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Kings @ World Championships in Czech Rep (?)

sdgulls said:
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Yeah I remember watching that and it was insane, but compare that to the number of breakaways he shoots into the pads... I think that san instance of him just giving everything he has got and it working out for him rather than falling victim to the kings general lack of puck luck
 
bshodokai said:
Yeah I remember watching that and it was insane, but compare that to the number of breakaways he shoots into the pads... I think that san instance of him just giving everything he has got and it working out for him rather than falling victim to the kings general lack of puck luck
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See it was Sutters system holding back Trevor!!!:sarcasm:

Good for Lewis! Can't help but cheer for a guy who gives his best every day.
 
True American hero.

tumblr_nnugq4OsGw1twwq0yo1_500.jpg
 
Lewis looking like a true leader of that US team now, and not a token "A"ssistant Captain. He now has 3 points (2 goals) in 3 games and is +2.

The US got an upset 4-2 win over Russia. Interesting to see Malkin continue his zero production from the NHL play-offs. He had 0 points in 5 play-off games with the Penguins and was -1. He now has 0 points in 2 Worlds games, +/-0, 2 shots on goal in 2 games. Although he said he wasn't perhaps completely healthy, it's not supposed to be anything serious.

Muzzin and Toffoli were highly visible in the Canadian 6-3 win over the Czechs. Smith didn't look too secure in Canadian goal (22 saves on 25 shots), so perhaps we may get to see another Martin Jones appearance later on.

Muzzin got an assist and practically created that goal for Hall by breaking deep into the Czech zone along the left-hand boards. His ice-time (17:14) was third-highest on Canada's defence this time, behind Burns (25:45) and Hamhuis (20:02). They're keeping a star defenceman like Ekblad below 10 minutes per game, and Brayden Schenn (a forward, of course) was a healthy scratch.

Toffoli got another assist (a hard shot by him deflected by Couturier for the goal) and an empty-net goal. Toffoli now has 4 points (2 goals) in 3 games and is +5, which is outstanding given he plays on the 4th line with only 10 to 11 minutes of ice-time per game (10:11 tonight).

For nostalgia's sake, Oscar Moller also scored a goal on Monday, and now has 2 points in 3 games.

The only Kings in action on Tuesday will be Kopitar and Gáborík in their mutual match-up (11:15 a.m. LA time). :handclap: Considered a crucial game for both teams, and Slovakia is still steaming from that embarrassing defeat at the hands of Slovenia in Sochi last year. Gáborík didn't play in that game, but Kopitar was utterly dominant, and Slovakia's players (including the likes of Hossa) were basically watching Kopi skate around the rink at will. Slovenia won 3-1. So the main task of Slovakia's defence will be to eliminate and, if possible, totally smother Kopitar's usual play, and take it from there. We'll see how that goes. :amazed:
 
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Faterson said:
Canada annihilates Germany 10-0. Martin Jones gets a shutout (17 saves). Toffoli got an assist and was +2 in 11:39 minutes played. Muzzin also got an assist and led all of Team Canada in ice-time, 21:27, and he was +3. Hall got a hattrick and Duchene had a 4-point game. Giroux and Wiercioch were both +4.

Slovakia wins another game in OT, against Belarus. Gáborík failed to convert his third straight penalty-shot attempt in 2 games now, this time in regulation. After 2 games, Gáborík has 0 goals, 0 assists, is +/- 0, has 7 shots on goal and 4 penalty minutes. Slovakia fans voted Gáborík Slovakia's worst player of Sunday's game – but that has little to do with reality; it's more due to disappointment.

Next up: Kopitar versus Gáborík on Tuesday. :yo:
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It's more about many people failing to understand that Gaborik isn't (and never was) an all around player like Hossa, who could carry a Slovak team himself in his best years (and even he struggled last Olympics in this regard).

Faterson said:
Lewis looking like a true leader of that US team now, and not a token "A"ssistant Captain. He now has 3 points (2 goals) in 3 games and is +2.

The US got an upset 4-2 win over Russia. Interesting to see Malkin continue his zero production from the NHL play-offs. He had 0 points in 5 play-off games with the Penguins and was -1. He now has 0 points in 2 Worlds games, +/-0, 2 shots on goal in 2 games. Although he said he wasn't perhaps completely healthy, it's not supposed to be anything serious.

Muzzin and Toffoli were highly visible in the Canadian 6-3 win over the Czechs. Smith didn't look too secure in Canadian goal (22 saves on 25 shots), so perhaps we may get to see another Martin Jones appearance later on.

Muzzin got an assist and practically created that goal for Hall by breaking deep into the Czech zone along the left-hand boards. His ice-time (17:14) was third-highest on Canada's defence this time, behind Burns (25:45) and Hamhuis (20:02). They're keeping a star defenceman like Ekblad below 10 minutes per game, and Brayden Schenn (a forward, of course) was a healthy scratch.

Toffoli got another assist (a hard shot by him deflected by Couturier for the goal) and an empty-net goal. Toffoli now has 4 points (2 goals) in 3 games and is +5, which is outstanding given he plays on the 4th line with only 10 to 11 minutes of ice-time per game (10:11 tonight).

For nostalgia's sake, Oscar Moller also scored a goal on Monday, and now has 2 points in 3 games.

