Olympics: Toughest Group 2010?

[finchster]

Vokoun, Halak....both have been very difficult to score on lately. Very hard to predict.

I think a healthy Gaborik and Hossa are more dynamic than any forward on Czech Republic right now. Jagr is still Jagr but I believe father time has caught up to him. Chara and Visnovsky would be an outstanding shut down pair perhaps better than anyone on Czech.

Halak if he plays well could provide Slovakia with the goaltending they have always seemed to lack. The Czechs have Slovakia on depth of players, but Slovakia I think has those key players right now to pull something out.

 

[garbageteam]

yeah me too. I'm pretty sure we'll get smashed with a double-digit score by Belarus . And that's being optimistic. Because that's what we germans are known for: Optimism.



I don't think you know much about the roster. You just look at the roster and see mostly non-NHL players. but you're right

I don't know anything about the non-NHL players, but an offense with Hecht and Sturm, both decent second line 50 point NHLers buoyed by an Ehrhoff who's having a career year doesn't seem bad on paper at all. Plus they also have Seidenberg and Schubert possibly, both decent D-men and Marcel Goc looks like he's having his best season so far. Greiss looks to be a decent backup to Nabokov and would probably see a lot more ice time on a team that isn't so stacked.

So on paper, they're certainly no worse than Belarus, and they definitely look stronger than Latvia and Norway. With 3 of their NHLers doubtful for the Olympics, I fully expect Germany to give Belarus a run for their money, and possibly even surprise the Finns and the Swedes. Given Belarus' injuries, out of the 5 teams that are seen as outside looking in (Switzerland, Belarus, Germany, Latvia, Norway) Germany looks to be amongst the strongest of them, behind the Swiss.

With that said I don't see how group C is any "weaker" than group A. Canada & USA is roughly parallel to Sweden and Finland, Swiss and Norway similar to Germany and Belarus. Both groups are equally balanced top to bottom. I would say B has the toughest group with three "true" medal contenders. Latvia IMO is a lamb being led to slaughter. They're in a position similar to North Korea in the world cup (being drawn with Brazil, Portugal & Ivory Coast)

 

[Oyabun]

Group B, without question. Both groups has their 2 big favorites, the difference is that group B has 2 very good bottom teams. How is group A even a candidate ?, Switzerland and Norway ?

 

[v-man]

I don't know anything about the non-NHL players, but an offense with Hecht and Sturm, both decent second line 50 point NHLers buoyed by an Ehrhoff who's having a career year doesn't seem bad on paper at all. Plus they also have Seidenberg and Schubert possibly, both decent D-men and Marcel Goc looks like he's having his best season so far. Greiss looks to be a decent backup to Nabokov and would probably see a lot more ice time on a team that isn't so stacked.

So on paper, they're certainly no worse than Belarus, and they definitely look stronger than Latvia and Norway. With 3 of their NHLers doubtful for the Olympics, I fully expect Germany to give Belarus a run for their money, and possibly even surprise the Finns and the Swedes. Given Belarus' injuries, out of the 5 teams that are seen as outside looking in (Switzerland, Belarus, Germany, Latvia, Norway) Germany looks to be amongst the strongest of them, behind the Swiss.

With that said I don't see how group C is any "weaker" than group A. Canada & USA is roughly parallel to Sweden and Finland, Swiss and Norway similar to Germany and Belarus. Both groups are equally balanced top to bottom. I would say B has the toughest group with three "true" medal contenders. Latvia IMO is a lamb being led to slaughter. They're in a position similar to North Korea in the world cup (being drawn with Brazil, Portugal & Ivory Coast)

First off, Hecht isn't even on the team. Second, Germany finished 15th last year, which is eight spots behind Latvia (if they weren't hosting this year's Worlds they would have been demoted to the B pool for this year). I don't see how this team is any better than that one. The good thing about this Olympic format though is that any of the the bottom six teams have a chance to get to the medal round even if they lose all of their prelim games, so in the end, the pools don't make much of a difference. It all comes down to one game, and as Belarus showed in 02, anything is possible.

 

[mexicohockey]

First off, Hecht isn't even on the team. Second, Germany finished 15th last year, which is eight spots behind Latvia (if they weren't hosting this year's Worlds they would have been demoted to the B pool for this year). I don't see how this team is any better than that one. The good thing about this Olympic format though is that any of the the bottom six teams have a chance to get to the medal round even if they lose all of their prelim games, so in the end, the pools don't make much of a difference. It all comes down to one game, and as Belarus showed in 02, anything is possible.

Hecht has been moved to the roster some days back, replacing Gogulla. And you´re right, last years performance was atrocious. That being said, they are in a non pressure situation, which might provide room for some upset. My bet however is that they will have more or less close games against Finland and Sweden, get lit up against the presumed easiest opponet, Belarus...and in the Qualifier play-off game they will get really torched, against whoever.
I firmly believe that the World Championships this year are more important to the team.

 

[v-man]

Hecht has been moved to the roster some days back, replacing Gogulla.

It's still not clear if the IIHF will allow it. They sent out another press release last week agreeing with the NHL's position that rosters cannot be changed for any other reason other than injuries.