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

[bv29]

TEAMS

1. Korea (relegated from D1A)
2. Lithuania
3. Estonia
4. China
5. Spain
6. Croatia (promoted from D2A - mostly because Serbia chocked)


Friendly games of participating teams
07/04 Poland - Lithuania 2:1
08/04 Poland - Lithuania 2:0
16/04 Lithuania - Estonia
16/04 Serbia - Croatia
20/04 Estonia - Korea
21/04 Estonia - Lithuania
22/04 Croatia - Serbia
23/04 Estonia - China


My predictions

1. Lithuania/Korea
2. Korea/Lithuania
3. Estonia
4. China
5. Spain
6. Croatia

Croatia is by far the weakest team here and I would be very surprised if we manage to hold the score under double digits against Korea, Estonia and Lithuania.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Spain sucks.

 

[bv29]

Spain sucks.

Spain took point against Estonia, played solid game against Lithuania (0:3) and Ukraine (despite 1:7 loss, there was 1:1 around 30 minute mark). Just that alone makes them overwhelming favourites against us.

 

[tornaado66]

If Kalpa does not get into the finals, then Kombe can join Estonia. If Jihlava manages to win Maxa then there is a danger that Burkov may not make it due to Extraliga qualification round. Last year Kladno won 4-0 and the last game was 21. april.

Other than that we will have our best possible roster. I dont wish bad for Kombe or Burkov, but it would be sad if they wont make it to play in front of the home crowd.

I think Estonia's roster is on par with Lithuania and losing the baltic rivalry again would be a huge dissapointment.

Estonias preparation seems also weak and everything is done as cheaply as possible, and I am quite nervous for the first two games, but I hope our superior talent against Spain/Croatia will get us 6 points and then we would be ready for tougher opponents.

My predictions

1. Lithuania/Korea
2. Korea/Lithuania
3. Estonia
4. China
5. Spain
6. Croatia

I will add Estonia to the mix with Korea/Lithuania

 

[Sanf]

There does not seem to be day tickets for this tournee?Realized that I have free weekend and lots of time and could spent it in Tallinn to watch this tournament. But closer to 50 euros for three games seems bit prizy. IIHF site says 12 per game but actually it seem to be 14 per game.

 

[tornaado66]

There does not seem to be day tickets for this tournee?Realized that I have free weekend and lots of time and could spent it in Tallinn to watch this tournament. But closer to 50 euros for three games seems bit prizy. IIHF site says 12 per game but actually it seem to be 14 per game.

12 is without the fees. But yeah no daytickets. Only single game and full tournament passes.

 

[Sanf]

Spain took point against Estonia, played solid game against Lithuania (0:3) and Ukraine (despite 1:7 loss, there was 1:1 around 30 minute mark). Just that alone makes them overwhelming favourites against us.

Yeah Spain had good defensive battles last year. Surprisingly disciplined. Tough to say if they can repeat that.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I think Estonia's roster is on par with Lithuania and losing the baltic rivalry again would be a huge dissapointment.

On paper - agree completely. However, on the ice, I can't remember Estonia playing to their potential. Maybe in 2018 when we objectively had a very strong team and it was a close game.

Last year, the roster was pretty much the same but the results, and overall play, was a joke from Estonia. You kept the same coach, roster has the same flaws... Other than Molder possibly having a tournament worthy of a pro-goalie, I don't see where this huge improvement is coming from.

Let's face it, there is a huge leap between losing 6-1 and being very disappointed to not win against Lithuania.
__________________________________________

From the Lithuanian perspective, a pretty low-energy championship. From the players that matter, only Grinius seems to have made a notable improvement (also Nauseda but as a backup goalie he hardly matters). The rest of the guys are either the same faces playing at the same level or young guys stuck in development limbo (Dumcius, Seniut). I think we have a moderate chance of winning but I wouldn't call it an expectation.

 

[bv29]

Estonias preparation seems also weak and everything is done as cheaply as possible, and I am quite nervous for the first two games, but I hope our superior talent against Spain/Croatia will get us 6 points and then we would be ready for tougher opponents.

We are not serious team, so for you it will be more about managing ice-time and building up goal difference. Spain on other hand took you to OT, so serious approach is required.

 

[carjackmalone]

Croatia surprises everyone and takes this journey

 

[bv29]

Croatia surprises everyone and takes this journey

 

[HungryFrank]

man, but what do you expect? You ruin every thread with any Croatia relation with cheap trolling, no wonder people write equally absurd statements.

Croatia has 50-50 win/loss record against anybody except Korea, lost only one game against Spain in last 5 games, never lost with double digits... but now, after they have 15 semi/pro players, mostly playing togehter, they will get butchered?

 

[bv29]

man, but what do you expect? You ruin every thread with any Croatia relation with cheap trolling, no wonder people write equally absurd statements.

Croatia has 50-50 win/loss record against anybody except Korea, lost only one game against Spain in last 5 games, never lost with double digits... but now, after they have 15 semi/pro players, mostly playing togehter, they will get butchered?

