GDT: Group A - May 16 - Germany (4) vs Latvia (3) SO

[Urbanskog]

So, Slovakia had the same schedule....

And a terrible team.

 

[PenDuhNotPittsburgh]

And a terrible team.

More like not a team at all. just a bunch of random combined players

 

[Past Considerations]

Referees are always helping the host team. First with Belarus in 2014, and now this year. Let's hope we aren't in the same group as Denmark next year.

I don't think they're intentionally "helping". They just too often poop in their pants due home crowd pressure and become too eager to call, which usually means the home team benefits. This is a decades old problem. In this game there were two big mistakes, the offside PP goal should have never been counted but the penalty at the end of 3rd was much less obvious mistake.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

Sux for Canada that they have to move even though they won the group.

Why, though? It's about a five hour drive or a one hour flight. Basically Pittsburgh - Philadelphia.

 

[Babula]

I don't think they're intentionally "helping". They just too often poop in their pants due home crowd pressure and become too eager to call, which usually means the home team benefits. This is a decades old problem. In this game there were two big mistakes, the offside PP goal should have never been counted but the penalty at the end of 3rd was much less obvious mistake.

intentionally ? nope. they are pretty bad at all. but part of the game.

 

[kary]

love to fix it.

Well there is always hope, but considering ho we have performed so far.....

 

[Babula]

Why, though? It's about a five hour drive or a one hour flight. Basically Pittsburgh - Philadelphia.

horrible trip, anyway...

 

[Past Considerations]

intentionally ? nope. they are pretty bad at all. but part of the game.

Occasional mistakes sure is part of the game, but literally a glaring mistake in every game is only part of the IIHF game (in the past Olympics were better since half of the refs came from NHL). The pool of available pro (if there any pro) refs from European leagues may not be great but there's no excuse to select same ones every year who have performed questionably in previous tournaments.

 

[TorstenFrings]

Why, though? It's about a five hour drive or a one hour flight. Basically Pittsburgh - Philadelphia.

It actually works out in their advantage. Instead of getting the "huge benefit" of staying Paris, they'll now make the move on Wednesday before a game against a weaker team in Germany. Settle at their hotel, get a skate in and learn the rink at game speed. On Friday they get to sit fat and wait for Russia or Czech Republic to make the same "horrible move."

While had they gotten their 1st place benefit, they would be the ones traveling on Friday to play a harder opponent in "never had to move once" Russia (probably at least) at a new rink.

 

[Babula]

Occasional mistakes sure is part of the game, but literally a glaring mistake in every game is only part of the IIHF game (in the past Olympics were better since half of the refs came from NHL). The pool of available pro (if there any pro) refs from European leagues may not be great but there's no excuse to select same ones every year who have performed questionably in previous tournaments.

agreed. who is guilty ?

 

[tade]

horrible trip, anyway...

Seriously? What's horrible about that? Connection between Paris & Cologne is very comfortable.

NHL players, and obviously also KHL players are used to travel around the whole continent, they are used to it. There's nothing terrible.

 

[Jesenice22*]

Congrats Germany, wish you good luck against Canada.

 

[Hinterland]

I wouldn't really say that Latvia had an awful schedule, on the contrary, they had one of the best out of all the teams. They started off with games against Denmark, Slovakia and Italy - alongside Germany those were the teams you have to get points against - and thus were able to load up on points early on, giving them confidence for the remaining games ahead. It wasn't ideal for them that they didn't have rest while Germany had, but then again, Germany had to start the tournament against USA, Sweden and Russia. If that goes normally, Germany sits at 0 points after three games, with a ton of pressure on them and negative reports about them losing all the time. Luckily for Germany, they managed to get a surprise win against the USA.

Unless you somehow manage to lose early games you should have won, starting against the easier teams before facing the tough ones is a whole lot easier as a schedule than first having to face the tough ones and then having to muster the confidence to beat the easier ones. Confidence helps a lot, even more so when it comes to possible upsets against big nations.

Germany had 2 days rest, Latvia 0. Plus, they only had last change in 3 games, including Denmark and USA when it didn't change the outcome of the game. If they had last change vs Germany they most likely would have won since the Girgensons line is a pretty good shutdown line and Hartley could have used it against Draisaitl. Awful schedule without a doubt. Don't forget they also got abused by the refs over and over again. You really have to feel sorry for Latvia. They played fantastic hockey, gave everything they had but still have to leave empty handed.

 

[Babula]

Seriously? What's horrible about that? Connection between Paris & Cologne is very comfortable.

NHL players, and obviously also KHL players are used to travel around the whole continent, they are used to it. There's nothing terrible.

sounds like trip from Hell to Eden and backover...

 

[scotian1]

I find it simply unbelievable that a so called "World" tournament does not have the capability to review via video offsides. Even the junior ranks in Canada have that capability. I am not saying Latvia would have won the game if this rather obvious infraction was caught but Latvia sure have a legitimate gripe in this one.

 

[Sanderson]

Germany had 2 days rest, Latvia 0. Plus, they only had last change in 3 games, including Denmark and USA when it didn't change the outcome of the game. If they had last change vs Germany they most likely would have won since the Girgensons line is a pretty good shutdown line and Hartley could have used it against Draisaitl. Awful schedule without a doubt. Don't forget they also got abused by the refs over and over again. You really have to feel sorry for Latvia. They played fantastic hockey, gave everything they had but still have to leave empty handed.

Again, that is nothing but a tiny detail. Germany having rest in the last game doesn't make up for having a much tougher start to the tournament. If Latvia doesn't have the easiest start possible, they might not get nine points out of those games. If Germany doesn't win against the USA, they sit at 0 points after three games, meaning they would have no confidence and need to win all remaining games without losing points. That's a whole lot tougher than what Latvia had to face. You can't just ignore the rest of the schedule.

Latvia winning because of having the last change is nothing but conjecture, there is no proof for it whatsoever. Especially when you consider that it wasn't the Draisaitl line that scored in this game. There were two pp-goals, and the third one came from Kahun's line.
They didn't "get abused" by the refs any more than other teams did either.

 

[jonas2244]

They didn't "get abused" by the refs any more than other teams did either.

Abused is a very harsh word, but counting an irregular goal is much more than some non-calls on penalties or whatever. I don't say that it happend on purpose, but the IIHF should take that seriously and have a look what can be done to prevent such false calls.

 

[Past Considerations]

but the IIHF should take that seriously and have a look what can be done to prevent such false calls.

Video review would have solved this bad call, but overall the standard of reffing has been an issue for a long time and looks like IIHF isn't seriously interested fixing it.

ps. Or would a video review have helped? No one seemed to protest it instantly, but it was obvious from the replay of course.

 

[Zaar]

ps. Or would a video review have helped? No one seemed to protest it instantly, but it was obvious from the replay of course.

From my pov, that's the main point. No one, not the Latvian players, not the Lativian bench, nor the manager, protested. It's not, as if there was a big uproar after the goal.

EVERYONE, not just the refs, missed it.

It shouldn't happen, but it did. I don't get the Latvian fans, who are blaming the german players for it and wishing Germany bad luck. But I suppose, that's how some fans are (not only Latvians).