WJC: Finland WJC Discussion

[YARR123]

Last year many of the forwards were right at home in a NA rink and it seemed that most of the players knew what to do and what was expected from them. It’s surprising how well that team gelled. This year’s team is younger, smaller from up front and I have a feeling that it would perform better in a bigger European rink. This year's team has better puck skills, but in other aspects of the game it might not be as strong. Nevertheless it’ll be interesting to see so many promising players in a same team, many of them could be future Olympic Lions.

Fair points, however I think you might be overrating size and "small rink compatibility". Skill and hockey IQ are more important IMO, as this team isn't that much smaller than last years team. It may be that this team can be thrown around more easily than last year, but then again now we have a team that is capable of scoring big goals against top competition.

It's true that last years team looked very good and it was very close that they weren't playing for the medals. After all that chemistry that either does form or doesn't is what decides how far this team will go.

And like you said it's going to be interesting, there's a lot of guys with high end talent and it'll be nice to see how they do against top competition

 

[joey16]

Swiss has very good team this year, could surprise some people.
Goaltending is questionmark though.

Sure, I´m not saying it would be easy, but I think it would be easier team to compete with than Finland.

 

[Zamuz]

Swiss has very good team this year, could surprise some people.
Goaltending is questionmark though.

You just said it, team like Switzerland needs incredibly good goaltending to challenge teams like Czech Republic because you're gonna face lots of shots against.

 

[Anchor Town*]

Granlund - Granlund - Armia
Pulkkinen - Ristolainen/Määttä

would like to see that as PP1

Would be a lethal PP with Granlund and Pulkkinen's holy slapper out there in space

 

[thomast]

Granlund - Granlund - Armia
Pulkkinen - Ristolainen/Määttä

would like to see that as PP1

Pokka over määttä at PP.

 

[JabbaJabba]

I'm expecting one of the Granlunds scoring a lacrosse goal. Probably Markus since Mikael can't score .

 

[Jussi]

Pokka over määttä at PP.

More likely that Hakanpää will be in the first PP unit as he has been there before, both at the recent U-20 4 nations tournament and at the U-18 WJC. He'll play in front of the goal and occasionally at the point.

 

[MarkovtoSubban]

Why you guys don't post line combos?

Donskoi-Mi.Granlund-Pulkkinen
Ma.Granlund-Salomaki-Armia
Teravainen-Barkov-Ruuttu
Salminen-Mustonen-Partinen

Haakanpaa-Ristolainen
Maatta-Pokka
Auvinen-Riikola

Aittokallio
Gibson

Very excited to see this team in action, could be a very nice team to watch!

 

[YARR123]

Why you guys don't post line combos?

Donskoi-Mi.Granlund-Pulkkinen
Ma.Granlund-Salomaki-Armia
Teravainen-Barkov-Ruuttu
Salminen-Mustonen-Partinen

Haakanpaa-Ristolainen
Maatta-Pokka
Auvinen-Riikola

Aittokallio
Gibson

Very excited to see this team in action, could be a very nice team to watch!

If you want to see line combos, theres about a 100 of them in the "Finland" subforum.

 

[thomast]

Blues prospect who plays for blues Jani Hakanpää 1+2=3 pts today and he has new measurements 6'6 218 still growing. Looks very promising.

 

[YARR123]

Blues prospect who plays for blues Jani Hakanpää 1+2=3 pts today and he has new measurements 6'6 218 still growing. Looks very promising.

One of my favorite prospects these days. How about that slapper! BOOM!

 

[Needles]

Blues prospect who plays for blues Jani Hakanpää 1+2=3 pts today and he has new measurements 6'6 218 still growing. Looks very promising.

When Blues drafted him in 4th round, I was like "Who?". Kekäläinen seems to know his prospects

 

[Tormentor]

Why you guys don't post line combos?

Hard to predict the line combos, but here’s this week’s lottery:

Markus Granlund - Mikael Granlund - Teemu Pulkkinen
Joonas Donskoi - Miikka Salomäki - Joel Armia
Miro Aaltonen - Aleksander Barkov - Alexander Ruuttu
Markus Hännikäinen - Joel Mustonen - Mika Partanen
Teuvo Teräväinen

Olli Määttä - Ville Pokka
Konsta Mäkinen - Jani Hakanpää
Henri Auvinen - Simo-Pekka Riikola
Rasmus Ristolainen

Sami Aittokallio
Ville Kolppanen

Helminen has so far favored guys like Otto Paajanen and Mikael Kuronen, so they might be on the 4th line instead of Hännikäinen and Partanen. Backup goalie will probably be either Kolppanen or Christopher Gibson. Other than that the above roster should IMO be pretty close unless there are injuries.