Cheap trolling ? I am everything but troll(er). I just present cold facts, which can be found on internet. Croatia doesn't have 50-50 win/loss ratio against anybody but Korea, because vast majority of our wins against Estonia and Lithuania came after heavy naturalization of our NT during Medveščak EBEL/KHL time. Actually, our first ever win over Lithuania came in 2014. with top 4 defenders that included Letang - MacAuley, Martinovic - Waugh. Two of them (Letang, Martinovic) played regular minutes in KHL, while other two were in top 2 pairs in EBEL. In offense there was Kostovic (500 NL games and entry level Swiss NT in 2007.). So, 50-50 ratio is very misleading.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Croatia has 50-50 win/loss record against anybody except Korea

I guess you decided to contribute to the absurd statement category. Croatia has never taken any points away from Lithuania or Estonia if you don't count the brief Cronuck era which, with all due respect, ended almost a decade ago and has nothing to do with the Croatian teams that followed.

Implying that Croatia has a 50/50 chance against either of those countries is no less absurd than stating it has no chance against Spain.

I'd recommend you to ignore the guy's shtick that is just too obvious to be taken seriously instead of sinking to his level.

 

[bv29]

they will get butchered?

Nations like Estonia and Lithuania (let alone Korea) all progressed, while we regressed (no Cronucks anyomre) So, I don't see what is so odd to think that Rooba - Burkov - Kombe line will set all time Estonian records against us ?

 

[HungryFrank]

I don't see how Cronucks made team Croatia a team that wins against teams that would otherwise lose in double digits. Their motivation level was never high. Biggest factor was if Rendulic decided to come.

I don't imply Croatia has 50/50 chance, I just can't see them getting destroyed every game on that level. I have them on 5th spot.

 

[bv29]

I just can't see them getting destroyed

It's really not that hard to foresee this. If you look at Alps league stats of Sisak you will see almost all goals were scored by foreginers(Briere, Dostalek, Bronte, Burgar, Stepanov, Mikkola). Our players had great difficulties adapting there, they are liability factor.

 

[HungryFrank]

lol Stepanov played on the 4th line, like 5 minutes a game and scored 1 goal in 8 games.

Burgar had lower PPG than half of the team, including croatian defenders.

Is checking the numbers so hard?

 

[bv29]

Is checking the numbers so hard?

Burgar 4 goals in 16 games, Marinkovic 7 in 30 games. Imagine what Burgar would do had he joined the team at the beginning of the season ?!

 

[HungryFrank]

Burgar 4 goals in 16 games, Marinkovic 7 in 30 games. Imagine what Burgar would do had he joined the team at the beginning of the season ?!

Šimunković had 2 goals in 4 games. Imagine what Šimunković would do had he joined the team at the beginning of the season ?!

 

[SoundAndFury]

I don't see how Cronucks made team Croatia a team that wins against teams that would otherwise lose in double digits.

Well, it did make Croatia the team that took 4 tournaments to get out of D2A, and that's without Russia and Belarus.

The nature of the tournament is such that double-digit blowouts are just extremely unlikely to happen because everyone goes into power-saving mode after securing the result they need. But based on the strength of the teams, I don't think that's outside the realm of possibility. All it takes is for a goalie to have a really bad night. Like we have beaten Estonia 12-3 before.

But more importantly, I think you are missing the point that nobody is taking this "double digits" talk seriously. Like nobody took the "Idzan is the worst, he will end up in Oberliga" talk seriously. Everyone will be happy to beat Croatia by 2-3 goals and move on to the next game, nobody is aiming to run up the score.

I guess you guys are the new version of SnF vs Namejs. But at least when we are going at it I don't think either of us is an obvious troll, unlike here.

 

[bv29]

nobody is taking this "double digits" talk seriously

Why ? Isn't goal difference factor in a potential three-way tie ?

he will end up in Oberliga

He surely won't get drafted as well....

 

[SoundAndFury]

Why ? Isn't goal difference factor in a potential three-way tie?

He surely won't get drafted as well....

No matter how many teams are tied, the tie-breakers are still only based on the games between those teams. Goal difference in the games between tied teams, goals scored, etc. So it's highly unlikely somebody would beat Croatia (or any other team) by double digits and still end up being tied in points with it.

Regarding Idzan, although it is outside the scope of this thread, I don't think being drafted really matters. Rendulic didn't get drafted either and it didn't stop him from getting a fair shot at the NHL.

 

[tornaado66]

On paper - agree completely. However, on the ice, I can't remember Estonia playing to their potential. Maybe in 2018 when we objectively had a very strong team and it was a close game.

Last year, the roster was pretty much the same but the results, and overall play, was a joke from Estonia. You kept the same coach, roster has the same flaws... Other than Molder possibly having a tournament worthy of a pro-goalie, I don't see where this huge improvement is coming from.

Let's face it, there is a huge leap between losing 6-1 and being very disappointed to not win against Lithuania.

I think last time Estonia played well was in 2019. 4th place, but on the ice, it wasn't horrible as it tends to get nowadays.

Roster was the same last year, but most of the key players have made atleast a small step forward in their clubs and everyone seems to be in great form. If this time we cant manage to be competitive, then it will be a dissapointment, that it still has not worked out and then the way of coaching has to change.

 

[bv29]

Link for a friendly game Serbia - Croatia (19:00)