Jussi
Registered User
Kivi said on YLE Puhe interview that Lehkonen and Ristolainen are still doubtful against SUI, depends if they still have temperature tomorrow.
WJC: 2014 — Finland Roster Talk
- Thread starter JJTT
- Start date
Very, very solid against Russia - if our juniors would always play like our men's teams they would be tough opponents to any team even without superstars: disciplined, tough, emotionally controlled, tightly defending. If we start these disorganized speedskating competitions against better teams, we likely will lose even if we get to these emotional highs of junior hockey ("hurmos" is the word in Finnish). And, yeah, Russia was bad - but rather a large part of that badness was due to the other, or should I say, the only, team on the ice...
Is Lehkonen having fever as well? They said on TSN that he injured his ankle in the game against Sweden, took part in the warm up yesterday but was eventually scratched from the playing roster.
It's so nice to have a great coach on this team. Kivi is really showing to last year's catastrophic coaching tandem how to coach a Team. We have great two goalies but this team has really limited prime scoring chances so that the goalies don't have to save the team. Most chances have come from stupid penalties or individual errors and if we can play disciplined error-free hockey we can challenge the top teams.
Ville231
Registered User
I've been under the impression that Ristolainen is the only one with fever, and lehkonen has a foor injury.
That's the impression I'm under as well. I would guess both will be in the lineup in the QF, but since it's already certain there will be a QF for us this year it doesn't make sense to risk it for this game. Give them a chance to rest for a few days and then give it all in the QF.
Now let's deal with the Swiss with a good attitude.
Finland still needs to not lose to Switzerland in regulation. If Swiss win in regulation Russia goes 2nd, Finland 3rd, Swiss 4th
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
Past Considerations
Registered User
+1. I think 2012 and 2013 were kind of missed opportunities, especially 2012 with Helminen. The material deficit is already big, so it is just idiotic to handicap the team even more with atrocious coaching choices. I doubt Kivi will continue, so lets hope the federation doesn't do again the thing it usually does (by not picking the best available person for the job, but the most suitable one)
Am I right, Kivi was actually selected way before Ässät became the champions?
Last edited:
+1. I think 2012 and 2013 were kind of missed opportunities, especially 2012 with Helminen. The material deficit is already big, so it is just idiotic to handicap the team even more with atrocious coaching choices. I doubt Kivi will continue, so lets hope the federation doesn't do again the thing it usually does (by not picking the best available person for the job, but the most suitable one)
Am I right, Kivi was actually selected way before Ässät became the champions?
I think it was a little before, but I also recall him being hired for more than one year. I think he's as good of a coach as they'll get for the job. He'll do good things once he gets the ins and outs of the international game and more long-term familiarity with players, and in fact this year's tournament(discounting the SUI game) has already been positive given the material.
Jussi
Registered User
+1. I think 2012 and 2013 were kind of missed opportunities, especially 2012 with Helminen. The material deficit is already big, so it is just idiotic to handicap the team even more with atrocious coaching choices. I doubt Kivi will continue, so lets hope the federation doesn't do again the thing it usually does (by not picking the best available person for the job, but the most suitable one)
Am I right, Kivi was actually selected way before Ässät became the champions?
Kivi signed for two years.
The contract also has a +1 option because the WJC is organized in Finland in 2016.
So if he can put up the results, he's not going anywhere anytime soon.
Jussi
Registered User
Coaching positions at 1üga are also filled, so I think he might stick until the end.
+1. I think 2012 and 2013 were kind of missed opportunities, especially 2012 with Helminen. The material deficit is already big, so it is just idiotic to handicap the team even more with atrocious coaching choices. I doubt Kivi will continue, so lets hope the federation doesn't do again the thing it usually does (by not picking the best available person for the job, but the most suitable one)
I want to give some respect to Helminen, in that semifinal game against Sweden in 2012 he got his players absolutly fired up, i have never been more prouder of Finnish team for the way they played against much better team, there we're guys like Granlund and Pulkkinen hitting everything that moved and everybody played like their ***** we're on fire.
back in those days first team in group got free ticket to semis. finland played an extra game versus slovakia day before while sweden didnt have to play at all and rested. and they rolled 2 lines to shutdown and play soly against mikael granlund there.
