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Finnish 2007 WJC review

Written by: Pekka Lampinen on 01/13/2007

Team Finland finished sixth in the 2007 World Junior Championships. An opening defeat against Belarus turned out to be inconsequential after victories over the Czechs and the Swiss, but then the team squandered both of its opportunities to make the semifinals against Russia and the United States. With little zest left in them, the Finns saw the Czech Republic take revenge and fifth place over them in the final game.

Multiple significant reasons can be identified behind the losses of the Finnish Lion Cubs each year. Generally, the country can't avoid facing severe problems with its team any year. Even so, the sixth place was a disappointment, being Finland's weakest finish since 2000, over a period of five medals in the tournament.

As usual, the team's identity was formed behind its star players. Supported by the productive wingers Oskar Osala and Mikko Lehtonen, the team had a prodigious goalie (Tuukka Rask), a dominant defenseman (Teemu Laakso) and a high-scoring center (Perttu Lindgren), yet such a trio had always yielded a medal for Finland this decade. The line Osala-Lindgren-Lehtonen was unstoppable on many occasions, tallying 28 points in total. The problem lay with the other lines, which scored next to nothing. The second line has traditionally been a weak point for Finland, and now its members were also incompetent on the power play. The play of Leo Komarov and Jesse Joensuu was seemingly improved by having Sami Sandell replace Tuomas Huhtanen on the left wing but their production wasn't. Finland was obviously missing the injured Jori Lehterä and the late cut Juuso Puustinen, who boast more offensive skills than anyone outside the first line upon the disappointment of Joensuu.

The team handled the crossing of the neutral zone adequately well, but the players couldn't summon enough skill to generate scoring opportunities once in the offensive zone. On the plus side, the defensemen handled the pressure of forecheck admirably (which killed Finland in the past two years). It was the team defense that crumbled this time, with too much space between the defensemen and forwards and poor decision-making by forwards in the defensive zone. It is difficult to draw conclusions of individual ability on these issues. Reading deep into it and underlying issues, one could say that the Finns participating aren't the best team players. The young Finns' discipline faltered when the games against Russia and the USA had been lost, and the entire final game against the Czechs was no acceptable showing either. In general, the team's fighting spirit was good but not exceptional as in many previous years.

All other problems were overshadowed by Team Finland's propensity to take penalties. At first it seemed that the forwards, despite their size, did a good job and it was mostly the defensemen who were forced to take penalties, but later on when discipline faltered, the attackers joined in to sink the team too. After each game it was declared that the team has to cut down on the calls, but nothing ever changed. Laakso, who led the tournament in two-minute minors and total PIM, never altered his detrimental style of play, and the others did little else. Russia scored four of its five goals on the power play. The quarterfinal against the USA was tied in the third period, until Finland allowed three goals on five-one-three power plays with eight separate Finnish penalties. Finland averaged ten two-minute minors per game.

Beyond the top two lines Osala-Lindgren-Lehtonen and Huhtanen/Sandell-Komarov-Joensuu, the line-up was shuffled a lot. The default defensive pairings were Seppänen-Laakso, Leinonen-Kurki and Jalvanti-Lehtivuori throughout the tournament. Osala, Laakso and Lehtonen were named the team's official three best players in the tournament.

The 2007 team leaves the smallest legacy in ages, with only Joonas Jalvanti, Joonas Lehtivuori and Nico Aaltonen eligible to participate next year. The 1988-born team achieved World Championship silver in U18 and is very small in player size compared to this WJC squad, so all will be different for Finland in 2008.

#1 Antti Härmä, G

GP	MIN	GA	SV	SV%	GAA	SO	W	L	T
1	26	4	11	.733	9.23	0	0	1	0

Team Finland's backup Härmä was well prepared for the tournament, with solid games back home and in a practice matchup against Slovakia. It was not until Finland was eliminated that he got to play, and even then life wasn't fair for him. The Czech Republic and namely Michael Frolík humiliated the Finnish defense and Härmä was bombarded off the ice in the second period. Härmä must take only little of the blame.

