World Cup: 2016 World Cup-Team Finland II

[Sens of Anarchy]

1 Goal

 

[llwyd]

1 Goal

Yeah?

 

[Esko6]

Finland actually played pretty good some of the time when it mattered. The shooting percentage was just so abysmal that it makes everything look bad. A very young team and a new young coach at a level higher than the NHL, I would not panic yet.

 

[CashMash]

The golden era is truly upon us!!! Get the f out with that stuff

Expected that Finland would lose all games and they did. Looking at this roster how can anyone be surprised? The D looks awful and the offence has no firepower, great combination right there. Now things could be nice and dandy if it were the World Championships but this is not a tournament where teams send their B/C squads. That being said, Finland could have been better, 1 goal in 3 games is hilarious

Right now the team is in transition. The vets are not that good and the youngsters, who are really promising, are either not playing or just not ready to make a difference at this level.

I know, but our players usually manage anyway. Look at the Olympics. We were decimated with injuries last year. Koivu, Filppula, Barkov etc. Määttä was our best D-man too, wasn't he? That was best on best and it still ended in Bronze.

This tournament was just bad. No fight at all in the game against NA. Our D was too young and inexperienced.

Hopefully, the young guns have time to develop for the next tournament.

 

[snipes]

Finland will be fine. Relax, this was a good test for the young lions, your team is in transition. You guys will bounce back and learn from this experience.

This was a tournament featuring the best hockey players in the world, there is no shame. Suomi is beaten, but not defeated. Learn from this and come back stronger, Finns never quit when facing adversity.

 

[Tombu]

This team was so weak on paper you can't really be shocked of this outcome. I mean just look at that D. Ristolainen might be a very good #1D one day, but he's not there yet. He should be #2D or #3D on a tournament of this quality if you'd want a fighting chance. Or at the least he should have a quality D partner on his side.

Vatanen was thrown on a too big of a role. He's not good enough on his own end. He needs to be sheltered, and get PP time on O-zone starts. The trouble is, in this kinda tournament, the big boys are going to have elite players on all lines, so you can't properly shelter your D.

Määttä has been struggling with his game, mostly because of his health issues. He was benched on playoffs, that's how bad it was.

Pokka and Lindell, at this moment in time, are AHL players. Jokipakka is a bottom pairing guy.

Lepistö, who didn't make it in the NHL, outplayed everyone except Risto.

And then count in the minimal time to actually train the team together. Undoable.

 

[Mestaruus]

I think Komarov should have a year off of WHC and come for the Olympics. I think and hope that's what's going to happen. He's just setting it up so he won't be seen as a traitor next spring when he declines and since he has Russian surname people make weird conclusions etc. At 29 years old he should do few more international tournaments. He just burned himself out by joining in almost each international tournament lately or something.

 

[Don Corleone]

I know, but our players usually manage anyway. Look at the Olympics. We were decimated with injuries last year. Koivu, Filppula, Barkov etc. Määttä was our best D-man too, wasn't he? That was best on best and it still ended in Bronze.

I wouldn't make any conclusions based on the 2014 Olympics as it was just a weird tournament. The team magically got a bronze but many big nations fell flat on their face and played poor hockey. Heck even Sweden that went to the finals looked far from convincing. The only top nation that played good hockey was Canada. Also playing on larger rinks certainly helped to mask some of the limitations not to mention that the coaching was much better. Last but not least, the leadership of that team was way better. Having Selänne, Timonen and such playing their last games internationally had to be such a boost for the team mentally.

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

When looking at Finnish defensive material's big picture do not centreforwards and goalie also contribute quite heavily to defensive play?

Won't there be decline in the width and material of centre position? And how about goalies? Rask is the last man standing of the Finnish starring goalies. If he isn't there for some reason... It would be another drop in quality.

 

[Booster*]

Players that were not bad:

Ristolainen

Laine
Granlund

Rask.

New coach ( i hope)
and in 2 years
with Laine, Barkov, Puljujärvi, Rantanen, Ristolainen and others.
Will be better

 

[Kamiccolo]

Finland WCH 2016 goal montage

 

[Lempo]

Finland WCH 2016 goal montage

Good luck everyone for scouting us for the next one.

 

[FiLe]

I'm not much worried about this tournament, it was just about 2-4 years too early for us. And it was bit silly to start with a new coach in a (kind of) best on best tournament - he was bound to need more time to adjust.

This, so much. This thing simply came at a really bad time for us. (And boy am I happy it doesn't really even count.)

This squad had exactly five players who were - at least agewise - not either still up-and-coming, or in decline - Rask, Vatanen, Granlund, Donskoi and Komarov (or six, if you want to count Jokipakka, but he's not a key individual). That's one fifth of the whole team. And it had some players who obviously were thrust into too big skates too early. Our first line (or nominal first line at least, I don't know how Marjamäki utilized them since I didn't actually watch) consisted of players born in '98, '95 and '97. Too much, too soon. At least for this level.

2018 will be better already, but the real time to shine for these guys will be from 2020 onwards. By then, the core of our squad will be more or less the same as now, but rather than raw youngsters, they will be ELITE players in their PRIME - 23-30 years old, big, skilled and hard-nosed. And there will be *nothing* in the team but players like that.

 

[Lempo]

By then, the core of our squad will be more or less the same as now, but rather than raw youngsters, they will be ELITE players in their PRIME - 23-30 years old, big, skilled and hard-nosed. And there will be *nothing* in the team but players like that.

