Olympic qualification - Vojens 7-10 february

[Justinov]

Yup, two bottom teams relegate.. So, it's not gonna be easy staying up at all!

If we finnish 3 from the bottom and Belarus 2nd, we still relegate.

I meant the bottom team for each of the groups...like Italy in one group and Kazakhstan the other last time! So a win over Slovenia and it's Slovenia that goes down...though taking points against Belarus will be essential as well since Slovenia might also beat them!
Norway will be to strong with its KHL players......
Swiss as well - to strong.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Thankfully we didnt screw up,but we were damn close! Too close..

 

[QuietContrarian]

I meant the bottom team for each of the groups...like Italy in one group and Kazakhstan the other last time! So a win over Slovenia and it's Slovenia that goes down...though taking points against Belarus will be essential as well since Slovenia might also beat them!
Norway will be to strong with its KHL players......
Swiss as well - to strong.

Yup, so we gotta make sure we finish better than Slovenia, which is harder than we think! We won't beat Norway or SUI.

And even if we do get some NA players, they need to click allot better than last year..

Thankfully we didnt screw up,but we were damn close! Too close..

Yeah, saw that ! Same with Germany.

 

[Justinov]

Thankfully we didnt screw up,but we were damn close! Too close..

Yeah you lost 3-2 to France....but since it was an overtime loss....you just barely made it... Since France, Kazakhstan and Latvia would all have beaten each other 3-2 it would have been kazakhstan with best win over GB.

You were really really close to disaster!
- the french were finally playing as I expected...lucky for you they lost to kazakhstan!

 

[BalticWarrior]

Yup, so we gotta make sure we finish better than Slovenia, which is harder than we think! We won't beat Norway or SUI.

And even if we do get some NA players, they need to click allot better than last year..



Yeah, saw that ! Same with Germany.

I`d say we are were more lucky than Germany and that`s why we qualified,but French gave us a mini heart attack every time they entered the zone.

 

[Justinov]

Yup, so we gotta make sure we finish better than Slovenia, which is harder than we think! We won't beat Norway or SUI.

And even if we do get some NA players, they need to click allot better than last year..

Yeah, saw that ! Same with Germany.

Well Germany did lose it...Austria with an OT point got one point more than Germany!

 

[QuietContrarian]

I`d say we are were more lucky than Germany and that`s why we qualified,but French gave us a mini heart attack every time they entered the zone.

Yeah, France are allot better than people give them credit for! I like their style of play. Slovenia's fast paced, counterattack hockeyreminded me a little of it.

It's like Denmark USED to play...

Well Germany did lose it...Austria with an OT point got one point more than Germany!

Wow, didn't check up, so Germany also misses out on OG?

 

[Justinov]

Yeah, France are allot better than people give them credit for! I like their style of play. Slovenia's fast paced, counterattack hockeyreminded me a little of it.

It's like Denmark USED to play...

Wow, didn't check up, so Germany also misses out on OG?

Yeah Denmark has to go back to our 2003 style! Fighting around our goalie and try to counter attack when we can...

I'ts Austria, Latvia and Slovenia for Sochi

 

[BalticWarrior]

It`s a shame Denmark didn`t qualify,with all their NHL players i would have given them the biggest chance for suprise in the OG(along with Swiss)

 

[Justinov]

It`s a shame Denmark didn`t qualify,with all their NHL players i would have given them the biggest chance for suprise in the OG(along with Swiss)

Yeah the last two olympic qualifications have been disasters.......with all the nations coming closer and closer it will be tougher in 2018.

As this qualification has shown: Austria, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Kazakhstan, France, Slovenia, Belarus and Denmark are basically at the same level...with Norway, Slovakia and Swiss somewhat better but not unbeatable.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Yeah the last two olympic qualifications have been disasters.......with all the nations coming closer and closer it will be tougher in 2018.

As this qualification has shown: Austria, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Kazakhstan, France, Slovenia, Belarus and Denmark are basically at the same level...with Norway, Slovakia and Swiss somewhat better but not unbeatable.

