WC: General Talk '12 — Finland

[FiLe]

I liked Lahti when I saw him at Karjala Tournament a year ago and at the start of last season's playoffs thought he earnt his chance at making the final team. If he puts up a good showing this year too, why not.

Maybe I was using a bit too harsh words when I mentioned him. My main point wasn't to bash him but simply point out that if he and Aaltonen were in contention to the squad as they were, then Pulkkinen should have been too.

 

[Needles]

I think jury's still out on Lahti. Last year he was at times unstoppable in SM-Liiga, but really couldn't elevate his game in the national team. Our lack of scoring depth at Karjala Tournament was so horrendous, that guys like Lahti and Rita will get their chance to prove themselves again. That said, in my opinion Pulkkinen could already be a bigger threat offensively in international level, mainly because of his shot and vision. So I'm rooting for him. And the fact that he was treated a bit unfairly last year helps the cause.

 

[Needles]

So, does anyone from the WJC team have a chance to make the WHC squad? Obviously Granlund will play with Immonen but who else? Salomäki? Pulkkinen? Even both?

 

[edd1e]

Wrong thread, sorry!

Thanks Needles

I didnt pay much notice to those things at two a clock in the morning

 

[Needles]

Time to wrap up the tourny and talk a little about our players.. Few things i saw of our team that really bothered me where; Balance and puck handling

Wrong thread, bro.

 

[IceHockeyDude]

If Finland wants to win gold again this year, we need the best possible players from the NHL. That includes these fowards:

-M.Koivu
-Selänne
-T.Ruutu
-J.Jokinen
-Korpikoski

and these defencemen:

-Pitkänen
-Lydman
-Timonen

And also 1-2 NHL goalies would be needed:

-Rinne
-Lehtonen

When we add the best players from Europe: Immonen, Granlund, Komarov, Väänänen, Vatanen, Niskala etc. we will ge a hell of a team that can win even in front of the home-crowd.

 

[YARR123]

If Finland wants to win gold again this year, we need the best possible players from the NHL. That includes these fowards:

-M.Koivu
-Selänne
-T.Ruutu
-J.Jokinen
-Korpikoski

and these defencemen:

-Pitkänen
-Lydman
-Timonen

And also 1-2 NHL goalies would be needed:

-Rinne
-Lehtonen

When we add the best players from Europe: Immonen, Granlund, Komarov, Väänänen, Vatanen, Niskala etc. we will ge a hell of a team that can win even in front of the home-crowd.

I'm sure Timonen isn't available, rest of the skaters should be though. IMO Vehanen is good enough, we don't necessarily need Rinne or Lehtonen, though it wouldn't hurt to have one of the best goalies in the world, Rinne. Also as of now, Leino, Hartikainen and Petrell should be available.

M. Granlund - J. Immonen - T. Ruutu
L. Korpikoski - S. Koivu - T. Selänne
V. Leino - J. Lehterä - J. Jokinen
L. Komarov - P. Nokelainen - L. Petrell
T. Hartikainen

J. Pitkänen - S. Vatanen -> Think of these two guys skating at top speed... SWOOSH
T. Lydman - J. Niskala
O. Väänänen - A. Salmela
L. Kukkonen - M. Mäenpää

Doesn't look to bad does it?

 

[IceHockeyDude]

I'm sure Timonen isn't available, rest of the skaters should be though. IMO Vehanen is good enough, we don't necessarily need Rinne or Lehtonen, though it wouldn't hurt to have one of the best goalies in the world, Rinne. Also as of now, Leino, Hartikainen and Petrell should be available.

M. Granlund - J. Immonen - T. Ruutu
L. Korpikoski - S. Koivu - T. Selänne
V. Leino - J. Lehterä - J. Jokinen
L. Komarov - P. Nokelainen - L. Petrell
T. Hartikainen

J. Pitkänen - S. Vatanen -> Think of these two guys skating at top speed... SWOOSH
T. Lydman - J. Niskala
O. Väänänen - A. Salmela
L. Kukkonen - M. Mäenpää

Doesn't look to bad does it?

