Jukka Jalonen was in an angry mood after the loss to Switzerland that ended the Leijoni’s first series. Especially the question of trust in the team made the head coach angry.
Joska Saarinen,
Jussi Saarinen,
Jussi Paasi
Finland will meet Sweden in the quarterfinals of the Men’s Ice Hockey World Championships on Thursday at 9:20 p.m. follows the match moment by moment in the application and on Urheilu’s website.
The Lions’ first series at the World Hockey Championships did not go as well as possible. Finland took only three victories out of seven matches and barely made it to the playoffs.
The initial series ended with a 1–3 loss to Switzerland and the captain by Mikael Granlund to drive out.
Granlund hit with a cross stick Andrea Glauser around the head and flew into the shower. It is possible that Granlund will be suspended for his trick and will not be able to participate in the quarter-final against Sweden on Thursday.
Lions head coach Jukka Jalonen was sudden in ‘s TV interview for a reason.
– If you get hit, then it’s not a very smart trick, Jalonen said.
Do you approve of that particular act?
– It has been done and happened. How about that. Now the consequences are expected.
Prickly answers
Jalonen gave a pep talk to his players about their emotional level against Switzerland.
– The emotional level has to be absolutely dead, otherwise the top team won’t be able to move or fight.
– The emotional level was not lacking, but 90 percent is not enough. You have to understand that you have to pull completely, not almost completely. Top sport is such that you have to be right at the core.
When ‘s reporter asked Jalose what kind of credit he has for the team before the quarter-final against Sweden, the head coach gave the reporter a prickly answer.
– Better than you. I mean, damn good.
Kiukkuinen Jalonen continued along the same line in an interview with journalists writing.
How disappointed are you with the playoffs coming up and Captain Granlund…?
– It’s not my disappointment or anything that affects it. A trick like that was done and we’ll see what comes of it.
Are you waiting for a ban?
– I don’t expect anything.
What a goalkeeper game. Harri Säteri in goal today, who will save on Thursday?
– What do you think, what I’m saying here.
Pretty sleepy start to that game. Was it because of…?
– From us or from them?
From Finland.
– I think it was a good start from us. It always depends on how the opponent plays. They pulled the trap to the middle area and then the game doesn’t wave from end to end. The beginning was okay for us.
Finland is considered an underdog in the quarterfinals against Sweden. How does it feel?
– Isn’t it quite human when you look at the teams’ formations. We have been underdogs before, also against Sweden.
– In that game, the setup changes quite a bit compared to, for example, a game like this in the first series, because the loser is eliminated from the continuation. We all understand which team is under pressure.
Sweden is considered the early favorite for Thursday’s quarterfinals. Tre Kronor won its own division with a clean game and has numerous NHL stars in its ranks, such as Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, Adrian Kempe and Lucas Raymond.
– We all know that the Swedish NHL players are exactly the same people, Jalonen stated.