Top defenceman in international play?

[Joe MacMillan]

Berg is an NHL veteran. Nummelin has several all star selections in world championships, has won the swiss league scoring title once, as a defenseman.

I don't care if Berg is a former NHL veteran. Kronwall is still better. And I never said Konwall is a better offensive defenceman than Nummelin, but Kronwall is more of a complete package and way more physical than Nummelin.

Yes, Kronwall has to actually succeed in the NHL level and in more than one world championships before you can rate him over guys like Berg or even Nummelin. Especially Berg who has already represented his country in a few super tournaments, and has played like 600 NHL games. Kronwall is a very promising young guy, but he has something to prove before you can just rank him above people who have actually achieved more.

Kronwall has already proved me with his play in the AHL, WHC, and Olympics. In the NHL, he came back from the injury this season so that certainly affected his play there. Next season he's going to be huge and will be right there with Phaneuf and Pitkänen.

 

[hifk88]

Nummelin, just look at his passes!

I have to agree with this post,

Some of his passes are so amazing.

 

[psycho_dad*]

I don't care if Berg is a former NHL veteran. Kronwall is still better. And I never said Konwall is a better offensive defenceman than Nummelin, but Kronwall is more of a complete package and way more physical than Nummelin.

Kronwall has already proved me with his play in the AHL, WHC, and Olympics. In the NHL, he came back from the injury this season so that certainly affected his play there. Next season he's going to be huge and will be right there with Phaneuf and Pitkänen.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, Kronwall might be better than Berg or Nummelin but he has to show it first before you can go and rank him better in speculation. Nothing so far in these games suggest that he is head and shoulders above Berg or Nummelin, and they have way more succesfull careers. But Kronwall will be better than they are, he just has to show it first. He probably would have done that already if he would have stayed healthy this season.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

I don't necessarily disagree with you, Kronwall might be better than Berg or Nummelin but he has to show it first before you can go and rank him better in speculation. Nothing so far in these games suggest that he is head and shoulders above Berg or Nummelin, and they have way more succesfull careers. But Kronwall will be better than they are, he just has to show it first. He probably would have done that already if he would have stayed healthy this season.

Fair enough.

I'm just saying he has proved to me that he's an awesome player (mostly in european rinks since I've never seen him play in the AHL), but he was indeed a sort of dissapointment in the NHL this season, I'll give you that (tough he was injured half of the season).

 

[rigger]

If it wasn't for poor sports we would the best d man would be Regher or Phaneuf.

 

[Jerkini]

You know this tournament is a joke when you have players like Aki Berg and Petteri Nummelin being named the top defensemen.

 

[Aki Berg]

You know this tournament is a joke when you have players like Aki Berg and Petteri Nummelin being named the top defensemen.

Wrong.

Where do you get this stuff?

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Wrong.

Where do you get this stuff?

You're right, he's wrong. Aki will never be and never has been named the best defenceman.

 

[SpeakerForTheDead]

Tomas Kaberle.

 

[Aki Berg]

You're right, he's wrong. Aki will never be and never has been named the best defenceman.

Never say never.

Right now Finland is being carried by Aki on the back end.

If Finland wins gold, which has been predicted by every expert in the field, then it's realistic that Aki will win the tournament's best defender award.

 

[SpeakerForTheDead]

Never say never.

Right now Finland is being carried by Aki on the back end.

If Finland wins gold, which has been predicted by every expert in the field, then it's realistic that Aki will win the tournament's best defender award.

You tell them Aki!

 

[Aki Berg]

You tell them Aki!

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Never say never.

Right now Finland is being carried by Aki on the back end.

If Finland wins gold, which has been predicted by every expert in the field, then it's realistic that Aki will win the tournament's best defender award.

I hope so, both Aki winning the award and Finland winning gold.

But Aki needs to score more goals to win it. He must prove that the goal he scored last game wasn't a fluke.

 

[yarre]

I hope so, both Aki winning the award and Finland winning gold.

But Aki needs to score more goals to win it. He must prove that the goal he scored last game wasn't a fluke.

