Expert: Dropping Jesse Puljujärvi from the number one chain was a sensible solution

The trio will attack Latvia as the first team on Thursday Mikael Granlund–Alexander Barkov–Lenny Hämeenaho. In the second chain Anton Lundell gets over Sakari Manninen and Jesse Puljujärvi.

Finland has won all three of its matches and the scoring efficiency was commendable against the United States. Still, Puljujärvi, which leads the points exchange of the games, was dropped from the first chain to the second.

Expert Top Nättinen understand the plans of the Pennanen coaching team. The logic of the team aims at only one thing.

“There are three big things behind the changes. Teuvo Teräväinen got injured, and second Mikael Granlund came in. The third and most important reason is that Finland is aiming for the world championship. The Lions are not looking for chains to beat Hungary or Germany in the first group, but ones that can go all the way to the end.”

Nättinen says that in the renewed top chains, things fall into place with confusing clarity.

“Both top chains have rightin half the scoring power and two game brains. This is really logical in the end, and the potential is really big.”

So is Pennane a genius?

“From the sofas and the experts’ screens, things look the same, but the coaching knows what it’s doing. The Lions’ lineup looks really high-quality now. Compared to the opponents, Finland has the best assembled team, excluding Canada.”

Pretty is very pleased that Mikael Granlund will be seated next to Aleksander Barkov.

“We have two absolutely brilliant NHL players, of which Granlund can also play on the wing. I think it’s great that the coaching puts the two best players in the same chain,” says Nättinen.

According to the expert, it is more essential to consider the third link in the chain. He sees the situation now as the goal-scoring potential of the sharp-shooting Lenni Hämeenaho wanted to be utilized to the maximum.

It’s also about the whole.

“Manninen and Puljujärvi are now together in the second chain, who have a lot of mutual history from both the club and the national team. Anton Lundell didn’t really go with Hämeenaho, despite the points in the United States game. Maybe they go with Manninen and Puljujärvi?”

Nättinen believes that Jesse Puljujärvi, who was dropped from the first chain, will not mind the role change.

“I think Pennanen already hinted at this a bit when he said after the previous game that hard decisions have to be made. I think Puljujärvi understands that playing with Mannine now takes precedence over playing with Barkov.”

In a chain of three trained on Wednesday Patrik Puistola, Aatu Räty and Eemil Erholtz. Nättinen believes that Erholtz will later make room for someone coming from the NHL Konsta to Helenius.

Topi Nättinen thinks it is old-fashioned to think that the winning team is not changed.

“It’s an annoying cliché. Sometimes the same line-up is kept, even if there was a loss. As I said before, the Lions’ coaching team tries to find a line-up that will win the world championship and not just individual games in the first group. The tournament format gives an opportunity to confuse and test.”

Nättinen points out that even this lineup is hardly final. Not even the third round of the tournament has been played yet.