WC: Division 1B 2025., Tallin 26.04 - 2.05.

[jonas2244]

Yeah I was going to tune out when the penalties were 7-0 and game 3-0. Spain looked horrible.Quite a turn around. Well overtime makes the result more irrelevant.

But some well needed confidence boost I guess for the crucial Croatia-game.

 

[Eye of Ra]

I was right. Spain is the worst team in this tournament. But i bet my left nut some of you will keep hyping them. No, they are never gonna be 1a team no matter what you people is trying to cook up. They will always remain as a 2a team

 

[Pardus]

Although it wasn't Estonia's turn this year they showed huge improvement.

Normally I'd not root for Estonia's biggest rivalry (in ice hockey) but f*ck it, I'll root for Lithuania. Their promotion would be great for Baltic Hockey League and whole the Baltics in this twisted world situation.

 

[tornaado66]

Although it wasn't Estonia's turn this year they showed huge improvement.

Normally I'd not root for Estonia's biggest rivalry (in ice hockey) but f*ck it, I'll root for Lithuania. Their promotion would be great for Baltic Hockey League and whole the Baltics in this twisted world situation.

Although I was quite sad about losing the baltic derby again and even cheering for Croatia yesterday to give us a better chance for promotion, I now am completely rooting for them against Korea.

 

[aquaregia]

pity the schedule for the final day isn't reversed really, obviously the choice of host means that Estonia get the evening game, it being no more than a bronze medal playoff is a bit of shame.

 

[Sanf]

Yeah even though I tend to root just for progress in these tournaments I am in Lithuanias bandwagon too. Easy to root countries in which you have personal connection.

Lithuania had difficult first game against China. Asian teams seem to focus lot on skating. May be difficult game for Lithuania. Lubys has big role.

 

[Sanf]

I was right. Spain is the worst team in this tournament. But i bet my left nut some of you will keep hyping them. No, they are never gonna be 1a team no matter what you people is trying to cook up. They will always remain as a 2a team

I haven´t really seen Spain hype. One guy who has clearly heavy biases. And the second probably me who said that they can stay in the 1B with their disciplined game. In which they clearly could not repeat and I was wrong. (though obviously there is no heavy favourite in the Croatia-Spain game even now)

I don´t think anyone disagrees that Spain would be 2A team in different world situation.

 

[SoundAndFury]

No, they are never gonna be 1a team no matter what you people is trying to cook up. They will always remain as a 2a team

I don't think anyone was ever even considering Spain to be a potential 1A team, ever. Because any team is potential 1A team in that case. But they have shown year after year that they are on par with Croatia, Serbia and whatever teams the Netherlands manage to send to WC. Which is in itself great progress for them.

There is no doubt the Netherlands could have much better team than Spain, Croatia can and will have it going forward but for the moment, Spain is doing really well to hang in this group.

 

[jonas2244]

That 0-4 settles it. Congrats LTU.

 

[Sanf]

That 0-4 settles it. Congrats LTU.

IIHF tv seems to agree. Or do I have connection problems.

edit. What I mean IIHF TV went dark with 8 minutes left in game. Gladly the game seemed over. Otherwise would be bit pissed off because you have to pay to see tha games.

 

[fico zg]

LTU

 

[Sanf]

@SoundAndFury Congratz

Nice to see Lithuania in 1a next year.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Yeah, thank you all, definitely a great game by us, probably the best game Lithuanian NT has ever played. Considering the expectations.

Also, I love Estonian players but I don't know, they just don't have it same way ours do. How do you not make it at least close against this Korean team?

 

[Sanf]

Spain and Croatia 1-1 after two. Tough battle. Spain just can´t score from breakaway.

Spain needs to win this in regulation. OT and shootout heavily favours Croatia.

 

[HungryFrank]

I don't see Croatia winning it.

I really wonder how come Medvescak players didn't improve one bit, since they have their own rink...

