Olympics: 2014 — Finland Roster Discussion (Part III) (Released, post #1)
- Thread starter Frederick Stanley
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Jussi
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If Salo didn't break anything in his ankle and it's just swollen, he'll have time to get healed before the Olympics.
MMANumminen
Registered User
I can't believe the consensus of Ruutu (sh% 7, -15) playing in the first line. He should be the extra attacker. What a waste of space
Bergenheim should be going in his place if we're talking stats. His production this season is really inexcusable considering he was playing with E.Staal for a long while. However the reasons he's on the team are in the past, and those reasons involve him and Koivu on the same line.
The consensus can be for him or against him, it won't matter because Erkka will decide, and that's where he'll end up.
Many seem to figure that the line should be Filppula - Koivu - Jokinen. I say not. Koivu can work with one artist, but two has always proven too much for him. One of those two is fine and will end up taking the other wing. But the other one, if not Ruutu, should be a player who's at least close to him in playstyle. Someone who grinds, hits and hustles. And that fellow is not Flip nor JJ. It's Lauri Korpikoski.
And even Ruutu, despite his current shape, can do all that at least adequately. He may not score, he may not shoot, but he can still hustle. Which means he should end up looking far better in the olympics than he currently looks for the Canes.
MMANumminen
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I hope you're right and i would be happy to be wrong here. I just don't like the idea of our worst player getting 1st line minutes.
It's good to keep in mind that the national team is a world of its own. Good club team performance does not always translate to a good NT performance, and vice versa. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
It's the same reason I'm not overly longing after Bergenheim. He would have deserved his shot to show his chemistry with Barkov on the olympic ice as well - but in the end I don't really see his current shape being much more than a product of his current environment. Despite Barkov, the surroundings and game plan would still be a lot different in Sochi, so it's a fool's errand to think the same magic would directly translate. It could, but given how Bergenheim's history is not that of a consistent scorer, the odds actually are that it doesn't.
Yes I think that will be his role, or at least it should be to get the maximum benefit of him. Hope Erkka sees that too.
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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Leaving Bergenheim out is just one classless act and/or shows severe amount of incompetence. Either way you cannot expect much from a team coached by such a --- PLUG.
Why, oh why, is it always so difficult to take the "best" players and give inexplicable excuses for doing so??
Why, oh why, is it always so difficult to take the "best" players and give inexplicable excuses for doing so??
MMANumminen
Registered User
I didn't like the drop of Bergenheim either, but it's not a big deal he's not one of the key players.
I'd like to see two offensive lines with Barkov and Filppula and two defensive lines with Koivu and OJ
I'd like to see two offensive lines with Barkov and Filppula and two defensive lines with Koivu and OJ
Word is it was a half-decline, meaning he didn't want to play the role that was offered. Don't know if there's any truth to it, but it has been suggested at least.
QnebO
Wheel, snipe, celly
- Feb 11, 2010
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Do you actually know him in person? Sounds like you do. If you know Erkka and he has said that, then it changes it, obviously. E: Has he said so somewhere to some one? On some interview?
Other things would indicate that Ruutu might as well be playing in Komarov line. Only the "because erkka" -thing says that he's going to be 1st liner in this tournament. Only thing that has made me considering Ruutu playing 1st line is FiLe. I see it realisticly possible that he plays 3-4th line, and I do hope so, but I'm badly afraid that FiLe is right.. Erkka might not be putting up absolutely best team possible, he might be stubborn and stuck in past times.
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I can say for certain that I'm not on Erkka's Christmas card list. And even if I was, I doubt he'd talk to me about the line combos in a candid manner.
However, there was an interview where he mentioned that he intends to build lines based on duos that have worked before, and he did mention Koivu-Ruutu as one example. And for the record, every other thing I've talked about in here is also based on a line some figure (presumably) in the know or another has revealed. A lot of buzz out there. My lineup is simply what I've pieced together after filtering and combining all the various tidbits.
For what it's worth, I wouldn't personally mind some other player as 1st line RW. Like I said, my personal preference right now would be Korpikoski. However, I'm far more interested in the actual, intended lineup rather than my personal fantasy one. The games are played with the former, after all. Therefore, I'm representing the thing I consider realistic - and rather than bashing Erkka because he dares to defy my will, I try to find something good about it. He is the head coach, after all. Not you, not me, nor the guy sulking in the corner. That's Hannu Virta, FYI.
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I don't know the truth either, but I would guess that either Erkka told him he'd play on the 4th line or that he should be prepared to sit in the pressbox and Bergenheim thought he deserved better than that. If there truly was some disagreement on the role, it just tells us that Bergenheim did not want to go to Sochi at any price. On the contrary, I think we all know someone like Barkov would've said yes to any role, including but not limited to translator, unofficial tour guide and the captain's personal butler.
Its funny how people complaining/raging over the fact that bergenheim is not in the lineup. As if he was some sort of a keyplayer and a make or break deal for the gold.
I doubt he declined, i really do. This would be his first OG, like he would take a chance, that he can't never play in the Olympics, just because he don't wanna play on the fourth line..
Valavuori said on his twitter that he had talked to Sean and that he didn't decline. He simply wasn't offered a spot
The more I think about it, I believe it might have something to do with Sean playing for HIFK last year (during the lockout) and with Kurri also being the GM of Jokerit.
I sincerely hope that isn't true though. That'd be terribly childish by Kurri and the rest of the management. (I'm a Jokerit fan btw)
QnebO
Wheel, snipe, celly
- Feb 11, 2010
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Valavuori said on his twitter that he had talked to Sean and that he didn't decline. He simply wasn't offered a spot
The more I think about it, I believe it might have something to do with Sean playing for HIFK last year (during the lockout) and with Kurri also being the GM of Jokerit.
I sincerely hope that isn't true though. That'd be terribly childish by Kurri and the rest of the management. (I'm a Jokerit fan btw)
I don't believe it has anything to do with playing some Liiga team or not to be honest. Fans, who take Liiga with lot of emotion might believe it, but I personally believe it does't matter what team you come from when its about national team. Then again I had No emotions when Karalahti went to Jokerit, no emotions about Granlund playing in the hifk, no emotions about nummelin playing Lukko. This business is not done with emotions and I'm 100% sure Bergenheim wasn't unpicked because he has played in HIFK. Kurri and guys can't be as childis as HC jokerit / hifk fans are and make the pics that way.. I see lots of idiots complain about picks every year because they are extremely biased with their Liiga teams... but cmon.. to believe it from National Team lead, that's too much.
Yeah maybe it's a bit far fetched but I just couldn't come up with any other reason, to why he wouldn't be on the team.
It didn't bother me either with guys like Karalahti and Ruutu leaving for rivals (it is a business after all)
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