WC: 2015 — Team Czech Republic
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Plekanec might join the team for semi-final game. I expected it. He should be on his way to Prague. But it is far from confirmed, just speculation. There's still one place on our roster.
He will play better than Novotny even without training imo. And finally Ruzicka stop looking for Jagr's linemate. I'm happy Plekanec join the team. But I worry who will be out of roster (hope not someone from 4th line).
Klepiš - Plekanec - Jágr
Červenka - Sobotka - Voráček
Erat - Kovář - Vondrka/Hertl
Zaťovič - Koukal - Simon
Novotný
IMO this... but our defense still frightens me
Kesid
The House of Penguin
- Aug 25, 2005
- 455
- 25
We re-tracked zone starts for all CZE games. That's why earlier this week we published an article about zone starts http://www.thehockeyninja.com/nejprotezovanejsi-hrac-jordan-erat-ma-nejtezsi-smeny/ (chart is partly in ENG).
Corsi numbers from the last game
- 2nd line and 3rd line played well
- Sobotka had worst numbers
Both Martin Zatovic (5 entries) and Michael Jordan (3) were 100% in controlled entries last night. Vladimir Sobotka (8) 87,5 %, Roman Cervenka (6) 83%, Dominik Simon (6) 66,6%, Jaromir Jagr (11) 63,6%, Jakub Voracek (10) 60%.
EDIT : You can look at every graph from the tournament on the website. They are updated after every game. Zone entries will be uploaded tonight.
Corsi numbers from the last game
- 2nd line and 3rd line played well
- Sobotka had worst numbers
Both Martin Zatovic (5 entries) and Michael Jordan (3) were 100% in controlled entries last night. Vladimir Sobotka (8) 87,5 %, Roman Cervenka (6) 83%, Dominik Simon (6) 66,6%, Jaromir Jagr (11) 63,6%, Jakub Voracek (10) 60%.
EDIT : You can look at every graph from the tournament on the website. They are updated after every game. Zone entries will be uploaded tonight.
Lines against Canada could look like this:
Klepis - Sobotka - Voracek
Cervenka - Plekanec - Jagr
Erat - Kovar - Vondrka
Koukal - Novotny - Zatovic
Simon as 13th forward
Hertl will be scratched this game... That's really not good decision, he should get his chance in game like this imo.
Klepis - Sobotka - Voracek
Cervenka - Plekanec - Jagr
Erat - Kovar - Vondrka
Koukal - Novotny - Zatovic
Simon as 13th forward
Hertl will be scratched this game... That's really not good decision, he should get his chance in game like this imo.
Too bad Simon is sitting, IMO the 4th line is what it is mainly because of him and his quickness and dynamism. But I understand Ruzicka wants to make our line-up little more defensive, we'll see how that works out.
Grave
Mondo Cool
Has Hertl been underwhelming? I haven't been able to watch many games other then the USA/CAN
So it is time to evaluate.
I see so many issues.
1. age average is terrible. We simply can not keep a pace with young dynamic teams like Canada or USA. BUt who elsecan be in a team? Radil, Buchtele?
2. I do not see any difference player except Voracek (not talking about Jagr as he is retired). I heavily relied on Kovar. Seeing how a big step he did last season I was thinking he is NHL eligible and ready to be leading force of the national team.
However, and this also appeared in Sochi in Cervenka's case, I barely saw him in matches against NA teams. Our best KHLers are simply unable to perform against NA teams. There are probably many reasons why they are playing in KHL and not in NHL.
Same story with Klepis and Vondrka. They werent able to add necessary aspects to their game against NA teams. What works against european teams is not obviously enought against Canada or USA.
3. defence. What to say..... I was quite satisfied with how Krejcik improved from his terrible first game. He could be very good offensive D, however he still seems to me too much "nice"....
4. future - is not really bright. College team beat our super experienced team 3:0. Not many young guns ready for NT. They have to somehow keep the system with adding young players as Ruzicka started in first EHT tourneys. If they change the coach and let the roster completely on him or his "instincts" it could be disaster for us. They have to keep working on Simon and this group of players to improve them. It must be definetely more structured....
OK, watching Canada - Russia game, I was maybe too strict on us
))
I see so many issues.