The only Kings in action on Tuesday will be Kopitar and Gáborík in their mutual match-up (11:15 a.m. LA time). :handclap: Considered a crucial game for both teams, and Slovakia is still steaming from that embarrassing defeat at the hands of Slovenia in Sochi last year. Gáborík didn't play in that game, but Kopitar was utterly dominant, and Slovakia's players (including the likes of Hossa) were basically watching Kopi skate around the rink at will. Slovenia won 3-1. So the main task of Slovakia's defence will be to eliminate and, if possible, totally smother Kopitar's usual play, and take it from there. We'll see how that goes. :amazed:
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We need to win for 3 points tonight. Getting beat by Kopitar at the Olympics was bad enough, but somehow if we lose tonight and Ticar and Jeglic have hands in it, it will feel even worse. With all respect they both are good players, but I doubt they would be playing in the KHL if it wasn't for Slovan, so we would have basically defeated ourselves as the two have profited from Slovan in the KHL more than any Slovak player has in the 3 seasons that Slovan played there.
 
The hit on Kopi was the turning point in the game. Seconds later, Slovakia equalized 1-1 with a Meszáros blast from the blue line, with Gabby in front of goal.


Gáborík then scored 2 goals (1 empty net) to put the game away for Slovakia. Slovakia now has 3 straight come-from-behind 3rd-period/OT/SO wins.

The player laying the hit on Kopitar, Hudáček, was crucial for the game-winning-goal as well. He got the puck to Gabby and had the primary assist on it.

In desperation, Slovakia's coach keeps swapping players on the 1st line to find the right fit for Gáborík. Team captain Kopecký started the game on the 1st line with Gabby, was dropped to 4th line in the 2nd period, and was benched in the final period. In the 3rd period, Gabby wound up with Surový as his center and Hudáček as the other wing, and it finally seemed to click.

Kopitar was held without a point but it seemed like he hardly ever left the ice, played over 25 minutes.
 
Didn't really seem too bad in real time, more like Kopi was trying to make the hit look as bad as possible to cancel Slovakia's power-play. Kopi showed no visible signs of being shaken in the rest of the game. The hit and equalizer occurred with around 12 minutes left to play.
 
Judging by the smile followed by an embrace at the handshake line, he's his usual self:

gabby-kopi.jpg


Gabby's game-winning goal:

gaborik2.gif


(Nice move to get free there, the GIF doesn't quite capture how Gabby was able to get around that defenceman, coming in from the right wing.)
 
Gáborík named captain of Team Slovakia for tonight's game against Norway. The previous captain Kopecký announced to be a healthy scratch. Gáborík's linemates will likely be the same as in that highly successful 3rd period last night: Hudáček (who had laid that big hit on Kopi) and Surový.

Some background on the Kopi hit, from another thread:

Faterson said:
The odds were also pretty good for Slovenia to defeat Slovakia (see Sochi, see the first 2 periods last night), so I'm not surprised Kopitar played so many minutes. Overall, he had 25:29 last night (although it felt like 40 minutes, because Kopi is so prominent on the ice) :D, which is a lot, but it also happens in the NHL in crucial games with top offensive stars on a team (I think I've seen Ovechkin log similar minutes even in games without any overtimes). Obviously, Slovenia's game against Slovakia last night was or could have been crucial for them, if only they had defeated us. I hope Slovenia can stay in the top catagory next year, but as a long-time LA Kings fan, I also hope never to see Kopi & Gabby at this tourney again. :yo:
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Chara-3 said:
Huge international ice in Ostrava is much more demanding than NHL-sized one. You have to skate longer distances - no one can deny that. 25 minutes TOI equals at least 30 minutes in NHL. Kopitar was pretty much done in 3rd period.
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Faterson said:
In that sense, Hudáček was Kopi's exact opposite, because he was benched in the 2nd period, and then jumped into play on Slovakia's 1st line. :amazed: (Whereas, in exact "reverse mode", Slovak captain Kopecký started the game on the 1st line, then dropped to the 4th line in the 2nd period, and was benched in the final period.) What a crazy game. No wonder Hudáček was able to treat Kopi like a rag-doll, with all that spare energy.
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Injuries didn't help. Chára would have been team captain 100% but had to stay in Boston. Nagy, almost certainly a 1st-liner, got injured in a preparation game, and he was the team's assistant captain. They had to scramble for a replacement solution, and made a mistake. Let's hope Gabby can be a good captain. I don't think he's ever been team captain in his career before. With a regulation win tonight against Norway, Slovakia can overtake the US and climb to no. 1 in Group B, if only for a day. Let's do it! :handclap:
 
Damn did you guys see those Kopitar hits from yesterday? Never seen him throw big checks like that.
 
It was, according to some, a game that Slovenia considered to be a practice session, in preparation for today's crucial game against Denmark, so maybe Kopi, under no big pressure (expected 0-4 loss against Finland), was just practicing his hits? :sarcasm:
 
Proud of Trevor Lewis.

He also looks like he is having a lot of fun, good for the hard worker.
 
The situation is looking bleak for both Kopitar and Gáborík. It appears they'll be adding bitter national team failures to the Kings failure this season. :(

Kopecký returns to the line-up and gets the "C" again, so Gabby was captain for just one game, and Slovakia lost it 2-3 to Norway after leading 2-0. That loss likely finished Slovakia for the tourney. They'd now likely need to win 2 of the 3 remaining games (Finland, Russia, US), which appears improbable, although doable.

Slovakia's 5th game coming up, and Gáborik gets yet another new linemate on the first line, Tatar (centered by Surový). Nothing seems to be really working on that 1st line, so the coach decided to combine Slovakia's two biggest offensive threats on a single line against Finland. We'll see how that goes. :amazed: But the lack of pre-tourney preparation games for Gáborík is now perhaps showing its effect. Deep into the tourney, the coach still doesn't know who Gáborík's linemates should be.
 
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