Slovakprospects
Registered User
- Dec 15, 2019
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U18: Latvia U18s 2025 Roster Talk
- Thread starter Namejs
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Slovakprospects
Registered User
- Dec 15, 2019
- 33
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Yes, their roster was cut to 25 players a while ago.
Also, the scoreline looks worse than the game did. The Swedes scored 2 goals in the last minute of gameplay and it was 1-1 and 1-2 for most of the game. The first half of the game honestly made me questiom whether they should be considered the gold medal favorites.
In unrelated news, Murnieks is down 0-2 in the semi-finals and it's a best of 5.
Hockeyfrilla
Swe prospect fanatic
Top ranked euro F Anton Frondell is not with the team yet and might miss the tournament. (Playoffs)
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
You are taking exhibition Games way to serious.
It might sound like it, but it's more about me taking hockey too serious in general.
The game itself did not mean much, obviously, but there are some important takeaways. Poor player selection in the Latvian case, for instance. The HS Riga bias is exceeding common sense at this point.
The only added benefit of HS Riga players even being there is their chemistry from, you know, playing together for a long time. Instead some of the forwards were split up and scattered throughout the roster, including on the top line and PP1.
In a year of one of the worst HS Riga rosters in the Latvian league in years and one of the best Latvian generations in decades, for some reason the number of HS Riga players remains unchanged.
Seeing that in action was painful. That's about it, really.
I'm hoping they will make adjustments.
Slovakprospects
Registered User
- Dec 15, 2019
- 33
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comedy every time 
And..all of the names were apparently thrown into the lottery machine, so every single line, D pairing as well as both goalies are different tonight. Great stuff.
Czechia 3-2
Great game by Capars, although I have no idea why Plumins or Vitols did not get a chance. They really are going by the eye test entirely I guess and their eyesight isn't all that good.
Kufterins has a .891 svs% in the Latvian league.
Plumins has a .923 svs% in the Latvian league.
Kufterins is being lobbied hard by the head coach, as Plumins was not even dressed for the Czechia game contrary to the game sheet and Kufterins was the 2nd goalie instead.
If Kufterins gets any ice time in the actual tournament, it's going to be the first time in years our national team at any level is being grossly mismanaged. He's basically adding an extra conceded goal on average. He's never going to be a pro goalie. I'm at a complete loss.
In better news, Murnieks Sioux City got sweeped, so technically he could make it in time for the Norway game. He's got about 40 hours to get to Allen, TX.
Great game by Capars, although I have no idea why Plumins or Vitols did not get a chance. They really are going by the eye test entirely I guess and their eyesight isn't all that good.
Kufterins has a .891 svs% in the Latvian league.
Plumins has a .923 svs% in the Latvian league.
Kufterins is being lobbied hard by the head coach, as Plumins was not even dressed for the Czechia game contrary to the game sheet and Kufterins was the 2nd goalie instead.
If Kufterins gets any ice time in the actual tournament, it's going to be the first time in years our national team at any level is being grossly mismanaged. He's basically adding an extra conceded goal on average. He's never going to be a pro goalie. I'm at a complete loss.
In better news, Murnieks Sioux City got sweeped, so technically he could make it in time for the Norway game. He's got about 40 hours to get to Allen, TX.
Slovakprospects
Registered User
- Dec 15, 2019
- 33
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In other news, Berzkalns seems to have suffered a bone fracture and is out for the WJC. It's nothing serious, but the docs advised against him playing through pain.
Since he's largely played on the 4th line, his stats in USHL are not excellent, but I have seen him play a bunch and he has both hands, skating and size that would elevate any of our forward lines.
So definitely bad news.
Since he's largely played on the 4th line, his stats in USHL are not excellent, but I have seen him play a bunch and he has both hands, skating and size that would elevate any of our forward lines.
So definitely bad news.
The final roster has been announced. No surprises.
I would go with:
Flugins - Murnieks - Serkins
Reidzans - Klaucans - Gasuns
Utnans - Naudins - Spigulis
Avotins - Rutkis - Polis
Serkins was played at C earlier, but he's too petite for that role and with his skill he would complement Murnieks very well. Also, a great PP unit. Which, you know, sucked in the exhibition games.
This moves another skilled winger down to 2nd line and adds enough skill there to form a competent PP2 unit. Which was pure shit in exhibition games.
The 3rd line has an average height of 193 cm and should do well, Utnans and Spigulis played the entire season together and Naudins has WJC experience and the reach of an Angolese basketball player.
The 4th line is actually half decent and does not fall off.
Naglis - Sarts
Smits - whoever the f*** can skate, clear the crease and not turn the puck over
30 minutes a piece for the top 2 pairings
Plumins
Capars
The only glaring holes on this team are the 3rd pairing Ds and the goalie coach
I would go with:
Flugins - Murnieks - Serkins
Reidzans - Klaucans - Gasuns
Utnans - Naudins - Spigulis
Avotins - Rutkis - Polis
Serkins was played at C earlier, but he's too petite for that role and with his skill he would complement Murnieks very well. Also, a great PP unit. Which, you know, sucked in the exhibition games.
This moves another skilled winger down to 2nd line and adds enough skill there to form a competent PP2 unit. Which was pure shit in exhibition games.
The 3rd line has an average height of 193 cm and should do well, Utnans and Spigulis played the entire season together and Naudins has WJC experience and the reach of an Angolese basketball player.
The 4th line is actually half decent and does not fall off.
Naglis - Sarts
Smits - whoever the f*** can skate, clear the crease and not turn the puck over
30 minutes a piece for the top 2 pairings
Plumins
Capars
The only glaring holes on this team are the 3rd pairing Ds and the goalie coach
JFC.
Kufterins is starting.
Murnieks made it in time and at least he is playing. But for some reason he's centering the 2nd line? All the lines are completely different again. Honestly, it feels like the names were drawn out of a hat 3 games in a row.
None of it makes any sense. A line starts producing offense, yet you switch it all up again? Twice? What the actual f***?
On a related note, HS Riga actually fired our head coach a couple of days ago.
So any success of this team is likely going to be despite whatever the f*** they're doing not because of it.
Kufterins is starting.
Murnieks made it in time and at least he is playing. But for some reason he's centering the 2nd line? All the lines are completely different again. Honestly, it feels like the names were drawn out of a hat 3 games in a row.
None of it makes any sense. A line starts producing offense, yet you switch it all up again? Twice? What the actual f***?
On a related note, HS Riga actually fired our head coach a couple of days ago.
So any success of this team is likely going to be despite whatever the f*** they're doing not because of it.