 

[Sanf]

I don't see Croatia winning it.

I really wonder how come Medvescak players didn't improve one bit, since they have their own rink...

I think the individual talent of the top players will turn it to Croatia if this goes overtime or further.

 

[Playmaker82]

Spain takes it in OT. Croatia goes down.

 

[Sanf]

I think the individual talent of the top players will turn it to Croatia if this goes overtime or further.

Well I was wrong. Shame for Croatia. I think this may have come year too early for them. Overall in tournament they were way better than Spain, but Spain managed to play their own game in this one.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Well I was wrong.

..or you were right, the first time. It happens time and time again in these championships that the way the team plays until the decisive games doesn't really matter. We saw it with Lithuania who could barely score until the final game and we saw it with GB who labored through the games against the "weak teams. So the pre-tournament estimations are often more accurate than they seem to be along the way.

 

[Sanf]

..or you were right, the first time. It happens time and time again in these championships that the way the team plays until the decisive games doesn't really matter. We saw it with Lithuania who could barely score until the final game and we saw it with GB who labored through the games against the "weak teams. So the pre-tournament estimations are often more accurate than they seem to be along the way.

Yeah.. there was so little of that disciplined game seen from Spain this tournament. So I was sort of losing hope (not that I was rooting for Spain particularly). But today as their coach said they stayed out of the box. And their strength is that they can evenly play with all lines.

Mainly I meaned that when it comes 3 vs. 3 then the big guns of Croatia with the room on ice could kill Spain. There I was wrong.

 

[fico zg]

I don't see Croatia winning it.

I really wonder how come Medvescak players didn't improve one bit, since they have their own rink...

Having ice rink means nothing if there is no quality league to play.

Regarding our NT, I think problem is deeper than we are missing "xy" player(s). Sure, the likes of Katic and B.Idžan would help, but you can't treat NT like unwanted child what our federation is doing for quite some time. We do not have full time coach, back in the day we did. We don't play friendly games/tournaments during IIHF breaks, back in the day we did.
So it wasn't surprising - back in the day - that we managed to stay in old Division 1 several times even playing some close games against teams we weren't supposed to. Like losing to Slovenia 4:2 (we were leading 2:1 - it was legendary game due to Slovenian tv announcer was drunk and cut from live after 1st period) or Hungary 3:0.

All of this Spain is doing. They have full time coach, they are assembling their team during NT breaks and practice together and they played two friendlies against LM teams (Bordeaux and Angelt).

When you take all of this into account I would say Spain victory is some sort of "cosmic justice".

 

[HungryFrank]

Having ice rink means nothing if there is no quality league to play.

I agree IHL is not sufficient for D1B, but why don't they play best to their full potential? They could still try to play something that resembles organized hockey and be dominant in IHL.

Beer league mentality is for D2.

 

[fico zg]

I agree IHL is not sufficient for D1B, but why don't they play best to their full potential? They could still try to play something that resembles organized hockey and be dominant in IHL.

Because they are lacking quality alongside money(motivation). They lost to Mladost in croatian league semis and in finals Sisak destroyed that same Mladost with 35:4 in three game sweep.

 

[Sanf]

Tomorrow the Divisions will be wrapped up with the last day of Div 2a. Serbia and Netherlands in the promotion game. Netherlands is having Guus van Nes and company this year so the team is fair much stronger than it was last year and they are heavy favourites. Serbia has played fine in front of homecrowd. Outshot the opponents, but the little that I have watched had struggled to get that on the scoreboard. Akim Padalitsa their goalie is having a good tournament.

edit. there is no thread for that division and it is promotion game for this one.

 

[SoundAndFury]

The Dutch team has a real first line this year in Joly, Stempher and van Nes. I would be shocked if they don't manage to beat Serbia. Who really strugled in the tournament. Without empty netters they only have 8 goals in 4 games of the tournament against the competition that is, let's face it, pretty awful.