#30 Tuukka Rask, G - drafted by Boston

GP	MIN	GA	SV	SV%	GAA	SO	W	L	T
6	332	19	149	.887	3.43	1	2	3	0

An all-star of the 2006 WJC, Rask had high expectations placed on him after his continued development back home over the year. His task was basically to support the team with a star performance when it was winning, and to win the game even when the rest of the players weren't up to it. In that sense, Rask's greatest failure was in the opening game against Belarus. The underdog opponent was kept away from Rask for long periods of time but pierced the defense with key plays to beat him four times. With the Lion Cubs ending up one goal short, the goalie could have won Finland the game with a strong performance but failed to do so.

The following two games were more simple for Rask. He kept Finland in the game with great saves against the Czechs, until they crumbled and Finland netted the rest of their six goals. The Swiss forced Rask to numerous great saves but couldn't break his shutout. Essentially, Rask played nearly perfect in the two games, keeping mistakes to a minimum in the rest of the tournament as well. Unfortunately, the situations warranted no glory for him. Russia humiliated the Finnish team and had their power play beat Rask with horizontal moves at close range. When the game against the USA was still under control, Rask was one realistic save short of a game-breaking performance: Who knows what could have happened if Finland had a 3-2 lead in the third period. Beyond that, two-man power plays decided the game in the favor of the USA, with no say left for Rask.

Looking back to Rask's performance, one can find perhaps one goal every two games that were potentially realistic saves. With regards to actual decision-making or concrete abilities, it is very difficult to say what he should have been able to do otherwise. Rask was criticized in 2006 for going on to win personal honors and a bronze medal despite displaying technical flaws; this time around there was no fault to his basic abilities, but they would win him no greatness.

#2 Teemu Laakso, D - drafted by Nashville

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	3	2	5	52	+3

A third-year WJC player, Laakso was the undisputed leader of the defense. He didn't go without defensive mistakes on the ice but had few of them compared to his icetime. The most important point about Laakso's game was that he stayed inside the play at all times and never panicked, feeling comfortable with the flow of the game and often staying one step ahead of the opposition. He has a versatile if not that agile shot, which was used successfully thrice. However, the puck wasn't played to him very often on power play, leaving his ability reliatively unused.

What Laakso did over the course of his shifts was still largely overshadowed by what all too often ended them. The face of Finland's problems with penalties, Laakso led the tournament with 11 minors in just six games. A personal misconduct plus one game misconduct propelled him to a landslide victory in PIM among all players. At times Finland paid dearly for his rule violations. A rough estimate would be that if all Finns took as many penalties per time on ice and the opponents averaged a rather mediocre power play efficiency, the team would have allowed four power play goals per game. Even assuming that the opponents were shut out on even strength at all times (which does have some truth to it for Laakso's part), these fairly optimistic presumptions lead to the conclusion that, in terms of results, Laakso would make an average member of a very bad and unsuccessful team defense. A couple of his penalties were questionable calls, but he never tried to adapt to the situation and took penalties also due to deficient discipline.

The most relevant question is, of course, what Laakso's performance means in the future. Back home he has only a small problem with penalties, and with stronger players taking the grinding in the NHL, his play wouldn't likely be detrimental there. As for other, more relevant abilities, Laakso showed poise that he could display proudly on higher levels. All in all, on the ice Laakso looked star-like in the tournament, such was his ability to read the game.

#3 Joni Haverinen, D

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	0	0	4	-1

Haverinen was chosen to fill the seventh defenseman's vacancy, and that he did throughout the tournament. He had the necessary all-around abilities to handle the challenge and he did manage to achieve a certain degree of solidity. He never looked lost or outplayed on the ice, but he did make minor mistakes here and there. Somewhat surprisingly considering his talents, the problems often had to do with decision-making rather than more technical skills. He would end up in situations with bad passing options or misjudge the opponents' intentions. Haverinen had some trouble with defense in the neutral zone, where much of the blame lies with the entire unit.

