Pekka Lampinen
Registered User
A thread for discussing recent developments, details and other thingies over the course of the tournament.
I don't think the game against Canada was so bad. Maybe that's because Finland addressed some key issues like losing less physical struggles than on average against Canada and the defensemen could carry the puck out of the zone (albeit only when they weren't overrun by forecheckers). They had good line cohesion in the beginning and gave and received passes well. Later Canada's units just tore the attacks apart.
Canada's defense and forechecking were sickly good. Whatever zone the puck was in, there were five Canadians with a solid formation and momentum. Finland ran completely out of space in the small rink and they weren't ready. No matter how good the USA is, I don't think they'll be as painfully difficult an opponent. Finland can still medal, the idea of a quarterfinal against Europeans isn't nearly this scary.
Wirtanen's line would be good if Sailio weren't outside the play so much.
Komarov's line is supposed to have chemistry? The three couldn't find each other at all. Joensuu isn't prepared for the small rink: back home he carries the puck with confidence, but now he'd need to be more developed to handle the smaller spaces.
Lindgren needs to lead his line and knit it together. Individual plays aren't enough.
The fourth line somehow had one player gone too deep most of the time. A fourth line can't allow rushes that dangerous.
Laakso made mistakes especially in the beginning, but he was also on the ice most of the time. Seppänen was absolutely horrible, at some point he wasn't making a single play right and positioned incorrectly. How come the team's second biggest d-man can't take hits?
The defensemen from Oulu need to grow a spine. Leinonen couldn't make physical plays at all and so he single-handedly put an end to Finland's somewhat successful resistance with his stickwork penalties. Jokinen wouldn't defend the net at all. Fortunately, this wouldn't be the first time some defensemen were at the wussiest in the WJC opener.
They need to play Koistinen and Korhonen more, with Laakso and Leppänen also handling important minutes. In Jokinen, Leinonen and Seppänen they have the next Timonen-Immonen-Jääskeläinen trio poised to doom the team.
I liked Rask's reflex saves. He can make the save from any position at closer range than others can from an optimal stance. But the rebound control... This team needs a different kind of goalie.
I don't think the game against Canada was so bad. Maybe that's because Finland addressed some key issues like losing less physical struggles than on average against Canada and the defensemen could carry the puck out of the zone (albeit only when they weren't overrun by forecheckers). They had good line cohesion in the beginning and gave and received passes well. Later Canada's units just tore the attacks apart.
Canada's defense and forechecking were sickly good. Whatever zone the puck was in, there were five Canadians with a solid formation and momentum. Finland ran completely out of space in the small rink and they weren't ready. No matter how good the USA is, I don't think they'll be as painfully difficult an opponent. Finland can still medal, the idea of a quarterfinal against Europeans isn't nearly this scary.
Wirtanen's line would be good if Sailio weren't outside the play so much.
Komarov's line is supposed to have chemistry? The three couldn't find each other at all. Joensuu isn't prepared for the small rink: back home he carries the puck with confidence, but now he'd need to be more developed to handle the smaller spaces.
Lindgren needs to lead his line and knit it together. Individual plays aren't enough.
The fourth line somehow had one player gone too deep most of the time. A fourth line can't allow rushes that dangerous.
Laakso made mistakes especially in the beginning, but he was also on the ice most of the time. Seppänen was absolutely horrible, at some point he wasn't making a single play right and positioned incorrectly. How come the team's second biggest d-man can't take hits?
The defensemen from Oulu need to grow a spine. Leinonen couldn't make physical plays at all and so he single-handedly put an end to Finland's somewhat successful resistance with his stickwork penalties. Jokinen wouldn't defend the net at all. Fortunately, this wouldn't be the first time some defensemen were at the wussiest in the WJC opener.
They need to play Koistinen and Korhonen more, with Laakso and Leppänen also handling important minutes. In Jokinen, Leinonen and Seppänen they have the next Timonen-Immonen-Jääskeläinen trio poised to doom the team.
I liked Rask's reflex saves. He can make the save from any position at closer range than others can from an optimal stance. But the rebound control... This team needs a different kind of goalie.
Obviously talent must have been it. The US could probably dress three teams and none of the Norwegian players would likely have made the third team. Sure, size and strength is important, but the American team is so much better on so many different levels.
