World Championships Relegation - Discuss games etc here

[Predatore]

RELEGATION GROUP

Apr 30: Kazakhstan vs. France 5-0
Apr 30: Ukraine vs. Japan 2-2
May 1: Japan vs. Kazakhstan 3-5
May 2: Ukraine vs. France 6-2
May 3: Kazakhstan vs. Ukraine 2-2
May 4: France vs. Japan 2-2


1) Kazakhstan, 5p
2) Ukraine, 4p
3) Japan, 2p
4) France, 1p

Official Tournament website: http://www.iihf.com Follow the games on-line: http://www.iihf.com/hydra/tournaments/output/WS/

Click to read more...

 

[Riddarn]

Bye bye Japan!

 

[zecke26]

Bye bye Japan!

a bit early, eh? france is weak as well. both should be relegated, but i don't trust ukraine either. only kazakhstan seems to be a sure bet to stay in pool A.

 

[Fredrik]

a bit early, eh? france is weak as well. both should be relegated, but i don't trust ukraine either. only kazakhstan seems to be a sure bet to stay in pool A.

I'd say Ukraine are safe and either France or Kazakhstan stays. Wouldn't surprise me at all if Japan surprises us, though.

 

[HF_Rangers]

April 30th Games:

Kazakhstan 5, France 0
Cristobal Huet pulled early in the second after allowing 3 goals.
Ukraine 2, Japan 2
Chris Bright scores with 26 seconds left to earn the Japanese a point.

 

[ES]

Surprisingly Japan got a tie. My prediction before start was that Japan drops, Ukraine stays while Kazakstan and France fight for staying.

Kazakstan's situation looks good now, but France is weaker than excepted. 4 games, 0 goals for, 20 goals against.

 

[HF_Rangers]

If the Kazaks sweep, all we could be looking at are the games against France. It depends on who can get the better goal differential against France on Sunday (Ukraine) and Tuesday (Japan). The question now is... Will France even score in the tournament??? When was the last time this happened?

 

[SmokeyClause]

I can't believe France is goalless. I think they've been outscored 20-0. Well, they are going to be playing patsies from here on out so they should get one...right?

 

[Riddarn]

a bit early, eh? france is weak as well. both should be relegated, but i don't trust ukraine either. only kazakhstan seems to be a sure bet to stay in pool A.

Well it's more of a wish from my side. I hope they get relegated. I really didn't like what I saw from the japanese team when the swedes played them. There are probably 6-7 teams in the B-pool that are clearly better than Japan.

 

[Flyman]

France is horrendous in this tournament. I am ashamed by our team...really ashamed. 4 games played, 4 losses, none goals scored, 20 goals against...

Properly incredible...

 

[Hiishawk]

Well it's more of a wish from my side. I hope they get relegated. I really didn't like what I saw from the japanese team when the swedes played them. There are probably 6-7 teams in the B-pool that are clearly better than Japan.

I didn't see that game but normally Japan is a very good skating team with nice puck movement (fun to watch) but lacking in the size and the goal scoring killer instinct departments. I think they are where they should be- that is battling for relegation but not necessarily the worst team here. If you look at all international records of teams at this level in all games I don't think you can argue what you said above. After all, Japan lost to Denmark by one goal (a very bad own goal) and tied Ukraine. So, it's not like even the lesser lights are waltzing over them.

 

[Fredrik]

I didn't see that game but normally Japan is a very good skating team with nice puck movement (fun to watch) but lacking in the size and the goal scoring killer instinct departments. I think they are where they should be- that is battling for relegation but not necessarily the worst team here. If you look at all international records of teams at this level in all games I don't think you can argue what you said above. After all, Japan lost to Denmark by one goal (a very bad own goal) and tied Ukraine. So, it's not like even the lesser lights are waltzing over them.

They have been in the division for like five years and haven't won a single game. No matter which teams have been promoted or relegated they have still managed to avoid defeat by Japan.

 

[Fredrik]

Does anyone else find this sentence funny?

I do.

Kazakhstan are safe.

The IIHF site wrote this:

The early stages of the third period saw Kazakhstan playing it safe and keeping Japan to the outside. At 10:23 at the Kazakh blueline, Fedor Polischuk inadvertently blocked a Japanese slapshot with his face. He was left bloodied and required assistance from the trainers to get back to the bench and then to the dressing room.

 

[Hiishawk]

They have been in the division for like five years and haven't won a single game. No matter which teams have been promoted or relegated they have still managed to avoid defeat by Japan.

Well Kazakhstan may be a touch better than Japan but we'll see what happens next between the consensus bottom three in this tournament- Japan, France, Ukraine. So far there is little to choose between them with France probably the worst of them so far; there is no reason to single Japan out as being below France or Ukraine at least. How many victories do these teams have at the top level?
And I CERTAINLY don't see "6 or7" teams at the next level who are better than these 3 though- Belarus, maybe. After that? Nah.

 

[zecke26]

And I CERTAINLY don't see "6 or7" teams at the next level who are better than these 3 though- Belarus, maybe. After that? Nah.

maybe norway and poland, but they're all pretty equal.

 

[Flyman]

We are out...France is relegated to Division One after their loss 6-2 against Ukraine. At least we scored our first goals of the tournament...