Finnish Wing

Nope. He's said to be on the 1st line, so that's quite a something.

I think Filppula doesn't somehow look himself there. That big body just doesn't work with that face. Leino looks like a painter or a doctor, not a hockey player.

NO RYAN SMYTH?

Damn, too slow.

Here's the final OFFICIAL roster. Goalies: Miikka Kiprusoff Calgary Flames Niklas Backstrom Minnesota Wild Antero Niittymaki Tampa Bay Lightning Defenders: Kimmo Timonen Philadelphia Flyers (A) Sami Salo Vancouver Canucks Joni Pitkanen Carolina Hurricanes Lasse Kukkonen Avangard Omsk Toni Lydman Buffalo Sabres Sami Lepisto Phoenix Coyotes Janne Niskala Frolunda Forwards: Mikko Koivu Minnesota Wild Tuomo Ruutu Carolina Hurricanes Antti Miettinen Minnesota Wild Teemu Selanne Anaheim Ducks (A) Saku Koivu Anaheim Ducks (A) Jere Lehtinen Dallas Stars Niklas Hagman Toronto Maple Leafs Olli Jokinen Calgary Flames Valtteri Filppula Detroit Red Wings Jarkko Ruutu Ottawa Senators Niko Kapanen Ak Bars Kazan Ville Peltonen Dynamo Minsk Jarkko Immonen Ak Bars Kazan According to the media the lines will look like this: Valtteri Filppula - Mikko Koivu - Tuomo Ruutu Jere Lehtinen - Saku Koivu © - Teemu Selanne (A) Niklas Hagman - Olli Jokinen - Ville Peltonen Jarkko Ruutu - Niko Kapanen - Antti Miettinen + Jarkko Immonen Joni Pitkanen - Sami Salo Kimmo Timonen (A) - Toni Lydman Sami Lepisto - Lasse Kukkonen + Janne Niskala Miikka Kiprusoff Niklas Backstrom + Antero Niittymaki Jalonen said the point was to make basically no checking lines at all. He wanted four lines that all can score. Every line has these pairs, guys who know each other very well (Ruutu&Koivu, Selanne&Koivu, Peltonen&Jokinen, Miettinen&Kapanen). Every line has two offensive players and one defensive player. Miikka Kiprusoff will be the clear number one, per Jalonen.

I think the best way would be "endless" overtime until goal or overtime periods (like 10min or something) which end in the goal. The biggest reason why shootout suck, is that too often you see teams playing great in the OT and you just see that if that continues they're gonna win it, but then the time runs out and the other team takes the victory in a shootout. Something just isn't right when that happens. The one team plays better hockey, but the other can still win it in this shootout gambling.

I wouldn't put Koivu, Pitkänen, Timonen and Kiprusoff too far behind those guys. That's what I said. And I'm pretty happy with that. Of course Bronze would be much nicer, but we'll see. Finland has always played a more physical than Russia and Sweden. I'd say Russia will have the most trouble with the rink-size. Also, Russia, Finland, Sweden and Canada all have coaches who try to encourage puck possesion and that's always harder in a smaller rink. Then again, Babcock is the only one of those coaches who has been coaching in the small rink, so Canada has an advantage there too.

Sweden's roster isn't so different than last olympics and neither is Finland's. Both have some valuable players that have gotten better and some that have started to decline. I always hate that 'looking at that roster' comment. Finland's never had one of the better rosters, still they've been able to get results. Finland's never had that kinda superstars. As I said, Canada and Russia WILL be in the finals. They've both gotten much better since last olympics. I'm happy as we get in the bronze finals.

I agree. Russia and Canada will be the final IMO. On paper they both have the best team, only with that exception (from last olympics) that Canada now ha's a world class coach also. However, I think the rink-size and the location will be on Canada's favour, and they'll take the gold. Finland and Sweden are both, with Finland having slightly better coaching and Sweden slightly better roster. Bronze for Sweden? As said numerous times before, USA doesn't have anywhere near the coaching these four countries have. Czechs have better coaching than USA but they're always questionable. Ice-hockey in Slovakia has been in slight chaos recently. They have some good names, but the whole package just doesn't look too good. Switzerland will probably finish 8th with their ultra-defensive style.

