WC: 2015 — Team Slovakia

[ebis]

No, I'm saying it's annoying to use Slovak diacritic symbols in place of English ones when communicating in English. Just switch to the English keyboard or press AltGr+P to type '.

My life will never be the same again.

 

[Hesher]

Removing Kopecky from the top line was a good move but completely removing him from the line-up seems a bit harsh.

 

[Faterson]

Completely removing him from the tourney would be harsh, but giving him a game or two to rest is OK. What's harsh is that Miklík has been a healthy scratch the last two games. Yes, he didn't have a good game 1 (not many Slovaks did), but he certainly deserves to get another chance, and why not at the expense of Kopecký? Remember, Miklík is Slovakia's top scorer from last year's Worlds, and he's had a decent KHL season on that awful Amur team, too. Amur is parting ways with Haščák and Špirko, but they're retaining Miklík. He's a solid player, although he may not shine in every game and may not be the right fit for Gáborík and the 1st line.

 

[tobu]

for the slovaks and czechs on these boards, looks like Nohavica made this song for Kopecky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLnCORuNgG8&hd=1

edit: I really feel for him though, I do hope he recovers and finds his game again

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Can we start playing some 21st century hockey please?

 

[PapaQ]

I kept hearing that our roster is 'strong' this year. Am I missing something?

 

[Hesher]

Can't even get mad about the latest changes, we're done anyway.

 

[Jakk123]

That's exactly what I'm objecting to, and what's wrong and weak-assed about the NHL. Of course it's not considered a failure today, because you get 2 points for regulation wins and the same 2 points for OT wins in the NHL! So why would they bother winning any games in regulation? The current point system in the NHL rewards lazy, alibistic, leisurely play. It's only when teams would get 3 points for regulation wins in the NHL that OT wins would be seen as failures (particularly for home teams), because they would mean the loss of a point – that's exactly what I've been saying all along, and you didn't get it (again!).


The 2-point system (which was certainly OK, though not as exciting as the 3-point system) was canceled by the NHL several seasons ago. When did you start following the NHL, last week? The NHL now has an absurd, mixed 2-and-3-point system, where some games are worth 2 points, and other games 3 points, all for the sake of that fake parity you praised. I know of no other league, in any sport, that employs such a manifestly imbalanced point system. I couldn't believe it when they introduced that silliness several seasons ago – I wouldn't have thought it possible.

I may look incredibly stupid now, but whatever , but what am I missing? As of 8th May 2015, I am living in a world where the NHL awards 2 points for regulation or OT/SO win, 0 points for regulation loss, 1 point for OT/SO loss. How is that a mixed 2 and 3 points system?

 

[slovakiasnextone]

So basically Lušňák and Dravecký aren't playing tomorrow?

 

[Hesher]

I may look incredibly stupid now, but whatever , but what am I missing? As of 8th May 2015, I am living in a world where the NHL awards 2 points for regulation or OT/SO win, 0 points for regulation loss, 1 point for OT/SO loss. How is that a mixed 2 and 3 points system?

When a game ends in regulation, that game is worth 2 points. When it goes to OT/SO it is worth 3 points.

 

[Jakk123]

When a game ends in regulation, that game is worth 2 points. When it goes to OT/SO it is worth 3 points.

Oh, of course, silly me Anyway, I don't get the hatred of Faterson towards the system, I am more familiar with the 3 point one, but I think both of them are fine.

 

[Faterson]

It's not fine, it's totally distorting (inflatng) every NHL team's point totals. Plus, the play suffers on a nightly basis throughout the regular season because teams aren't motivatied to win games in regulation. The NHL might as well switch to the 3-point system because comparing historical point records no longer makes any sense. The current mixed 2-and-3-point system in the NHL is as fake as it can possibly ever get.

 

[Elvs]

If Slovakia misses the playoffs, do you think Vujtek gets canned?

How do slovak hockey fans feel about him (generally speaking) and do you get the sense that the players likes him?