 

[MarkovtoSubban]

There's a lot of firepower there to work with, how would you describe the coach? Is he going to play safety first and be conservative? Or is he going to open up and let them play?

 

[Czechexpert]

Sure, I´m not saying it would be easy, but I think it would be easier team to compete with than Finland.

sure

 

[Czechexpert]

You just said it, team like Switzerland needs incredibly good goaltending to challenge teams like Czech Republic because you're gonna face lots of shots against.

I just don´t think that Czech has much better team than Switzerland this year. But truth is that goalies could be difference especially if Mrazek is in net(big if).
I actually think that Mrazek could be the best goalie there.

 

[Jussi]

There's a lot of firepower there to work with, how would you describe the coach? Is he going to play safety first and be conservative? Or is he going to open up and let them play?

That's a bit of a mystery to everyone. At the 4 nations tournament Finland reportedly played a fair amount of up/down hockey with occasional puck control and delayed break outs but struggled heavily against the Swedish forecheck.

 

[Spawnisen]

Man we're looking pretty good here for the future IMO! Let's hope all the youngins pans out!

 

[Needles]

Why you guys don't post line combos?

Well, here's mine. But like many others, I keep changing my mind almost every day.

Markus Granlund - Mikael Granlund - Teemu Pulkkinen
Joonas Donskoi - Joel Mustonen - Miikka Salomäki
Aleksander Ruuttu - Aleksander Barkov - Joel Armia
Mika Partanen - Mikael Kuronen - Markus Hännikäinen
Teuvo Teräväinen

Olli Määttä - Ville Pokka
Simo-Pekka Riikola - Jani Hakanpää
Henri Auvinen - Rasmus Ristolainen
Otto Räty

Sami Aittokallio/Richard Ullberg

I have to say, I like Tormentor's attacking lines a lot. The only thing I would change would be Teräväinen <-> Aaltonen.

 

[Password]

We must learn how to dive, that has to be our gameplan for WJC. We all know what MG and Pulu can do in PP.



No, but our team looks to be very young, but there is also A LOT of talent in our team. I'm happy if we make the semifinals, can't expect too much out of such a young team, especially the D-men's.

 

[Muuri]

That's a bit of a mystery to everyone. At the 4 nations tournament Finland reportedly played a fair amount of up/down hockey with occasional puck control and delayed break outs but struggled heavily against the Swedish forecheck.

Ville Pokka said in his blog that U20 team tries to play North-American style fast north-south hockey, which would mean no puck control system or delayed break outs.

 

[vorky]

when will Finland release preliminary roster? Russia and Canada did it already.

 

[Zamuz]

I think we should not put MiG and MaG in the same line, both are very intelligent players with great vision, great playmakers and when putting Barkov to 3rd line we have a very good depth. And yeah, i'd put MaG as center.

Pulkkinen - MiG - Salomäki
Donskoi - MaG - Armia
Hännikäinen - Barkov - Ruuttu
Teräväinen - Mustonen - Partanen
Ikonen

Hakanpää - Määttä
Pokka - Ristolainen
Auvinen - Riikola

 

[Jussi]

Ville Pokka said in his blog that U20 team tries to play North-American style fast north-south hockey, which would mean no puck control system or delayed break outs.

I know but some posters at jatkoaika.com who saw games from the tournament said they noticed some signs of "Meidän Peli" in the system, like the occasional "viivelähtö" and "palautus".

 

[Needles]

I think we should not put MiG and MaG in the same line

I can see no reason to do that, since they do so in HIFK. They have a special awareness of each other on the ice, it's like sixth sense. Granlund-Granlund-Pesonen dominates almost every shift against FEL teams, and that's not because of Janne Pesonen. Keep the brothers together.



Since EHT break: Mikael Granlund (6. 4+5=9), Markus Granlund (6. 4+2=6)