WC: General Talk '12 — Finland
- Thread starter Needles
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what a surprise! 
Well what excuses are Swedes going to have if we beat them with this team. Our team is not bad at all, but for Swedish fans & players it might seem that way. I bet they'd go for "but we didn't have Sedins, Lundqvist, Lidström" bla bla bla
".About what I said earlier. Well Canada is always hands down the hardest opponent for Finland. It's more likely that some other top country in general can pull of the upset against Canada in tournaments where Canada has the best team on paper.
Against Sweden and Russia we have pulled off the upset lately quite many times while being considered the underdogs, so I had my opinion based on that. Czechs are easy to underestimate as their youth production is little bit worse and in general they get quite "nameless" groups in these tournaments nowadays as most non-Czechs see it, but really their team is always tough, full of KHL guys team just like our's. They are very dangerous for that reason just like Finland is dangerous for other top countries for the same reason.
ThinMcWhistle
Registered User
Well what excuses are Swedes going to have if we beat them with this team. Our team is not bad at all, but for Swedish fans & players it might seem that way. I bet they'd go for "but we didn't have Sedins, Lundqvist, Lidström" bla bla bla
About what I said earlier. Well Canada is always hands down the hardest opponent for Finland. It's more likely that some other top country in general can pull of the upset against Canada in tournaments where Canada has the best team on paper.
Against Sweden and Russia we have pulled off the upset lately quite many times while being considered the underdogs, so I had my opinion based on that. Czechs are easy to underestimate as their youth production is little bit worse and in general they get quite "nameless" groups in these tournaments nowadays as most non-Czechs see it, but really their team is always tough, full of KHL guys team just like our's. They are very dangerous for that reason just like Finland is dangerous for other top countries for the same reason.
When you are one of: Russia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Czechs, or Slovaks, anyone is beatable. This is what I have learned.
The top 6 countries are all good enough to win gold at the WC, and all have done so in the past. I remember Sweden winning gold in 2006, after the Torino olympics where they only had 5 regulars from the NHL. This while Finland for example had 10 players from the NHL.
You know, some Americans might take issue with this statement. And it might be a year or two before the Slovaks can actually dream of winning a major tournament again... *knocks on wood*
But it's a good statement regardless. While I'd never dispute the fact that the best talent in the world is in the NHL, that doesn't mean a good, cohesive team effort is synonymous to the amount of NHL players in ones roster. The best leagues in the world after NHL are KHL, Elitserien and SM-liiga. The absolute top talent is those in not far from the NHL average. Gather a good team consisting of players who could make it in those three and you have the every chance to win any game, especially in a best-of-one tournament.
ThinMcWhistle
Registered User
Yes, USA should be in there as well. My mistake. But as you said, my point was made regardless.
As you also alluded to, it's a best of one tournament. So basically a crap shoot. You have a lucky night, with bounces going your way.. Anything could happen. The playing field is fairly level, even if some individual players are rated higher.
Yes but what about Gaborik? Hossa? Even Kopecky? I can't name even one Swiss forward that is better than that atleast for now.
Niederreiter and Baertschi have potential to be star players but we'll see
goodoldhockeygame
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- Sep 29, 2011
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your right about there is no real top shot, who's better than the mentioned players....even though Mark Streit is an established elite defender. Josi is like bärtschi or niederreiter , a futur star, but he' s a few steps ahead of them.
Anyway swiss team is lil bit like finland. they dont live to much of one player. their strengh is their team-play, their-discipline defensice system, and sticking to gameplan and every year decent goaltending. I guess nowaday the swiss have the deeper pool of "good" players than the slovaks, but of course not the many highend-players.
Lines in the first practice:
Filppula - Koivu - Jokinen
Mäenpää - Hietanen
(Also PP1)
Pesonen - Immonen - Granlund
Niskala - Salmela
(PP2)
Komarov - Kapanen - Joensuu
Väänänen - Järvinen
Pihlström - Kontiola - Pyörälä
Kukkonen - Jaakola
Per YLE.
No major surprises really. All the usual suspects are in. The bottom six looks a bit funny though. Our 3rd and 4th lines could really be numbered either way.
Kiiskinen and Tuppurainen are the extra guys out, which kinda makes sense and doesn't at the same time, especially in the case of the latter. I mean, what's with dragging in a complete wild card outside the camp, disappointing a handful of other guys in the process and then have him watch from the sidelines? I mean, I've no beef with the current lineup, it just seems a bit baffling.
But oh well, lots of games ahead of this team... anything can happen I suppose.
