WC: Team Slovakia
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stastny12
Registered User
What is your point here, mate? No need to compare Slovakia with Latvia. There is a really small chance that we will meet.
I have zero expectations for this team, but this may be a good thing. In the past when I have hoped, it has not turned out well. We could really use a Paul stastny right now 
stastny12
Registered User
I am pretty sure that it would be a Patrik Rybár.
stastny12
Registered User
If you mentioned Paul Stastny, you can also put other players like Kevin Labanc or Alex Tuch.I have zero expectations for this team, but this may be a good thing. In the past when I have hoped, it has not turned out well. We could really use a Paul stastny right now
There's no such thing as converting anything into NHL point equivalency. If things were this simple NHL teams would only sign the highest productive players out of Europe, and the highest productive AHL'ers would always make the best NHL'ers. That's not the case though. Heck, Slovakia even cut Martin Bakos, one of their most productive players in the European leagues the last few years, from the team.
Tatar is way better than any forward Latvia has. Panik is quite comfortably better than anyone they have as well. It's accurate that Latvia has some more depth up front, though some of them are interchangeable with the likes of Marko Dano, Michal Kristof and Libor Hudacek. On defense there's just no contest though. Slovakia has significantly stronger names at this position. Latvia has the clear advantage in goal, but all he can do is save pucks. He can't help transition like the Slovak defence can.
Looking forward to seeing Merzlikins in the NHL. I've liked him for many years. Latvia defenitely has a chance to beat the Czech's or Switzerland and make the QF's. But Slovakia should have a pretty decent chance of being the 3rd seed in their group. If they can pull off an upset against Canada or USA they could even be a #2 seed. We have defenitely seen Canada and USA struggle in the World Championships before, certainly early in the tournaments, and Slovakia will face USA in the opening game.
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Do I think that Slovakia will make the semifinals? No. Like someone said in this thread or another, history tells us that Slovakia seem to dissapoint when the expectations are high. And they didn't have a great showing last time they played the tournament on home ice. But on paper, Slovakia defenitely has an edge on Latvia. On paper they might even be on par with Finland this year. Traditionally speaking however, Finland often does well with teams that aren't very strong on paper. And they did indeed play well in the EHT the past weekend like someone pointed out.
SoundAndFury
Registered User
- May 28, 2012
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- 6,274
stastny12
Registered User
What a great game!! That was exactly what we needed before championship. WC pace.
SVK - NOR 3:2 OT
Goals: Černák, Zigo and Panik
SVK - NOR 3:2 OT
Goals: Černák, Zigo and Panik
45-17 at end. optically we dominate during this game. we had a lot of clear goal chances, but we could't score a goal. today we missed our top 2 centers Kristof and Hudacek, but despite that i think we've played the nicest hockey in recent 7-8 years
That's encouraging. Level of play is more important than results at this point. What were the lines and pairings?
stastny12
Registered User
Sekera Cernak
Tatar Sukel Panik
Although, they havent been chosen a special teams yet. I suppose that Sukel would be exchanged for Nagy, Hudacek or Kristof.
Patrik Rybár - Černák, Sekera, Jaroš, Marinčin, Marek Ďaloga, Fehérváry, Čajkovský, Koch - Pánik, M. Sukeľ, Tatar - Studenič, Zigo, Marko Daňo - Lantoši, T. Marcinko, D. Bondra - Liška, Buc, Buček
Dont expect any changes in defensive part. Grman is out because of the injury.
In offense, Nagy, Lunter, Kristof and Hudacek were missing. Probably Lunter is definitely out. Final decision will come tomorrow.
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SoundAndFury
Registered User
- May 28, 2012
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- 6,274
What's Zigo's story? He seems to be a good player and apparently liked by NT staff but doesn't really deliver at club level. Why is that?
Yes, it's literally a thing. NHLe holds predictive power.
Yes, NHL teams literally sign the most productive (NHLe) players accounting for size/physicality and other North American factors relating to rink size and style of play.
The most productive AHLers accounting for size/physicality are usually proportionally more productive than less productive AHLers.
There are too many factors at play to use the term 'always'. It's absurd.
NHLe is the best possible tool for fact-based comparisons of different national teams consisting of major pro players.
Your post clearly confuses quality with branding. Slovakia has a better brand, they have had success historically, they have some star players. None of that matters. Our forward corps is objectively better. And, yes, we have 3 players of the same caliber as Panik. You sound uninformed.
stastny12
Registered User
Actually, it was kind of surprising. When slovakian play-off ended, they prefered Zigo before Lamper . Probably nobody expected that. Ramsay did not call him ever before. Zigo is great grinder IMO, though.
If he can make it to final nomination(and after 2g in last 2games, I can say it looks promising for him), he would be in checking line. In Norway game, they just tried him in a different role – if he can handle it.
stastny12
Registered User
Panik is an established top nine winger at the NHL level and can play a complimentary top six role in a pinch. None of Blueger, Balcers or Darzins has proven to have those capabilites yet. What you have proven in the NHL holds more water than "adjusted points" between leagues.
Panik in his last three seasons: 229 games played, 50 goals, 112 points.
Balcers in his NHL career: 36 games, 5 goals, 14 points.
Blueger in his NHL career: 28 games, 6 goals, 10 points.
Even if you go by AHL numbers (again, adjusting numbers between leagues is pointless, so idk why anyone would), Panik showed better production there as well before his NHL career took off.
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stastny12
Registered User
Blugers and Balcers. Solid players, definitely. They need to confirm their first seasons, though... Marko Dano has made 21 pts in 35 games(quite better than Blugers and Balcers) in his very first season in NHL for CBJ. And now he is average AHL player... Panik could handle it and thats why I consider him like a better player.
Darzins never made it to NHL. Panik has already more than four hundred games there. I really need to say more?...
TheGoldenJet
Registered User
LOL at your use of NHLe.
Slovakia has two proven NHL forwards in their prime, to Latvia’s zero. I comfortably take Slovakia’s top 6 over Latvia’s, and I think most neutral fans would as well. If these teams somehow meet, Slovakia will be a clear favourite on paper.
Yeah, and the bookkeepers agree. Odds from unibet, in terms of likelyhood to earn a medal:
1. Russia - 1.40
2. Canada - 1.48
3. Sweden - 1.55
4. USA - 1.67
5. Czech Republic - 3.25
6. Finland - 3.45
7. Switzerland - 7.50
8. Slovakia - 9.00
9. Germany - 16.00
10. Denmark - 26.00
11. Latvia - 31.00
12. Norway - 41.00
13. France - 101.00
14. Austria - 251.00
15. Italy - 501.00
16. Great Britain - 1001.00
You're talking like a 70 year old coach in a weird suit. "Proving" anything within an organization is a question of hierarchy, about gaining trust of the leader, which is a very tribal thing for the most part. Someone has to be benched for a new guy to earn a permanent spot. And that guy being benched has spent years within the organization, he has actual, primate ties to other players or maybe even the management.
"Proving" things has got nothing to do with the skill level and the biomechanics of the new player coming in. It's about convincing people. His traits and his skills don't exactly change much over those months of breaking in. You do work up some chemistry with your teammates, but that also has nothing to do with skill.
So, no, Panik is in no way a 'higher caliber' player. He has a better brand name, sure. You have heard of him. It doesn't make him better. They're all in the same tier. We have data. It's 0.39 vs. 0.36 and 0.39 vs. 0.39 PPG in NHL and Blueger was more productive in the AHL this season than Panik ever was. They are all bottom 6 NHL guys.
