WC: Division 1A 2025., Sfantu Gheorghe 27.04 - 3.05.

[PanniniClaus]

Poland dominated period 2 but it's still a game. 2-1 after 2.

 

[Sanf]

Adorjan has been mainly excellent but the second goal was bad. Murray just matched it. Adorjan's technique is. um... Tim Thomas like.

You get it lot on tihese levels. Scramblers with not that solid technique, but can occasionally make it look amazing.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Romania had their chance with a PP and it was really bad. One half chance.

Then Poland get a PP and score. Very nice backhand.

Poland certainly deserve their win, should be a heck of a fight for promotion.

Romania vs Japan will be a huge game.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Naturally, Tyczynski has a goal and an assist in his debut game. Again it just baffles me he didn't play for Poland for so long, especially considering some of the roster they iced over that time frame.

 

[David Suzuki]

I assume Gb are favored to go up, who else?

 

[PanniniClaus]

I assume Gb are favored to go up, who else?

You have to think Italy will be there with Jalonen coaching. Should have gone up last year.

But it is a 4 way fight right now. GB are not locks to go up.

 

[GagneHanson12]

Outside shot at being drafted?

Probably not too likely, had a really good year in OJHL and is committed to Clarkson in NCAA (eliteprosects says for 27/28 but I am pretty sure that's wrong), but this is his d+1 year, possibly in the later rounds he might get a look if teams are watching this tourney but not a lock I'd say. Id wager he'd probably be a UDFA signing after college if he continues his development (if anything, that would be a likely best case scenario imo). My best guess for the next Ukrainian player drafted in NHL would be Mykola Kosarev, playing in the Norwegian men's league, eligible next year.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Realistically, there is no point in drafting him because you will most likely be able to sign him as a UFA out of college with that much more certainty do you even want him.

Kosarev, I will go as far as to say, should be drafted, following the career path Rudolfs Balcers took. The only thing that can hurt his is NHL's newfound obsession with defensemen who are at least an inch taller than him.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I assume Gb are favored to go up, who else?

It's really 3 way thing between GB, Poland and Italy. All have pros and cons working for and against them. That's how Italy failed to win the promotion last year; 1A is a three-horse race these days.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Fadani is starting for Italy back-to-back. Interesting. I guess Jalonen really isn't a big fan of Clara. Which is quite fascinating considering he is supposed to be the best player on this entire team.

 

[SoundAndFury]

And Ukraine takes the lead. I think after yesterday's Ukraine's game against GB nobody was expecting this to be a cakewalk for Italy so here we have it.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Great PP featuring all the usual suspects and Lyalka makes it 2-0.

Edit: or doesn't he? Weird challenge by Italy, I thought it's as clean as the goal gets. Oh it's not even the challenge, the ref waived it off immediately so Ukraine had to challenge... There was nothing at all there but I guess ref has to get over himself and correct the call, which he may or may not due. From the cam it looks like he is really arguing his case to the colleague...

In the end, still don't count it.

And this is with video review... What a joke. Complete robbery by the zebras. And Ukraine gets a delaying the game penalty for a "bad" challenge...

I rooted for best team to win but now I'm firmly team Ukraine, f*** these guys.

 

[SoundAndFury]

And now Italian takes a massive dive, laboring, hands covering his face and everything, after skating into Ukrainian's glove Some old school calcio strats.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Italy has played a much better period but Ukraine capitalizes on their first real chance since the goal that didn't happen and it's 2-1 Ukraine. Which, again, I feel is fair to some degree. They probably do want to regroup somewhat before the 3rd because long-term, giving away all the possession to Italy cannot be healthy.

 

[ozo]

There is some sharpness to Ukraine game in this tournament so far, they do a lot with the few chances they get.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Yeah, I think "sharpness" is a nice way to put it. It looks like they not only carried over the system that works from 1B but also the belief that they can beat anyone playing it. If they get a chance they are just going for it and once they are there, it's a very big team, tough to handle.

 

[ozo]

I see that Purdeller also likes dramatics.... so shameless...

 

[SoundAndFury]

Seems like Frycklund suffered a pretty serious injury and the Italian team will have to get by without Swedes... Unfortunate.

 

[GagneHanson12]

Well there's the win in shootout! Didn't get to catch this one but nice to see them get the win (and Zakharov with another goal, representing Sokil well!!).

 

[SoundAndFury]

So Ukraine wins the shootout. Great result for them, dare I say more than compensating for a slightly unlucky one yesterday. And 3 points is almost certainly more than any other relegation contender is going to have out of the games against these 2 teams.

Italy will feel they deserved more but after today's game I don't particularly care about their feelings.

 

[ozo]

Of course a lot of hockey to be played yet, but 3 points squeezed out of Italy and GB, makes one hopeful for bigger things as far as Ukraine is concerned... Then again Poland might be the actual big dog of this group and rolls over everyone.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Let's look at this way: both Ukraine's games in this WC went to overtime; both Poland-Ukraine pre-tournament friendlies went to overtime; these teams have played each other 9 times over the last 5 years and the most common result was overtime. So if anything, Poland with have to work really hard to avoid.. overtime.

Now granted, in those 9 games Ukraine has only 1 regulation win and against the roster that is nothing like the best-on-best Polish roster so they probably shouldn't fancy 3 points out of that game. But it's highly unlikely Poland would steamroll them. Especially when Ukraine is in great spirits, because after all, why shouldn't they be playing for promotion?

 

[PanniniClaus]

I just caught the very end of Poland and Japan.

That was a very close game. 2-1 Poland Fucik had to be good.

I will be watching Romania and GB this afternoon.

 

[legionista]

Four team race IMO, Poland's first two games were against the weakest opponents in this division and for me they struggled too much in those games. They played responsible hockey so far, but I'm still not convinced they can finish in the top two spots as their toughest games are still ahead.

 

[SoundAndFury]

The game seemed close but it wasn't really. Poland took an early lead and dominated the 2nd period even while holding that 2-0 lead. In the third they didn't push anymore because they didn't have a reason to and allowed that consolation goal with 6s left that didn't mean anything.