Aki scored? Did it reflect from his butt into the goal?

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Aki scored? Did it reflect from his butt into the goal?

Close. It deflected off his skate.

 

[Riddarn]

Tomas Kaberle and Kenny Jönsson for me. Kenny actually became a better national team performer after he returned to Europe. Maybe it's because he's not as fatigued and accustomed to the rink size.. he's been great anyway.

 

[Sampe]

You know this tournament is a joke when you have players like Aki Berg and Petteri Nummelin being named the top defensemen.

.........................................Petteri Nummelin vs. Joe Thornton

Swiss Elite League 2004-05.....36.13+36=49............44.10+44=54
Best World Championships........9.1+12=13................9.6+10=16
First NHL Season....................61.4+12=16.............55.3+4=7

There. Numbers don't lie!

 

[NewHabsEra*]

How is Komisarek doing?

 

[leafaholix*]

How is Komisarek doing?

not well enough to be mentioned in this thread.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Nummelin is leading the defensemen in scoring with 1+4 in 3 games. You guys still think he is not worth a mention in this thread?

He also sent Jussi Jokinen (yet again) to a breakaway but the linesman was shaky and called it offside which it wasn't according to replays.

Nummelin messed up in the Czechs 3rd goal, but his offensive game makes up for his shortcomings in D.

 

[teme]

Nummelin is one of the best offenceman in any tournament, as good as anyone else. Defencively he is one of the worst if not entirely hopeless. What that amounts to depends on what your team needs, for this Team Finland he is the key player offencively.

I've yet to see a single Sweden game, but based on previous tournaments I'd say Kronvall is the best dman in this tournament. The kid is right there along with Pitkänen and Phaneuf as the young dman I'd love to have on my team. And I'm a Finn.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Aki was terrible against the Czechs last night, was the one to blame for atleast one if not two of the goals. Nummelin played a good game like always. Kaberle had a though game since the Finns went in hard on him making it hard for him to set up the play like he use to do. A very good game all in all. Since the Olympic Jagr hit this games really becomes hot.

 

[sleb]

Nummelin is leading the defensemen in scoring with 1+4 in 3 games. You guys still think he is not worth a mention in this thread?

This is a thread about "top d-men", not "who scores most". Nummelin is absolutely crap in own zone, alongside with Berg. They shouldn't be mentioned here.

He also sent Jussi Jokinen (yet again) to a breakaway but the linesman was shaky and called it offside which it wasn't according to replays.

How can you claim you've seen that replay, if you didn't see who gave that pass? It was Lehtonen, not Nummelin.

Nummelin messed up in the Czechs 3rd goal, but his offensive game makes up for his shortcomings in D.

Nummelin and Berg, the brainfart-duo messed up the second goal. Nummelin messed up with Luoma, on the 3rd goal.

Nummelin is not worth a mention, as we all know how bad he is in the own zone. Just ask Kopitar.

 

[psycho_dad*]

This is a thread about "top d-men", not "who scores most". Nummelin is absolutely crap in own zone, alongside with Berg. They shouldn't be mentioned here.

How can you claim you've seen that replay, if you didn't see who gave that pass? It was Lehtonen, not Nummelin.

Nummelin and Berg, the brainfart-duo messed up the second goal. Nummelin messed up with Luoma, on the 3rd goal.

Nummelin is not worth a mention, as we all know how bad he is in the own zone. Just ask Kopitar.

Well I can claim I saw that replay, could be that I made a mistake with #3 and #33. Yeah, Nummelin was crap in our end in this game, but he is important because he creates offense better than the rest of our defensemen. Berg was the one to blame for the second goal, Nummelin just did not have time to react there really. Of course someone really good could have prevented it

 

[psycho_dad*]

Since the Olympic Jagr hit this games really becomes hot.

Doesn't seem to get that hot, Czech have nobody to do the "dirty work". Jarkko Ruutu was once again getting under their skin, and they did nothing about it. In an interview between periods they asked Ruutu if he was expecting some sort of revenge, so he said that Czechs have had all the chances in the world to revenge but nothing ever happens, just trash talk.