Are you sure you want Petri Vehanen for starting goalie for team Finland? He is 21st best goalie right now in KHL however he is a world champion and knows what you need for a victory. Karri Rämö and Ari Ahonen has both played better than him for example in the russian league. Even Teemu Lassila is ahead of him.

Also i would think carefully after choosing Leino to the team. He needs to play in the first or second line and this season as we all know he has proved nothing with the Sabres. We need players that are in good shape right when the WC starts. My dream lines would be like this:

Ruutu-M.Koivu-J.Jokinen
Granlund-Immonen-Selänne
Korpikoski-Filppula-XXX
Petrell-Nokelainen-Komarov

Lydman-Pitkänen
Timonen-Väänänen
Vatanen-Niskala

Rinne
Lehtonen

 

[Needles]

Based on current NHL & AHL standings:

Jussi Jokinen - Saku Koivu - Tuomo Ruutu
Mikael Granlund -Jarkko Immonen - Teemu Selänne
Lauri Korpikoski - Jori Lehterä - Leo Komarov
Antti Pihlström - Petteri Nokelainen - Jesse Joensuu
Tuomas Kiiskinen, Matti Kuparinen

Toni Lydman - Janne Niskala
Ossi Väänänen - Sami Vatanen
Anssi Salmela - Ilkka Heikkinen
Lasse Kukkonen - Pasi Puistola
Jere Karalahti

Pekka Rinne
Petri Vehanen
Mikko Koskinen

Lock the roster after the NHL regular season. Let the team gel.

 

[Needles]

Sweden Hockey Games is about a month away. It would be good chance to test some WJC players and new line combinations:

Tuomas Kiiskinen - Jori Lehterä - Sakari Salminen
Jesse Joensuu - Niko Kapanen - Teemu Pulkkinen
Harri Pesonen - Petri Kontiola - Miikka Salomäki
Jani Rita - Riku Hahl - Iiro Pakarinen

 

[YARR123]

Are you sure you want Petri Vehanen for starting goalie for team Finland? He is 21st best goalie right now in KHL however he is a world champion and knows what you need for a victory. Karri Rämö and Ari Ahonen has both played better than him for example in the russian league. Even Teemu Lassila is ahead of him.

Also i would think carefully after choosing Leino to the team. He needs to play in the first or second line and this season as we all know he has proved nothing with the Sabres. We need players that are in good shape right when the WC starts. My dream lines would be like this:

Ruutu-M.Koivu-J.Jokinen
Granlund-Immonen-Selänne
Korpikoski-Filppula-XXX
Petrell-Nokelainen-Komarov


Lydman-Pitkänen
Timonen-Väänänen
Vatanen-Niskala

Rinne
Lehtonen

I'd take Vehanen any day of the week over Rämö or Ahonen, he's proven many times that when the Finnish jersey is on, he's rock solid. I don't want to look too much into stats, Vehanen is a very skilled goalie with so much guts, he doesn't break up in tough situations. If we get Rinne, then fine, but I'm not at all worried if Vehanen is our number 1.

What's with salivating over a dream team when it's not realistic. Right now Timonen and Filppula are definately not going to be available, also looks like Minnesota is making the Play offs this season so M. Koivu probably isn't there either.

On the NT Leino doesn't necessarily need to play top-6, we will definately have 3 lines for scoring, and as long as it's a line where he can hold on to the puck as much as he wants he is definately worth taking on the team. If he's the bad version of Leino, we can keep him as 13th attacker, if he is the good version, he could be the best player on the team. There is definately huge rewards to be reaped if his game clicks.

It's a cool idea to put Granlund play with Selänne, but I doubt anyone would keep Koivu and Teemu on the same team and not play them on the same line.

 

[IceHockeyDude]

It's a cool idea to put Granlund play with Selänne, but I doubt anyone would keep Koivu and Teemu on the same team and not play them on the same line.