1. age average is terrible. We simply can not keep a pace with young dynamic teams like Canada or USA. BUt who elsecan be in a team? Radil, Buchtele?
2. I do not see any difference player except Voracek (not talking about Jagr as he is retired). I heavily relied on Kovar. Seeing how a big step he did last season I was thinking he is NHL eligible and ready to be leading force of the national team.
However, and this also appeared in Sochi in Cervenka's case, I barely saw him in matches against NA teams. Our best KHLers are simply unable to perform against NA teams. There are probably many reasons why they are playing in KHL and not in NHL.
Same story with Klepis and Vondrka. They werent able to add necessary aspects to their game against NA teams. What works against european teams is not obviously enought against Canada or USA.
3. defence. What to say..... I was quite satisfied with how Krejcik improved from his terrible first game. He could be very good offensive D, however he still seems to me too much "nice"....
4. future - is not really bright. College team beat our super experienced team 3:0. Not many young guns ready for NT. They have to somehow keep the system with adding young players as Ruzicka started in first EHT tourneys. If they change the coach and let the roster completely on him or his "instincts" it could be disaster for us. They have to keep working on Simon and this group of players to improve them. It must be definetely more structured....
OK, watching Canada - Russia game, I was maybe too strict on us
))
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Well, so...
1) Ruzicka has to go. Taking "his players" instead of good players is killing us. Also if Hadamczik would replace him, Ruzicka can stay - thats the only case in which i can agree with another year for him.
2) As I am saying for some time, if your best player is 43 y.o., you got a problem. And we got a big one...
3) Defence....theres nothing like that in our NT under Ruzicka.
4) This "We will not risk a WC medal with going with youth...." is BS. We simply have to do, what other team have done. Kick the old guys (except JJ - him we need to persuade to return next year), take young guns (even those we think not ready yet) and see what happens.
5) Oh.... well.
--------------
Overall, lets see the pro's.
We were the only team, which didnt get 6 goals from Canada...well, at least in one match (if i remember it correct)
And we were also VERY good host - we stayed in the contest to the end and then we let our guests take all the medals....like, really - how can you be a better host to WC?
1) Ruzicka has to go. Taking "his players" instead of good players is killing us. Also if Hadamczik would replace him, Ruzicka can stay - thats the only case in which i can agree with another year for him.
2) As I am saying for some time, if your best player is 43 y.o., you got a problem. And we got a big one...
3) Defence....theres nothing like that in our NT under Ruzicka.
4) This "We will not risk a WC medal with going with youth...." is BS. We simply have to do, what other team have done. Kick the old guys (except JJ - him we need to persuade to return next year), take young guns (even those we think not ready yet) and see what happens.
5) Oh.... well.
--------------
Overall, lets see the pro's.
We were the only team, which didnt get 6 goals from Canada...well, at least in one match (if i remember it correct)
And we were also VERY good host - we stayed in the contest to the end and then we let our guests take all the medals....like, really - how can you be a better host to WC?
slovakiasnextone
Registered User
Well, so...
1) Ruzicka has to go. Taking "his players" instead of good players is killing us. Also if Hadamczik would replace him, Ruzicka can stay - thats the only case in which i can agree with another year for him.
2) As I am saying for some time, if your best player is 43 y.o., you got a problem. And we got a big one...
3) Defence....theres nothing like that in our NT under Ruzicka.
4) This "We will not risk a WC medal with going with youth...." is BS. We simply have to do, what other team have done. Kick the old guys (except JJ - him we need to persuade to return next year), take young guns (even those we think not ready yet) and see what happens.
5) Oh.... well.
--------------
Overall, lets see the pro's.
We were the only team, which didnt get 6 goals from Canada...well, at least in one match (if i remember it correct)
And we were also VERY good host - we stayed in the contest to the end and then we let our guests take all the medals....like, really - how can you be a better host to WC?
I hate how prevalent that attitude has been both in Czech and Slovak hockey the past few years. I remember Jan Filc outright saying: "Olympics are no room for an experiment" back in 2010, of course it was no room for experiments more than a year later at the 2011 Worlds in Bratislava either.
