The ice hockey championship league will be on national team break after this weekend. Urheilu is an expert Top Nättinen with three interesting talking points from the early season of the SM league.
1. Difficult for the Pelicans of Niemelä
Before the start of the season, the Pelicans were predicted to be at the top of the SM league, but the early season has been difficult. Before Friday’s match against SaiPa, the team has received only 20 points from 18 matches.
Expectations were also high in Lahti after last season’s silver. The communications department stated that it is the all-time Pelicans team.
Topi Nättinen already thought before the start of the season that the Pelicans might have gone on the highway with their communication on a moped. Nättinen reminds that, despite the tough team, there was a lot of turnover in the top individuals.
– I didn’t think that the Pelicans would squat so badly, but there were signs that this is not a bed of roses, says Nättinen.
– Is this early season still surprising. I personally had a lot of faith in the coaching staff, but the Pelicans still haven’t been able to turn their course.
Speculation head coach Tommi Niemelän station have been hot this week. For example Hämeen Sanomat told based on their informationthat the players were invited to the team’s home hall on Wednesday evening.
Sports Director Janne Laukkanen not in turn was able to tell MTV Urheiluwill Niemelä be behind the Pelicans bench on Friday.
– I can’t comment on such a matter at this stage, when I don’t know the answer. I will not comment, Laukkanen said.
Nättinen reminds that the Pelicans have invested a lot in their team. The club, partners and those who have invested a lot of money in the project certainly want to succeed this season. Then the idea of changing the trainer often crosses the minds of the club managers.
– It was very dramatic that the players were invited. The club management also wants to participate, show the seriousness of the situation and try to wake up the players in a different way.
– I would say that Niemelä is on hot coals. However, I don’t think it’s worth firing anymore.
Nättinen sees that it would have been worthwhile to fire after 5–10 matches. Then the new coach would have had time to react to the situation.
– I feel that if the firings are given now, it will be too late.
When talking about Niemelä’s position, what is interesting is his future. lltalehti has already toldthat Niemelä will coach Ilve next season.
According to the expert, it is an underestimation of professionalism that Niemelä or any other head coach or player would automatically get tired of their old job because of a new contract.
– I can swear that no one in this country is as worried about the Pelicans’ results as Tommi Niemelä. It’s a sure thing, Nättinen says.
– I don’t buy at all that the contract with Ilves would be a reason for poor performance or that he would not be motivated to do the job.
2. Flies in flight
If Niemelä is now on hot coals, the head coach of Kärppie Lauri Marjamäki has been able to course correct. Last season, Kärpät received a lot of criticism, which continued at the beginning of the regular season.
When Kärpät lost 3–6 at home to Ilves on October 5 and fell to tenth place, Kärpät’s supporters announced their position. Lauri out, echoed the demand of many.
Less than a month later, Kärpät is number one in the SM league’s fitness scale after taking the last ten games. The people of Oulu have collected no less than 22 points from the matches with a goal difference of 35–17. Kärpät has scored 13 points in the last five games.
The team’s special situations are going well, as the dominance percentage in the previous five games is 36.4 and the av percentage is 92.9.
– I think Kärpät is starting to be very close to what Marjamäki and his adjutants want Kärppie to be. Kärpi has recognizable rhythms, when to go hard or to accept. The game is multi-phased, says Nättinen.
The expert felt that last season, Kärpät played much more passively with the same rhythm or forcefully pushed forward. Now the situation is different.
– Kárpät turns strongly, they have good counterattacks and they give harder pressure. Of course, good individuals start to be closer to their own level.
Especially about the players of the Kärppi Teemu Turunen has increased its power. The striker collected 1+2 (-4) in the first eight games of the season, but since then, in ten games, 8 goals and 4 assists (+6) have been created. At the same time, Turunen has risen to the top of the Kärppie stock market (9+6=15).
– The players are still not at the top level, but the foundation is so strong that the result is this. I believe the ceiling has not been measured yet.
3. JYP’s superiority is overwhelming
SM league superiority point exchange:
1. Sami Niku, JYP 6+11=17
2. Jerry from Turku 7+8=15
3. Reid Gardiner, JYP 2+10=12
For JYP, the market for superiority points in the SM league is a beautiful thing to watch, as the top three are handsome in the back triangle of the first superiority Sami Niku, Jerry Turkulainen and Reid Gardiner.
The effective trio has raised JYP’s superiority percentage to 37.9, which is clearly the highest reading in the series. In last season’s regular season, Ilves was number one with a percentage of 27.8. No team has played an entire season with more than 30 percent efficiency in the regular season in the last ten years.
Nättinen emphasizes that everyone in JYP’s back three has a launch threat and the superiority is also really active.
– Everyone can score goals, and it is really much more difficult for the defending four to defend. Everyone has a threat and everyone contributes to that superiority, says Nättinen.
In addition to the rear triangle, Nättinen also emphasizes Juuso Puustisen role in the middle.
– It is worth following the tree. He looks for space, forces the opponent to move and is really active. He is always a threat and forces the square to be small, Nättinen says.
In addition Jere Lassila has played well in the mask.
– He has understood what it means to stand in a mask. Niku has scored 4-5 goals from the line, and they are not terribly high-probability shots. The native of Turku has scored four to five goals with the same walking pattern. They are very much thanks to Lassila.