IIHF World ChampionshipDiscuss International Tournaments like the WJC, Olympics, and World Cup, as they take place, or discuss past tournaments. performances.
Finnish sauna business culture continues. Hey Kale I'm a really bad coach got anything to help me out? Sure buddy coach the U20 team and try to learn how to coach there. Of course you Raipe come first than what's actually good for the team...
Of course you Raipe come first than what's actually good for the team...
Ok.. I think you got something wrong. The national team exist, so Kal€ and hes good friends can be important and get good salary.. Not the other way around.
Sigh... while I think that Raipe is slightly better coach than his reputation says, it's still a step back. The most annoying thing is that '94 age group was supposed to be one best of all time.
Sigh... while I think that Raipe is slightly better coach than his reputation says, it's still a step back. The most annoying thing is that '94 age group was supposed to be one best of all time.
The most annoying thing is that '94 age group was supposed to be one best of all time.
It's a different matter of course, but I don't see next year's squad being as complete as this one, with the 93s gone. Netminding has a chance of being a tad stronger, defense probably pretty even but I don't see enough high profile forwards in 94s and 95s to replace the ones that will be gone. It'll be even more pronounced if the wet dream some of you seem to have of Barkov being an olympic hopeful comes true. It means his career has definitely taken a turn where he won't be available for U20 duty.
Even though I try to follow SM-liiga to my best ability, I have to admit I haven't been all that interested in Ilves (now I guess that has to change). Has Raipe been able to develop any kind of system with his tenure there? It doesn't have to be Jalonen grade, but at least some kind of core tenets the team can rally around. Because the biggest lack was that last year he had none, that much became evident in the semifinal at the latest.
I don't see that if Raipe is the head coach of U20 team. He has tons of experience from international tournaments. Have been leader in team packed with best players from finland. Players will get important informantion and everything about tournament game. Finland did very well when Raipe was an headcoach and almost led finland to the final game and maybe even to WJC gold.
However it's important to have assistant coach who makes all the tactical things and system. In todays coaching it's common to have coaching tandems where head coach is just an voice and the boss but other coaches takes care of the actual game. Like this year Rindell hardly does any coaching it is all about Tomek Valtonen who has good understanding of the game especially junior game.
I personally wouldn't be disappointed if Helminen and Valtonen are the coaches for team finland. Valtonen taking the charge in the future.
I personally wouldn't be disappointed if Helminen and Valtonen are the coaches for team finland. Valtonen taking the charge in the future.
If this becomes to pass, then it wouldn't be so horrid, I suppose.
It's just that last time Raipe was at the helm, things weren't like this. The team had no system and the game fluctuated a ton between matches. For reminder: Abysmal vs. Canada, good vs. USA, coast-to-coast hockey vs. Slovakia, and then just trying to cling on to the lead when Sweden rallied.
Even if the result, making the semis, was a good one, it's clear that one can't win anything big with coaching like that without a royal fluke.
With better assistants, things might get better as you say. But before we get more intel on that, pardon us for not being too thrilled.
I personally wouldn't be disappointed if Helminen and Valtonen are the coaches for team finland. Valtonen taking the charge in the future.
At this point we don't know if Valtonen is going to stay or if Helminen will bring in someone else with him, so I'm not going to be jumping for joy until we get confirmation on that.
I don't see that if Raipe is the head coach of U20 team. He has tons of experience from international tournaments. Have been leader in team packed with best players from finland. Players will get important informantion and everything about tournament game. Finland did very well when Raipe was an headcoach and almost led finland to the final game and maybe even to WJC gold.
However it's important to have assistant coach who makes all the tactical things and system. In todays coaching it's common to have coaching tandems where head coach is just an voice and the boss but other coaches takes care of the actual game. Like this year Rindell hardly does any coaching it is all about Tomek Valtonen who has good understanding of the game especially junior game.
I personally wouldn't be disappointed if Helminen and Valtonen are the coaches for team finland. Valtonen taking the charge in the future.
I agree with this post. Last year when Raipe was our coach he did really good job, we lost the medal because of Aittokallio's mistake in semi-finals. Without that, we would've had really good opportunity to take the gold medal. Come on guys, it's not Helminen's mistake if our goalie does give free goal. With Ilves he has done decent job, done everything what he has been able to do. That team doesn't have any first line players or even great goaltender without lockout-players. Roster is easily worst of league.
we lost the medal because of Aittokallio's mistake in semi-finals. Without that, we would've had really good opportunity to take the gold medal. Come on guys, it's not Helminen's mistake if our goalie does give free goal.
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Aittokallio stood on his head for the whole game, and even the mistake wasn't that horrible. The puck slipped from him for half a second before tossing the puck, and due to this Sundström (?) had just enough time to get his hand in the way. If Sundström didn't have so great reflexes that time, we'd barely even think of it as a mistake.
Aittokallio stood on his head for the whole game, and even the mistake wasn't that horrible. The puck slipped from him for half a second before tossing the puck, and due to this Sundström (?) had just enough time to get his hand in the way. If Sundström didn't have so great reflexes that time, we'd barely even think of it as a mistake.
yup, without Aittokallio we it could've been 2-5 instead of 2-1 when he made the mistake. I also agree that the fumble wasn't that bad. Sundström made a great play by catching the puck, dropping it quickly and making a great pass infront of goal. 9 out of 10 times Sundström would've probably missed the puck, not been able to give a good pass or the puck would've bounced or something.
