WC: 2021 Latvia Roster Talk

[Khokhlach86]

Final roster for WC

Vārtsargs	Ivars Punnenovs
Vārtsargs	Jānis Kalniņš
Vārtsargs	Matīss Edmunds Kivlenieks
Aizsargs	Kristaps Sotnieks
Aizsargs	Kristaps Zīle
Aizsargs	Uvis Jānis Balinskis
Aizsargs	Oskars Cibuļskis
Aizsargs	Artūrs Kulda
Aizsargs	Ralfs Freibergs
Aizsargs	Jānis Jaks
Aizsargs	Kristiāns Rubīns
Aizsargs	Gunārs Skvorcovs
Uzbrucējs	Kaspars Daugaviņš
Uzbrucējs	Miks Indrašis
Uzbrucējs	Lauris Dārziņš
Uzbrucējs	Andris Džeriņš
Uzbrucējs	Rihards Bukarts
Uzbrucējs	Roberts Bukarts
Uzbrucējs	Miķelis Rēdlihs
Uzbrucējs	Mārtiņš Karsums
Uzbrucējs	Oskars Batņa
Uzbrucējs	Rihards Marenis
Uzbrucējs	Māris Bičevskis
Uzbrucējs	Renārs Krastenbergs
Uzbrucējs	Gints Meija
Uzbrucējs	Mārtiņš Dzierkals
Uzbrucējs	Ronalds Ķēniņš
Uzbrucējs	Rodrigo Ābols

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[GX]

Latest practice lines:

Lauris Dārziņš - Rodrigo Ābols - Kaspars Daugaviņš
Roberts Bukarts - Andris Džeriņš - Mārtiņš Karsums
Ronalds Ķēniņš - Miks Indrašis - Mārtiņš Dzierkals
Rihards Marenis - Oskars Batņa - Renārs Krastenbergs
Miķelis Rēdlihs - Māris Bičevskis/Gints Meija - Rihards Bukarts

Kristiāns Rubīns - Uvis Balinskis
Oskars Cibuļskis - Jānis Jaks
Kristaps Sotnieks - Ralfs Freibergs
Gunārs Skvorcovs/Artūrs Kulda - Kristaps Zīle

Matīss Kivlenieks, Ivars Punnenovs, Jānis Kalniņš

 

[Namejs]

I like the way the lines are set up now.

The big question is whether to ice a pure shutdown line with Batna and maybe even Marenis or to go with Redlihs and Bukarts on the 4th, both of whom can skate and actually score.

I would probably go with Batna and switch up Krastenbergs/Marenis with one or both of Redlihs/Rih Bukarts

 

[SoundAndFury]

Yeah I'm really impressed with Hartley's love for Marenis. I mean he has some positive qualities but not at this level..

Roberts Bukarts also better pick his shit up because against the Swiss he was useless as per usual against anything better than C grade opponent.

 

[BigBadBoar]

Yeah I'm really impressed with Hartley's love for Marenis. I mean he has some positive qualities but not at this level..

Roberts Bukarts also better pick his shit up because against the Swiss he was useless as per usual against anything better than C grade opponent.

Hey, Bukarts is exactly the same case as Milan Gulaš (before him Petr Ton and others) for CZE. I call this "Extraliga-syndrome". You have a player who scores over 1 point per game in Extraliga, then he comes onto the international level and is barely average. Then you have other guys who score like 30 points in 50 games in Extraliga and are performing pretty good at the WCH. It is because Extraliga is obsessed with the term "smart hockey", it is so much about positioning and "smart play patterns", which however cannot work when you are playing really strong, fast etc. opponents. So you have a guy there who knows perfectly what slot to skate into and when, always has his head up, can shoot and so on, and he is a king of Extraliga, and at the same time useless on the international level. Then you have a guy who cannot play this "smart", but can skate well and be physical, and while he is considered a 2nd tier player in Extraliga, he performs great on the international level. There have been so many such players.

 

[Namejs]

Yeah I'm really impressed with Hartley's love for Marenis. I mean he has some positive qualities but not at this level..

Roberts Bukarts also better pick his shit up because against the Swiss he was useless as per usual against anything better than C grade opponent.

Well, he is relentless and gritty. A budget version of Girgensons, if you will. You can line-match him against top lines in the offensive zone to kill the possession and hold on to the puck, etc. We don't have many players capable of doing that.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Batna plays in French League. Krastenbergs in ICEHL. Marenis in Sweden3. There is probaly many better players even in Latvian league than those 3 guys.

