WC: Quarter Finals!

[illone84]

Sandin is injured, Sweden gets even worse now

Damn. Sucks

 

[Lartsaman]

Sweden beats Latvia. I dont really believe in surprises. Swiss and Czechs win their own games. Canada-Finland is the hardest one to predict. With a very good luck, Finland wins. Our goalie usually lets one or two easy goals so it might also decide the match for Canadas favour. After the 2021 tournament, I never count Canada out, NEVER.

 

[Czechboy]

My predictions:

Canada
Germany
Czech (pure bias but I am what I am.lol)
Sweden

If I were betting money
Finland (Veleno was their 1C)
US
Swiss
Sweden

 

[MeHateHe]

We are just calling it like it is.

Isn't this the point where you say Canada is not a world hockey power and that we should be ranked somewhere around Spain or Bosnia?

 

[Zaar]

I don't get all this rambling about A, B, C or D rosters. It's completely irrelevant. And even the absence of a russian team doesn't devalue the cup or any championship medal. The best team (and from time to time lucky team) participating in this tournament will win the cup. That's what it is: a tournament with teams grouped by nationality.

If the Swiss win, they will have earned it. They have played great so far. But personally, I am also very satisfied with the performance of the German team, even though they are missing their superstars. Of course, on paper they are underdogs, but a Swiss victory is not God-given. But if Swiss win, it makes no sense whatsoever to say that it's solemely because of missing german players.

It's the nature of this tournament. I love it nonetheless. I will cheer for my team but wholeheartedly congratulate any other winning team.

 

[Nico13]

Germany is heavy favourite for tomorrow.

Switzerland still has to prove they can beat again Germany in an elimination game.

 

[EK47]

Germany is heavy favourite for tomorrow.

Switzerland still has to prove they can beat again Germany in an elimination game.

Are you the swiss version of eye of ra?

 

[jj cale]

Isn't this the point where you say Canada is not a world hockey power and that we should be ranked somewhere around Spain or Bosnia?

Doesn't eye of ra have that shtick covered?


All joking aside, let's face facts, they are favoured and should be and for all the exact reasons I mentioned.

 

[swissexpert]

Germany is heavy favourite for tomorrow.

Switzerland still has to prove they can beat again Germany in an elimination game.

That's bs and you know it.
The Germany trauma is an overused myth anyways. That duel only happened 4 times in the last decade at WCH, and SUI won 3 of them.

Our general trend of the last years is worrying though, playing good group stage hockey only to lose in the QF has happened 3 times in a row and number 4 should certainly give Fischer some tough questions to answer.
Has nothing to do with Germany whatsoever.

 

[Lambo]

That's bs and you know it.
The Germany trauma is an overused myth anyways. That duel only happened 4 times in the last decade at WCH, and SUI won 3 of them.

Our general trend of the last years is worrying though, playing good group stage hockey only to lose in the QF has happened 3 times in a row and number 4 should certainly give Fischer some tough questions to answer.
Has nothing to do with Germany whatsoever.

I think you generally mean that Switzerland failed in 2010 and 2021 against Germany in the QF. In 2021 even with a very well staffed Swiss team. But the victory in 2022, which only came about in OT, is also worth mentioning. Germany is a very tough nut for Switzerland.

 

[ORRFForever]

And even the absence of a russian team doesn't devalue the cup or any championship medal.

It's hard to devalue something with no value to begin with.

 

[Old Man Jags]

True that. Having star players doesn't guarantee anything like Russia proved it in 2019. That was a ridiculously stacked roster by the Worlds standards.

True, but the Russians have always been more susceptible to this than other teams. Unlike other teams, their top players have often played selfishly as individuals doing individual actions, rather than everyone working hard as part of the team. Contrast this with the Czechs who at the first best-on-best Olympics in Nagano had a deliberate strategy of building a team that leaned both on NHL stars but also on lots of players at home and in other European leagues, and they beat the US, Canada and Russia on their way to gold. They left some of their better players at home for team-building and tactical reasons, and it paid off. Of course, the very top stars were still completely indispensable. It’s not like they would’ve done it without Hasek, for example.

 

[swissexpert]

I think you generally mean that Switzerland failed in 2010 and 2021 against Germany in the QF. In 2021 even with a very well staffed Swiss team. But the victory in 2022, which only came about in OT, is also worth mentioning. Germany is a very tough nut for Switzerland.

Of course GER is a tough nut but so is every opponent in the worlds top 8, we're not suddenly some dominant juggernaut.

People make it look like SUI has some kind of trauma and should fear Germany, which is laughable. The fact that you had to mention a game from 13 years ago tells it. Hischier was 7 years away from being drafted, I really doubt he cares much how Rüthemann, Seger etc. played in that year and how that should affect todays team.
GER have a good roster but let's not act like this was a heavier matchup for us than FIN or SWE....

 

[appleinyoureye]

No Hungary or Slovenia? Wow, how anyone takes this seriously is beyond me
Joke tournament.

 

[Old Man Jags]

I don't get all this rambling about A, B, C or D rosters. It's completely irrelevant. And even the absence of a russian team doesn't devalue the cup or any championship medal. The best team (and from time to time lucky team) participating in this tournament will win the cup. That's what it is: a tournament with teams grouped by nationality.

If the Swiss win, they will have earned it. They have played great so far. But personally, I am also very satisfied with the performance of the German team, even though they are missing their superstars. Of course, on paper they are underdogs, but a Swiss victory is not God-given. But if Swiss win, it makes no sense whatsoever to say that it's solemely because of missing german players.

It's the nature of this tournament. I love it nonetheless. I will cheer for my team but wholeheartedly congratulate any other winning team.

That’s usually what fans say whose nations don’t have two or three full teams missing at the Skodas But fair enough. I think all of us posting here enjoy the tournament every year regardless of roster.

