BalticWarrior
Registered User
No...just no. Bump ĶēniņÅ¡ to third and džeriņÅ¡ to fourth. Ņiživijs has overstayed his welcome in NT.
WC: General Talk '14 — Latvia
- Thread starter Namejs
- Start date
No...just no. Bump ĶēniņÅ¡ to third and džeriņÅ¡ to fourth. Ņiživijs has overstayed his welcome in NT.
What is your rationale behind destroying a line that has played together for numerous years and possesses great team chemistry?
ĶēniņÅ¡ is an energy line guy, while both Ņiživijs and Vasiļjevs are technical forwards, I don't think he would fit in there. I don't think they've ever played together.
Also, I don't think DžeriņÅ¡ fits a 4th line role and he's not a winger.
RobertR
Registered User
- Jul 5, 2012
- 1,704
- 2
Latvia is set to send its youngest set of goalies to Minsk - Gudļevskis (21; Lightning), Merzļikins (20; Lugano), Punnenovs (19; Rapperswil)
Hmm, I like the idea.
But what about Masalksis? He clearly wanted to go. Joined the camp. And IMO, he really needed solid WC start, after mostly year off. Yeah, he was great in Oly, but solid WC could`ve helped him to get a great KHL deal..
I really hope Masala already found a job, and just agreed that it would be better that all 3 youngsters go.
Or its could be that this guy is just making thing up
https://twitter.com/DidzisRudmanis
Hmm, I like the idea.
But what about Masalksis? He clearly wanted to go. Joined the camp. And IMO, he really needed solid WC start, after mostly year off. Yeah, he was great in Oly, but solid WC could`ve helped him to get a great KHL deal..
I really hope Masala already found a job, and just agreed that it would be better that all 3 youngsters go.
Or its could be that this guy is just making thing up
https://twitter.com/DidzisRudmanis
SoundAndFury
Registered User
- May 28, 2012
- 12,286
- 6,283
The fact that the average age of that line is 36 and they are not the same players anymore? Why wouldn't he fit in Cipulis place who was the same kind of an energy player at it's best but doesn't really have the energy to be that anymore?
Also I can't quite grasp your concept of an "energy line guy". I suppose Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand are energy line guys too, aren't they?
It's all relative to the team's strength and for Latvian NT, Vitalijs Pavlovs is "an energy line guy", not a top6 forward of a Swiss champion.
If the Cipulis-Vasiļjevs-Ņiživijs line is not good enough anymore, they won't be playing together at all. No reason to stick ĶēniņÅ¡ there.
36 or not, it was the best line along with the DaugaviņÅ¡ line against France, so I currently see no reason to destroy that connection. Especially if neither DārziņÅ¡, nor Karsums will make it.
Also, I have no idea from where you got the idea that Cipulis doesn't have enough energy.
I absolutely disagree.
Offensively we are doing just fine. I really liked DaugaviņÅ¡'s line, Vasiļjevs's line is producing offense and they're doing good on the PP. If Girgensons could center the 3rd line and Lipsbergs could play on the 4th, we would have really solid 4 lines offensively. With 2 scoring lines, a shutdown line and an energy line.
The only major problem with our team is defense. We only have 4-5 decent, Elite-tier Ds due to all the injuries and 'exhausted' players. LaviņÅ¡/Jass are minor liabilities, but Saviels/Jaks are absolute disasters on the ice.
ozo
Registered User
- Feb 24, 2010
- 4,523
- 571
Not sure what you are "absolutey disagreeing" with. Daugavins didn't even play yesterday.
And this really was our first game I managed to catch, so I don't have a clue how our best available roster looks on the ice right now. Nice to see Bukarts scoring (from a great forechecking play of Dzerins) as I have a soft spot for him, but overall he still lacks any sort of urgency modern hockey player needs nowadays. Gudlevskis with a shutout as well, though Norway didn't really make him work for it despite dominating huge stretches of play.
Erm, you said our roster lacks any offensive potential outside of the 1st line. So I thought you were talking about our roster in general, not the line-up for a single game.Not sure what you are "absolutey disagreeing" with. Daugavins didn't even play yesterday.
Nice to see Bukarts scoring (from a great forechecking play of Dzerins) as I have a soft spot for him, but overall he still lacks any sort of urgency modern hockey player needs nowadays. Gudlevskis with a shutout as well, though Norway didn't really make him work for it despite dominating huge stretches of play.
I'd say the game vs. Norway alone is quite irrelevant, as 3 of our leading forwards didn't play and the rest of the lines (except the 1st line) were juggled and didn't make much sense.
Barring injuries, Bukarts shouldn't be a part of our final roster. I think there are a number of better options available.
As for our final roster, looks like we'll have to deal without DārziņÅ¡, Karsums and Kr. Rēdlihs after all.
F
IndraÅ¡is-DaugaviņÅ¡-Rēdlihs
Cipulis-Vasiļjevs-Ņiživijs
ĶēniņÅ¡-Girgensons-Saulietis/Meija
Lipsbergs-BērziņÅ¡-Å tāls
DžeriņÅ¡/Jass
Something like that. Somewhat even playing time for the top9 and we should be fine, if we can play with the same intensity and determination as in Sochi.
As for the D, leave Saviels home and take Jaks as the 8th D, Jass - 7th D. And say your prayers.
