Team Finland @ 2013 World Championships

[Finnpin]

well there's 1 good thing about this year team. it simply can't disappoint people. we got so crappy team that expectations are none existent. so if they somehow manage to make it through group stage we can be happy! if not, nothing is lost.

Exactly.

I wonder are Finnish games in MTV3's sports channel? or in MAX? I still have MAX for couple of months in one tv package.

 

[FiLe]

who are you thinkin of. härski, puustinen, pesonen..?

Härski and Järvinen were my main items of interest.

H.Pesonen, Rajala and J.Rask could be players who might not look out of place on that squad, but I doubt they're of the kind whom the management views as subjects for a direct invite. One more I might personally give fringe consideration for is Haula, given our current shortage of centres. But yeah, all four are highly unlikely in reality.

 

[Mestaruus]

Interestingly enough, AHL's first round games are best-of-five

Interesting didn't know about bo5.

Here are my lineups for the forwards. I especially like my 3rd line here former JYP duo & Aaltonen.

Korpikoski-Kontiola-Salminen
Hagman-Koskiranta-Savinainen
Aaltonen-Hytönen-Pihlström
Osala(/Petrell)-Wirtanen-Jormakka

Viitaluoma (incase we get center injuries), Haataja

Petrell will be added if he wants to come and Osala will be dropped out first, but maybe Petrell doesn't want to play under Jalonen after he didn't get chosen last year, however I think he might not care about that and wants to play for Finland. Also I'd have Nieminen in the team of course, but since Jalonen doesn't seem to like him enough I didn't add him here.

 

[Fin9*]

Finland is going to suck donkeyballs in this tournament lol

 

[JJTT]

G

Atte Engren
Joni Ortio
Antti Raanta

D

Juuso Hietanen
Lasse Kukkonen
Teemu Laakso
Tuukka Mäntylä
Sami Lepistö
Ilari Melart
Ossi Väänänen
Janne Jalasvaara

F

Juhamatti Aaltonen
Marko Anttila
Juha-Pekka Haataja
Niklas Hagman
Juha-Pekka Hytönen
Pekka Jormakka
Miika Lahti
Petri Kontiola
Jarno Koskiranta
Janne Pesonen
Antti Pihlström
Sakari Salminen
Veli-Matti Savinainen
Ville Viitaluoma


final team, korpikoski may come later

 

[FiLe]

Osala and Mäenpää out. Didn't see that coming.

Lineup, lessee...

Raanta/Ortio

Lepistö - Hietanen
Mäntylä - Jalasvaara
Väänänen - Melart
Kukkonen - Laakso

Pesonen - Kontiola - Aaltonen
Salminen - Koskiranta - Korpikoski
Hagman - Hytönen - Pihlström
Savinainen - Viitaluoma - Anttila


And that is... not exactly what was expected.

 

[nonoob12]

Hagman and Lepistö over Osala and Mäenpää...

why???

 

[44]

So we're going to the World Championships with an EHT team. Why is Melart playing? Where's Osala? This sucks

 

[Fin9*]

Lepistö and Hagman

 

[Needles]

Boy, do we suck!

 

[Mestaruus]

Lepistö over Mäenpää is the biggest joke ever...

Tamminen made an interesting comment about our goalie situation. Since we face Germany and Slovakia first and with this team we are going to have tough games vs these teams most likely. So playing Raanta, who has no NT experience in the first games is a big risk and might lead to a huge flop result from the entire tourney if he chokes. So Tamminen thinks Ortio and Engren would play the first games instead of Raanta whom many probably thinks should be the first goalie for Finland. Kind of interesting situation and to see what Jalonen decides to do.

I personally think Jalonen is going to take a "risk" here and let Raanta play either the first or second game, since what does Jalonen have to lose? His last year as the NT coach and he already has a nice couple million € contract with a KHL team.

