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WC: 2018 - Team Switzerland

It would be good if it goes as fast as it did with Meier, one point this weekend should be enough to avoid a tricky do or die game against France. Plus there is also a chance to finish 3rd, or even 2nd (which I would love as I'm going to the Copenhagen quarterfinals :D), although I'm not sure which quarterfinal matchup I would prefer.
 
jonas2244 said:
Yeah, just two open spot. And if all 3 are healthy it's probably Josi+Fiala. We'll see how fast that everything works out (Meier was blazing fast in Copenhagen) and if they are able to play on Sunday vs. Sweden or just the last game vs. France.

Edit: Swiss icehockey asked Nashville for a release for all three players, which probably means that all three agreed to play. If all three are allowed to go the staff will decide later which 2 get the call.
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It happened! Right on time Team Schweiz receives a booster for the QFs! :thumbu:
 
Great boost for you guys if all goes through, Fiala's been having a great playoffs
 
A lot of speculation about Josi playing injured. Swiss GM said in an interview they asked for the release, my speculation is that all 3 confirmed their interest after the game. But that's just speculation. We'll hopefully know more in a few hours.

Two defensemen would be easier to fit in. Just replace Fora and Frick. Finding a spot for Fiala where he fits and can provide offense is not an easy task, because with Meier&Andrighetto and Moser&Nino we have two offensive winger-pairings who seem to work very well. Maybe Fiala with Hofmann? With Haas in between?

Edit: Anyway, all the discussion in here shows why Switzerland is currently the clear #7 in ice-hockey (on paper). Slovakia, Germany, Denmark, they all have great players around (probably on par with Switzerland, they all have better goalies than Switzerland), but none of these countries is close to the depth Switzerland at the moment has. And for such a tournament (especially in a olympic year) this is much more important than the players at the top. But it's still no guarantee for success.
 
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Natey said:
I think the offence is fine. I'd go with the two defenseman.
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There's no question you take Fiala over Weber if all 3 are available.

With Josi, Diaz, Untersander, Mueller/Kukan he won't crack the Top 4 and isn't needed on the special teams.
Weber is barely an upgrade on our 3rd pairing and has been a disappointment on the big ice year after year.
 
He has disappointed because everyone thought he'd be a #1-defensemen for Switzerland and he was mainly played in this role. And he just isn't. Not for Nashville, not for Switzerland. But I'm sure he'd an upgrade over Frick/Fora with 3rd line duties and a place on the blueline with his shot. If Josi is injured I'd take him any minute.
 
No, he has disappointed because he is below average in his own zone. He is fine offensively.
His shot used to be a PP weapon but with Josi and Diaz, you simply don't need one and Webers production has regressed heavily anyway.

He was never considered a #1 Defenseman by any Swiss coach...
 
Obviously you take him if Josi is injured, but if the choice is between Weber and Fiala, I'd take Fiala even if he's trickier to fit into the lineup. Fiala gives you an extra scoring threat while Weber is barely an upgrade over the current defense.
 
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swissexpert said:
No, he has disappointed because he is below average in his own zone. He is fine offensively.
His shot used to be a PP weapon but with Josi and Diaz, you simply don't need one and Webers production has regressed heavily anyway.

He was never considered a #1 Defenseman by any Swiss coach...
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Didn't he play beside Streit in the 2010 olympics? I cannot remember 2014. But he always had a main role in the d-corps when he played at the world-championship playing 18+ minutes. If all three are healthy there is no question that I'd take Josi+Fiala, but if one of those two cannot I'd take Weber anytime.
 
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jonas2244 said:
If all three are healthy there is no question that I'd take Josi+Fiala, but if one of those two cannot I'd take Weber anytime.
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Well, that's exactly my point.

I only tried to explain why I think Fiala can boost this team more than Weber.
Look at Meiers immediate impact, and he's not better than Fiala.
Timo is more complete, but less flashy if you want :)

If Weber replaces Genazzi on a 15min role it's fine to me, but that's not what makes the team win their key games.

I'm not bashing Weber, he's had a tremendous career and not many would've given him that.
But we're in a lucky position now to reject one-dimensional players even if they've written 'NHL' on their equipment.
You could be right that he played beside Streit then, but I doubt that Weber was the #1 of that pair ;)
Another year, he was so shaky that they demoted him to #7 and used him 3mins per game on the PP.
 