Saku Koivu is useless for Anaheim and so he would be for team Finland. I would not take him to my dream team anymore. Selänne should play with the best passer/playmaker possible and Immonen + Granlund would answer that need perfectly.

 

[Jussi]

Saku Koivu is useless for Anaheim and so he would be for team Finland. I would not take him to my dream team anymore. Selänne should play with the best passer/playmaker possible and Immonen + Granlund would answer that need perfectly.

I can already see the posts at Jatkoaika when Selänne doesn't score from every pass: "Why are they forcing Mikke to play with this old timer?" or "Man, if Granlund had a proper scorer alongside him he'd have a million assists already..."

 

[JabbaJabba]

Ruutu-M.Koivu-Jokinen
Granlund-Immonen-Selänne
Korpikoski-S.Koivu-Pulkkinen
Hartikainen-Komarov-Petrell

Lepistö-Pitkänen
Välivaara-Vatanen
Väänänen-Salmela
Niskala-Söderholm

Vehanen/Rämö/Tarkki/Koskinen/Lehtonen/Rinne/Kiprusoff/Hovinen...

 

[Muuri]

Salomäki for the fourth line spot/13. forward please. Lajunen was good in that role last spring, don't see why The Bull couldn't do the same.

 

[Needles]

Salomäki for the fourth line spot/13. forward please. Lajunen was good in that role last spring, don't see why The Bull couldn't do the same.

Well, at first he has to play some EHT games. And the time is right for that, but you never know about Jalonen. He doesn't pick U20 players to EHT very often, not to mention U20 debytants. IIRC, the last time was almost two years ago: http://www.iltasanomat.fi/jaakiekko/mikael-granlundin-rankkari-kaatoi-venajan/art-1288337194950.html

I don't understand what Jalonen has against U20 players, who are already very good at SM-liiga (Pulkkinen, Salomäki). Even Teemu Hartikainen had only two EHT games under his belt when he left Europe. I don't understand why Jalonen prefers guys like Juhani Jasu, Mikko Pukka & JP Hytönen when EHT is basically a bunch of exhibition games.

 

[IceHockeyDude]

I wonder what kind of disaster would be the line Armia-Granlund-Pulkkinen on EHT. Maybe worth trying as Granlund and Pulkkinen won't be playing in Europe for very long.

 

[QnebO]

I would love to see Pulkkinen - Granlund - Selänne That line would be not very work ethic, but they would shoot for sure, pulkkinen would be the one that shoots hard and selanne the one who shoots on the net

 

[Needles]

I wonder what kind of disaster would be the line Armia-Granlund-Pulkkinen on EHT. Maybe worth trying as Granlund and Pulkkinen won't be playing in Europe for very long.

I wouldn't be surprised if Pulkkinen played one more year in Finland. Just like Rajala did this year.

 

[Jussi]

I wouldn't be surprised if Pulkkinen played one more year in Finland. Just like Rajala did this year.

Indeed, Detroit is still stacked with prospects/oldtimers as are Gran Rapids. Easier to crack the lineups in 2013-14. Detroit is known for letting their prospect mature. Plus, who knows if there'll be lock-out next season a well...

 

[Haite]

Jori Lehterä broke his leg, and probably won't play anymore this season. We probably won't be seeing him play in Helsinki.

 

[Mara]

Salomäki injured during the WJC so he probably won't be playing in the next EHT. Crappendalen!

 

[Needles]

Salomäki injured during the WJC so he probably won't be playing in the next EHT. Crappendalen!

This makes things a lot easier for Jalonen. Say hello to Peltonen-Santala-Kapanen line

 

[Mara]

This makes things a lot easier for Jalonen. Say hello to Peltonen-Santala-Kapanen line

Doesn't sound too bad tbh, Santala is a wild card and Kapanen deserves a chance since he's been nurturing a boner about the home WC even before he came back. Salomäki will have his chance.

 

[sirMcDuck]

I really loved to see Granlund - Filppula - Selänne line but that's not gonna hapen so maybe Mikko or Saku at center.