Later on in the tournament Haverinen received less ice time, and in general he couldn't make great plays to help the team. In overall, his flaws were minor compared to what Finland has had to suffer in previous tournaments, which makes him the best seventh defenseman the country has had in many years.

#5 Timo Seppänen, D - drafted by Pittsburgh

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	3	3	10	+2

The tournament was in many ways a repeat of last year for Seppänen. Paired with Laakso again, Seppänen was essentially the same player as last year, just a developed one. The fall season back home didn't set many hopes for the evolution of Seppänen's game, but he improved with his reaction to forechecking, which went from awful to good. Otherwise, the slightly hazardous rearguard did suffer defensive lapses in the tournament.

Seppänen is eager to go on the offensive. He managed to carry the puck all the way to the offensive zone regularly, but that wasn't such a great thing when the team offense called for swifter passing. He also found a number of scoring opportunities, but his finishing was lackluster. His abilities did help him keep up with the plays of Finland's first line. Seppänen was again quite far from being a solid top defenseman; on the positive side, he is still good enough to have made the Finnish WJC roster any year. Unfortunately, he was one of the main problems of the team especially with his penalty totals.

#6 Mikael Kurki, D

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	2	2	4	-1

Never quite an offensive defenseman despite his size, Kurki was relied on to be a core defenseman for Finland. In round robin he truly delivered, being the team's most mistake-free defenseman. His smooth skating and puckhandling earned him some power play time, but to the benefit of very little offense.

Kurki played his weakest game of the tournament against the USA, with a couple of turnovers here and there. That dragged down the overall tone of his tournament with the rest of the team. Still, outperforming most of the Finnish defense regularly, he was a very valuable member of the defense corps.

#7 Tommi Leinonen, D - drafted by Pittsburgh

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	0	0	6	-3

A rather experienced defensive pairing was formed when Leinonen and Kurki were brought together for the tournament. For quite long, Leinonen was the most invisible Finnish defenseman, which considering the nature of junior hockey is a very positive development. Still, Leinonen is the best opening passer of all the seven defensemen, yet he barely displayed that talent at all. Without his contribution, Team Finland's offensive game was missing a small but important piece.

Later on when Russia, the USA and the Czech Republic kept flicking the red light on and off behind the Finnish net, Leinonen had lost some of his defensive solidity, which his plus/minus rating implies. In that sense, he didn't achieve the main objectives for the tournament, to have a strong performance at either end of the rink. Leinonen did offer an equal to many physical opponents, improving from last year's tournament.

#8 Joonas Jalvanti, D

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	0	0	0	-2

After a most successful fall season by Jalvanti, Finland expected to add offensive power to the blueline with his selection. The youngest player on the team, he couldn't quite manage that. Jalvanti did handle the puck especially in the own end, but in the end he wasn't much use on the power play. He adapted to WJC hockey rather admirably, summoning more toughness defending the crease than his reputation would imply.

Particularly solid in decision-making, Jalvanti had surprising trouble with puck handling, often fumbling with the disc. This led to some problems, but the worst of turnovers aren't caused simply by problems with motor coordination. The tournament was progressing rather well for Jalvanti until he played his worst game of the tournament in the quarterfinal against the USA, e.g. causing the initial penalty and failing to kill it when the game-winning goal was scored. Jalvanti will be most welcome to return for another WJC tournament, as defensemen like him are a solid part of the team at this level once he elevates his general level of play over the next year.

#12 Joonas Lehtivuori, D - drafted by Philadelphia

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	0	0	4	0

The team wasn't looking for balance when the youngest, offensive defensemen Jalvanti and Lehtivuori were paired for the tournament. The arrangement worked rather well despite the potential downsides. Like Jalvanti and equally surprisingly, Lehtivuori had trouble handling the puck to carry it and make the first pass in the own end. He did commit some very visible mistakes, but most of the time he kept making the right decisions, and the most importantly, he appeared to be learning from his failures and the challenges of the new environment.

