playasRus
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- Mar 21, 2009
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That really a surprise? We may have some holes every year but we definitely usually are up there in the top 3 on paper. On ice is another story.
WC: Surprises this world champs
- Thread starter mattihp
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That really a surprise? We may have some holes every year but we definitely usually are up there in the top 3 on paper. On ice is another story.
alko
Registered User
Thats not a big surprise. In the last few years there are still issues with "weaker" teams.
VictorLustig
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- Feb 8, 2012
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For me, Mattias Ekholm has been the biggest surprise on the Swedish team. He has been very steady defensively while also joining the offense quite a bit.
Eriksson is perhaps not a surprise but he's just consistently good every WC he plays, doesn't get nearly enough credit.
Eriksson is perhaps not a surprise but he's just consistently good every WC he plays, doesn't get nearly enough credit.
izzy
go
positive: 1) Jagr's skating ability; 2) team US
negative: so far Slovakia - I dont believe the team is bad (however having player from belarus league /am I correct?/ quite shocked me) and if they put their heads on right track, they can improve a lot. But there is a lot to work on....
negative: so far Slovakia - I dont believe the team is bad (however having player from belarus league /am I correct?/ quite shocked me) and if they put their heads on right track, they can improve a lot. But there is a lot to work on....
slovakiasnextone
Registered User
Yeah, out of all the problems we have, I don't think this is one. Lusnak played in the preparation games and he played well enough to earn a spot on the team as 4th liner. The 4th line isn't our problem, I'd say.
USA ofcourse..
Kemppainen also, didnt expect him to be able to score to empty net..and he has done it twice!!
Kemppainen also, didnt expect him to be able to score to empty net..and he has done it twice!!
Meszaros has been clutch. I've also been surprised with Vladimir Dravecky in the two games with Slovakia that I have watched.
With their team, especially the forwards, I really thought they would make the quarter finals this year. If they just had one of Chara, Sekera or Visnovsky on the back end I think they would look much better, especially on the PP.
With their team, especially the forwards, I really thought they would make the quarter finals this year. If they just had one of Chara, Sekera or Visnovsky on the back end I think they would look much better, especially on the PP.
QuietContrarian
Registered User
Jesus Christ Horburn
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- Aug 22, 2008
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It's pretty funny (sad for us) that Belarus, not Slovakia accomplished this feat. Belarus leading Group B after 1 week of play?
I think some serious money could have been won if anyone had placed a bet on that one week ago.I'm afraid Group B is mostly so exciting because Slovakia is so lame – because it can't win the games it's "supposed" to win. Compare that with a rather clear-cut top 4 in Group A. It was similar last year, with Slovakia's 5-3 defeat by France, despite leading 3-1 in the game. Practically the same thing happened to Slovakia last night in the Norway game. I see Slovakia's chances of advancing to the play-offs as extremely slim now, 5% or so. What a difference one lost game can make! Group lead... or failing to get into the play-offs.
Loosie
The Eternal Optimist
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
Biggest surprise for me is that North-American teams are leading both groups in European sized rink or at least before today they were and USA is kinda still leading the other group since BLR didn't face Finland nor Russia yet, while USA beat both of them.
Yeah I have to give him credit this year. He seems like the only one who tries out there sometimes, He lacks skating or skill to be effective against better opponents though.
ROFL... You can't create virtual rankings like that. Based on those, Slovakia is in the lead, because Slovakia defeated Belarus and Belarus defeated the US, so Slovakia defeating the US should be a piece of cake, right? Not really. Belarus is the group leader, and the US is not. Besides, if the US beat Finland, why couldn't Belarus? And... the US has a recent history of losing to Denmark at the Worlds... It's impossible to consider any games settled before they are actually played.
Czech Your Math
I am lizard king
I agree that you can't assume the winner of any games before they are played. However, I agree with the poster that you quoted: USA is still effectively leading the group at this point. They are tied with Russia & Finland and have defeated both, while they have yet to play each other. Belarus has one more point than USA and defeated them, but there's obviously a huge difference in remaining schedules: USA vs. Slovakia, Slovenia, and Denmark... Belarus vs. Russia, Finland, and Norway. I mean, Norway is Belarus' weakest remaining opponent... and they beat Slovakia, while neither Slovenia nor Denmark has won a game yet.
There's no such thing as "effectively leading the group".
There's the factual group leader, Belarus, and that's it. The US don't even have a game in hand on them. Slovakia defeated the US both in 2012 and 2013, so I can't see how you can hand those points to the US before the game is played. Slovenia and Denmark will be desperate, fighting for their lives and survival in the top Worlds category. It's gonna be interesting.
A clear cut top 4 in Group A? Really?
Switzerland lost to Austria and Latvia. They still have to play against Canada, Sweden and Czech Republic.There is no clear cut top 4.
slovakiasnextone
Registered User
Nikolaj Ehlers declining the invitation due to fatigue had me pretty surprised.
donghabs98
Moderator
donghabs98
Moderator
My guess is that he isn't 100% after the QMJHL playoffs, it was basically carrying the Mooseheads through the playoffs and was the target of a lot of physical play. That being said I was also a bit surprised that he didn't go.
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