At least in the Slovak Extraliga teams were forced to abandon that attitude somewhat due to financial issues and Slovan leaving the league and the past few years we have seen quite few of the teams icing teams with average age of 25-26 years. This year 6 teams had an average age of 26,28 or younger (not counting the u20 team). Compared to that there were only 3 teams in Czech league who had a smaller average age than this and that's while the Slovak Extraliga has actually been donating the Czech one with its top late 80s/early 90s born players like Daloga, Sykora or Tybor.
I don't really agree with this.
Ad 1) If Ruzicka didn't take "his players" like Klepis or Cervenka who would be there instead of them? Seriously. We don't have the better players. The other thing is too much favoritism of some of them in terms of lines and ice-time.
Ad 2) Jagr was chosen as MVP of the tournament and got to the all-star team, I don't think it's just that other players are that bad. It's also because of Jagr being really good, he's a special player.
Ad 3) Defense was weak, yes. But that's really not surprising considering the names on the roster. How is supposed to be your defense good when guys like Nakladal, Krejcik or Kolar leading it. Or old Hejda and Caslava. And yet again, who better could be there instead of them? We seriously lack above average defensemen.
As Jagr said, we see ourselves better than we really are. We are hockey nation and I understand that we have the highest goals but the 3-6th place is a reality for us now. I think this team made a performance correspoding with its potential.
As a fan, I must say I enjoyed this tournament. I liked our play, it was nothing extremely good but it also wasn't that bad. There were much worse championships in terms of play in the last years. Plus the athmosphere at the arena or in the fanzones and all the fun around it... I will have good memories on this WHC.
I enjoyed it too, and I aint even close to blame JJ - he is and will be forever one of the top hockey players of all time.
About Ruzicka....sorry, not even include Mrazek was a big fail. Same for Francouz and lots of guys from extraliga. Hadamczik just did the opposite - he hates some guys, so he never invited them, their form didnt matter.
I also agree 3-6. place is ours (still good to be there with USA, Canada, Russia, Finland and Sweden).
Btw there is also a lots of players in NHL who were out of stanley cap and COULD have been invited.
Our team wasnt bad - could have been much better (and even with that could have ended all the same).
About Ruzicka....sorry, not even include Mrazek was a big fail. Same for Francouz and lots of guys from extraliga. Hadamczik just did the opposite - he hates some guys, so he never invited them, their form didnt matter.
I also agree 3-6. place is ours (still good to be there with USA, Canada, Russia, Finland and Sweden).
Btw there is also a lots of players in NHL who were out of stanley cap and COULD have been invited.
Our team wasnt bad - could have been much better (and even with that could have ended all the same).
Kesid
The House of Penguin
- Aug 25, 2005
- 455
- 25
I’m sorry, but I’m not happy about the player roles, lines shuffling, time management and other decisions. I was more satisfied last year. This year? Not so much….
We beat Finland (Euro team with a few NHL additions just like us) and Switzerland, but failed against better teams (okay, I will give you points for comeback against Sweden and game against Canada, but the last one was more about Canada saving energy to next game which was played the next day).
5v5 play was poor, our PP really covered that (which is a good thing), but … you know … most of the game is played 5v5.
We had so many passengers and just a few horses. No support from the others (not talking about 4th liners, they’ve done enough) And it was obvious from the games against teams like Latvia, France, Austria or Germany and even more from the games against better teams. Strong play from our horses really covered all our weaknesses.
I don’t know if Nemec was 100%, but he had groin issues before the tournament. It didn’t really look like he was healthy enough to play. Looking at his stats, you would say he was great, but defensively pretty bad. Also Klepis didn’t look 100% either, which is why him being in top 6 in back to back games is …. I don’t even know the right word for that. I guess Klepis is heading to Chomutov?
People are bashing Hertl and Erat for not scoring goals. Last year it was Hudler. But the thing is – they can give you something (screening, playmaking…) even when they are not scoring. That’s why they play in the NHL.
We could have Elias (from the day one) who plays similar role in NHL like Plekanec. Instead we were waiting for him as some kind of savior. I’m not blaming Pleky here, because he just wanted to help. I’m blaming our coaches and managers for that. We could have Tlusty or Nestrasil. He did send home Zamorsky after 2 friendly games against Norway.
I know people say we needed experienced players because we played at home. But you know, I did expect those “experienced” players to show something especially in the last game which was really bad.