 

[JJTT]

I really don't get this hate for Melart, he was our best defenceman in these practice matches. Sure Melart was pretty bad in game vs czech republic but the whole team sucked in this latest eht so it's not his fault.
Also he is pretty much the only guy with Väänänen who has mean streak and can clear the crease after the whistle

As for Mäenpää he was horrible defensively in all these practice matches while Lepistö played pretty simple game and wasn't that bad.

BUT WTF? why on earth jalonen picked Haataja who has been awful since kärpät was eliminated from the playoffs over Osala.

 

[MaNNe]

After seeing that name list for the first time ever since I started watching hockey. I'm utterly and completely uninterested in that team and how it's going to do. I'll just catch NHL hockey instead and maybe read the results in the news. I understand that Jalonen doesn't really have much better material than this to work with, but he still could've at least invited some interesting names in for example Armia. This is by far the worst team I've ever seen us ice on the WC:s since I remember. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even make it to the Quarterfinals...

 

[Gaps]

It's time to pray

I don't understand why Haataja wasn't cut, he won't do the team much good in a grinding role and he's no where near being good enough to play in the top 6. Osala would've been more useful, at least he has other things to offer even if he's not scoring.

Mäenpää was awful defensively, but I just might shed a tear or two if Melart plays PP. Lepistö seems to have lost most of puck-handling ability in the last few years, and I wouldn't say he was that much better than Mäenpää.

I feel sorry for the people who have already paid good money to see this team. They deserve better than a bunch of guys they've never heard of and most of whom really have very little to offer on this level skill-wise. Hockey's about entertainment too and these guys have little chance of offering it.

 

[Pajicz]

Easily the worst Team Finland in 21st century World Championships...?

 

[ThinMcWhistle]

This team sucks metal balls. Why not train the next guard ie. Armia, Pulkkinen and Teravainen? I don't have any clue as to some of the names on this roster, but many of them seem to be picked solely due to moderate success this season in the SM liiga.

We really stand no chance against the better teams ie. Canada. My prediction is an out in the quarters.

 

[MaNNe]

Easily the worst Team Finland in 21st century World Championships...?

Yes and no contest. Even if you count the 90's it would be among the worst with those early 90's teams. What makes it even worse for me personally is that the rookies on the team are old too ... Like Viitaluoma, Haataja, Anttila etc. Why pick these players now? They're gonna have 0 impact now and in the future regardless, might as well use this time to bring in some of the rookies that might actually have an impact in the NT in the future such as Armia, Teräväinen etc. Like in the case of those early 90's Finnish NT:s they atleast included a young Koivu and a young Lehtinen out of mestis! Besides at least for me personally seeing those young guys play would make it worth it for me to watch the games. Right now as things stand I have absolutely 0 interest in watching those 28-year old EHT grinders lose 7-0 to a star studded Russian team.

 

[FiLe]

I don't understand why Haataja wasn't cut, he won't do the team much good in a grinding role and he's no where near being good enough to play in the top 6. Osala would've been more useful, at least he has other things to offer even if he's not scoring.

I'm guessing you need an extra offensive forward as well. Maybe he's there to be added to the top-six if Korpikoski doesn't pass the medical?

Though Lord Almighty help us if that comes to pass. He's has exactly the same air around him as Hyvönen, Kerman and Janne Lahti - guys who actually might impress in the home league or against weaker opposition in the preliminaries, but when the real games begin, they completely vanish from the picture. And one has no need to wonder why - if they could have already entered bigger circles before knocking thirty, they would have. But Jalonen just doesn't seem to get it.

Mäenpää was awful defensively, but I just might shed a tear or two if Melart plays PP. Lepistö seems to have lost most of puck-handling ability in the last few years, and I wouldn't say he was that much better than Mäenpää.

Mäenpää is a guy whose top performance level is quite high actually, but his rock bottom is likewise quite low. And it seems perfectly random which one you'll see on any given day.

Lepistö however is simply flegmatic when he's bad. In other words, he's not doing anything to help the team win, but is not the biggest issue to cause it to lose either.

