faceoffs at least. So a line of Manninen/Jormakka-Suomela-Kapanen might not be any great scoring thread, but at least it could somehow fill the skates of a classic energy line. Suomela picks up the faceoff, then they pass the puck on to Kapanen, who will take it over the blueline, make a round or two around the o-zone, and then end the attempt in a shot - which, at minimum, creates an o-zone start for the next shift.

But we'll see. Could be that Late hangs onto Manninen, which doesn't really make the above scenario any less viable, except giving us a lower chance to pick up those FOs.

 

[Lepardi]

Not facing SWE in the QF is the biggest thing for the tournament now and SUI is the dream. I'll take RUS or CZE no problem even though they seem good as well.

If Canada ends up second in this group and Finland fourth, I can't see why Sweden and Russia would battle too hard for the first place in group A in their game on Tuesday. I can't see what good winning that game would do in that scenario.

 

[Mestaruus]

In other news and notes, I see Marjamäki made a line shuffle late in the third. He switched Kapanen and Tolvanen around, with Eeli going to the Granlund line and Kappy ending up into the 3rd. Will be curious to see if it sticks. I was kinda expecting it, but figured he'd do it on the break instead of going for it so late. Because of that, we didn't really get any meaningful data on whether it was for the better or not. Well, whether it was for the better for the top unit, I should say, since IMO, it was for the better of *Kapanen*, that I can say. After that switch, Kappy could immediately utilize his true strengths a lot better - as in, be a speedy pug hog that outskates the opposition and tires them down - instead of trying to be some kind of setup man or finisher. Eeli, instead...

Luckily they have an off day tomorrow, so they can keep honing the new lines if Late wishes to stick to it.

It'll also be interesting to see if something else happens in the third. I'd kinda like to see Suomela back. Not because Manninen has been horribad centering the unit, but he hasn't exactly felt like an improvement either. But at least Suomela is a pure centre, and because of that, he's been decent with faceoffs at least. So a line of Manninen/Jormakka-Suomela-Kapanen might not be any great scoring thread, but at least it could somehow fill the skates of a classic energy line. Suomela picks up the faceoff, then they pass the puck on to Kapanen, who will take it over the blueline, make a round or two around the o-zone, and then end the attempt in a shot - which, at minimum, creates an o-zone start for the next shift.

But we'll see. Could be that Late hangs onto Manninen, which doesn't really make the above scenario any less viable, except giving us a lower chance to pick up those FOs.

Not sure if they should change much for the USA game, considering how well the lines worked vs Canada which is of course similar to USA. I'd be totally okay with swapping Kappy & Eeli if that is the only change and if it really helped Kapanen that much. Eeli has been pretty damn productive point wise in his two games though so not sure Late should change his line.

By the way, Mtv3 mentioned today before the game was played that Finland doesn't have any of it's players in the top-30 of faceoffs in the tournament stats. That's a pretty terrifying statistic going forward vs top teams in playoff games.

 

[FiLe]

Not sure if they should change much for the USA game, considering how well the lines worked vs Canada which is of course similar to USA. I'd be totally okay with swapping Kappy & Eeli if that is the only change and if it really helped Kapanen that much. Eeli has been pretty damn productive point wise in his two games though so not sure Late should change his line.

To be frank, Tolvanen has pretty much made his own luck so far. His current line has not exactly hindered his play, true, but neither have Jormakka and Manninen helped him a lot.

But yeah, if we see a change, it's likely going to be Kapanen <-> Tolvanen and that's it.


Of course, if Marjamäki takes a look at the FO statistic, that could advocate bringing Suomela back. Not that it'd be any massive boon, since Suomela would hardly be on the ice when it's time for any big draws. But even starting a regular shift with the puck every now and then would be nice, instead of having to claw it back every time.

 

[thestudent]

just all around poor coaching...

Swedish players are falling all over to play for the national team, but not Finnish players.

meethinks Berry Hill is the reason

 

[Sanf]

I felt that Suomela was rather useless in the first games. But then again I didn´t fully underastand why he was dropped just when Tolvanen came around and was placed in third line. They might have even clicked. At first I was hoping that they would place Tolvanen at the first line, but now I´m more than happy with him in third. He can make it dangerous even by his own.

Still not happy about our physical play. They look like kids out there (well...). Puck battles are sometimes hard to watch.

 

[torniojaws]

By the way, Mtv3 mentioned today before the game was played that Finland doesn't have any of it's players in the top-30 of faceoffs in the tournament stats. That's a pretty terrifying statistic going forward vs top teams in playoff games.

Quite interesting, since in the Canada game the eye test told that Finland won them quite regularly, or at least the losses were non-threatening.

 

[BB88]

KHL could do good for Pokka. He didn't seem to improve much in AHL and many AHL teams are said to be bad for development so maybe he was in the wrong place.

He needs to improve his skating by a mile, and get some IQ.

I'd test Tolvanen in the top6 now.

 

[Eye of Ra]

how would best possible team finland look like right now?

my stab on it :

Laine - Barkov - Rantanen
Mikael Granlund - Aho - Teräväinen
Haula - Koivu - Donskoi
Kapanen - Filppula - Armia

Määttä - Ristolainen
Lindell - Vatanen
Lepistö - Nutivaara

Raanta
Rinne
Saros

 

[LAINEC]

I have that same odd fiiling like before Canada game. Maybe we can win USA like we won Canada. Usually i keep my mouth shut but many these young players has won big games/tournaments before.

 

[FinPanda]

This team is so weird. They can beat anyone and lose to anyone. Feels like another QF exit. I almost don't want to win the group as it would be a massive disappointment to lose against France/Switzerland/Slovakia.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

I have that same odd fiiling like before Canada game. Maybe we can win USA like we won Canada. Usually i keep my mouth shut but many these young players has won big games/tournaments before.

In Marjamäki hockey anything can happen but, lets be realistic here.

First time in this tournament we face a team with strong goaltending,offence and defence
- the mind wants, but the body isn't willing -

This time the studio boys can't give the goalie advantage to Finland in the preview, or on any other for that matter.
- Keith Kinkaid was the New Jersey Devils #1 goalie this season, with Taylor Hall they were the biggest reason
why Devils reached to the play-offs (yes, yes, yes, the play-offs went how it went from Kinkaid but,
at these games Kinkaid has been really good).

 

[illone84]

In Marjamäki hockey anything can happen but, lets be realistic here.

First time in this tournament we face a team with strong goaltending,offence and defence
- the mind wants, but the body isn't willing -

This time the studio boys can't give the goalie advantage to Finland in the preview, or on any other for that matter.
- Keith Kinkaid was the New Jersey Devils #1 goalie this season, with Taylor Hall they were the biggest reason
why Devils reached to the play-offs (yes, yes, yes, the play-offs went how it went from Kinkaid but,
at these games Kinkaid has been really good).

Yet it's the same US team that almost lost to Latvia a few days ago, and had to beat them in OT.

Finland can win this game if they play with the same tempo vs Canada. Skate hard, forecheck aggressively, block shots, and get good goaltending from H.S.

Finland 4 USA 3 in OT.

 

[DoubleGold]

Impossible to say how the game ends. We could beat them, but I'm not hopeful on getting gold anymore. This team is way too unpredictable.