 

[Bojovnik]

He has to go after this tournament. His time is up.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

If Slovakia misses the playoffs, do you think Vujtek gets canned?

How do slovak hockey fans feel about him (generally speaking) and do you get the sense that the players likes him?

He won't get canned, because it's been known for a long time that this is his last tourney. I actually think that his contract was actually originally supposed to run out already last year, but he stayed because he wanted to be there in Ostrava as its really close to his home. Also, there are elections to the Slovak hockey federation this June, so there is a possibility that it will be a different leadership than the current one who will decide who will be the NT coach.

As for the opinion, quite unsurprisingly it has changed 180 degrees for a lot of fans since 2012. There are still however a lot of those who defend him though.

Personally, I can't say I will be disappointed to see him go tbh. 2012 was nice and all, but it was 3 years ago. I didn't like a lot of the decisions this year and I just had the impression that about a week before the tourney he had no idea about which players were going to play at the tourney (I dunno what he would have done had the Wings won game 7 or Springfield made it to the AHL play-offs) yet alone the system that he wanted the team to play. It seems a bit like unorganised chaos to me at the moment. However the turning point for me was actually last year, not at the Olympics, but at the Worlds when he threw his young unexperiences team under the bus with quotes like "team build out of desperation", "we're gonna play for relegation" after loss against the French etc.

 

[Faterson]

His time was up after Sochi. If Slovakia fail to make the play-offs now (very likely), or even if they exit in the quarterfinals, Vůjtek will be remembered as a "one-hit wonder" (2012 silver). He's had no real success apart from that, so overall, he hasn't been a success, and there's been lots of annually repeated chaos surrounding his nominations and (lack of) leadership during the games.

 

[Jakk123]

His time was up after Sochi. If Slovakia fail to make the play-offs now (very likely), or even if they exit in the quarterfinals, Vůjtek will be remembered as a "one-hit wonder" (2012 silver). He's had no real success apart from that, so overall, he hasn't been a success, and there's been lots of annually repeated chaos surrounding his nominations and (lack of) leadership during the games.

I wouldn't call him a one hit wonder, I have had much more fun with our hockey in years 2012-2014 than years 2008-2011. Sochi was a pure disaster, but apart from that, we made the QF in 2013 and I think we played nice hockey in 2014.

Anyway, I am kind of tired of all the bashing that coaches get. Coach of the senior team is the smallest issue in our hockey right now, I would say.

 

[Faterson]

I wouldn't say so. The coach is the centerpiece. If the coach seems confused in terms of nominations and leadership in the games, what can you expect from the team...

 

[Dotaz]

His time was up after Sochi. If Slovakia fail to make the play-offs now (very likely), or even if they exit in the quarterfinals, Vůjtek will be remembered as a "one-hit wonder" (2012 silver). He's had no real success apart from that, so overall, he hasn't been a success, and there's been lots of annually repeated chaos surrounding his nominations and (lack of) leadership during the games.

I don't agree with that "one-hti wonder" thing when you consider Slovak National Team. Before Vujtek I thought that most of our sloppienes during WC's were coach based but now - during his four season on the bench, I don't know anymore. Because he set up nice system in 2012 and it worked great. We had 2 more championships after that and now current one, the coach is the same, the system is the same, even most of the players are the same yet we have troubles even to qualify for playoffs.

So my point is that it is not as much the coach thing as it is more about mentality of our players and their overall hockey skills. We simply can't hold to one system as years passing because players aren't willing to do that (why, that is mystery for me). I think even if we would have Mike Babcock on our bench our results wouldn't be better than Vujtek's during lets say 3, 4 years. We are simply build this way - one success in 5 years or so but continuality is something we can't provide...

 

[Dotaz]

Another thing that bothers me is performances of Tomas Tatar - I really like the guy and practically only reason why I follow NHL are his games in DET but his performances during WC's are simply awful! He looks like a mediocre Slovak League player. His main issue here is in the head I think because in NHL games there is completely different attitude and body language when I watch him...

