Finland will be bringing a strong squad to Sochi this winter, to be sure. This is a team that doesn't particularly excel at any single facet of the game (except goaltending, where they're by far the deepest team in the field), but they have no glaring weaknesses, either. This is a group that plays solid all-around hockey. I'm excited to see how far they go in the Olympics, as I believe they're a true darkhorse pick to win it all. They have only Canada to worry about in their group, so a berth in the quarterfinals is all but assured; the path there will not be rigorous. However, rest assured that this group will go only as far as their netminders can carry them. Here's a quick look at their projected roster:
Forwards
Line 1: Jussi Jokinen, Mikko Koivu, Teemu Selanne
Line 2: Tuomo Ruutu, Olli Jokinen, Valtteri Filppula
Line 3: Mikael Granlund, Saku Koivu, Lauri Korpikoski
Line 4: Sean Bergenheim, Ville Leino, Antti Miettinen
Extra Forwards: Niklas Hagman, Jarkko Immonen
Defensemen
Pair 1: Kimmo Timonen, Sami Salo
Pair 2: Toni Lydman, Joni Pitkanen
Pair 3: Sami Lepisto, Sami Vatanen
Extra Defensemen: Janni Niskala, Lasse Kukkonen
Goaltenders
Starter: Pekka Rinne
Backup: Tuukka Rask
Extra Goalie: Antti Niemi
No comments:
Post a Comment