WC: Latvia Roster Talk 2022

[stastny12]

Is this team going to be better than the one on the Olympics?

 

[SoundAndFury]

Is this team going to be better than the one on the Olympics?

You could probably say that just on merit of Elvis in goal but other than that, weaker in some areas, stronger in others.

 

[AKQJ]

08.05.2022 Riga
Latvia - Kazakhstan 5:0 (3:0;1:0;1:0)

1:0 Jelisejevs (Smirnovs, Sotnieks)
2:0 Cukstte (Ro Bukarts, Dzierkals) PP2
3:0 Jelisejevs (unassisted) PP
4:0 Batna (Bergmanis, Mamcics)
5:0 Dzerins (Ri Bukarts, Krastenbergs)

Latvia in that game:

31	Artūrs Šilovs	22.03.2001.	91 kg	191 cm
88	Gustavs Dāvis Grigals	22.07.1998.	80 kg	182 cm

2	Kārlis Čukste	17.06.1997.	92 kg	189 cm
11	Kristaps Sotnieks	29.01.1987.	93 kg	183 cm
24	Patriks Ozols	02.02.2001.	84 kg	180 cm
48	Nauris Sējējs	15.03.2001.	70 kg	175 cm
55	Roberts Mamčics	06.04.1995.	105 kg	196 cm
65	Arvils Bergmanis	29.12.1999.	67 kg	176 cm
72	Jānis Jaks	22.08.1995.	83 kg	180 cm
78	Ernests Ošenieks	05.08.2001.	71 kg	186 cm
90	Sandis Smons	19.05.1999.	69 kg	174 cm

9	Renārs Krastenbergs	26.12.1998.	66 kg	180 cm
13	Rihards Bukarts	31.12.1995.	84 kg	179 cm
17	Mārtiņš Dzierkals	04.04.1997.	77 kg	181 cm
25	Andris Džeriņš	14.02.1988.	85 kg	185 cm
37	Oskars Lapinskis	03.01.2002.	44 kg	153 cm
43	Edgars Kulda	13.11.1994.	87 kg	183 cm
69	Nikolajs Jeļisejevs	07.07.1994.	80 kg	180 cm
71	Roberts Bukarts	27.06.1990.	83 kg	184 cm
73	Deniss Smirnovs	07.03.1999.	66 kg	175 cm
83	Klāvs Veinbergs	27.03.2003.	82 kg	187 cm
89	Patriks Zabusovs	20.06.2001.	80 kg	185 cm
95	Oskars Batņa	07.05.1995.	89 kg	194 cm

 

[Levshunov]

Gints Meija retirement from Nat team? Can you name the top 8 of your defenders , provided that everyone is healthy and available for the World Champ

 

[Bosse Berglund]

Oskars Lapinskis is a small man indeed.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Can you name the top 8 of your defenders , provided that everyone is healthy and available for the World Champ

Legitimately hard to say. Balinskis, Jaks, Zile and then pile of warm bodies. Depends on your preference at that point.

 

[GX]

Rubins and Freibergs are also locks for the Top 8.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Right, I completely forgot Rubins. Freibergs, however, I'm not sure he brings anything at this level. He looked pretty useless both in KHL and for the NT.

 

[AKQJ]

Latvia today against Kazakhstan:

31	Artūrs Šilovs	22.03.2001.	91 kg	191 cm
80	Elvis Merzļikins	13.04.1994.	85 kg	191 cm

11	Kristaps Sotnieks	29.01.1987.	93 kg	183 cm
24	Patriks Ozols	02.02.2001.	84 kg	180 cm
32	Artūrs Kulda	25.07.1988.	97 kg	188 cm
48	Nauris Sējējs	15.03.2001.	70 kg	175 cm
65	Arvils Bergmanis	29.12.1999.	67 kg	176 cm
72	Jānis Jaks	22.08.1995.	83 kg	180 cm
77	Kristaps Zīle	24.12.1997.	70 kg	176 cm
78	Ernests Ošenieks	05.08.2001.	71 kg	186 cm
90	Sandis Smons	19.05.1999.	69 kg	174 cm

9	Renārs Krastenbergs	26.12.1998.	66 kg	180 cm
12	Rihards Marenis	18.04.1993.	91 kg	185 cm
13	Rihards Bukarts	31.12.1995.	84 kg	179 cm
17	Mārtiņš Dzierkals	04.04.1997.	77 kg	181 cm
18	Rodrigo Ābols	05.01.1996.	84 kg	195 cm
21	Rūdolfs Balcers	08.04.1997.	75 kg	180 cm
25	Andris Džeriņš	14.02.1988.	85 kg	185 cm
37	Oskars Lapinskis	03.01.2002.	44 kg	153 cm
69	Nikolajs Jeļisejevs	07.07.1994.	80 kg	180 cm
71	Roberts Bukarts	27.06.1990.	83 kg	184 cm
73	Deniss Smirnovs	07.03.1999.	66 kg	175 cm
83	Klāvs Veinbergs	27.03.2003.	82 kg	187 cm
95	Oskars Batņa	07.05.1995.	89 kg	194 cm

 

[Dofs]

Legitimately hard to say. Balinskis, Jaks, Zile and then pile of warm bodies. Depends on your preference at that point.

Cibulskis had a better season than Zile this year in Dinamo too.

 

[JohnWillow]

Oskars Lapinskis is a small man indeed.

EP's has him at 178/77.

So he likely did get these measurments from the hockey federation webpage, where they have not updated them for years for a few of these players.