Lehtivuori has traditionally been the most dominant puck-carrying defenseman for Finland in the 1988-born age group. He will be expected to carry that mantle in the next WJC with Laakso gone. Traditionally, having a clear-cut top defenseman has been extremely important for Finland, so no moderate expectations will do. In 2007, the young Lehtivuori was still far from being up to the tough challenge, although there were no large obstacles in his overall play to keep him from reaching the level a year from now.

#10 Sami Sandell, LW

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	0	0	24	-2

A returnee from a two-year WHL career, Sandell now played his first WC-level junior tournament for Team Finland. The years have made the old sniper more of a grinder, and so he wasn't expected to be scoring player in the WJC. Sandell was a positive surprise, building more offense than anyone else on the lower lines. He found scoring opportunities for himself and created them for his linemates, too.

Sandell's play earned him a promotion onto the second line. The line worked well in theory, but Komarov and Joensuu could help neither Sandell nor the trio score. Ultimately, Sandell's personal statistics ended up looking bad. He was shut out, -2 and second among forwards of all countries in two-minute penalties. Often seen with an opportunity to finish, Sandell's shot wasn't quite up to the task. His release isn't bad but just not enough to help the team at WJC level.

#11 Tuomas Huhtanen, LW

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	1	1	2	-3

Huhtanen has a well-deserved reputation of being a hard-working player with some puck skills to support his talent. However, such a compromise may have been enough for international practice games but not for the WJC. Huhtanen was made a grinder meant to support scoring players.

On the second line early in the tournament, Huhtanen failed to be effective enough to remain there. He did fight for the puck with decent success, but in the end he never managed to set up scoring opportunities because he couldn't get the puck to his linemates. Without that, a grinder can't be effective. The players by his side are also to blame, but under these conditions Huhtanen didn't succeed at his main task. To his credit, he made very few actual mistakes in the tournament, earning his place on the team.

#13 Mikko Lehtonen, RW - drafted by Boston

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	4	6	10	0	+1

With another year of development and a more solid fall season behind him, Lehtonen was ready to assume a whole different role than that of a fourth liner last year in the tournament. He was pegged to play with the top center Lindgren from the start, and the arrangement was a success. Supported by a playmaker, Lehtonen was set to play the role of a finisher but also to feed the puck back to his linemates. He was unstoppable when crashing the net: The 6'4 winger is speedy, agile and adept at covering and handling the puck. Once he got the puck to his upper hand side in full speed along the boards, hardly anyone could stop him from curving to the net and even making the final move right in front of the goaltender.

On other occasions, the first line Osala-Lindgren-Lehtonen would make impressive passes to create an empty net to score in. They boosted their personal statistics at the expense of the Czech Republic, Switzerland and the USA. As a result, Lehtonen was tied first in the point leader table. In overall, he showed offensive skills that can be transferred onto NHL level. With his ability to crash the net, Lehtonen's scoring prowess has the potential to be exceptional throughout his career.

#15 Perttu Lindgren, C - drafted by Dallas

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	2	8	10	8	+1

The main offensive weapon of Team Finland, Lindgren gathered himself and showed little to no indication of a tough fall season in the WJC. His rare talent in terms of vision, stickhandling and passing were most effective in the tournament, tearing through all opposing defenses at least on occasion. Also, the center displayed excellent and responsible defensive game in the neutral zone closing passing lanes, albeit that his positioning in the defensive zone wasn't quite as good.

Lindgren turned out to be quite the penalty killing specialist as well for the team, spending a lot of time on the ice. This ate at his speed in penalty-heavy games, notably restraining his offensive potential against Russia and the USA. If he only had the speed he has shown to be able to reach, he could have been team MVP in those games, too. In overall, tying Lehtonen and Erik Johnson for the most points, Lindgren definitely met high expectations in the tournament. Nearly all the time, he was the Lion Cubs' offense personified: Only once or twice could be found a phase when anyone else lead the team's attacks when Lindgren wasn't at his best.