Didn't take nights off last year. I'm just saying... don't get too excited with this Ritola either. Leino's problems are in his head. Big problems.

Leino was much better in his call-up last year than Ritola's been now.

Bergenheim and Jokinen are not in the team. That's what I'm worried about. Immonen has offensive talent, yes. But doesn't have it enough to be anything other than our 13th forward. Jokinen is such an useful player as he can play offensive role, defensive role, center, wing, back-check, score goals, win shootouts etc.

Immonen is an offensive center. We'll have no use for him, espeacially when playing in the NHL-size rink. Bergenheim would definitely be there, as he's a solid fourth liner, who can bring energy to the game. Peltonen and Kapanen are both better defensively than Immonen and also have more leadership skills and past experience from international tournaments. I belive Risto Dufva had his hands on this choice.

Team Finland unofficially announced: Goalies: Miikka Kiprusoff Calgary Flames Niklas Bäckström Minnesota Wild Antero Niittymäki Tampa Bay Lightning Defenders: Kimmo Timonen Philadelphia Flyers Sami Salo Vancouver Canucks Joni Pitkänen Carolina Hurricanes Lasse Kukkonen Avangard Omsk Toni Lydman Buffalo Sabres Sami Lepistö Phoenix Coyotes Ossi Väänänen Dynamo Minsk Forwards: Mikko Koivu Minnesota Wild Tuomo Ruutu Carolina Hurricanes Antti Miettinen Minnesota Wild Teemu Selänne Anaheim Ducks Saku Koivu Anaheim Ducks Jere Lehtinen Dallas Stars Niklas Hagman Toronto Maple Leafs Olli Jokinen Calgary Flames Valtteri Filppula Detroit Red Wings Jarkko Ruutu Ottawa Senators Niko Kapanen Ak Bars Kazan Ville Peltonen Dynamo Minsk Jarkko Immonen Ak Bars Kazan It's almost the same as I thought, except I would have definitely wanted to see Jussi Jokinen and Sean Bergenheim there. Jarkko Immonen should definitely not be on the roster and one of Kapanen and Peltonen shouldn't be either.

Yeah. But I have to admit, I kinda like the salary cap. It creates more competing if everyone has the money needed. With the salary cap, you really need to have the skill to build that team. Too often you see organisations that have good players only because they get a lot of money from a business that has nothing to do with hockey itself. In European leagues that is.

So if you can hold up until the OT it's same as losing in the regulation. I don't think so. win OT win OT loss loss Those are all of different value. And It doesn't matter s*** whether you win it on the 5 min OT or in the shootout. win 3p OT win 2p OT loss 1p loss 0p Just think about it, and you know I'm right. You Americans don't have to do everything differently than others. Why can't you just use meters and kilograms as well? xD edit: That's the Finnish system now, with 5 min OT and a shooutout. I'd maybe like a small change there. "Endless" OT until goal or OT periods would maybe be the better method of choosing the winner. Too often you see teams that are playing better and better in the OT and you know that they're gonna win it if that play continues but then the time runs out and the other team takes the victory in a shootout (=gambling)

Stupid NHL rules. Still don't understand why it's not like in for example here in SM-liiga: 3 for win, 2 for OT win and 1 for OT loss. Why? Win is better than OT win. There should always be the same amount of points given per game. Now team that play more OT games end up having more games.

I don't think we're gonna see him on the ice anymore in this game.

Leino was much better in his call-up last year than Ritola has been now.

As I said, don't get too excited. He may well be the next "Leino".

You are. In fact, they confirmed it already. They're all gone now.

I lol'd at Hitchcock.

Doesn't look better than Leino was last year. Let's all give this Ritola kid some hype now and we'll see how he sucks next year.

Who do you mean? Niko Kapanen? WTF is Dorkki?

"No Show Tonight"