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jonas2244 said:
Didn't he play beside Streit in the 2010 olympics? I cannot remember 2014. But he always had a main role in the d-corps when he played at the world-championship playing 18+ minutes. If all three are healthy there is no question that I'd take Josi+Fiala, but if one of those two cannot I'd take Weber anytime.
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In 2010 he started the tournament with Streit but ended up being benched, if I remember correctly. He played with Josi at the 2014 Olympics and with Seger at the 2014 WC, 2016 is the only tournament in which he didn't play a top 4 role.
 
stv11 said:
Obviously you take him if Josi is injured, but if the choice is between Weber and Fiala, I'd take Fiala even if he's trickier to fit into the lineup. Fiala gives you an extra scoring threat while Weber is barely an upgrade over the current defense.
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This.
 
It looks like we all agree on that. Only Dino Kessler wants Josi&Weber.

Hockeyjournalism in the German part of Switzerland is so ugly. Kessler, Samuelsson, Zaugg, they all basically have nothing to say but use every second to say something. Thank god we still have SRF.
 
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I agree, Josi Fiala bring more than Josi Weber.
Then I would probably put Fiala with Nino and Corvi. The line with Moser worked very well, but he could bring some muscles and strenght in front of the net in the Haas-Hofmann line. I think that this way (in theory) you could get three well balanced offensive line, plus a great shut down and PK line with Schëppi Rod Scherwey.
 
Jon Riley said:
I agree, Josi Fiala bring more than Josi Weber.
Then I would probably put Fiala with Nino and Corvi. The line with Moser worked very well, but he could bring some muscles and strenght in front of the net in the Haas-Hofmann line. I think that this way (in theory) you could get three well balanced offensive line, plus a great shut down and PK line with Schëppi Rod Scherwey.
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I have my doubts on having Fiala and Corvi on the same line, but if it works your suggestion would make the most sense. If not, maybe Meier-Haas-Andrighetto and Hofmann-Vermin-Fiala.
 
I have to say, if Fiala joins, this is one of the best formations we've ever had offensively. So much skill and speed.
2 lines of NHL/AHL power allows Fischer to choose a very selective group of NLA players, for the exact jobs he needs to fill.
Not just 'everyone that wants to join is welcome' ;)

Now imagine if Hischier was available...
 
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It ll be the best swiss team ever. And they could have even better with Hischier, Malgin, Baertschi, Sbisa, Weber....Without counting guy like Hollenstein or Geering....
But we could face Canada in 1/4 and there, very few chance anyway. Or am i mistaken and the 1/4 final ll stay in this group?
 
According to RSI, the practice lineup was the same as in the last game except that Rod and Hofmann were swapped. Maybe playing Hofmann with two grinders is an attempts to put him in line similar to the one he played in during the playoffs?
 
swisdan said:
It ll be the best swiss team ever. And they could have even better with Hischier, Malgin, Baertschi, Sbisa, Weber....Without counting guy like Hollenstein or Geering....
But we could face Canada in 1/4 and there, very few chance anyway. Or am i mistaken and the 1/4 final ll stay in this group?
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I dare making the postulat :

This team will make history.
World champion
 
So, I was hoping that Switzerland could be at 10 pts and Slovakia at 7 by now, instead it's 9 and 8 and Slovakia can qualify with two wins. I'm afraid of tomorrow's game, Russia won't get a lucky goal and a BS 5 on 3 every time. And even if Russia wins tomorrow, going into the France game with the pressure to win without having found the right lineup is not an ideal situation.

Not much positive to take from the Sweden game, I thought that Fiala and Scherwey were the only forwards who constantly tried to make things happen, the others were very inconsistent. Good game by Kukan, Müller and Diaz (apart from the 2nd goal) on defense, Josi had some flashes and should be ok with some rest. Not convinced by Genoni either, IMHO Berra should be the starter for the rest of the tournament.
 
Yup Berra in, he came out as the better goalie.
Genoni did not suck (except for the second goal, what was that?) but neither he showed anything impressive.
Vermin, Haas and Corvi have been quite horrible, Untersander quite sketchy at times. All in all, if you want to beat the big teams everyone have to skate and hit and skate and block and avoid penalties at all cost, today not many had that state of mind.
I have always been skeptic about Scherwey and international matches, but he has been excellent from day one. I must say that I liked the idea of him with Nino and Corvi. If only Corvi was in a better day..

Highlight of the match Meier's flying pirouette screen on Diaz goal.
By the way, is it my impression or Meier has been on the ice pretty much always? How many shifts did he take?
 
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