 

[Namejs]

Batna plays in French League. Krastenbergs in ICEHL. Marenis in Sweden3. There is probaly many better players even in Latvian league than those 3 guys.

Marenis used to play on the same team as the son of the Latvian hockey federation. I think the son actually used to be active on hfboards earlier.

Not that I'm implying anything.

As for Batna, nope. We're sorely lacking large-bodied centermen. There's one in AHL, but apparently they weren't willing to invite him straight to the final roster without testing him first.

Ditto for Krastenbergs, he's actually considered talented. Latvian forwards tend to be late bloomers and he could be a leading ICEHL forward next season. Which is not that bad for someone barely making the 4th line, if at all.

 

[KendoYanar]

Is Kivlenieks clear number one goalie or will they share the games with Kalnins or Punnenovs? Who starts against Canada?

 

[JohnWillow]

Is Kivlenieks clear number one goalie or will they share the games with Kalnins or Punnenovs? Who starts against Canada?

I think Kivlenieks starts against Canada and the net will be shared by Kivlenieks and Kalnins if i had to guess.

 

[Namejs]

Is Kivlenieks clear number one goalie or will they share the games with Kalnins or Punnenovs? Who starts against Canada?

He should be the back-up goalie, but since we have a North American coach, he might not be in agreement.

 

[ozo]

We certainly take these! If not for the freaking covid, there would be almost riots on streets

 

[Namejs]

We certainly take these! If not for the freaking covid, there would be almost riots on streets

Yeah, I'm hoping they will let in some spectators in the play-offs at least.

 

[Antiillafire]

Great game from Latvia. Good shot at making QF’s now. Have to win out against Italy, Norway and Kazakhstan however and hope Germany drops points

 

[Namejs]

Great game from Latvia. Good shot at making QF’s now. Have to win out against Italy, Norway and Kazakhstan however and hope Germany drops points

It's all up for grabs now. It's very likely this wasn't the only upset.

As I've been saying, this Group B is the most evenly matched preliminary group of any IIHF senior-level elite competition in history.

There are 7 teams capable of snatching points against each other. Yes, that includes Kazakhstan.

 

[stastny12]

Massive win, but I have to admit that I low-key expected it ! It´s a shame I couldn´t see this game.

Hopefully, you´ll avoid a similar scenario as Slovakia at the home WCH 2019. After a huge win against the USA 4-1 in the opening game, we subsequently collapsed in the last minutes of the game against Germany and eventually didn´t advance to QFs. But I don´t think it will happen to you. Latvia has a great goaltending, chemistry and experienced team, at the same time. The medal does not have to be a distant target, imho.

 

[filip85]

Massive win, but I have to admit that I low-key expected it ! It´s a shame I couldn´t see this game.

Hopefully, you´ll avoid a similar scenario as Slovakia at the home WCH 2019. After a huge win against the USA 4-1 in the opening game, we subsequently collapsed in the last minutes of the game against Germany and eventually didn´t advance to QFs. But I don´t think it will happen to you. Latvia has a great goaltending, chemistry and experienced team, at the same time. The medal does not have to be a distant target, imho.

Yes, I remember, great memories for me....

 

[A Bundy]

Congrats Latvia! Nice upset. Screwed my betting, but worth it!

 

[THE JAM]

Nice 1, always knew that Southern Estonia is also capable of accomplishing remarkable things.. especially icehockeywise õ)

Longshot probably, but why not: the final game will be Northern Estonia vs Southern Estonia
(FIN-LAT for those not geographically up-to-date)

 

[stastny12]

Yes, I remember, great memories for me....

Unfortunately, I can´t tell the same. It was heartbreaking moment for me, but you´ll get used to it if you are Slovak fan Anyway, no Draisaitl, no party (and this time no Stuetzle, as well). That is the main reason why I don´t expect Latvia to experience something similar.

 

[THE JAM]

Sarauj!

 

[Fjorden]

Congrats to Latvia, very good game today.

Well coached team, that sticks to the gameplan with great discipline and good defending. Canada had a lot of shots, but only one or two good chanches to score.

 

[filip85]

My post from May of 2020. doesn't seems to be so unrealistic right now

 

[Rillijuti]

Kalnins in goal versus Kazakstan?

 

[Namejs]

Kalnins in goal versus Kazakstan?

It would make sense, but you never know. The 3rd game is against Italy, so if Hartley considers Kivlenieks to be our 1st goalie, he might as well start him tomorrow and then rest him for a couple of days.