Olympics: Final qualification - 26 to 29 August 2021

[Name Nameless]

Zuccarello screwed up for Norway, 3 x 2 in the penalty box. 5 years ago when they qualified he was the hero, this time he couldn't handle the pressure.

That's mean. They tried. This game could have gone either way. Well, it was a loss.

 

[AstrophysicalJet]

Not correct.

Canada, USA, Germany and China,
ROC, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark
Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Slovakia

Denmark getting shafted, hardest group for sure - If those are the groups.

 

[AstrophysicalJet]

That's mean. They tried. This game could have gone either way. Well, it was a loss.

For me, Denmark were the better team.

But, Norways plan of aggressive, physical agitative play worked well, and stressed the Danes - They did that well, while the Danes failed to utilize their speed and creativity.

I know a Norwegian prolly wont agree, but the ref allowed Norway way too
much leway - Allowed them to play a little dirty.

The Danes showed they were the better team, by reamining cool, and scoring goals when it mattered.

The better team won, imo.

 

[Jan]

Just came back from Norway-Denmark btw. It was a war, as the games against Denmark always are. All this talk of "best team player by player". I wish I could just say "that's not how games Norway-Denmark works" now, but I guess that would have been an uphill-struggle to explain, given the result.

Not it is not, I played some summer floorball (for fun) with returned Norwegian team player.
He said that the Norwegian player hatet the Danish team, and that was from a time where they was winning.

It is really a rivalry, so it is a dangerous game for both teams and as rivalry goes everybody put in extra effort and effort beat talent as it goes.
Denmark may had been favorites, but in a rivalry not even big favorites are garantier to win.

It not a bad game to watch and was going much as I had expected. Even 2-1 would had been much more fair.

 

[Rusty7550]

Denmark getting shafted, hardest group for sure - If those are the groups.

Denmark? And what about China? I think Denmark can be pretty competitive, I except solid games from them.

 

[AstrophysicalJet]

Denmark? And what about China? I think Denmark can be pretty competitive, I except solid games from them.

Haha any group would be hard for China

Didn’t really consider them at all tbh.

Yeah, sure they can, but still

 

[Heia Norge]

Zuccarello screwed up for Norway, 3 x 2 in the penalty box. 5 years ago when they qualified he was the hero, this time he couldn't handle the pressure.

It was a good effort, but not good enough. I don’t blame Zuc for anything in this game, yes I have seen him do better performances than this, but I don’t think it was a “stinker” or anything of that sort. For example our PP was brutal the whole tournament, not one goal. That is one of the main reasons we didn’t win this tournament.

To sum it up: the favorites won the tournament, Denmark where huge favorites before the tournament even started, and they got the job done. Congratulations to them thoug. Let’s hope for their sake that the NHL and IIHF comes to an agreement, they have some good and decent NHL players so I would assume that it would bee a huge disappointment for them if no agreement is reached.

 

[Erikfromfin]

Ou I dont know was my groups wrong? I just took the word of the Olympic channel commentator as gospel

 

[JohnWillow]

Ou I dont know was my groups wrong? I just took the word of the Olympic channel commentator as gospel

If Belarus would qualify over Slovakia then Latvia and Denmark would be in the group together with Sweden and Finland.

 

[Name Nameless]

For me, Denmark were the better team.

But, Norways plan of aggressive, physical agitative play worked well, and stressed the Danes - They did that well, while the Danes failed to utilize their speed and creativity.

I know a Norwegian prolly wont agree, but the ref allowed Norway way too
much leway - Allowed them to play a little dirty.

The Danes showed they were the better team, by reamining cool, and scoring goals when it mattered.

The better team won, imo.

I am a bit surprised with how you complain about the reffing, even in a won game. I don't like to complain about that. But if you insist, some people would say it was to many Danes on the ice when you stopped the Norwegian attack, some seconds before the giveaway to your 2-0 goal. But you won. Congrats.

 

[Fjorden]

For me, Denmark were the better team.

But, Norways plan of aggressive, physical agitative play worked well, and stressed the Danes - They did that well, while the Danes failed to utilize their speed and creativity.

I know a Norwegian prolly wont agree, but the ref allowed Norway way too
much leway - Allowed them to play a little dirty.

The Danes showed they were the better team, by reamining cool, and scoring goals when it mattered.

The better team won, imo.

I say Denmark had that individual quality in Ehlers/Bjorkstrand this tournament that norway didn't. That was the difference, and Dahm played a fantastic game today. It is hockey not basketball and it is allowed to play physicall, no reason to complain about the ref.

 

[ellja3]

Not it is not, I played some summer floorball (for fun) with returned Norwegian team player.
He said that the Norwegian player hatet the Danish team, and that was from a time where they was winning.

It is really a rivalry, so it is a dangerous game for both teams and as rivalry goes everybody put in extra effort and effort beat talent as it goes.
Denmark may had been favorites, but in a rivalry not even big favorites are garantier to win.

It not a bad game to watch and was going much as I had expected. Even 2-1 would had been much more fair.

Cheers to fellow floorball player!

