2024 IIHF Division IB

[Albatros]

Ukraine will have another early game tomorrow, probably they'll just take their foot off the gas when they have the result secured.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Chen also not too hot against some real shooters.

Ukraine will have another early game tomorrow, probably they'll just take their foot off the gas when they have the result secured.

To be fair applies to both teams. If I was the Chinese coach I'd be giving Chen some rest already. Undoubtedly their future success relies almost solely on him.

 

[ozo]

Ukraine and China played an exhibition game exactly 5 days ago. Ukraine won 9:0 so this game is right on course.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Ukraine and China played an exhibition game exactly 5 days ago. Ukraine won 9:0 so this game is right on course.

Oh right, they played in Kaunas. I never got to know how the game ended.

Shots at the moment 29-3. To quote that guy everyone knows, "China are what we thought they were".

 

[aquaregia]

Ukraine will have another early game tomorrow, probably they'll just take their foot off the gas when they have the result secured.

Yeah seems to have been the case, pity i was in the mood for watching a demolition but still Ukraine score two more whilst playing in second gear.

Estonia no shot should be losing to these.

 

[Albatros]

Li with the bonehead move of the year throwing a body on his own goalie and conceding a goal there.

 

[SoundAndFury]

9-0, right on q.

 

[Albatros]

Quite mixed results compared to the Kunlun team last year:

vs. Ukraine
2023 5:4 (30:37), ot
2024 0:9 (50:7)

vs. the Netherlands
2023 2:7 (40:16)
2024 3:0 (28:28)

 

[Kuracmugger]

Any chance we will see the kunlun players again in the future?

 

[aquaregia]

Okay, nevermind then.

 

[aquaregia]

I suppose if nothing else is going right for Estonia, Rooba will still score goals...

 

[Albatros]

Any chance we will see the kunlun players again in the future?

Not as in Kunlun being synonymous with the national team, but individual Kunlun players have represented the Beijing Hockey Association who are now in charge before so that's not entirely unthinkable. Given that Kunlun finished third last year and China will now likely finish third or fourth I'm not sure the incentive is there though. Besides Kunlun likely doesn't have long left to live.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Overall, Estonian 2nd tier of "good" players really need to step up: Embrich, Kombe, Viitanen, Arrak. They can certainly be more imposing against this kind of opposition.

Yay, the "completely unnecessary major penalty" box checked for this year.

 

[Sanf]

5-6 years ago I was fair more positive of the future of Estonian hockey. I mean atleast in NT level. There were decent amount of prospects for 1A (type of) level. Now they are struggling at B against Spain. And Lauri Lahesalu is still there which is baffling.

 

[SoundAndFury]

5-6 years ago I was fair more positive of the future of Estonian hockey. I mean atleast in NT level. There were decent amount of prospects for 1A (type of) level. Now they are struggling at B against Spain. And Lauri Lahesalu is still there which is baffling.

I would argue those prospects were not 1A level but in general, you were right 5-6 years ago.

Just like few Estonian posters wrote in this thread, this is probably their strongest NT ever in terms of player quality. And it's bound to get even better as Ossipov, Jurgens, Jogi, Postsinoks step into a bigger role. Getting Molder secured a long-term future in goal, Rooba is pretty much the oldest important player on the team and he is only 30. Estonia is definitely trending upwards. Not too long there were days of 1B/2A elevator team, now they can start flirting with the idea of winning 1B if everything goes right one of those years.

They are just having one not-so-great tournament where nothing is truly lost either.

 

[trust no one]

I am watching these games and see no room for Croatia to do anything but lose all the games in fashion...

 

[SoundAndFury]

Long-term perspective aside, this team sucks. 4 shots in a period where you need a goal against Spain.. That is just pathetic.

 

[Sanf]

Long-term perspective aside, this team sucks. 4 shots in a period where you need a goal against Spain.. That is just pathetic.

Yeah the difference in level started to really show in third, but still Estonia could not really create anything. Spain battled it to overtime.

I think I have seen Rasmus Kiik play three games this season and he has been thrown out in two of them by stupid plays that have really costed the team. First was in autumn in Continental Cup.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Goaltending is also once again at .800, tough to win games like that. Although Koitmaa wasn't a great goalie at the best of times, PK is an even bigger issue.

Kiik, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that probably wasn't intentional so kinda unfortunate to get the major but yeah, rough either way.

 

[Kuracmugger]

Not as in Kunlun being synonymous with the national team, but individual Kunlun players have represented the Beijing Hockey Association who are now in charge before so that's not entirely unthinkable. Given that Kunlun finished third last year and China will now likely finish third or fourth I'm not sure the incentive is there though. Besides Kunlun likely doesn't have long left to live.

I worded my questin wrong i meant the naturalized players that played/play for kunlun. Such as Foo,Chelios etc the team has obviously more success with them and some of them look/are chinese to some degree

 

[HungryFrank]

that team Netherlands looks like they got in by finding a code in a box of cereals.

How come so many players are absent?

 

[SoundAndFury]

that team Netherlands looks like they got in by finding a code in a box of cereals.

Good one.

The Netherlands is one of those rare places where one club, Tilburg, holds more power than the hockey federation itself so my guess is they discouraged players from going or players themselves sort of agreed not to go to this pointless tournament. Winning the Oberliga does so much more to hockey there than any possible result the Dutch team can viably achieve in D1B which is a funny situation, state of hockey in the country is better reflected by the results of one club than their NT. And that probably created a trickle-down effect with those few other players outside the Tilburg organization who probably thought it to be pointless to accompany this bunch of cereal eaters.

Mind you, just spitballing here. Maybe some deep googling would be in order.

 

[aquaregia]

one-nil to the cereal eaters...

 

[aquaregia]

Though in seriousness NL probably a bit fortunate to still only be 2-1 down... Lithuania though still having some problems as they did last year threatening the net?

 

[jonas2244]

I would be highly surprised if LTU is able to compete UKR.