GDT: LAT vs. FRA May 12, 2024

[HockeyinLV]

They should announce Daugavins monument already

Its insane how good he still is at 35, and to think he wanted to retire from NT. Good thing he didnt.

 

[HockeyinLV]

As for the goalie situation, Elvis is now clearly #1 and he needs to be at that level for us to do anything meaningful. That Poland game could have messed with his mojo, but thankfully it didnt.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Most of the chances Dzierkals had would not have happened unless he was such a fast player with good hockey IQ. So its double frustrating to see that he, with all his good qualities, has 0 offensive instinct. Especially weird, since he was once touted as a highly gifted offensive forward. 10 years ago it seemed more possible that he would become an NHL offensive superstar, or that he would quit hockey alltogether, than that he becomes an elite PK killer.
So yeah, he is a grade A player at creating chances for himself, and a grade A player at wasting those chances. Should be chained somewhere near the dot and made shoot the puck on net for a year straight. Never seen a player change so much during the transition from junior to pro.

Well put. There is that "work on your strengths not your weaknesses" line of thinking in sports and seems like Dzierkals was "nah, that's stupid".

Then again, if he stuck to his strengths he might be scoring buckets in Czechia now but he would be no SHL champion so who knows which is really better.

 

[Friar85]

with one second to go - cruel but our D is such a disaster

I thought France was very good today. Poor play by Boudon on the OT goal but France had some excellent chances to win at the end of regulation and then in OT. Probably deserved two points, but a lot of good out of this game today. Picked up a point and Junca looks like the real deal, need to take care of business against Poland. I am confused as to why Thiry and Guebey, who are playing minutes in the NL, can't play above a guy like Cantagallo.

 

[Vikz]

Then again, if he stuck to his strengths he might be scoring buckets in Czechia now but he would be no SHL champion so who knows which is really better.

Well, it depends on his nearest future. Despite that Swedish guy saying Dzierkals is a cult hero to them, its entirely possible that an import player with 6 points over the season does not get another contract in this league. So it might be better to score buckets in Czechia until senior age Bukarts style, than to be an SHL champion and still end up in Austria at 27.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Well, it depends on his nearest future. Despite that Swedish guy saying Dzierkals is a cult hero to them, its entirely possible that an import player with 6 points over the season does not get another contract in this league. So it might be better to score buckets in Czechia until senior age Bukarts style, than to be an SHL champion and still end up in Austria at 27.

Well, Skelleftea got him after a 21-point season in Czechia and his scoring trending downwards so it's unlikely they saw him as or expected him to be a scorer at any point. Of course 3 points per season is extreme but everyone understands it was a fluke and he should be good for some secondary scoring while excelling at the role he was actually brought in for.

He isn't going from the SHL to Austria, that much is clear.