Helminen might have gotten the players pumped up, but tactically that game was a disaster. After the boys got the 2-0 lead, they stopped playing entirely and just started dumping the puck and defending the lead. And the management admitted that they instructed them to do so.
Just grinding your own play to halt and trying to protect a meager lead is a train wreck waiting to happen. We've seen that a million times. Helminen didn't just allow an opportunity for the Swedish rally to happen, but he opened the gates for the yellow machine to start their trouncing, and did so with a smile. With all the respect I have for the guy as a player, no way he deserves any kind of remission after a decision like that.
Kivi: Okay, boys, this is our game plan. It's designed to exploit the weaknesses of our opposition, so no matter what happens, we stick to it. Hockey is a honest game.
Raipe: Okay boys, let's go! If we give it our 110% perhaps something good... oh, wow... we actually got ahead? Scratch that, time to cross hands and pray.
There's a clear difference which one of them's a pro coach prepped for everything and which one simply out of his depth.
Last edited:
It's amazing how much of a difference a proper coaching can bring. Last year we had a stacked team but no transition game, no one was able to employ an effective puck support, all the adjustment issues and overall the incoherent mess that was supposed to resemble with a functional hockey team.
But this year despite having a lesser squad we are able to play as a collective unit in which every piece of the puzzle works for a greater good. Our players employ a quick transition game, are able to carry the puck into the offensive zone and maintain a puck possession and, as a result, to create scoring chances.
There are still a few issues that need to be fixed but it's a night and day difference compared to last year. After having to suffer from last year's frustration this is actually a treat to watch.
But this year despite having a lesser squad we are able to play as a collective unit in which every piece of the puzzle works for a greater good. Our players employ a quick transition game, are able to carry the puck into the offensive zone and maintain a puck possession and, as a result, to create scoring chances.
There are still a few issues that need to be fixed but it's a night and day difference compared to last year. After having to suffer from last year's frustration this is actually a treat to watch.
Yea coaching is important but people here seems to underestimate importance of our defence which is like... best ever? Every one here are talking about stacked 2012 team but compare that defense with 2014 team. Two years younger Maatta, Ristolainen and Pokka added with guys like Riikola, Makinen and Hovinen who would not fit my team this year even they got rejuvenation surgery + clumsy Hakanpaa. I am of those guys who think that championships are won with defense.
Edit. Same with 2013 team
Edit. Same with 2013 team
Helminen cared and the boys respected him, I'll give you that. But he's hardly any kind of a tactical genius. Dumb and Dumber last year didn't get anyone fired up and their strategy sucked. So in that regard Helminen was better, but I think he may have been too emotional. He was obviously very upset over the SF loss and he couldn't console Granlund who took it even harder, and eventually we came out very flat in the bronze game.
Loffer
Registered User
- Sep 22, 2011
- 3,929
- 417
This team should win the bronze - otherwise there's nothing to brag about in this year's effort. Finland won Norway but lost to Switzerland. Great. Russia didn't show up. And Sweden was too good.
I bet Finland will face Russia again in that Bronze game. This time Russia might be a bit more tuned into the game but I wouldn't count on it.
So, in either case Finland should pull a win from that game.
Otherwise there's nothing to brag about the end result.
I bet Finland will face Russia again in that Bronze game. This time Russia might be a bit more tuned into the game but I wouldn't count on it.
So, in either case Finland should pull a win from that game.
Otherwise there's nothing to brag about the end result.
Pominville Knows
Registered User
Does anyone of you finnish guys remember if there was a personal Ville Pokka interview on finnish TV a couple of days ago? He was walking in Malmö.