But it is really interesting to see what kind of PP units Jalonen intends to put together using a D that consists of 3 OD and 5 DD. It's not like we have a surefire forward to blueline an unit either.

I feel sorry for the people who have already paid good money to see this team. They deserve better than a bunch of guys they've never heard of and most of whom really have very little to offer on this level skill-wise. Hockey's about entertainment too and these guys have little chance of offering it.

Agreed. This almost feels like Jalonen flipping a bird on his way out towards Kummola and his overpriced tickets.

However, if these guys get their game together, who knows, they might even upset a tougher team or two. But they'll be doing it via the slow grind, so while the results may be passable, watching the game itself is still far from entertaining.

 

[Gaps]

I'm guessing you need an extra offensive forward as well. Maybe he's there to be added to the top-six if Korpikoski doesn't pass the medical?

Though Lord Almighty help us if that comes to pass. He's has exactly the same air around him as Hyvönen, Kerman and Janne Lahti - guys who actually might impress in the home league or against weaker opposition in the preliminaries, but when the real games begin, they completely vanish from the picture. And one has no need to wonder why - if they could have already entered bigger circles before knocking thirty, they would have. But Jalonen just doesn't seem to get it.

Mäenpää is a guy whose top performance level is quite high actually, but his rock bottom is likewise quite low. And it seems perfectly random which one you'll see on any given day.

Lepistö however is simply flegmatic when he's bad. In other words, he's not doing anything to help the team win, but is not the biggest issue to cause it to lose either.

But it is really interesting to see what kind of PP units Jalonen intends to put together using a D that consists of 3 OD and 5 DD. It's not like we have a surefire forward to blueline an unit either.

Agreed. This almost feels like Jalonen flipping a bird on his way out towards Kummola and his overpriced tickets.

However, if these guys get their game together, who knows, they might even upset a tougher team or two. But they'll be doing it via the slow grind, so while the results may be passable, watching the game itself is still far from entertaining.

I read that Jormakka will be the one who gets cut if Korpikoski passes his medical, not Haataja. So I guess he's not a place holder for anyone, unless Jalonen puts him in the press box and waits for Koivu/Filppula/Granlund.

No games have been played yet, so anything is possible in theory, but it doesn't look good based on the latest games. The team doesn't seem to have a spine, most of the players don't seem to have any heart, Kontiola's probably going to be the only center capable of decent playmaking on this level, and nobody seems to be able to put the puck in the net.

In defense we have Kukkonen who's late half of the time (but apparently that's okay because he's the team's spiritual leader), Lepistö who's useless in every way most of the time these days, Laakso and his hazards, Melart backing straight into the goalie's lap and screening him, etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if the game plan this time turned out to be as follows: 1) Place a brick wall in net- can be done, the goalies won't be the downfall of this team, 2) Try to score a goal- even that will take a lot of work, but it's not impossible and 3) Hang on for dear life after that goal and hope the brick wall doesn't go down- well, they've got to have more fight in them than we've seen up to this point if they want to complete this part of the plan.

 

[Kulleroinen*]

Well, it is nice to know that I am not forced to watch these games. I'd rather have kids (Armia,Pulkkinen,Teräväinen) who will most likely blow but might also score a few goals and players like Osala,Ruutu and Nieminen who have at least some heart than these... bland "Jyp"-players which the team seems to be made off.

Jormakka?
Lahti?

... really?

 

[Finnpin]

Osala cut

I'm seriously starting to skip these games totally.

 

[YARR123]

Well, it is nice to know that I am not forced to watch these games. I'd rather have kids (Armia,Pulkkinen,Teräväinen) who will most likely blow but might also score a few goals and players like Osala,Ruutu and Nieminen who have at least some heart than these... bland "Jyp"-players which the team seems to be made off.

Jormakka?
Lahti?

... really?

