WJC: Team Finland 2019 U20 WJC Roster Talk

[FinPanda]

So it’s either gold or home in the quarters. We just don’t care about other medals.

 

[Genu]

Well, didn't really see this coming after group stage.

Luukkonen was the backbone of this team, such a calming presence in the net.

Jokiharju and Vaakanainen both had their mishaps, but overall their NHL experience showed. Vaakanainen though really has some ice in his veins, at times he plays maybe too casually.

Heinola and Utunen were mostly solid, Utunen really stepped up after Heinola went down.

Laaksonen was really mixed bag, some great games, and then some games were he was really shaky

Latvala and Honka were both rather turnover prone though tourney. Have to wonder why Honka was brought instead of Kokkonen, this team did have enough powerplay guys.

On offense, Kupari was dangerous, but he still doesn't convert enough of his chances. Really nice player to watch though. Heponiemi was suprisingly bad, some nice plays but lack of space didn't do him any good. Tolvanen did do his best to be factor even without goals, but you could really see that gorilla on his back.

Kakko and Lundell played well, with especially Lundell showing his good all-around game. Both had their best showings in finals. Kakko did flash his excellent puck shielding through tourney, but feel like he needed to be bit more aggressive when driving to net.

Aarne Talvitie, the best forward of this team and a true captain. Good to great play through tourney, moving up the lineup to wake others up. Might really have some NHL upside.

Santeri Virtanen was also good for the most parts, really solid two-way game. As for the rest, kind of mixed bags with some good and some not so stellar performances. Good enough i guess (that Vainionpää pass in first US game was brutal)

Won the right games and now they are champions. Really glad i screwed my sleeping schedule to watch these games.

 

[SantosHalper]

Taivas varjele, mikä sieltä tulee!!! Ihanaa Leijonat ihanaa!! Kautta rakkaimman isänmaan me juhlitaan kun voitetaan!!! And Poika Saunoo!!! etc. all the others finnish hockey songs.

We are the world champions!!! 2016 team we're phenomenal and once in the lifetime groups, but 2014 and now 2019 world champions are teams with major capital T.

This is our game!

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Kiekkofaneille heti pettymys: MM-kultajoukkueelle ei järjestetä torijuhlaa

Ei tavata torilla.
No championship parties in market square.

 

[Monaakko]

Also have to give props to Eeli Tolvanen, despite not scoring a single goal. From the QF and on he worked his butt off, on both sides of the puck, forechecking, back checking driving the net, etc.

 

[FinPanda]

Hands up baby hands up

 

[king89]

You can say what you want about Heponiemi, but he played really well today. He created space with his superb stickhandling and calmness with the puck.

SUOMI

 

[Genu]

Also, really glad Kakko got the golden goal. Otto Latvala scoring it would have been.. weird.

 

[Patrik Barkov]

Also, really glad Kakko got the golden goal. Otto Latvala scoring it would have been.. weird.

Would've been perfect if Latvala or Honka would've had the winner after all the crap they've been given

 

[Mestaruus]

So it’s either gold or home in the quarters. We just don’t care about other medals.

We might get the usual championship hangover like after the previous WJC U20 gold and especially if Raipe is really the next head coach. This means relegation best of 3 series against Germany where we survive by beating Germany in game 3 after a shootout.

So that would support your claim.

Anyways, I'm just kidding. I don't really think Raipe will do that bad, but he probably won't do that well either if he doesn't have the absolute best coaching staff around him as I don't think he's a real head coach yet.

 

[Mestaruus]

Kiekkofaneille heti pettymys: MM-kultajoukkueelle ei järjestetä torijuhlaa

Ei tavata torilla.
No championship parties in market square.

I think they have good reasoning for it. I agree with the decision this time. I'm sure they would do it if Finland won again next year in WJC U20 that will be held in Czech.

 

[Henkka]

Well, I guess Finland have showed that they can play on small ices aswell!

Yeah, first final appearance and first gold.

THE CURSE is over and our Golden generation looks damn good. Most Championships in last 6 years...

3 - Finland
2 - Canada
1 - USA

 

[ookhaab]

Crazy to think about it, but if that fluke goal with 46 seconds left in the 3rd period against Canada didnt happen, we would be looking at yet another dissapointing tournament.