 

[GX]

LHF has him at 153/44 So, no, he is indeed sub-180. Lapinskis Oskars - SCL Tigers

 

[AKQJ]

5:1 (3:0;1:1;1:0) so almost as yesterday...

1:0 Ro Bukarts PP
2:0 Kulda
3:0 Krastenbergs
3:1 Mikhailis (Sam Daniyar, Valk) PP
4:1 Dzirkals (Smirnovs)
5:1 Abols (Jelisejevs, Jaks) PP

 

[Vikz]

Cibulskis had a better season than Zile this year in Dinamo too.

Cibulskis is 10 years older though and is in decline. Zile is not in his best years yet. Next year the gap between them will be massive.
Also, for me personally, Zile seems like a more defencive type D, who plays smart, while Cibulskis tends to make a lot of mistakes. The stats dont show it though, they have almost same +/- over the season. So maybe its just a subjective thing.

 

[Dofs]

Cibulskis is 10 years older though and is in decline. Zile is not in his best years yet. Next year the gap between them will be massive.
Also, for me personally, Zile seems like a more defencive type D, who plays smart, while Cibulskis tends to make a lot of mistakes. The stats dont show it though, they have almost same +/- over the season. So maybe its just a subjective thing.

Decline is too strong of a word, he was arguably the best defenceman in Dinamo this year that Zile also played for, and it might have been one of his best seasons actually. You are right about his age though, he doesn't have much left to play, but right now, at this moment, a healthy Cibulskis can actually make Top 4. Top 6 definitely.

 

[Khokhlach86]

Patriks Ozols, Nauris Sējējs, Ernests Ošenieks, Edgars Kulda, Patriks Zabusovs are cut

 

[Eye of Ra]

Suprised about Kulda and Zubusovs. Kulda is a good grinder. Zabusov young guy who is producing many points in Czech leauge.

Veinbergs and Lapinskis are not better.

 

[Khokhlach86]

final roster

Abols - C
Balcers - A
Kulda- A

 

[SoundAndFury]

Nothing too surprising, Kulda and Zabusovs cuts are probably down to not wanting to take up their time since they weren't looking at any playing time. Veinbergs and Lapinskis probably can get at least something out of this experience and have less family commitments etc.

 

[Vikz]

Although the last cuts probably will have no impact on the overall performance and mostly concern guys who will at best play a period of game over the whole tournament, I still feel bitter. As was said previously, Zabusovs and Kulda should be there over Lapinskis and Veinbergs. But the biggest mystery for me is Smons over Ozols. Guess that playing in any Swiss league is inferior only to the NHL and guarantees a roster spot over guys who actually had an impact in Czechia or KHL.

 

[SoundAndFury]

But the biggest mystery for me is Smons over Ozols. Guess that playing in any Swiss league is inferior only to the NHL and guarantees a roster spot over guys who actually had an impact in Czechia or KHL.

Don't really see the outrage. Playing 9 minutes per game isn't exactly "making an impact" in the KHL. Osenieks actually played more than that in the KHL on his way to becoming a mediocre Mestis D. We are talking about pretty bad players who are looking to be a 7th D here. At that point, it might come down to a specific part of a game or the tone of the voice who gets selected.

 

[Dofs]

Will agree with those who says that Kulda and Zabusovs should had been taken over Veinbergs and Lapinskis. It's not that big of a deal, of course, since neither would have gotten much ice time anyway, but still.

Saw an interview with Daugavins who pretty much confessed that he retired from the national team because he wasn't given top minutes anymore. This amount of ego is just not something I approve. Especially given that Vitolinsh can is pretty flexible with roles based on play.

For lack of a better thread it has to be noted, that Nikita Jevpalovs, aka "the guy who might not be that good but is definitely better than Jelisejevs", is moving to one of the weaker teams in France. I only hope his NHLe won't suffer too much.

Pretty said that Jevpalov's career goes downhill like that. But what a year for Jelisejevs. Based on the preparation games before the WC, he is pretty much the first to go to to replace someone in the first line of the national team. And a year ago he wouldn't have made Latvian B team. And that's at 27 years old. Ridiculous.

 

[LKI]

Saw an interview with Daugavins who pretty much confessed that he retired from the national team because he wasn't given top minutes anymore. This amount of ego is just not something I approve. Especially given that Vitolinsh can is pretty flexible with roles based on play.

Basically what Daugavins said is there is no point of him being the 33y.o grinder given there are a lots of young guys who could fulfill the same role he was given. Also mentioning he can still outrun and outwork any young guy in the team... possibly felling unappreciated, but he definitely has a point.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Also mentioning he can still outrun and outwork any young guy in the team...

Given his performances in the last WC and OG sounds delusional.

 

[Dofs]

Basically what Daugavins said is there is no point of him being the 33y.o grinder given there are a lots of young guys who could fulfill the same role he was given. Also mentioning he can still outrun and outwork any young guy in the team... possibly felling unappreciated, but he definitely has a point.

I believe he is stuck in time when Latvia had 1-2 lines of good players who are supposed to win the game while the rest were just there trying not to let in a goal. And hence putting him into the third line is humiliating or something.

Bot nowadays the roster is much deeper than it ever was, we have wingers on the 4th line who could have been our first liners 10 years ago. The lines are more interchangeable and more depend on how players play and gel with each other at the moment, no one has a guaranteed role, unless you are from NHL. And Daugavinsh wants a top role just because, despite not showing that good of a performance in the last few tournaments.

So I disagree that he has a point. He was put on the third line a few times and now sulks about it. But he would have absolutely improved the roster.