Video : Joel Armia scores a beautiful goal at the CDM

When Joel Armia is called upon to represent his country on the international stage, he automatically becomes an excellent player.

He becomes the player we saw him being when he was selected 16th in the first round of the 2011 draft. The proof?

At last year’s World Championship, the Finnish forward collected eight points (five goals) in ten games…

And today, he stunned the gallery with a simply magnificent goal.

Without further ado… :

Joel Armia tulee ratkaisemaan Suomelle jonkun pudotuspeliottelun. Ihan älyttömän tyylikästä peliä.

Huippupaikkoja pedattiin muille, useita.

Lopussa porilainen näytti, että taitotaso on 🇭🇺 veljiin vrt. aivan toiselta planeetalta. #Leijonat #MMKisat #Ässätpic .twitter.com/ll7o7GGynt

– Heikki Mannonen (@HMannone) May 19, 2023

Looks like he’s just not the same player you see when he’s in a CH uniform.

Does representing his country motivate him? Everything points to yes.

Let’s not forget that last year, he left the Habs before the season was even over… And he still participated in the World Championship. It just goes to show how much he loves defending his country’s colors.

Of course, we’d love to see this Joel Armia in Montreal. I’d like to remind you that he was really excellent during the team’s run to the Stanley Cup final in the summer of 2021…

But since then, he seems to have found himself when he plays in the NHL. The last two seasons have been difficult in terms of stats, and what’s disturbing is the fact that he’s invisible most of the time on the ice.

What needs to be done on the Habs’ side to get him so motivated when it comes to playing NHL games?

That’s the main question.

In gusto

– Clayton Keller has not requested a trade.

Friedman on TJMS: “Clayton Keller had a meeting yesterday with the Coyotes… Now I want to make this very clear, there is no trade request here, but I think what Keller did say is that he wants direction, and reasonably quickly, on the future of the franchise on and off the ice”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) May 19, 2023

– It’s crazy too.

38 year old Ryan Suter has played 1,470 combined regular season and playoff games. It’s the most by any player in NHL history before appearing in the Conference Finals for the first time.

…Something Suter will finally get to do tonight. That’s quite the journey.

– Josh Bogorad (@JoshBogorad) May 19, 2023

– Wow.

Brandon Montour also played in the longest game in NCAA history, UMass’ 5OT win over Notre Dame in the 2015 Hockey East playoffs. Assisted on the game-winner at 151:42. (Irish ended up winning the series.)

– Luke DeCock (@LukeDeCock) May 19, 2023

– William Nylander will play for Sweden at the end of the tournament.

Leafs Timothy Liljegren played his first game with Sweden at #IIHFWorlds yesterday. Swedish media reported William Nylander will also join; team has not confirmed / haven’t seen Nylander in Finland yet.
@TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/ynEAXnACgy

– Linz_Hamilton (@Linz_Hamilton) May 19, 2023

– It’s a shame… Again.