 

[AstrophysicalJet]

I say Denmark had that individual quality in Ehlers/Bjorkstrand this tournament that norway didn't. That was the difference, and Dahm played a fantastic game today. It is hockey not basketball and it is allowed to play physicall, no reason to complain about the ref.

Ofc you can complain - The ref allowed
the Norwegians way too
much, it disrupted the game totally and made
it look like the Norwegians were trying to injure or mame the Danes at times.

Also made a few weird calls,
mostly in Norways favour.

No it’s not basket, but delayed hits are a no no, many hits had no intention at all of seperating the player from the puck and it happened over and over again.

The ref wasn’t consistent in it either, the first time the Danes gave back,
they got called in an ultra weak interference.

Yes the ref missed one or two calls against Denmark, that’s hockey - But to call one team on the same
thing and not the other, plus allowing one team to continue to do so, is bad reffing in my book.

We won, but it made for a disruptive ugly game to watch.

 

[Webster]

It was a good effort, but not good enough. I don’t blame Zuc for anything in this game, yes I have seen him do better performances than this, but I don’t think it was a “stinker” or anything of that sort. For example our PP was brutal the whole tournament, not one goal. That is one of the main reasons we didn’t win this tournament.

To sum it up: the favorites won the tournament, Denmark where huge favorites before the tournament even started, and they got the job done. Congratulations to them thoug. Let’s hope for their sake that the NHL and IIHF comes to an agreement, they have some good and decent NHL players so I would assume that it would bee a huge disappointment for them if no agreement is reached.

I'm pissed at Zucc, he took a stupid penalty with 10 mins to go, game was open but they scored and got the win. But Zucc is even more pissed, he spent two hours in the locker room after the game. I wouldn't go anywhere near him for a while...

 

[Eye of Ra]

Imagine losing to Poland and blamming refs/hosts/the world for not qualifying Pathetic. But I guess they had to show "character" to their great leader to avoid gulag.

remove belarus top 5 players, then its no difference in quality beetween belarus and poland

 

[KingJoffrey]

Danes have a decent shot winning one game against ROI, CZE and SWI. ROI and CZE are easily worst top 2 tier teams in these groups. SWE and FIN and CAN and USA are easily better than ROI and CZE.

SWI have overall better depth, but Ehlers is the best player in that match up.

 

[PapaQ]

Belarus has been like the worst 'manners' team lately , especially vs. Slovakia... the middle finger during the Worlds, the dirty plays, not even shaking hands now after they didn;t qualify ofr the Olympics. Shame , I always rooted for them as one of the underdogs which is actually capable to upset the big 8.

 

[SoundAndFury]

remove belarus top 5 players, then its no difference in quality beetween belarus and poland

That is simply not true. Like, at all.

I don't know where does your insane overrating of Poland come from but it needs to stop

 

[Jan]

That is simply not true. Like, at all.

I don't know where does your insane overrating of Poland come from but it needs to stop

Fact is for many of the smal countries, Danes, Norway, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia...
That if you remove lets say the 10 best, they are truly weaken.

That is one of the reasons that I was very impressed by the Danes performance of the past World champions.
They did quite well, with a decimated team, where they usual best was not on the team.
Only Boedker and Nick Jensen, of the top forwards was on the team and they still manage to beat Sweden. Not the best Sweden team even, but one should expect Sweden being beter to manage to do without their top stars.
But it was a slim team and when Boedker was out do to an injury, by and true accident in the game against England, you really saw on what a slime edge that those team is truly operating.

So to some level,

remove belarus top 5 players, then its no difference in quality between belarus and poland

it is true, remove the 5 five to 10 best from many of those team, then they are not (much) better than Poland, Hungaria and many other second level teams.

However, I suppose that could be said about Poland, remove the five to ten best, and they are not much better than teams in the third level.

If you want to improve the top of you team, you will have to improve the wider group!
And
to improve the wider group, you will have to improve the top of your group.

The issue it to do both at the same time, is not that easy.

 

[Fjorden]

Ofc you can complain - The ref allowed
the Norwegians way too
much, it disrupted the game totally and made
it look like the Norwegians were trying to injure or mame the Danes at times.

Also made a few weird calls,
mostly in Norways favour.

No it’s not basket, but delayed hits are a no no, many hits had no intention at all of seperating the player from the puck and it happened over and over again.

The ref wasn’t consistent in it either, the first time the Danes gave back,
they got called in an ultra weak interference.

Yes the ref missed one or two calls against Denmark, that’s hockey - But to call one team on the same
thing and not the other, plus allowing one team to continue to do so, is bad reffing in my book.

We won, but it made for a disruptive ugly game to watch.

I think the danish team lacks some power and size, thats why they couldn't keep up in the physical battles. We saw that also against Slovenia. You need that on high international level. In the olympics if it'll be with NHL'ers you'll have teams that will play more physicall than Norway did, especially Canada and USA have very direct and physical style. The game was also played on small NHL rink which gives a more physical game. In international hockey you have to stand up for yourself in the physcial battles.