 

[Faterson]

he set up nice system in 2012 and it worked great. We had 2 more championships after that and now current one, the coach is the same, the system is the same, even most of the players are the same yet we have troubles even to qualify for playoffs.

So that's the definition of failure, isn't it? (You skipped over the biggest disaster, Sochi.) Which is more probable: a genius system that never produces any results, except for a single silver medal... or lack of success interrupted with the lucky coincidence of a silver medal? I think if the system was so "great", it would have produced more than a single silver medal and a single play-off game (also very lucky to have reached play-offs that year) in 4 seasons, wouldn't it?! It's not just at the top events where Slovakia has been mediocre or bad. Slovakia also kept losing games against third-rate opponents in third-rate preparation tourneys and friendly games. So where is that genius system you mention? If you have Vůjtek's overall win/loss record as Slovakia coach, please post it. It's likely distinctly below 0.500. I like him as a person, he's a true gentleman and doubtlessly an outstanding coach, but it just hasn't worked for him and team Slovakia. A great coach isn't automatically guaranteed to be a good fit for every team.

 

[Dotaz]

So why would they bother winning any games in regulation? The current point system in the NHL rewards lazy, alibistic, leisurely play.

Are you serious? So you practically suggesting that NHL teams are so sure they will manage to win games in OT or SO that they simply don't try to win in regulation? That is joke of the day NHL is so demanding league that no team will ever risk to play sloppy or just for tie in 60 minutes so they will play OT and then what?? Both OT and shootouts are often about one good shot so you are never sure you will get that extra point...

 

[Dotaz]

So that's the definition of failure, isn't it? (You skipped over the biggest disaster, Sochi.) Which is more probable: a genius system that never produces any results, except for a single silver medal... or lack of success interrupted with the lucky coincidence of a silver medal? I think if the system was so "great", it would have produced more than a single silver medal and a single play-off game (also very lucky to have reached play-offs that year) in 4 seasons, wouldn't it?! It's not just at the top events where Slovakia has been mediocre or bad. Slovakia also kept losing games against third-rate opponents in third-rate preparation tourneys and friendly games. So where is that genius system you mention? If you have Vůjtek's overall win/loss record as Slovakia coach, please post it. It's likely distinctly below 0.500. I like him as a person, he's a true gentleman and doubtlessly an outstanding coach, but it just hasn't worked for him and team Slovakia. A great coach isn't automatically guaranteed to be a good fit for every team.

You didn't get my point. I think even if Mike Babcock would sign for 10 years right after this tournament, we would still have similiar results over those 10 years - that is one, two medals, two QF and 6 tournaments where we won't even qualify for playoffs. Problem is not the coach or his system, problem is mentality of our players - they can be really inspired by new system, new things in play from new coach but over time they will return to their old habits and mistakes. For example, Andrej Sekera was very upset after our loss to Finland in OF 2013 where we tied from 0:3 to 3:3 but than still losse it. He said some players should really think about their attitude towards national team...it is simply about mentality - we can't hold certain level of performance even during one tournament so how we can expect to have good results over years? Finland, Sweden have one system and players stuck to it over decades, that is why they are constantly in QF without troubles no matter their line ups...

 

[Faterson]

Are you serious? So you practically suggesting that NHL teams are so sure they will manage to win games in OT or SO that they simply don't try to win in regulation? That is joke of the day NHL is so demanding league that no team will ever risk to play sloppy or just for tie in 60 minutes so they will play OT and then what?? Both OT and shootouts are often about one good shot so you are never sure you will get that extra point...

It's you who's missing the point. Because you can only lose 1 point for going to OT, teams often opt for that security – the difference between 1 point and 2 points isn't so big. If the difference was 2 points as in the 3-point system, the game strategy would be quite different. In the other thread on the NHL board, there are clear stats proving how the percentage of games going to OT has dramatically increased ever since the NHL adopted the current silly mixed 2-and-3-point system.

 

[Faterson]

it is simply about mentality

It's part of the coach's job to influence the players' mentality so that the players stick to the game plan. If you can't do that, make room for a different coach and let him try.