GDT: Austria vs. Great Britain

[SoundAndFury]

Was just thinking that the difference between Austrian and British competition is not overly large based on how they fare in the CHL for example. Austria's been better in the tournament so far but they were made way too big favorites for this game.

1) In both cases teams there are mostly import-driven
2) Austria's best players play in competitions way better than the local one (Rossi, Raffl, Komarek, Kasper, 5 players in Switzerland) while not quite as much so in GB's case.

Ok, we back.

 

[Munakandas]

Was just thinking that the difference between Austrian and British competition is not overly large based on how they fare in the CHL for example. Austria's been better in the tournament so far but they were made way too big favorites for this game.

One thing to bear in mind about this is the British league is mostly foreigners and of the British players in the league a lot of them are young 4th liners and 3rd string goalies.

Austria has a few guys in good level foreign leagues too.

Britain has around 11,000 registered hockey players Vs around 5,000 Austrian from just a cursory online look though.

1) In both cases teams there are mostly import-driven
2) Austria's best players play in competitions way better than the local one (Rossi, Raffl, Komarek, Kasper, 5 players in Switzerland) while not quite as much so in GB's case.

Ok, we back.

Beat me too it

 

[kabidjan18]

You won't guess which defenseman was on the ice there. There's no way to guess.

Lol. "He scores one and gives 2." Apt reputation, at least he gives one. Beautiful exchange between Haudum and Kasper.

 

[Jussi]

It's coming home?

 

[SoundAndFury]

I STILL BELIEVE

 

[PanniniClaus]

Nice play from Austria.. creating something.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Never actually worried. Never.

 

[PanniniClaus]

What in the hell was Richardson thinking? A ring either way and out of trouble

 

[SoundAndFury]

Massive hit by veteran clutch player Raffl to create the turnover. See, Raffl and Heinrich saving the day

 

[kabidjan18]

Looool. That's the Raffl we haven't seen in a long long time. Once upon a time he was known as a powerful forechecker.

 

[aquaregia]

Batch ffs you clown

 

[SoundAndFury]

See, Raffl and Heinrich saving the day

^^

You had a good run GB, you really did.. But it was due.

 

[aquaregia]

Gutting

 

[kabidjan18]

He also once had a shot

Vintage with one period left...

 

[ozo]

My fault, should have never turned the stream on in the third period.

 

[aquaregia]

I guess that's the price you pay when most of your D-men are D1B quality

 

[Munakandas]

^^

You had a good run GB, you really did.. But it was due.

Hopefully we will be back soon DIV 1A is very weak at the moment.

 

[aquaregia]

Hopefully we will be back soon DIV 1A is very weak at the moment.

yeah, if there's one silver lining it's that assuming Belarus and Russia stay banned, top-2 in D1A is very doable.

 

[ozo]

Hopefully we will be back soon DIV 1A is very weak at the moment.

Absolutely. No better year to be in 1A than the next year, seeing that Russia/Belarus doesn't come to their senses. In general when we look solely at forwards, Hungary/Slovenia/Italy has pretty much nothing over GB, defense is the question mark for GB, especially when we look how much O'Connor has deteriorated all of sudden. Cameron Pound needs to step up fast.

 

[kabidjan18]

Another thing to watch: if the US can find a way to beat the great hockey nation Norway. Then we finish 6th in group, even if Belarus and Russia return and 4 teams a relegated we would be safe.

 

[aquaregia]

Another thing to watch: if the US can find a way to beat the great hockey nation Norway. Then we finish 6th in group, even if Belarus and Russia return and 4 teams a relegated we would be safe.

l0l I wouldn't worry about that, the absolute lightest those two will get off is being made to re-enter at D1A level.

Regarding O'Connor, not sure really that he's so much worse than he was 3-4 years ago than at WC level his offensive capabilities are pretty much blunted and his stick-handling's unremarkable compared to his peers. Even lower down the divisions his relative lack of defensive capabiltites were often getting exposed.

 

[SoundAndFury]

With Poland back in it D1A is not as big of a joke as it was this year but sure, GB has great chances to be back.

Also defense issues aside, the team is super old.

 

[member 305909]

Hopefully we'll see GB back some time in the future. It will be tough though.

I stick with my prediction that the competition will be expanded to 24 teams just to make sure that the rich countries are always there. Italy, GB, France, Austria etc.

 

[Puck Dogg]

Hopefully we'll see GB back some time in the future. It will be tough though.

I stick with my prediction that the competition will be expanded to 24 teams just to make sure that the rich countries are always there. Italy, GB, France, Austria etc.

There's very limited number of French and Italians that know they're playing in the World Championships. I worked with Italians and they weren't aware Italy had an ice hockey national team.

 

[kabidjan18]

Wow. That was. Wow. I'm still in shock.

I think all of my criticisms were entirely valid. That first PK was a disaster. That second PK was a 5v3. Heinrich was also responsible for the third goal where one of the British players somehow created a penalty shot out of a 1v2. And Raffl for 5 games and 2 periods was just coasting around like he didn't really want it, late to every puck, giving every puck he did get away immediately.

And I asked if Bader was going to double down and he did and the players rewarded him for it because something lit a fire under their asses.

Peter Schneider was the best player of the tournament. Wow. I've been following him since he was a mediocre mid-6 winger in the NCAA. Through his years in the ECHL. He won the race to every loose puck, he was the machine that drove the team. Gorgeous pass on the PP to Wukovits an what a shot.

Second goal, beautiful reset and pass by Marco Kasper and on to Haudum who drew everyone to him with a zone entry like only he can, and then the pass to Dominique Heinrich, who paid for his mistakes with a goal.

Third goal. Vintage Thomas Raffl. That's the Raffl we knew from like, 2014, 2015. Have not seen that guy in a very very long time. That forecheck. Honestly, probably a penalty of some sort. But that's the Raffl we knew. He blew people up off the puck, and once he got on the puck he was impossible to take the puck from, and he had a laser shot. And he just didn't seem to want it as much recently but that last period he wanted it bad. And great follow-up by Nissner, he was fantastic as well.

Fourth goal. Just great effort by Schneider to even get to the puck and get that first shot off and then what a rebound by Raffl with the shot that hearkens to the days when he was a 26 goal scorer in the EBEL. The newspaper referred to Paul Huber as the next Raffl in Salzburg. And I really hope they're right. But that period showed that, when Raffl is motivated, there's still a difference in what they're capable of.

And then the last goal, great effort by Nissner and Schneider. The Salzburg leaders, Nissner, Schneider, Wukovits, they really drove the team this year along with Lukas Haudum. They're the future of this team.

This is not the best we can do. We've got a lot of young talent waiting in the wings. Beware!