#16 Vili Sopanen, RW

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	0	0	4	0

Despite decent showings in practice games, Sopanen was no go-to guy for Team Finland. As a result, when the large winger took underachieved and took two penalties in the opening game against Belarus, it was natural to make him the 13th forward soon after, when he was very invisible against the Czechs.

Sopanen was given notable ice time again when the team struggled against Russia and the USA, but even still, he didn't get much done on the ice. Sopanen, with little more than strong production in the domestic Jr A league to his name in his career, didn't have the talent to amount to much more at WJC level. His play was relatively mistake-free later on, which just wasn't what the team needed.

#18 Jesse Joensuu, RW - drafted by NY Islanders

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	1	1	2	14	-2

Of all the team's players, Joensuu was the biggest disappointment, being uninspired and ineffective in his third WJC tournament. He was excellent in the domestic league in November but lost both will and skill along the way to the junior tournament. Joensuu liked to carry the puck, often really well in the neutral zone. With enough space available, the hulking winger could put his puck skills to use and cross the zone all by himself. The benefit of this was questionable, as team game would have been needed for truly efficient offense. Joensuu didn't like to give up the puck in the offensive zone either, where his possession ended all too frequently in a turnover. In smaller spaces Joensuu's lack of agility left him skating unfavorably into the corners.

Low intensity and the hogging of the puck speak of poor respect of the team game. The impact of mental issues is further emphasized by the fact that Joensuu looked entirely different when playing against professionals along the fall. In his defense, outside the first line Joensuu was the only genuinely talented Finnish forward without the support of his equals or a dominant center.

The 2007 WJC marked the end of Joensuu's junior career. Having made his pro debut at the age of 15, he constantly underachieved in international games, never rising above a mediocre performance in any tournament at any age level.

#20 Nico Aaltonen, LW

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
5	0	0	0	0	0

Aaltonen was sped to Sweden after Kai Kantola's ineligibility to represent Finland became apparent. The only underaged forward on the team, the speedster without a single natural position played his best in his first game. Amidst large forwards, Aaltonen was the fastest player on the team, using his wheels to beat defensemen and draw penalties.

Slowly Aaltonen regressed into a smaller role and couldn't make quite as many successful plays toward the end of the tournament. He remained placed on the left wings of the lower lines, where the players around him also failed to score. Aaltonen will return to the tournament next year, but likely not as a first-line player despite that no one else of his age group was deemed as good a selection at this time.

#22 Leo Komarov, C - drafted by Toronto

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	2	1	3	16	-1

Komarov was somewhat of a surprising choice to captain the team. A veteran of the 2006 WJC, he centered the second line again and had a strong start to the tournament, scoring in the first two games. Komarov was also the team's best faceoff man. His ability to read the game had improved in the past year, so few of his problems had to do with decision-making. Limited puck skills held the grinder back, and ultimately Finland didn't have a fitting scoring line center in him.

The fact that Finland was missing a skilled center wasn't Komarov's fault, but some of the team's other hardships were. The captain's agitator background reared its ugly head when the team faced tough times. When down by multiple goals against Russia, the team saw its supposed leader keep provoking opponents and also lose his temper himself. The cost was substantial badwill from the referees and a loss of focus. Komarov took stupid penalties again, leading all forwards in the tournament in two-minute calls. The same was repeated in the remaining games that ended in defeat, as Komarov grossly misfocused his efforts when Team Finland should have attempted to pursue. In tournaments past Finland has had teams with attitudes nearing perfection and an inspiring captain in their core. This year, Komarov was no proper inspiration to the team. The whole squad threw in the towel with Komarov when the day was lost in the quarterfinal. The role of an agitator is what he would play one day in the NHL: In this tournament, the contribution in that field was far from beneficial.