Exactly.. What has Jormakka or Lahti really shown to warrant them a roster spot? What does Jormakka bring to the table that for example Armia doesn't? Also if we have these guys like Savinainen, Viitaluoma, Lahti, then WHERE IN THE HELL is NIEMININEN? At least as good an energy player as Lahti, million times better with the puck and brings leadership.

This team sucks. I might cheer for Slovakia and Switzerland instead.

 

[FiLe]

Lahti obviously made it in as a consequence of Wirtanen getting hurt. Jalonen needed every centre he could get so he could swap 'em in and out in hopes of possibly finding someone who could glue the 2nd line together. (And no, Lahti is not that guy, but he can be used in lower lines to promote Koskiranta, for example.)

So saying he should have been swapped for winger X is really not an option. Besides, if Gaps is right, Jormakka will go if Korpikoski comes.


Therefore, I quote myself from the other thread:

If you wish to rage against useless picks, at least direct them towards the correct players. Haataja (-82), Mäntylä (-81), and Viitaluoma (-81) are the ones who we'll probably see never again.

Besides, they're guys slated for upper echelon roles. Every team needs its grinders, and at least those are somewhat youthful. We would possibly be raging even more than we do now if Jalonen actually took all our young guns in and then assigned them fourth line minutes because he was forced to leave out some of the bottom-six workhorses as a consequence.

Miika Lahti is not the issue here. He's a 4th line grinder at best, and rather youthful (-87 born) at that. This team can't go on completely without players like him.

You wanna rage against someone, rage against Haataja. He's made of the same material as all those other Jalonen veteran "scorer" picks like Hyvönen, Kerman, Janne Lahti - put up points in preliminaries, become useless in the games. His perceived role is much closer to that Armia's could have been.

I wouldn't be surprised if the game plan this time turned out to be as follows: 1) Place a brick wall in net- can be done, the goalies won't be the downfall of this team, 2) Try to score a goal- even that will take a lot of work, but it's not impossible and 3) Hang on for dear life after that goal and hope the brick wall doesn't go down- well, they've got to have more fight in them than we've seen up to this point if they want to complete this part of the plan.

Isn't that the Aravirta recipe of winning - one Raimo Helminen also tried to employ on his stint as the U20 coach?

Jalonen had a crappy team on 2009 as well, and yet he never tried to utilize that plan back then either. No, this team will at least try to go forward. Most of the time they'll be likely stopped at the neutral zone, but they won't just shut down and form a wall around the own blueline. Jalonen hates that kind of game.

 

[Lennu]

The whole success leans towards Petri Kontiola. KHL season 44gp 12+19(+22), playoffs 25gp 10+9(+10). He's awesome center and I've always kinda wanted to see him in big role in Finland's NT.

Though, the team is horrible but interesting. We'll see what Konna can do with 20 min TOI/game with Korpikoski and Aaltonen/Salminen. Ortio will most likely be the starting goalie since Raanta has zero NT experience. And then, Ilari Melart! Huge progress this season, very interesting player. Plays hard and especially earlier pretty dirty but has concentrated on playing this season in HIFK. There's a lot of people who are not satisfied with him but I love to see strong defenders in front of our goal. With Melart and Väänänen we have that size in our D what we usually have not.

 

[FiLe]

Though, the team is horrible but interesting. We'll see what Konna can do with 20 min TOI/game with Korpikoski and Aaltonen/Salminen. Ortio will most likely be the starting goalie since Raanta has zero NT experience. And then, Ilari Melart! Huge progress this season, very interesting player. Plays hard and especially earlier pretty dirty but has concentrated on playing this season in HIFK. There's a lot of people who are not satisfied with him but I love to see strong defenders in front of our goal. With Melart and Väänänen we have that size in our D what we usually have not.

Finally, a sensible point of view. Agree wholeheartedly.

It might be an extremely crappy team as a whole, and there are some picks who are questionable especially when you look at some of the cuts made along the way - but there are also a few interesting individuals and seeing how they fare might just make some of these games worth watching. After all, some of them could later on be used as parts of somewhat stronger squads.