Hmm, in that case it's probably close, maybe the better Korean imports would be above Poland's top players but the back half of Korea's roster even back then was D1B-tier, Today's Poland are more consistent in quality, and their import goalie is of a similar standard to Dalton was back then.
This all comes down to the main talking point of this thread - how good actually are these aging Polish league players?
We will see that tomorrow.
Whoah, pump the brakes. Dalton was a solid KHL goalie, Murray went to Poland because he couldn't cut it in the ECHL. If you compare their salaries in their prime, Dalton's was probably almost 10 times higher. If they are "of a similar standard" then it's only because standard doesn't mean anything.
He has always been kind of popular in Czechia, regarded as a quality player. But if he started acting cocky among his national team mates, then it was reasonable to cut him.
Ye fair enough if we're comparing club careers; every time I have seen him turn out for Poland though he's stood out as a real difference maker, I consider him their most important player over the past 5 or so years, and I think his save ratio over that period backs that up.
That is my exact sentiment about most lower level international teams. If you can chose one single foreigner to add, most teams should pick goalies because they more often than not is the difference when going gets tough.
While you have a case, it also has to be noted Poland achieved the same, or even slightly better if we want to be picky, results during the Odrobny era. Murray only became so impactful because Poland has developed barely any professional goalies over the last 20 years. Otherwise, they were doing fine with a pretty bottom-of-the-barrel by European pro hockey standards goalie and had a handful of those to choose from Odrobny being the best of the pack most year but Kosowski and Rasziszewski with some strong performances as well.
Considering Fucik is the same age as him I highly doubt it. Don't know how it is on this very day but in the longer run he will obviously edge out Zabolotny who has never been a starter at the level higher than the German Oberliga and, one could argue, has never had a really strong season as a starting goalie his entire career.
Why? What backs up this blanket statement?
yeah, while i am the foremost critic of polish hockey (or rather the complete lack of a plan for the development of this sport discipline), saying that we played the tournament of our lives to advance is a slight exaggeration. we simply won an important 50/50 match against Italy, won matches against teams we almost always beat, and that's it
Don't agree with that at all and I think most people won't. Like SoundandFury said, recent results support they are more or less on the same level with all four teams having slightly different strengths and weaknesses from each other.
He was injured for most of the season, came back towards the end but didn't play much.
As I said, Czech Extraliga fans know about his qualities as a player, but of course the relations between the players (and the coaching staff) are always a very important factor.
do you have some kind of split personality? one day you say that Poland is on the same level as Sweden and the match will be 50/50, and now you're saying that Sweden is capable of scoring 10 goals. take your medication or something because its kinda weird
becuse i was unsure before. but the game vs USA showed how good we are.