But hey, all goals count.

 

[FinPanda]

Our top guys came to play when it matters. Who cares what happens in the preliminary round.

 

[topshelf15]

Congrats to Finland!!!

 

[Loffer]

You can say what you want about Heponiemi, but he played really well today. He created space with his superb stickhandling and calmness with the puck.

SUOMI

True dat. Heponiemi is quite an excellent hockey player. He has the mind for the game. Reads time and space and sees the openings open before him earlier than the rest of the bunch, barring maybe that great youngster Lundell.

 

[Zaddy]

I'll eat hatload of marabou milk chocolate if Finland wins even a medal in this tournament.
There was only 1 team on the ice in the 1st period and it wasn't Finland.

I'm jealous. So much chocolate for you!

Also, quoting myself for truth:

It's funny how people are ready to give up on their team after 1 period in the 1st game.

Quite often teams who struggle early on end up going very far in the tournament.

Finland has a good team, they'll be fine.

 

[Mestaruus]

True dat. Heponiemi is quite an excellent hockey player. He has the mind for the game. Reads time and space and sees the openings open before him earlier than the rest of the bunch, barring maybe that great youngster Lundell.

In other words, Raipe reincarnation as a player is welcomed but not as the coach of U20.

 

[king89]

All the players stepped up in the end, even Latvala with his fluke goal. The whole team made a great game. The first period were maybe the best hockey this team has played. Very proud of the guys!

Ylönen & Talvitie was for me the two most solid forwards through the tournament, Kupari & Heponiemi very good in the playoff. Imagine how dominant Lundell & Kakko could be next year. Hopefully Kakko can play next year too but thats probably not happening. The defence were great, and Luukkonen looks like a future NHL starter.

The Finnish talents keeps coming

 

[Loffer]

In other words, Raipe reincarnation as a player is welcomed but not as the coach of U20.

Well, he is not a coach; let's not get ahead of ourselves. Raipe the Player >> Raipe the Coach. Hopefully I am wrong and Raipe the Coach -- (approaches)--> Raipe the Player.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

Also have to give props to Eeli Tolvanen, despite not scoring a single goal. From the QF and on he worked his butt off, on both sides of the puck, forechecking, back checking driving the net, etc.

Funnily enough, for being such a "one-trick pony" according to HfBoards; he was doing literally everything well except the one trick he's "good" at

 

[Loffer]

Funnily enough, for being such a "one-trick pony" according to HfBoards; he was doing literally everything well except the one trick he's "good" at

This note carries some fine irony of a teaching along with itself (the teaching itself could be rendered as follows: Do not be so narrow-minded, my old friend, there's more to it than meets the eye. Hmmmm....) I must admit. We all are more less doomed to be biased here in the depths of HFBoards, especially. But then again, this is no science peer review board, is it (and even there we have a well-known bias affecting the interpretation of the data)? An integral part of the fun of a discussion board like this lies in the (public) act and thus in results of being way off, ridiculously wrong in one's projections, predictions, assessments (and of course in the interaction of fan bases - within themselves and in-between each other).

There is no view from nowhere and if there were that should be the view deprived from us mere mortals, the of all-seeing-eye, T. J. Eckelburg of the Great Gatsby, the vision of God; sub specie aeternitatis, an immaculate idea outside time and space borrowed from the papers left behind by some wise old dude with a beard like Baruch aka Benedict Spinoza, the optician and philosopher of morals dwelling in Amsterdam in the 17th century (who, again ironically enough, did not have a beard ) - which is not why any of us, me included!, has a bad habit of spending idle time on here reading and commenting one or multi trick ponies with skates and sticks. We are doomed, yeah, but we are also freed to write the shit we want, within the policy of the board, of course. We are no gods, just humans. Never forget that and you might reach higher spheres of existence one day, those only few humans are capable of reaching and where the gods and saints dwell.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Better than the 2016 team? Goaltending and defense. Check. Offense wash.

 

[ijuka]

Better than the 2016 team? Goaltending and defense. Check. Offense wash.

Just how is the offense a wash? It's nowhere near.

 

[Patrik Barkov]

Better than the 2016 team? Goaltending and defense. Check. Offense wash.

Defense: 2016<2018
Goalies: 2016<2018

Offense: 2016>>>2018