 

[Speyer]

That's bs and you know it.
The Germany trauma is an overused myth anyways. That duel only happened 4 times in the last decade at WCH, and SUI won 3 of them.

Our general trend of the last years is worrying though, playing good group stage hockey only to lose in the QF has happened 3 times in a row and number 4 should certainly give Fischer some tough questions to answer.
Has nothing to do with Germany whatsoever.

If Fischer can't get it done this time against a nominally weaker opponent there is literally no case to be made for him to stay NT coach anymore. Im sure he could talk himself into getting a couple of other chances should it actually come to this though.

Of course I will have to work overtime today and won't be able to watch the game anyway. Fun times.

 

[Elvs]

No Hungary or Slovenia? Wow, how anyone takes this seriously is beyond me
Joke tournament.

Yet here you are, commenting in a thread you don't care about

 

[Lambo]

Of course GER is a tough nut but so is every opponent in the worlds top 8, we're not suddenly some dominant juggernaut.

People make it look like SUI has some kind of trauma and should fear Germany, which is laughable. The fact that you had to mention a game from 13 years ago tells it. Hischier was 7 years away from being drafted, I really doubt he cares much how Rüthemann, Seger etc. played in that year and how that should affect todays team.
GER have a good roster but let's not act like this was a heavier matchup for us than FIN or SWE....

This Swiss team Switzerland at eliteprospects.com failed in 2021(why don't you mention that?) to Germany. You say 2010 was a long time ago. How often has Switzerland achieved the SF during the time? Weren t the defeats painful?

 

[ellja3]

Surely, roster-on-paper (and bookie odds, of course) dictate that we should lose today, but honestly.. After Tuesday's win and with nothing to lose I can see us pushing this to OT.

I've heard (but don't quote me on this, just one source) very few Swedes travelling here, due to 1) Riga pricing 2) confidence they'll win and return to Tampere anyways.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Now the real tournament begins.

In looking at the final preliminary results can't help thinking the tournament would be far more interesting if it were two eight team tournaments.

France and Austria "earning" the right to get blown out by the top eight again doesn't seem like progress.

And eliminating the one-sided contests might entice more players to show; generating more fan interest.

For countries in the 9-12 range, earning the right to elevate to the next level by winning a championship would also be far more satisfying than missing the quarterfinals.

 

[Lambo]

Now the real tournament begins.

In looking at the final preliminary results can't help thinking the tournament would be far more interesting if it were two eight team tournaments.

France and Austria "earning" the right to get blown out by the top eight again doesn't seem like progress.

And eliminating the one-sided contests might entice more players to show; generating more fan interest.

For countries in the 9-12 range, earning the right to elevate to the next level by winning a championship would also be far more satisfying than missing the quarterfinals.

I don't think you can enforce that, because even a top nation could then be relegated. Therefore there will be no support for it. Even if I find the idea attractive myself.

 

[swissexpert]

This Swiss team Switzerland at eliteprospects.com failed in 2021(why don't you mention that?) to Germany. You say 2010 was a long time ago. How often has Switzerland achieved the SF during the time? Weren t the defeats painful?

Everyone knows that, it happened not a long time ago. It was one game, guess everybody should be now scared of the mighty Germans because of that game.
Like we've never lost deciding games to USA, FIN or SWE

Germany is the easiest opponent out of that group, which doesn't make them an easy opponent at all.
It will be a tough game and if SUI loses, it will be because GER played better hockey and not because of some made-up fear/trauma...

 

[Lambo]

Everyone knows that, it happened not a long time ago. It was one game, guess everybody should be now scared of the mighty Germans because of that game.
Like we've never lost deciding games to USA, FIN or SWE

Germany is the easiest opponent out of that group, which doesn't make them an easy opponent at all.
It will be a tough game and if SUI loses, it will be because GER played better hockey and not because of some made-up fear/trauma...

Well, Finland and Sweden have been in semi-finals and finals very often since 2010 and have won titles. But for Switzerland and Germany a semi-final is not a matter of course. That's why these memories of the 2 encounters in 2010 and 2021 are so important. Switzerland was only twice in the SF. Otherwise they always failed in QF or RR.

 

[ellja3]

Now the real tournament begins.

In looking at the final preliminary results can't help thinking the tournament would be far more interesting if it were two eight team tournaments.

France and Austria "earning" the right to get blown out by the top eight again doesn't seem like progress.

And eliminating the one-sided contests might entice more players to show; generating more fan interest.

For countries in the 9-12 range, earning the right to elevate to the next level by winning a championship would also be far more satisfying than missing the quarterfinals.

So what you're implying is we need to create one more division between our newly created top8 and Division 1A?

I'm not necessarily fan of the fact there are so called yo-yo teams (and blowouts) either, but if we want to go this direction, perhaps 12 team-elite (I've heard this idea being proposed, but not sure where) would be a tad better?

Based on this year's standings we'd then remove Austria, Hungary, Norway, Slovenia. Interestingly enough, Kazakhs and France would stay.

Edit: also have to remember that one (or two, depending on your opinion on Belarus hockey) of this year's teams wouldn't be here in Top Division if not for the war-related ban.

 

[swissexpert]

Well, Finland and Sweden have been in semi-finals and finals very often since 2010 and have won titles. But for Switzerland and Germany a semi-final is not a matter of course. That's why these memories of the 2 encounters in 2010 and 2021 are so important. Switzerland was only twice in the SF. Otherwise they always failed in QF or RR.

SUI was in the gold medal game twice in the last 10 years, whithout a doubt our most successful stretch ever, but thanks for your pity.

The finals against SWE are way more memorable and painful than some 2010 QF. So if we had to choose a matchup against either GER or SWE, the answer is easy.