Russia will fail in the World Cup 2016?

[snipes]

I will be pretty much Canada's A team. USA will be hurt by 2 or 3 of their U24's missing. Everyone else will have their A teams basically. And Team Europe and Team NA Young Gunz should be pretty damn good. So its VERY CLOSE to best vs best imo

It is very close to best-on-best and will have all the best players in the world available and playing at the same tournament.

However, because of the NA Young Gunz and Team Europe, we can't call it a best-on-best tournament. This is what sucks about it, if we are being strict on what counts as best-on-best, hybrid teams can't be part of the historical record.

It will be awesome hockey, so let's just enjoy it.

 

[IDeyChopNaira*]

Well, the World Cup isn't a best-on-best.

Exactly, World Cup is more of a pre-season circus

 

[Riddum]

Russia always tries to prove a point about the KHL being a rival to the NHL in international competitions and lately it has burned them. It may not be the main reason why they lose, but it hurts their overall depth. If they make the same mistake at the World Cup, they will fail.

This is assuming everyone tries at the World Cup and it isn't seen as a pre-season tournament by the players.

I don't know. It could be that the Russian federation can take a closer look at guys who play in Russia.

The best Russian players are products of the KHL. Panarin, Tarasenko and Radulov (current top 3 Russians). So I think we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

If you ask ne though, Russia's problem isn't talent. It's coaching.

 

[Rob]

Well what would be considered a fail? If they finish second shouldn't that be considered a small success?

 

[Canuck21t]

Russia needs to rework the young player development strategy or they will fail even harder.

Russia should use the upcoming World Cup as a testing ground. Use some youngsters here and if the team fails, well who cares about this gimmick tournament anyway.

 

[BlitzSnipe]

US
Finland
Sweden
Canada

Have waves of their youth coming up.

Russia needs to devote everything to the development of grassroots Hockey, and they have. Their time will come.

It's not now.

.....Right. That's why the won the Silver medal in the JHC. And who knows how well they would've done at the U18s if not for the silly meldonium scandal.

 

[Macman]

I think Russia will be fine at the World Cup. With the exception of 2010, Russian teams typically play well in Canada. Ovie looks lost on big ice. On small ice, he excels. Even though they continue to have problems on the back end, I wouldn't underestimate them.

 

[tony d]

They could but you never know, they looked pretty good in the bronze medal game.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I think they will beat Sweden but lose to Finland.

 

[Yakushev72]

I will be pretty much Canada's A team. USA will be hurt by 2 or 3 of their U24's missing. Everyone else will have their A teams basically. And Team Europe and Team NA Young Gunz should be pretty damn good. So its VERY CLOSE to best vs best imo

I would say that it is half way between best on best and a Summer Beach Festival cookout - relaxed and laid back with players forced participation responding with very relaxed attitude and intensity. The attitude will be let's hurry up and get this over with so I can go back and move into my apartment.

Russia will participate in an obligatory fashion, and get eliminated by Finland as usual. And of course they will take the obligatory screwing from the Canadian referees, whose job it is to make sure the good guys win, just like in '84 and '87. In other words, no changes from previous encounters.

 

[Macman]

I would say that it is half way between best on best and a Summer Beach Festival cookout - relaxed and laid back with players forced participation responding with very relaxed attitude and intensity. The attitude will be let's hurry up and get this over with so I can go back and move into my apartment.

Russia will participate in an obligatory fashion, and get eliminated by Finland as usual. And of course they will take the obligatory screwing from the Canadian referees, whose job it is to make sure the good guys win, just like in '84 and '87. In other words, no changes from previous encounters.

And as examples he cites delusions from more than three decades ago. Have you got anything from this millennium? You need to let it go, man

 

[MXD]

It won't fail to sore losering, but for anything else...

 

[BlitzSnipe]

I would say that it is half way between best on best and a Summer Beach Festival cookout - relaxed and laid back with players forced participation responding with very relaxed attitude and intensity. The attitude will be let's hurry up and get this over with so I can go back and move into my apartment.

Russia will participate in an obligatory fashion, and get eliminated by Finland as usual. And of course they will take the obligatory screwing from the Canadian referees, whose job it is to make sure the good guys win, just like in '84 and '87. In other words, no changes from previous encounters.

Don't overdo it, man. Silly refereeing affects all teams, not just Russia. I hope Russia does well and I think they will not be eliminated by Finland this time.

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

If they hope to win, they have to play an old school Soviet style. All working parts in a bigger machine. No five minutes shifts for Ovechkin, no dumb penalties by Malkin, no wild inconsistency in net.

In my opinion, they will struggle to finish top three, because other than maybe having consistent goaltending, the things I mentioned are not likely to change.

 

[Nordic*]

Russia almost had their A-team in WC and only bronzed.

 

[Talks to Goalposts]

I wouldn't call the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups or 1998 Olympics a failure. They were very close to winning it

Even if you grant them that, Russia has not performed very well in best on best tournaments during the 21th century, the best they've done is 3rd in 2002 and 4th in 2006 Olympics. In the last 5 best on best tournaments (4 Olympics and the 2004 World Cup) they've been about as successful as the Czechs in the bottom of the big 6 of hockey national teams.

Rosterwise, Russia has had great forwards but haven't had very good defensemen and you can probably also question how good their coaching has been over this period.

 

[Paxton Fettel]

Terribad coaching paired with low quality defense, whoever they have upfront won't matter. I project them to finish 3rd or 4th in the group.

 

[xxxx]

Terribad coaching paired with low quality defense, whoever they have upfront won't matter. I project them to finish 3rd or 4th in the group.

They need to score goals and be a real offensive treat. That is the real problem I think.

 

[NMF78]

You can't fail when you have nothing to gain or loose from this NHL-tournament.
This tournament doesn't matter.

 

[Ezekial]

Well, the World Cup isn't a best-on-best.

Has a higher talent pool than the IIHF WC

 

[Urbanskog]

Has a higher talent pool than the IIHF WC

Has someone argued otherwise?

 

[Back in Black]

Russian teams typically play well in Canada. Ovie looks lost on big ice. On small ice, he excels. .

Ovi is by far one of the best and is an outstanding player... in the regular season

 

[Canuck21t]

I will be pretty much Canada's A team. USA will be hurt by 2 or 3 of their U24's missing. Everyone else will have their A teams basically. And Team Europe and Team NA Young Gunz should be pretty damn good. So its VERY CLOSE to best vs best imo

As a Canadian, I want my team to be the best it can be, not a very-close-best team. Not only the gimmick teams make the World Cup a joke tournament, but the NHL also penalizes the North American teams, how ironic. For once I'm going to side with the Russians and deems the tournament not worthy of attention. I would not mind whether Team Canada wins or loses.