GDT: Quarter Final | Canada Vs Czech Republic | 1/2 @ 6:30PM | TSN/NHLN

[Gsus]

Canada is like 10-1 good but I hope we'll see Czech scoring at least 3. Then they would have a shot. Also goalie needs to stand on his head for 60minutes.

 

[Gold Standard]

4 games of quarterfinal action today. well, slap me silly! will be bolting the door shut to my mancave today and turning off my phone.

Canada not in a blowout. blowouts are never fun, but a 5-2 Canada W here in this one.

I think the path is open to my dream final of Canada v USA.

 

[Swipes]

The last time we beat Canada was in 2014 I think, a 4-3 shootout win following a Dominik Simon winning penalty shot. That was the first time in 20+ years....

So unless a miracle is forthcoming, we lose this one quite easily.

I'd like you see the boys work hard and give it their best to keep the score as tight as possible. No collapses here please.

 

[AppalachianFinn13]

Hoping the Czechs take it.

In reality 5-2 Canada

 

[Smif]

Hope I’m wrong but I’ve pegged us and the Russians. A loss today basically ends Tourigny’s career,

I've been very happy with Tourigny, personally.

 

[kudla]

6:1 or 6:0 for Canada

 

[Statsy]

Why?

I’ll chime in on this on. Not everyone on this board was watching hockey when the trap system came into fashion. Those that weren’t may not know that it nearly ruined hockey for a generation. When I saw the Czechs going hard on the trap... and beating a better team with it, my first horrifying thought was that some NHL coach was watching that and thinking “Hmmm... I should try that.” It’s a chilling thought.

 

[tade]

Czech win in this game would be considered as a miracle on ice. I think that Canada's depth this year is too much for any team on the tournament, probably only USA is somehow close.

 

[BlitzSnipe]

Canada - Czech Republic 6-1.

 

[Tryblot]

Why?

I just don't like the way they play. Simple as that.

 

[Channelcat]

Canada should walk off with this.....but at the same time, this is the point where we have seen a few stacked Canada teams crash.

 

[McSuper]

I hope it a hard fought win for Canada . Don’t want them to think it going to be easy against tough competition. Teams can be come complacent when everything has come so easy .

 

[The Blue Baron]

This team won’t be complacent!

 

[BigBadBoar]

Pytlik and Gut are out for the Czechs, even if the miracle happens and they win, they would not return in this tournament. Their injuries turned out to be more serious than intially seemed.

Anyways, I expect something like 8-2 Canada. I somehow like this Czech team, at least they are working hard with some nice team spirit, but there is no single player who would look like a future NHL guy to me. Maybe the young Svozil could make it, but it's still too early to say. The rest of the guys have chance to become pretty decent players in the Extraliga, SHL, Liiga, Swiss NL, some of them maybe even in the KHL, but that's it. I wish them all to have succesfull professional career, but simply don't see any of them making it into the top class. It is possible that somebody may eventually shine as a late bloomer, but if there is such hidden talent, it is not apparent yet.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Czechs will put up a fight.. Not sure what to expect. If Canada comes out like they did vs Finland .. they could blow it open early. Czechs kept it close vs USA for half the game and tend to really take away the middle of the ice.. No reason why Canada won't prevail here but you never know. A wise man once said that is why they play the game.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Controlled Entry Exit data Czech and Canada; Quality of competition , small sample but ...,

 

[Zybalto]

View attachment 381515
Controlled Entry Exit data Czech and Canada; Quality of competition , small sample but ...,

Not sure if that's a reflection of Canada not being in their own zone very often or not.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Not sure if that's a reflection of Canada not being in their own zone very often or not.

Definitely. They spent the better part of the first two periods against the Finns killing their attack by not letting them out of their own zone.

 

[Czechboy]

I may be wrong, but I can't remember Czech Republic giving Canada trouble for a very long time. The teams are different each year obviously but I just don't think it's likely that Czech Republic wins or keeps it all that close. I'll guess 5-1 Canada.

There was this game. To my knowledge it's the only Czech win and was a total fluke. We lost to the soon to be relegated German's the next day and Canada finished 4th.

That team actually produced some good players for us as 6 are still in the NHL today... Pastrnak, Vrana, Zacha, O. Kase, Sulak got a cup of coffee for the Wing's, Kampf and Simon. Langhammer and Hracovina are both good goalies in Europe.

If 6 guys on this current team are NHL regulars I'll be pretty surprised.

