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SI picks Czechs

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Naturally, I don't agree with them, and I hope this is the SI jinx kicking in again, but you can definitely understand why they'd pick the Czechs. A lot of people are.

The Czechs have a 1-2 punch in goal that can match Canada, and they have an array of offensive weapons up front. They do have two weaknesses: defence, which is not as good as Canada's (even without Jovanovski and possibly Niedermayer), and consistency. While not as prevalent as in the past, the Czechs have always been a volatile team. They'll have moments of sheer brilliance, then look completely outclassed and overmatched.

Witness the 2004 World Cup: they were incredibly flat against the Finns (I believe their 1998 Olympic coach died in a car accident just before the tournament, leaving a lot of players shaken), only to get better as the tournament evolved, thoroughly dominate Sweden in the quarter-final and push Canada to the limit in the semi-final.

If they're on the same page, they will give Canada all they can handle.
 
Go

I'm picking the Czechs too, but I think that Russia is the only other team along with the Czechs that can give Canada a run. If Russia can get goaltending, they'll be there at the end. Too much talent up front for me to ignore.
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TTR230
 
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The Czechs clearly have a lot of chemistry advantages. 5 - 6 members of the Czech national roster currently play for the Rangers. In such a short tourney when the preparation time is limited, having two familiar offensive units who are already gelled properly gives the Czechs a head start.
 
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God Bless Canada said:
They do have two weaknesses: defence, which is not as good as Canada's
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I think their defense is one of their strenghts. They don't have the big names on D but the Czech play an awsome defensive team game. The regulars like Spacek, F. Kaberle, etc. always step in international play too.
 
I'm pretty sure this prediction is nothing more than SI's attempt to apologize to the Rangers for their pre-season prediction. They alienated the overwhelmingly large Czech reader population.
 
Yeah, but Czechs will be pwn3d in curling but Canada :D


I dunno, the Czechs are a good choice, I'd say Canada has a deeper team, tho.

Frankly,I'd trust THN's judgement a lot better that SI, which hardly covers hockey.
 
Zine said:
I think their defense is one of their strenghts. They don't have the big names on D but the Czech play an awsome defensive team game.
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The question is, will the refs let them? Nobody traps like the Czechs and if the refs crack down on obstruction like the IIHF is threatening to, they could be in a heap of trouble.
 
KingofCrunk said:
I'm picking the Czechs too, but I think that Russia is the only other team along with the Czechs that can give Canada a run. If Russia can get goaltending, they'll be there at the end. Too much talent up front for me to ignore.
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I don't get the fascination with the Russian squad. A ton of question marks.
 
Rabid Ranger said:
I don't get the fascination with the Russian squad. A ton of question marks.
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Okay their defense sucks, but they could potentially ice a line of Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Ovechkin.

Think about it. :eek:
 
Rabid Ranger said:
I don't get the fascination with the Russian squad. A ton of question marks.
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uh, . . . Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Maxim Afinogenov, Alexei Kovalev, Alexei Yashin, Evgeni Malkin, Frolov, Zhamnov, Kozlov, Sushinsky . . .

i think the only question here, is how many they score.

for anybody who loves offensive finess, this is a dream team for the ages.
 
LannysStach said:
uh, . . . Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Maxim Afinogenov, Alexei Kovalev, Alexei Yashin, Evgeni Malkin, Frolov, Zhamnov, Kozlov, Sushinsky . . .

i think the only question here, is how many they score.

for anybody who loves offensive finess, this is a dream team for the ages.
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Right, and how far has on paper offensive prowness gotten Russia the last decade in international competition? Don't get me wrong, Russia has a ton of firepower up front, but serious question marks in goal and on defense.
 
Rabid Ranger said:
Right, and how far has on paper offensive prowness gotten Russia the last decade in international competition?
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To a medal in the last two Olmpics. The only country to do so, although neither of them was a gold medal.
 
Rabid Ranger said:
I don't get the fascination with the Russian squad. A ton of question marks.
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Agreed. The Russians have one of the most potent offences in the tournament. Like Canada and the Czechs, they will be able to ice three lines capable of putting the puck in the net.

But once you get past the offence, there isn't much to like. Their defence is mediocre at best. Andrei Markov is likely their best defenceman, and he's hurt right now. No Zubov is bad enough. No A. Markov would be disastrous.

Khabibulin is out of the tournament. He has struggled this year, but in the past, he has shown a knack for elevating his play on a whim. Not sure if Nabokov and Bryzgalov can do the job against Canada, the Czechs or Sweden. Nabokov/Bryzgalov vs. Vokoun/Hasek in a best-of-one. I know who I'd want.

The Russians have not won a major, non-junior world title since 1993, despite consistently icing one of the most talent teams every year. The forward talent is there. Playing as a team and defensive play, which are so critical once the playoffs start, always seem to hold them back.
 
God Bless Canada said:
The Russians have not won a major, non-junior world title since 1993, despite consistently icing one of the most talent teams every year. The forward talent is there. Playing as a team and defensive play, which are so critical once the playoffs start, always seem to hold them back.
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And '93 is stretching it a bit since it was before the best-on-best Olympic format. The '81 Canada Cup is really the last "major" event they won.
 
Macman said:
And '93 is stretching it a bit since it was before the best-on-best Olympic format. The '81 Canada Cup is really the last "major" event they won.
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1993 World Championships is a legitimate victory. (Canada has won four World titles since then, and I don't question their legitimacy, so I won't question the Russians 1993 championship, either). But the old USSR used to dominate the Worlds (plus every other IIHF event), so to see Russia, which comprised so much of the USSR's roster, struggling to this degree, is surprising.
 
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