Oh, darnit. It's been part of the fun that there's been the Kiddo Who Lights It Up And Sets Himself Up For Later Disappointment and the Unimpressing Vet Only On The Team Because Of His Old Merits Or Loyalty.

 

[Stubu]

This tournament was a disaster. Not a great start for Marjamaki as the NT coach. I hope it's all forgotten by the players in the next WHC, or we better have JJ or KK behind the bench.

And all of you my fellow Finns who pretend you don't care, why are you still here? So much smug and sarcastic salt in this thread. Whenever the players put on the jersey, it counts. Deal with it or pick up your toys and go home.

Congrats to Russia on the win in the last game. They played well and we sucked, and those two things are always intertwined. They have full bragging rights from this one, despite the pooh-poohing in this thread and the GDT.

This roster didn't weld together into the usual overachieving Team Finland. While stats in this kind of short tourney are not much to go by, can't ignore the freaking 9-1 schooling we got. Team North Europe next time

 

[gwh]

This tournament was a disaster. Not a great start for Marjamaki as the NT coach. I hope it's all forgotten by the players in the next WHC, or we better have JJ or KK behind the bench.

And all of you my fellow Finns who pretend you don't care, why are you still here? So much smug and sarcastic salt in this thread. Whenever the players put on the jersey, it counts. Deal with it or pick up your toys and go home.

Congrats to Russia on the win in the last game. They played well and we sucked, and those two things are always intertwined. They have full bragging rights from this one, despite the pooh-poohing in this thread and the GDT.

This roster didn't weld together into the usual overachieving Team Finland. While stats in this kind of short tourney are not much to go by, can't ignore the freaking 9-1 schooling we got. Team North Europe next time

Why am I still here in mid july, when nothing happens for months?

Because... I m always here? Also because the "international hockey" board has changed to "world cup" until the end of tournament.

 

[FiLe]

I wasn't actually here for the most of the tournament. I only started posting again when it was time to do a post mortem on Finland's doings.

I do admit though, that may be a bit paradoxical since I didn't watch... But I still feel I can say this: For once, Finland failed to meet the expectations by failing to do better than the expectations.


No, it wasn't a disaster. For change, we were exactly where we were expected to be. We're just so used to Finland exceeding those expectations that it comes as a shock when the curve actually stays flat.

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

No, it wasn't a disaster. For change, we were exactly where we were expected to be. We're just so used to Finland exceeding those expectations that it comes as a shock when the curve actually stays flat.

Who expected three losses with enormous difficulties to score that solitary goal? Or will Finnish NHL players continue to perform on the same, now reached level during this upcoming season while we wait for the golden generation to appear in 2, 4 or was it 8 years? I think there is a difference in not making it out of the group and being the absolute worst team in the whole tourney.

Prior to this World Cup I could not have imagined that the previous bronze standard celebration would have been replaced with this mindset you and Finnish mainstream media were quick to accept before even anything was settled for good.

 

[Stubu]

Finland WCH 2016 goal montage

Thank you for the helpful contribution. And I'll be the first to admit M did way better than L.

However, Leafs continue to Suck, thank you for asking.

Aren't we ever polite.

 

[Stubu]

Why am I still here in mid july, when nothing happens for months?

It's mid July already? Darn how time flies in the summer.

 

[jalperi]

My puck action stats for Finland vs Sweden(Amount of actions in total, % of good actions):

Granlund: 45, 75.56%
Koivu: 31, 70.97%
Donskoi: 36, 52.78%

Jokinen: 36, 66.67%
Filppula: 28, 67.86%
Komarov: 26, 96.15%

Laine: 52, 75.00%
Barkov: 43, 95.35%
Aho: 43, 60.05%

Korpikoski: 24, 54.17%
Lehterä: 20, 85.00%
Teräväinen: 33, 78.79%

Do you have stats from game against Russia? And also from defencemans?

 

[Nordic*]

Watching the crazy talent you have, that is below 22 years of age, your future looks amazing. Will overtake Sweden as the #2 soon - and on paper, which has never happened before.

Can you draft up the best possible Finish team in 4 years?

Forwards will be STACKED and defence better than it is now.


As a Swede, this makes me sad and disgusted!

 

[FiLe]

Can you draft up the best possible Finish team in 4 years?

The changing of the guard - especially with defense - is still going on. That makes it difficult to draft a complete team. We currently have Määttä, Ristolainen and Vatanen as sure bets, but it's too early to say which of the names born between 97-99 will end up being the brightest stars (okay, Juolevi is likely one). Those are some deep classes.

But forwards are shaping up pretty nicely:

Laine - Barkov - Puljujärvi
Mi.Granlund - Lehterä - Donskoi
Lehkonen - Teräväinen - Aho
Rantanen - Haula - Armia

When you have to bury a guy like Mikko Rantanen into the 4th, you know you're pretty well set.

 

[BL92]

I wonder how Eeli Tolvanen will do.

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

"Top scoring chances" where opposite goalie's pads are better positioned to score goals than your whole team in the tournament... Leijonat Inside documentary. Propaganda continues, everybody parties but who pays? It is a heavy price to pay if every time you have to ädäpt to Northern American match box by forfeiting your own identity.

Of course it is hard to do review those games properly one day after but couldn't they have thrown those tapes away and come away with new or honest material. But of course there is always the World Cup of 2020. Everything will be better. The dream of World Cup play-off stage looms distant.