Go watch the third period of last year's semifinal again if you can. We got absolutely HAMMERED out there. Anti-hockey at its best (or worst). And the coaches could do nothing but watch. In fact, we have Raipe's assistant Mikko Haapakoski on the record saying that Finland's plan coming onto the third was just to dump the puck and protect the lead, the plan that has certainly worked oh-so-gloriously in the past and brought us tons of silver.
Now, once you've watched that one, go watch 2011 WHC final's last period, especially the bit between Kapanen and Pesonen goals. That's Jalonen giving everyone a lesson on how to protect the lead.
Our team was definitely talented enough last year to do something more than just play five-man defense. Too bad the coaching wasn't. With proper suits behind the bench, the game would have been clear for us long before Aittokallio had his little slip-up.
Go watch the third period of last year's semifinal again if you can. We got absolutely HAMMERED out there. Anti-hockey at its best. And the coaching could do nothing but watch. In fact, we have Raipe's assistant Mikko Haapakoski on the record saying that Finland's plan coming onto the third was just to dump the puck and protect the lead, the plan that has certainly worked oh-so-gloriously in the past and brought us tons of silver.
Now, once you've watched that one, go watch 2011 WHC final's last period, especially the bit between Kapanen and Pesonen goals. That's Jalonen giving everyone a lesson on how to protect the lead.
Our team was definitely talented enough last year to do something more than just play five-man defense. Too bad the coaching wasn't. With proper suits behind the bench, the game would have been clear for us long before Aittokallio had his little slip-up.
I agree. However I'm not sure as to what extent becoming so passive in the 3rd was due to lack of coaching skills or lack of experience of the players, but if Haapakoski indeed said that, that's some bad coaching right there. Even without saying it, it's the most natural thing (and a bad thing) to do when you're in the lead. The coaches should try to fight that feeling in the players, not encourage it.
Judged from interviews, Helminen's speaking skills aren't very good, I don't find him believable when he speaks. Jalonen on the other hand, really makes you trust him when he speaks. I wish Marjamäki was still the coach of the u20 team. Imo the games 2 years ago we played the best WJC hockey I've ever seen Finland play, and our team was way less talented than last year.
I'm from the Islanders board, a question. Could you please tell me about Ville Pokka's skating?.
Thanks in advance.
Well, he puts on a pair of men's hockey skates. Black. Don't know the size. Then he hops onto the ice and starts moving his legs...
Okay. Sorry. Not what you asked.
Pokka may not be the greatest skater, at least at the moment, but he is far from abysmal either. But whatever shortcomings he may have in it, one doesn't really notice them IMO. His positioning in the own end is solid and he has clearly better-than-average vision, being able to give some pretty creative passes. Using these abilities, he definitely doesn't have to cycle around the rink that much.
Overall, a good prospect and a lock to make this team.
I'm from the Islanders board, a question. Could you please tell me about Ville Pokka's skating?.
Thanks in advance.
Ville Pokka was clearly the best defenseman of team Finland last year at WJC. I expect big things from him this year. He has very good chemistry with Barkov on the PP. It was joy to watch them play PP together.
Lehkonen-Barkov-Haapala. We all know that if you want keep Barkov out of scoreboard, you need to take off his time and space. I'm just wondering how much time and space will Lehkonen and Haapala get when Barkov has puck. This might work after all.
Lehkonen-Barkov-Haapala. We all know that if you want keep Barkov out of scoreboard, you need to take off his time and space. I'm just wondering how much time and space will Lehkonen and Haapala get when Barkov has puck. This might work after all.
That line worked very well at the U20 tournament in sundvall. I think that the line scored 8 out of 9 goals for team finland. Why to break up the line which work? Aaltonen-Teräväinen-Ikonen worked very well in the Lake placid tournament. Granlund-Salomäki-Armia have played most of their NT career together. I think that Finland has very very good situation in line chemistry already. 4th line has very good chemistry aswell as Salminen-Lamberg have played together this year at FEL 3rd player has easy job to get into that line. I prefer Hännikäinen.
Defence has very good chemistry aswell. This will be big plus for team Finland to have lines which have worked very well in the past already. May take them far at this tournament.
Some folks just recently "discovered" Kalle Kossila, a Finn somewhat dominating in the NCAA, and eligible to play in the WJC this year, and someone who has been talked about on this forum quite a bit too.. so now anyone who has followed his play this season at St. Cloud, here's a question to you:
Do you think he was snubbed out of a spot because this generation was so heavy with SM-Liga tested players there wasn't any particular "need" to go the extra mile and search for possible dark horses abroad? (Example: Erik Haula)
That line worked very well at the U20 tournament in sundvall. I think that the line scored 8 out of 9 goals for team finland. Why to break up the line which work? Aaltonen-Teräväinen-Ikonen worked very well in the Lake placid tournament. Granlund-Salomäki-Armia have played most of their NT career together. I think that Finland has very very good situation in line chemistry already. 4th line has very good chemistry aswell as Salminen-Lamberg have played together this year at FEL 3rd player has easy job to get into that line. I prefer Hännikäinen.
Defence has very good chemistry aswell. This will be big plus for team Finland to have lines which have worked very well in the past already. May take them far at this tournament.
The level of competition wasn't as tough in those tournaments, though.
