The expert does not push the panic button to the bottom after the World Cup opening.
For a good five minutes, Leijonat was on top of their neck.
The opening of the World Cup started perfectly for Finland. For a while, it seemed, as was predicted in many papers, that the United States, which had a clearly weaker team in the tournament, would be left at the feet of the tournament hosts.
The Lions took the lead Teemu Hartikainen by hitting with superior force. At the beginning of the second period, however, the picture of the game changed at the latest.
– The USA got into the game thanks to the ice, and was good after that. Finland got a breakthrough right at the beginning of the second period, and a 2–0 goal could have changed the game quite a lot, opened Iltalehti’s ice hockey expert Pekka Virta.
The energies of the Americans were on the wane. The team shot very high and immediately put their opponents in a tight spot when Leijonat got the puck. Time and space were taken from Finland.
It brought a 4–1 victory on Friday.
Among other things, in C More’s MM studio, we thought about why Jukka Jalonen coached by Leijonat tries to open as much through the wings and move the puck from the rim to the weightless side. Many missed the use of the center in the openings.
Virta wanted to remind you what games are being played now.
– Finland is playing game 7 -hockey, i.e. the same one it also plays in the tournament’s so-called death matches. In that way, the aim is to avoid passing to the middle in the opening phase, because the risk of losing and dangerous turns is quite high in the middle.
– The USA had the courage of the first game of the tournament. Finland didn’t get late starts, and we didn’t see any trap playing, because the USA got away really deep. The Yankees defenders pinched, i.e. took away space deep in the Finnish defense zone. The game went from end to end quite lively, Virta analysed.
“There are rhythms in the game”
The USA took Finland’s time and space away from the rink. Jussi Saarinen
Virta pointed out that the USA’s 2-1 goal came precisely when the puck was lost in the center.
– It wasn’t really a game-opening situation, but Teemu Hartikainen fed to the center Sakari Manninen, from which the United States turned after the loss. That is, exactly the kind of situation that the Lions’ way of playing tries to avoid.
Due to the nature of the opening game, there is no reason to push the panic button to the bottom. The Yankees succeeded in one – pressure-free – opening series game with their extremely bold plan.
– So it creates a small distortion. Jalonen’s team’s style of play is a choice with the entire tournament in mind. Finland wants to improve its game. After the initial series, you won’t come across a country that plays like the United States now. Then rhythms come into play, Finland gets slow starts and time on the field.
– Will the USA be able to play with their hair-raising and pinching style until the end? Or to skate energetically from end to end from game to game?
Puck in the backpack
Pekka Virta reminded that Finland’s way of playing serves the next games. Roni Lehti
There was room for improvement in Jalo’s pop pool, that’s clear.
– Should be able to attack longer and tire the opponent. It didn’t work out in the second round.
Still looking for his first World Cup goal Juho Lammikko had a couple of chances to hit the puck in the bag in the match. The powder was wet.
That was also the case with NHL confirmations Mikko Rantase and Kaapo Kako.
– Taking advantage of situations is an essential part of hockey. Individual games change in individual situations, Virta reminded.