This is the rare time i disagree with you Justinov,Norway has nothing to do among the likes of Slovakia and Switzerland.

 

[BalticWarrior]

Well the positive thing for us is that we will get to see Girgensons in action @ Sochi (hopefully he`ll be in the Sabres roster by that time)

 

[QuietContrarian]

^^

Incredible... Big upsets...

Yes we do, im not confident it will happen though.. not with PB.

OG with all our players would have been such a treat to watch

 

[Justinov]

This is the rare time i disagree with you Justinov,Norway has nothing to do among the likes of Slovakia and Switzerland.

With their best team - like last WC - they showed they player significantly better than both Denmark and Latvia. But it's based on the topform of a few players.

 

[Justinov]

^^

Incredible... Big upsets...

Yes we do, im not confident it will happen though.. not with PB.

OG with all our players would have been such a treat to watch

Yeah and they would be totally underdogs....perfect scenario for a danish team!

 

[BalticWarrior]

With their best team - like last WC - they showed they player significantly better than both Denmark and Latvia. But it's based on the topform of a few players.

Well you know germany had 4th place in WC not that long ago,we were they last year?

 

[Justinov]

Well you know germany had 4th place in WC not that long ago,we were they last year?

Yeah..but it just shows how "equal" hockey has become after the 6 big nations!

 

[BalticWarrior]

Yeah..but it just shows have "equal" hockey has become after the 6 big nations!

Interestingly it happend right after 2010 olympics,will 2014 olympics have the same effect?

 

[Justinov]

Interestingly it happend right after 2010 olympics,will 2014 olympics have the same effect?

I think that some many teams can make surprises now, that the top 6 teams no longer can free-ride games!

 

[BalticWarrior]

I think that some many teams can make surprises now, that the top 6 teams no longer can free-ride games!

Yup but it will be a LOOONG time(if ever) before teams like Latvia and Denmark can fight like equals against Finland,Sweden,etc.

 

[Justinov]

Yup but it will be a LOOONG time(if ever) before teams like Latvia and Denmark can fight like equals against Finland,Sweden,etc.

True but we can occasionally beat them....and more and more teams can upset now!

Ahh 2010
Denmark-Finland 4-1
Denmark-USA 2-1
Denmark-Slovakia 6-0 (1'st period the best period Denmark has ever played - 6-0 after under 14 min., rest of game was cruising).

 

[BalticWarrior]

True but we can occasionally beat them....and more and more teams can upset now!

Ahh 2010
Denmark-Finland 4-1
Denmark-USA 2-1
Denmark-Slovakia 6-0 (1'st period the best period Denmark has ever played - 6-0 after under 14 min., rest of game was cruising).

2009 (our best run in recent years)

Latvia Sweden 3:2(something you guys still have not done )
Latvia-Switzerland 2-1
Latvia-France 7-1

But what i hope for(hope dies last as we here in latvia say) is in next 10 years seeing these small nations Denmark,Latvia,Austra fight like equals and hold their own against the giants

 

[Justinov]

2009 (our best run in recent years)

Latvia Sweden 3:2(something you guys still have not done )
Latvia-Switzerland 2-1
Latvia-France 7-1

But what i hope for(hope dies last as we here in latvia say) is in next 10 years seeing these small nations Denmark,Latvia,Austra fight like equals and hold their own against the giants

Yeah...but it's the lack of depth that keeps us from doing it through a tournament. We can't rotate 4 lines and win, so we can in one game use our top lines, but then we will get the payback later in a tournament!

 

[BalticWarrior]

Yeah...but it's the lack of depth that keeps us from doing it through a tournament. We can't rotate 4 lines and win, so we can in one game use our top lines, but then we will get the payback later in a tournament!

So thats the main concern that should be fixed in comming years (easier said than done )

 

[Justinov]

So thats the main concern that should be fixed in comming years (easier said than done )

Yeah we would need +10.000 players instead of 4.000 players to change that around.
The top hockey nations just have so much more skillfull players.