G
Gudļevskis, Masaļskis, Punnenovs. We should be fine in this department.
Hello my fellow latvians. Decided to join these forums before wc starts. Any predictions what can we do this year with the guys we have?
There's a wide range of possible outcomes. All the top teams (except Russia) this year lack their top players due to this being an Olympic year, so there are going to be a lot of close games.
As for our group, Germany and Switzerland are missing a bunch of their best players, Team USA consists of a bunch of NHL scrubs. The Finnish team is solid, but they're also missing most of their best players. Belarus and Kazakhstan have naturalized a few North Americans in the last couple of years and they have almost all of their top guys on their roster. Russia have the best team on paper.
15/85 vs. Russia
20/80 vs. Finland
33/67 vs. USA
40/60 vs. Switzerland
45/55 vs. Germany
55/45 vs. Belarus
60/40 vs. Kazakhstan
So anything from 3rd to last place in our group is within the realm of possibility, I'd say. Or in other words, anything from the best-place finish in history of our national team to being relegated from the top tier of international hockey for the first time in the history of our national team.
Bukarts,Saviels,Jekimovs,Porejs and Saulietis are out. Ķēniņš training with a team. Looks like Lipsbergs will be going to his first WC.
I'm a little surprised about Saulietis - he looked quite good in the exhibition games.
Jekimovs looks out of form, so that makes sense.
Lipsbergs has been a pleasant surprise. Plays with 100% intensity, very energetic, good hands, drives to the goal well, can play physical hockey. I hope he gets drafted this year. Stranger things have happened. If he bulks up a bit, it genuinely looks like he could play in the NHL. If not, pretty sure he'll end up in the KHL sooner rather than later.
ĶēniņÅ¡/Girgensons/Lipsbergs would make a perfect 3rd line.
After he signed with Ilves in SM-Liiga, he just couldn't establish himself in the new team.
I don't know if injuries have had an effect or maybe it's just his form, problems with confidence or a combination of all of these factors, but he's not as good as he was a year or two ago when he posted around 0.5PPG in Liiga and was a reliable bottom 6 winger for us in the national team.
Not to mention that our forward depth has increased in the last few years and it's just harder to make the squad for every potential bottom 6 guy.
ozo
Registered User
- Feb 24, 2010
- 4,523
- 571
Meanwhile good ol' Teddy has surprised us again - http://sportacentrs.com/hokejs/latvijas_izlases/05052014-nolans_joprojam_runajam_ar_vairakiem_spel - looks like they're working to get some additions to our roster after all.
Now that would be awesome.
Just 1 or 2 defenders would do wonders to our D.
Now that would be awesome.
Just 1 or 2 defenders would do wonders to our D.
ozo
Registered User
- Feb 24, 2010
- 4,523
- 571
Also - the final roster hasn't been announced yet, who knows.
There are plenty of things we don't like, but they are unavoidable in life - death, taxes and Berzins our roster. Just accept it.
And yes, lets add Ozolins for another final tournament!
RobertR
Registered User
- Jul 5, 2012
- 1,704
- 2
I like the team. Now the question is, can we get at least close to that effort we got at Oly`s..
And what about this guys: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=52413
Was he cut off, or is he still with the team?? TBH i didn't even know about him until he our camp. Would be interesting if the makes the final roster.
And what about this guys: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=52413
Was he cut off, or is he still with the team?? TBH i didn't even know about him until he our camp.
Would be interesting if the makes the final roster.
ozo
Registered User
- Feb 24, 2010
- 4,523
- 571
Well, unless someone or something changes the mind of Kr. Rēdlihs/Reķis/OzoliņÅ¡, he's definitely going to make the final roster.I like the team. Now the question is, can we get at least close to that effort we got at Oly`s..
And what about this guys: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=52413
Was he cut off, or is he still with the team?? TBH i didn't even know about him until he our camp.
The fact that he's probably going to make the team really shows that defence is our weak spot not only this year, but also thinking about our long term prospects.
OzoliņÅ¡/Reķis are going to retire at some point in the near future. The same applies to LaviņÅ¡ (39 yo), who has made our Minsk line-up. Pujacs, Kr. Rēdlihs, J. Rēdlihs are 32-33 years old, so they're past their peak and not that far from the usual retirement age.
Some still consider Sotnieks, GalviņÅ¡ or Bārtulis 'the young ones', but they're at their peak right now.
The last Latvian defender to be drafted by an NHL team was Arturs Kulda in 2006. There are no obvious young talents who could be a part of our national team in the short term and not bring the level down. The only exception is Ralfs Freibergs, who has been disqualified for 2 years for using doping and considering his age that might end his career. Hopefully it won't, but it can happen.
Who else is there? Porejs, Siksna, Dikis and the rest of all the Dinamo scrubs have looked subpar to say the least.
Sevcenko has done well in ECHL, but he's 23 and that's a minor pro league. The same applies to Kolesnikovs (playing in Denmark
), etc.So, yeah, it's more depressing rather than interesting, although I most certainly wouldn't mind if Jaks would use the chance that's given to him and prove me wrong.
Belizarius
Registered User
Your U18 team was very good in WC in Nice recently.
You have some decent prospects there, but it will take time.
You have some decent prospects there, but it will take time.
