Now awake! Lions forward listed Switzerland's biggest stars: "Totally NHL level"

ZÜRICH. The Lions face the host nation Switzerland, who are in great form, in a decisive match for the group stage victory in the World Championships on Tuesday. The winner of the match will secure the group victory and thus avoid facing the tournament favorite Canada before the final.

Waltteri Merelä, who plays on the reliable fourth line of the Lions and has spent the last two seasons with SC Bern in the Swiss league, highlights two players from the Swiss team that Finland needs to be particularly wary of.

– The Zürich duo Denis Malgin and Sven Andrighetto have played against us quite a few times. They are NHL-level players. Especially Malgin is an exceptionally good skater and playmaker, Merelä lists in an interview given to SuomiKiekko in Zürich.

– If you think about the players in the Swiss league, they are definitely top-level, and among the best players in Europe, Merelä adds.

Merelä himself forms the reliable fourth line of the Lions together with Hannes Björninen and Saku Mäenalanen. According to Merelä, there is a simple recipe for the seamless cooperation of the line.

– We are all very like-minded players. We are used to playing a lot of different roles.

– We try to put a lot of pressure on the opponent and get pucks to the net in the offensive zone. Hannes is an extremely good faceoff guy. He knows that if 70 percent of the faceoffs come to us, we get to attack a lot more, Merelä emphasizes the importance of Björninen’s strong faceoff skills.

– Saku and I try to do a bit of everything, but mostly we grind in front of the net, Merelä discusses the line’s division of labor.

The final group stage match between the Lions and Switzerland will kick off on Tuesday evening at 21:20.