Ruzicka was talking about tired players. Really? He had extra players so he could switch those guys and use them properly (maybe add someone and scratch someone in back to back games). But instead he wasted a roster spot on Smolenak. We couldn’t even beat Germany without rolling 3 lines… and no, I’m not expecting them beating those teams 10:0 or anything like that.
Something to think about – glad we gave a few trainings to guy like Rucinsky with the team, but when we have actually young guys, which could benefit from those practices more, we ignore them. Talking about Zacha or Zboril. Not saying they would have to make the team, but some practices next to guys like Jagr and co. wouldn’t hurt them.
We beat Finland (Euro team with a few NHL additions just like us) and Switzerland, but failed against better teams (okay, I will give you points for comeback against Sweden and game against Canada, but the last one was more about Canada saving energy to next game which was played the next day).
5v5 play was poor, our PP really covered that (which is a good thing), but … you know … most of the game is played 5v5.
We had so many passengers and just a few horses. No support from the others (not talking about 4th liners, they’ve done enough) And it was obvious from the games against teams like Latvia, France, Austria or Germany and even more from the games against better teams. Strong play from our horses really covered all our weaknesses.
I don’t know if Nemec was 100%, but he had groin issues before the tournament. It didn’t really look like he was healthy enough to play. Looking at his stats, you would say he was great, but defensively pretty bad. Also Klepis didn’t look 100% either, which is why him being in top 6 in back to back games is …. I don’t even know the right word for that. I guess Klepis is heading to Chomutov?
People are bashing Hertl and Erat for not scoring goals. Last year it was Hudler. But the thing is – they can give you something (screening, playmaking…) even when they are not scoring. That’s why they play in the NHL.
We could have Elias (from the day one) who plays similar role in NHL like Plekanec. Instead we were waiting for him as some kind of savior. I’m not blaming Pleky here, because he just wanted to help. I’m blaming our coaches and managers for that. We could have Tlusty or Nestrasil. He did send home Zamorsky after 2 friendly games against Norway.
I know people say we needed experienced players because we played at home. But you know, I did expect those “experienced” players to show something especially in the last game which was really bad.
Ruzicka was talking about tired players. Really? He had extra players so he could switch those guys and use them properly (maybe add someone and scratch someone in back to back games). But instead he wasted a roster spot on Smolenak. We couldn’t even beat Germany without rolling 3 lines… and no, I’m not expecting them beating those teams 10:0 or anything like that.
Something to think about – glad we gave a few trainings to guy like Rucinsky with the team, but when we have actually young guys, which could benefit from those practices more, we ignore them. Talking about Zacha or Zboril. Not saying they would have to make the team, but some practices next to guys like Jagr and co. wouldn’t hurt them.
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Swipes
Ice Hockey World Champions 2024!
- Apr 13, 2010
- 1,784
- 613
As a fan I also really enjoyed this tournament. I was fortunate enough to get tickets for the quarter-final and the experience was unforgettable.
There are a few things I didn't like:
A) the benching of hertl. Ok, he didn't play great but his net presence was severely lacking on our PP especially against the USA. Instead, players like erat and to some extent vondrka were allowed to continue playing. Erat was useless.
B) the defence was awful. Seeing hejda skate away from a puck that he could have had bit was afraid the guy would get and skate around him tells us how old and slow our defense is. Them ruzicka announces that "we need more young d-men!"so where were they?
Also, didn't he say he would quit if he didn't bring back a medal? Talk about a man with little integrity.
It's time to see someone new on the bench. I don't really care if we don't win any medals for ages. I just want to see something different, someone with new ideas. I think our hockey needs this.
There are a few things I didn't like:
A) the benching of hertl. Ok, he didn't play great but his net presence was severely lacking on our PP especially against the USA. Instead, players like erat and to some extent vondrka were allowed to continue playing. Erat was useless.
B) the defence was awful. Seeing hejda skate away from a puck that he could have had bit was afraid the guy would get and skate around him tells us how old and slow our defense is. Them ruzicka announces that "we need more young d-men!"so where were they?
Also, didn't he say he would quit if he didn't bring back a medal? Talk about a man with little integrity.
It's time to see someone new on the bench. I don't really care if we don't win any medals for ages. I just want to see something different, someone with new ideas. I think our hockey needs this.
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