Your prediction is off by a period probably. Eg. it'll be 5-1 after 2 periods for Canada. Then it'll get ugly.lol

 

[Czechboy]

The Czechs will facilitate Canada’s progress with needless fouls, playing short-handed for extended periods and the defence falling apart.

This is as good a summary of every Czech loss at this tournament as I've read. I might turn it into my signature.lol

 

[BigBadBoar]

There was this game. To my knowledge it's the only Czech win and was a total fluke. We lost to the soon to be relegated German's the next day and Canada finished 4th.

That team actually produced some good players for us as 6 are still in the NHL today... Pastrnak, Vrana, Zacha, O. Kase, Sulak got a cup of coffee for the Wing's, Kampf and Simon. Langhammer and Hracovina are both good goalies in Europe.

If 6 guys on this current team are NHL regulars I'll be pretty surprised.

Your prediction is off by a period probably. Eg. it'll be 5-1 after 2 periods for Canada. Then it'll get ugly.lol

Yeah, exactly. That was the team with (although very young) Pastrnak, Vrana, Zacha. And Ondrej Kase, Kämpf and Simon were the leaders of that team. All of them subsequently became at least stable and solid NHL skaters, with Pastrnak of course becoming an absolute top star and Vrana becoming a very valuable 2nd-3rd liner + 2nd PP unit player for Washington. Kase, Simon, Kämpf, Zacha all showed up as decent NHL players in their respective roles. That was in fact one of the best U20 teams Czech Republic had for like the last 15 years. And yet they were not able to medal since there was not enough of depth on that roster.

 

[Czechboy]

Pytlik and Gut are out for the Czechs,

So our 2C (and 1st PP) and a key player to our 3rd line (which is probably our most likely to score). Real shame.

It wouldn't have made a difference but I wanted to see more of Pytlik.

As far as NHL futures... my guess is Svozil, Jiricek, Mysak, Teply, Krutil and Raska (as a bottom 6 pest). Maybe Bednar or Parik (but we will sit them today). Do I think any of them will have long NHL careers or become All Stars? No, maybe Svozil or Jiricek.

 

[Czechboy]

Yeah, exactly. That was the team with (although very young) Pastrnak, Vrana, Zacha. And Ondrej Kase, Kämpf and Simon were the leaders of that team. All of them subsequently became at least stable and solid NHL skaters, with Pastrnak of course becoming an absolute top star and Vrana becoming a very valuable 2nd-3rd liner + 2nd PP unit player for Washington. Kase, Simon, Kämpf, Zacha all showed up as decent NHL players in their respective roles. That was in fact one of the best U20 teams Czech Republic has for like the last 15 years. And yet they were not able to medal since there was not enough of depth on that roster.

We had a lead on the Finn's going into third too! It was all looking very good to finally win a quarter... then the Finn's came back and won Gold and we are still preying for Quarter Final wins.

 

[Czechboy]

I’ll chime in on this on. Not everyone on this board was watching hockey when the trap system came into fashion. Those that weren’t may not know that it nearly ruined hockey for a generation. When I saw the Czechs going hard on the trap... and beating a better team with it, my first horrifying thought was that some NHL coach was watching that and thinking “Hmmm... I should try that.” It’s a chilling thought.

You're 100% correct!

In defense, how would you deploy ECHL players against NHL ones? Start shot blocking boys!lol

Historically, we've never been that good at this tourney even when we sent strong teams BUT we used to be entertaining.

 

[BigBadBoar]

We had a lead on the Finn's going into third too! It was all looking very good to finally win a quarter... then the Finn's came back and won Gold and we are still preying for Quarter Final wins.

Yes, I remember that game. They were outplaying the Finns, it looked like they will cruise to the win, but in the 3rd our top guys were suddenly looking out of gas and the Finns made their comeback and ultimately scored the game winning goal after a defender's individual mistake. That was a pity. But still, if you look at how many guys on that team subsequently made it into the NHL, at least for a few games (Sulak), it looks almost crazy they didn't even make it into the SF. The depth decides, not only in men's hockey but already in the juniors. If you have 2 excellent lines and the other two are just "meh", you can make it hard for teams like Canada or the US, but you ale likely to lose at the end because your top 2 lines can barely play like 25 mins per game each and still be 100 % competitive. You need all lines and defender pairs to be at least able to hold on and not fall under a massive pressure to be successful in today's hockey. When you have 2 lines which are struggling almost every shift, even your top lines are getting face-offs in their own zone, their opponent is playing in full swing, they often invest most of their energy just into escaping the pressure, and their next shift they are back under. The times when you could have one miraculous line and that won you the gold medal or the Stanley Cup are long since over.