 

[kabidjan18]

Fact is for many of the smal countries, Danes, Norway, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia...
That if you remove lets say the 10 best, they are truly weaken.

That is one of the reasons that I was very impressed by the Danes performance of the past World champions.
They did quite well, with a decimated team, where they usual best was not on the team.
Only Boedker and Nick Jensen, of the top forwards was on the team and they still manage to beat Sweden. Not the best Sweden team even, but one should expect Sweden being beter to manage to do without their top stars.
But it was a slim team and when Boedker was out do to an injury, by and true accident in the game against England, you really saw on what a slime edge that those team is truly operating.

So to some level,

it is true, remove the 5 five to 10 best from many of those team, then they are not (much) better than Poland, Hungaria and many other second level teams.

However, I suppose that could be said about Poland, remove the five to ten best, and they are not much better than teams in the third level.

If you want to improve the top of you team, you will have to improve the wider group!
And
to improve the wider group, you will have to improve the top of your group.

The issue it to do both at the same time, is not that easy.

I mean...no it's just false. I appreciate you trying to meet him half way but really it's not necessary to justify silliness. A lot of those teams already came into the tournament missing players. There is a significant difference between 5 and 10, but even if you remove the upper limit 10 (which is dissimilar to the lower limit 5) you'd still be left with a significantly better team on multiple of those teams.

 

[Jan]

I think the danish team lacks some power and size, thats why they couldn't keep up in the physical battles. We saw that also against Slovenia. You need that on high international level. In the olympics if it'll be with NHL'ers you'll have teams that will play more physicall than Norway did, especially Canada and USA have very direct and physical style. The game was also played on small NHL rink which gives a more physical game. In international hockey you have to stand up for yourself in the physcial battles.

I will say this, that the Danish defense is absolutely not their strength and some of the core players is slowly becoming older and slower.
Norway was best in the first
The second was more equal, but when Norway hadn't score in the first half and the Dane got more in to the game.
Well I was sure the Danes would win, it was clear that the Norwegian was blowing everything into the game and with the blow and open chance the gave a ways in the second. There was in fact a few of those before the first Danish goals, it was almost certain, that it was a question before it would be punished.

Norway played offense first and the Danes played defense first.
Nine out of teen times, the team that have the better offense and play defense first wins in the end.
So it was in this game.

I do not know if it was the right strategy by Norway, to play offense first, but that was the way the game was.
I will say, the Danes are used to play this style against Sweden, Findland, Slovakia, Checks and has often won games this way.
Maybe the Norwegian dreams of being one of those teams, but they are not their yet, so it is a risky strategy.

I do understand, if the Norwegian felt that they was the better team, but they only where in the first period.
They was not even near a win in the third. Many of the chances they had, would need a goalie drop, and they was not getting it.
The game could easy had ended 1-2, in stead of 0-2, but that is not wining the game.

 

[AstrophysicalJet]

I think the danish team lacks some power and size, thats why they couldn't keep up in the physical battles. We saw that also against Slovenia. You need that on high international level. In the olympics if it'll be with NHL'ers you'll have teams that will play more physicall than Norway did, especially Canada and USA have very direct and physical style. The game was also played on small NHL rink which gives a more physical game. In international hockey you have to stand up for yourself in the physcial battles.

Don’t think the Danes lack size - And usually they don’t lack power, they can more than match teams in that department, but were told to back off as to not get any stupid penalties.

The problem was Norway getting away with too much BS - They are used to playing physical teams. Against Slovenia that wasn’t the problem, but a faulty strategy, as admitted by coach Ehlers.

And please, a good number of the Danish players are used to NHL sized rinks, and the physicality of the NHL, so again, not the issue.

But, I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[SoundAndFury]

That if you remove lets say the 10 best, they are truly weaken.

Like Kabidjan said, it's nice of you to try to find some rationale but in this particular case, comparing Belarus vs. Poland, it's just not true. Chmielewski is the only guy on the Polish team that you can more or less confidently say would make the Belarussian one. Dziubinski and Pasiut, 2 top Polish centers, have both spent time in Belarussian Extraliga and were good, solid players but nothing more. And Belarus didn't have a single player from the Extraliga on this roster, I think.

Sure, it would be much closer as every team at this level lives and dies by their best players but at the same time, Belarussians have won D1A with very unspectacular (by their standards) rosters multiple times while it's the very same division Poland has tough time hanging in.

 

[Namejs]

Fact is for many of the smal countries, Danes, Norway, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia...
That if you remove lets say the 10 best, they are truly weaken.

For starters, you grouped Slovenia with countries like Slovakia, Latvia and Denmark.

Slovenia has a less developed hockey system with even less depth than some 4th or 5th tier countries. They literally only have half a dozen decent players and a dozen serviceable ones. Without them, they would have trouble beating the likes of Lithuania or Estonia.

Slovakia, Latvia and most of the other countries could ice 4 or 5 full rosters of different players and still beat Poland with every single one of them.

And newsflash - they usually are missing around 5 to 10 of their best players in the Worlds anyway.