world cup team speculation?

Raimo Sillanpää
04-02-2004, 07:12 AM
Just for fun..

top 10 Finnish Dmen in Points:
Kimmo Timonen, NSH 12+31=43
Janne Niinimaa, NYI 9+18=27
Joni Pitkanen, PHI 8+19=27
Sami Salo, VAN 7+18=25
Toni Lydman, CGY 4+16=20
Teppo Numminen, DAL 3+13=16
Aki Berg, TOR 2+7=9
Ossi Väänänen, COL/PHO 2+6=6
Mikko Luoma, EDM 0+1=1
Lasse Kukkonen, CHI 0+1=1

Yikes! Huge drop-off after Numminen..

top 10 Finnish Dmen in +/-:
Joni Pitkanen, PHI +15
Janne Niinimaa, NYI +14
Sami Salo, VAN +8
Toni Lydman, CGY +6
Mikko Luoma, EDM 0
Lasse Kukkonen, CHI -2
Aki Berg, TOR -4
Teppo Numminen, DAL -6
Kimmo Timonen, NSH -8
Ossi Väänänen, COL/PHO -14

My speculation: (First 6 I'd expect to be in already)
1 Timonen
2 Niinimaa
3 Pitkänen
4 Sami Salo
5 Toni Lyman
6 Teppo Numminen
7 Berg, Karalahti, Väänänen (Two of..? I'd select Karalahti and Väänänen)

Top 5 Goalies:
Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY/SJ 1.69 .934%
Vesa Toskala, SJ 2.03 .932%
Jussi Markkanen, EDM/NYR 2.37 .918%
Mika Noronen, BUF 2.45 .909%
Pasi Nurminen, ATL 2.79 .903%

1 Kiprusoff - best numbers
2 Nurminen - most games, his team's #1
3 Toskala/Lehtonen (Toskala played very well, Lehtonen along for experience/coach's know him?)

Centres : 5 - just listed by stats
Jokinen 26+29=55 -16
Koivu 14+40=54 -4 * far less games than Olli, better ppg rate
Ruutu 22+21=43 -30
Pirnes 3+6=9 -9
N Kapanen 1+5=6 -15

Koivu,Jokinen,Ruutu already in

Wings : 8 - just listed by stats
Selänne 16+15=31 +2
S Kapanen 12+18=30 +10
Laaksonen 12+14=26 0
Lehtinen 12+12=24 0
Hagman 10+13=23 -5
Nieminen 5+16=21 -8
Pirjetä 5+13=18 -6
Ruutu 6+7=13 -13

Selänne, Kapanen,Lehtinen already in, after that..??

That forward crop on stats leaves us with lots of questions..

Lehtinen-Koivu-Selänne
- Jokinen-S Kapanen
- T Ruutu -

can consider themselves in

Peltonen, Hentunen,Pärssinen should make it from Europe, especially if Niko Kapanen is chosen, the old Kapanen-Hentunen-Pärssinen line could be resurrected..

Making this:

Lehtinen-Koivu-Selänne
Peltonen- Jokinen-S Kapanen
- T Ruutu -
Hentunen-Kapanen-Pärssinen

with Tuomo's linemates having to fight themselves into the team with impressive performances..

What's your guess?

Raimo Sillanpää
04-02-2004, 10:15 AM
I think Ossi Väänänen is mure of a sure bet on the team than Lydman.

Lydman has all of the statistics going for him, what would you say is in Ossi's favour to put him ahead of Toni?