#23 Marko Pöyhönen, C

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	1	1	2	+2

The expectations set on Pöyhönen were limited. He was picked to the team to be a fourth-line center, and a much larger role could hardly be considered. That was also because Pöyhönen's place in the line-up never caused concern. His positioning was admirable throughout the tournament both in defense and the limited offense his linemates could create. He screened goalies well and discovered scoring opportunities farther away from the crease. Unfortunately, Pöyhönen is no sniper, and even though he didn't really squader the opportunities, it was obvious that such shots couldn't beat the netminders. Pöyhönen's contribution may not have been large, but in overall he did everything that was asked of him, centering a line that maintained a positive plus/minus rating.

#24 Oskar Osala, LW - drafted by Washington

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	5	3	8	4	+2

Finland has always been desperate for capable finishers. A quick and accurate wrist shot is rarely seen in the north. Now, Osala stepped up and showed that he can fit the description. He was known to be a potential scorer, but five goals was beyond expectations. Osala was placed on the first line from the start, where he was fed passes by Lindgren and Lehtonen. The heaviest player on the team, Osala protected the puck well and continuously made his way into the slot from where he would release a dangerous shot. He did use the ability often, firing more pucks than most of his teammates.

Two large and aggressive wingers, Osala and Lehtonen, were a constant headache to the opponents. They both played like power forwards, pushing their way around defensemen and crashing the net. Osala was the most often the first to the rebounds, also getting scrappy in front of the net. Had Finland won the quarterfinal, Osala would have been hailed as the team's savior with his two goals. The future is a bright one for him, as he can easily be seen transferring his key scoring abilities onto NHL level, his overall talent level permitting.

#26 Jonas Enlund, RW - drafted by Atlanta

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	1	0	1	6	-1

Once a top scorer, Jonas Enlund has slowly rounded up his game and assumed more of a two-way role. He was still a top scorer for the U20 national team in lesser tournaments, but the WJC showed that Enlund has turned to a more defensive game for good, as his raw offensive abilities have clearly not kept up with the rest. There is nothing to blame with any aspect of his puck skills; there just isn't much top-notch talent helping him be a scoring line player.

Enlund remained on the third line throughout the tournament. The second game boded well for his performance, as he scored a shorthanded goal against the Czechs. However, that remained his only point in the tournament. When the second power-play unit struggled, Enlund was given some ice time on the advantage, but he failed to build much offense. With players of mediocre skill around him, their offensive efforts were thwarted soon after they entered the offensive zone. Enlund did keep making small things right, making him a solid player for the team and fortifying the defense.

#27 Miika Lahti, C

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	1	1	31	+1

Lahti has played third line for the JYP pros for over a year, and he has always performed well in a defensively responsible role. The staff's initial plan was to form a great fourth line with Osala, Lahti and Kantola, but Lahti never got to play with those wingers. His experience could have earned him a larger role, but he got a fair bit of icetime even when playing on a checking line.

Lahti played smart hockey both ways and he could often be relied on in important faceoffs. In the end, there is little if any fault to be found in his performance. He couldn't be expected to help the team with its offensive woes. A 25-minute penalty dominates Lahti's statistics: The call was for high-sticking, for the like of which one is used to seeing a double minor.

#29 Ville Korhonen, RW

GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
6	0	0	0	4	0

Originally in the team reserves, Korhonen was called to replace the injured Jori Lehterä on the team. Korhonen is a winger, but Team Finland already had an abundance of centers even with Lehterä gone. Korhonen was naturally placed on the lower lines, where he could only be expected to support other players, who were relied on to make game-breaking plays. Equipped with good smarts, skating and attitude, Korhonen has improved his physical play and was one of the most aggressive players on the team. His offense was limited, as he was often directed to an unfavorable position and the puck stolen before he could get to a scoring opportunity. Totalling a few stray points in the domestic league is no surprise of Korhonen: In spite of his contribution when without possession, he can't be fully useful to the team at this level without scoring at least regularly.

Copyright 2007 Hockey’s Future.  Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.

 

Copyright 2007 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.

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