Team Finland- Where Will They "Finish" at The 2010 Winter Olympics?

(Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Team Finland—Where will they finish?

With Canada, Russia, and Sweden all poised to kick butt and take names at the 2010 Olympics, it’s time to take a look at the also-rans.

Finland is a talented team in the nets and, to a certain degree, down the middle. However, they will likely struggle on the wings and at defense. Let’s take a closer look at the team.


Center

Olli Jokinen: Jokinen has had a miserable season in Phoenix, but he’s still the best Finland has to offer at this position. Look, Jokinen is “No Joke”, but he will struggle against the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Mats Sundin/ Nicklas Backstrom.

Mikko Koivu: Having a good season with the Minnesota Wild should help him continue to develop into a good scorer. Finland will be relying on Koivu to step his game up a notch, but he could be over his head against the likes of Canada, Russia and Sweden—especially considering that he may go up against, Joe Thornton, Pavol Datsyuk, and Henrik Sedin.

Saku Koivu: You just never know what you are getting with Saku; one minute he looks unstoppable, the other he’s broken down and ineffective. His 10 goals in 40 games is unimpressive; don’t expect him to be all that effective at the Olympics.

Valtteri Filppula: This guy is going to get hammered by team Canada, I mean, Filppula is a decent player, but, in this checking role, he will get stomped on!

Left Wing

Niklas Hagman: One of the few bright spots on the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, Hagman is another member of this team that will struggle against the top squads.

Hagman has the task of facing the likes of Patrick Elias, Henrik Zetterberg, Bobby Ryan, Alex Ovechkin, and Simon Gagne. That sounds like a fun tournament, doesn’t it? Hagman is going to have one hell of a headache in 2010!

Ville Peltonen: A nice find for the Florida Panthers, but he will be clearly over his head at the Olympics. Simon Gagne, Daniel Sedin and Ilya Kovalchuk will eat this guy up.

Jussi Jokinen: He’s “Juicy” alright; the opposition is salivating over facing this guy for three periods. His assignment? Containing the likes of Johan Franzen, Brenden Morrow (Who I left off my list and shouldn’t have!), Alex Semin/Frolov, and perhaps a guy like Bobby Ryan. Yeah...Good luck with that!

Jarkko Ruutu: One thing a team can ill-afford to do at the Olympics is give the other team a man advantage. Ruutu’s game will be neutralized by his coach, as Finland simply can’t afford to let Ruutu run rampant at the games.

Right Wing

Teemu Selanne: Much like Mats Sundin of Team Sweden, there is no guaranteeing that Selanne plays; if he does, he scores this spot. Don’t expect miracles, though; Selanne is a great goal scorer, but he will face fierce competition.

Tuomo Ruutu: Ruutu is a decent player, with16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points this season, but he’s a bit soft and takes quite a few penalties.

Antti Meittinen: He will be up to his ears in elbows and body-checks. When you see who he will be playing against, Meittinen can count himself lucky if he doesn’t come back to the NHL on a stretcher.

Jere Lethinen: Once regarded as one of there best two-way players in the game, Lethinen should be able to hold his own. However, he is past his prime and not the skater he once was.

Defense

Kimmo Timonen: His +15 rating will serve him well. Timonen is the Philadelphia Flyers' best defenseman on most nights, and a decent power-play set-up man.

Joni Pitkanen: An elite defenseman, Pitkanen will be counted on to log huge minutes in every situation. He needs to shoot the puck more often on the PP.

Toni Lydman: Consistent, if nothing else.

Teppo Numminen: An old-school defenseman, nothing flashy, but he gets the job done. He will likely struggle, but the options are slim for Finland, so he’s their guy...

Sami Salo: A steady veteran influence, he should be a valuable addition to this team. Like many of Finland’s D-Men, he’s not flashy, but he is steady.

Ossi Vaananen: Another one of Philly’s defensemen, Vaananen should be able to play 15 minutes a game. He is not much of a physical player, which may hurt him against Russia, Canada, Sweden and the U.S.

Goalies

Mikka Kiprusoff: He had a tough start in 2008-2009, but has rounded out nicely. When he is “on”, Kipper is one of the world's best goaltenders. Kipper needs to come up huge for the Fins to have any success.

Niklas Backstrom: The Minnesota Wild know all too well that this guy is no joke. If Kipper falters, Backstrom will fill in nicely.

Pekka Renne: When the heck did Finland get all these good goalies from, anyhow? Renne, while young, is a great third option. He is capable of stealing a win if given the opportunity.

There you have it, Team Finland. Don’t expect big things, but don’t be surprised if they steal a win or two.

Until next time,

Peace!

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