Filppula - Koivu - Jokinen
Mäenpää - Hietanen
(Also PP1)
Pesonen - Immonen - Granlund
Niskala - Salmela
(PP2)
Komarov - Kapanen - Joensuu
Väänänen - Järvinen
Pihlström - Kontiola - Pyörälä
Kukkonen - Jaakola
Per YLE.
No major surprises really. All the usual suspects are in. The bottom six looks a bit funny though. Our 3rd and 4th lines could really be numbered either way.
Kiiskinen and Tuppurainen are the extra guys out, which kinda makes sense and doesn't at the same time, especially in the case of the latter. I mean, what's with dragging in a complete wild card outside the camp, disappointing a handful of other guys in the process and then have him watch from the sidelines? I mean, I've no beef with the current lineup, it just seems a bit baffling.
But oh well, lots of games ahead of this team... anything can happen I suppose.
It's better to have some Tuppurainen crunching popcorns for almost three weeks than have a veteran/legend like Peltonen wasting his time on same thing. I think it would've been some sort of insult towards Peltonen to take him to the team but not let him play.
Well, quite soon we'll see what Jalonen has planned to do with Tuppurainen and Kiiskinen...
I wasn't actually referring to Peltonen, but one of Nokelainen or Petrell. It'd hardly been an insult to either of them. And I don't wish to question Tuppurainen as a player, I fully trust him to be interchangeable between those two. I just noted it's a bit odd to take a player from the outside and then not have a visible plan for him.
But like I said, lots of games ahead of us. It's seven guaranteed matchups for all participants, ten for those who go all the way. We'll probably end up seeing what both Tuppurainen and Kiiskinen can bring to the table sooner rather than later.
SoupyFIN
#OneTerritory
- Nov 7, 2011
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- 3,380
I see. Maybe the idea is to have some players in reserve that can be used to try to make difference if needed. I mean that Nokelainen and Petrell are quite low risk-low reward type players and are suitable primarily to grinding roles. If top lines have difficulties Jalonen can try to throw Kiiskinen there to replace some poorly performing offensive guy. I'm not fan of Kiiskinen or Tuppurainen, but even though they are "only" SM-liiga players I see that they have potential to surprise positively in WHC in offensive role. I try to be optimistic...
What's there to go nuts about 'em? I mean, both are seasoned NT players who might be a bit inclined towards offensive game, but can also handle the own end just fine.
It's more like the first pairing, Mäenpää - Hietanen that looks a bit suspect to me. I mean, they can move puck like it's nobody's business, but damn aren't they both small. Like 5' 9", less than 80 kilos and that's with full gear and skates on (a minor exaggeration). It's like having a pair of smurfs out there.
MMANumminen
Registered User
It's good to have guys like Tuppurainen and Kiiskinen as extra attackers, we have good depht in case of injuries. Off the forwards only Koivu, Filppula and Granlund are not replaceable. Lot of chances to change line-up's
Fallenity
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- Apr 12, 2011
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Anyone know if there's any good fantasy game online for the WC? I can only find leijonaporssi.fi and http://team.stargm.com/leijonagm/, but neither allows you to pick a whole team from the tourney players.
Can't resist posting these... Hietanen & Mäenpää in defense?
Granlund?
And finally, Lehtonen.
Granlund?
And finally, Lehtonen.
Hehe, now that's a good question! I think it will come down to whining about the goaltenders, unless the Rangers gets knocked out and Henrik joins. Otherwise people here will go with last year's excuse of "It's only a WC tournament, the Olympics matter more". But losing to Finland with current line-ups is pretty much inexcusable. I think it will be fun to see Joensuu perform for the Lions, he was good in SEL last season.
Oh, a question for the Finnish supporters, were Teemu Laine never a possible player for the WC squad?
You are doing exactly what I expected all the Swedes to do in that post of mine, underrate our team
. From general Swedish POV it's inexcusable, but really it's not so inexcusable, Finnish team just is built in a different way than Sweden, but of course we are the biased Finns that might overrate our own team, so who knows what the real truth is. Sweden vs Finland needs to happen this tournament, but chances are low that this match will happen inside this year's tourney or in the next year's tourney, since in both tourneys our teams start in different starting groups.I trust that Jalonen will get the maximum out of our players with his selections & system, but will MÃ¥rts be able to do the same? Most likely Sweden will underachieve a little bit, even if they win the championship as all their player roles etc might not be as optimal.
No,he wasn't. Didn't participate a single EHT-tournament during this season.
And Joensuu, Nice for him, that he will play at this time.
Just waiting, when he return home again. According jnytt he is probably leaving hv71.
Lapa
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