GDT: Czech Republic Vs Russia | 12/27 @ 9:30PM ET | TSN/NHLN

[The Blue Baron]

Sweeet! Love those scrappy Czech!

 

[Master P]

I'm literally doing a happy dance right now.lol

 

[Czechboy]

Larionov will have to answer some unpleasant qurestions. I've seen bad coaching. This one was right up there. No adjustments throughout the game. Schemes that were obviously dumb, not working, not applicable agaist the branded czech hockey, but never abandoned. And he is no Bragin who could light a volcano under the players' arses in the intermissions. Just a sad, declining attitude on the team over the course of the game and no motivational effort behind the bench.

Beat Sweden, end the streak and the pool is yours... it was a crazy game but Russia is still a gold medal favourite.

 

[BigBadBoar]

Great defensive game by the Czech team. Even when shorhanded they managed to cover their zone perfectly. Those guys took a lesson from the disaster vs Sweden and tonight were keeping their game consolidated and organized for 60 mins. The only major error was that attempt at singing the national anthem after the game. Otherwise, they were playing really good. Focus, patience, great positioning. Parik was looking calm and confident in the net, definitely should start the next game.

I believe it was apparent that team Russia has got more advanced individual skill, however everybody could see clearly that the differences in individual quality between players are there but are not so gigantic as is sometimes postulated. If the team with lesser skill manages to stay organized and focused, they can beat the favourite, which is always exciting about the game.

 

[Atas2000]

Beat Sweden, end the streak and the pool is yours... it was a crazy game but Russia is still a gold medal favourite.

We can only hope Larionov's motivational effort between games is any better than what he does in the game.

As for gold medals... I will be happy if they medal at all.

 

[The Blue Baron]

I’ll have a Kozel Lager in celebration, mmm Czech beer rules!

 

[TeddyBare]

That's kind of Russia's Achilles heal for pretty much decades now.

It's wild how bad they are at it

Even Ray Ferraro just commented how russian d-man are lacking any creativity on the blueline in getting shots.
zero ability to walk the line
zero fakes to walk around a defender
They can't even get a shot the first level of shot blockers.

Hell I'd try the riskier toe drag just get by the wingers.

 

[smitty10]

Czechs need to play every game like this. If they do, they could end up in the medal round.

 

[Czechboy]

I would not want to be Russia's next opponent...

Jakub Rychlovsky with just a crazy 14 minutes... good for him. Shot blocking, the craziest break out I've seen in awhile.. talk about unsung heroes.

 

[Czechboy]

The only major error was that attempt at singing the national anthem after the game

When they showed Mejlnek with a tear, I may have had one too!

 

[SoundAndFury]

It's wild how bad they are at it

Even Ray Ferraro just commented how russian d-man are lacking any creativity on the blueline in getting shots.
zero ability to walk the line
zero fakes to walk around a defender
They can't even get a shot the first level of shot blockers.

It just comes down to mentality. Even in this thread Atas wrote like a dozen times how "Ds should play it safe". And that's what most coaches in Russia think too. Walking the line is not a safe play, you get poak-checked it's a breakaway so they don't do that in Russia. D is there just to be a traffic cone on skates in the O-zone.

Then these kids actually try to do something and again, just like in this thread, they get eaten alive because how dare they make a mistake when they should have just dumped it into the corner.

It's actually kinda interesting, for all the talk about the dump-in style in NA and limiting the creativity and all that, Russians don't seem to realize they are doing exactly the same thing only to their defensemen.

 

[ORRFForever]

So...

Russia beat the U.S. by 2

The Czechs beat Russia by 2

Sweden beat the Czechs by 6

The possibilities are interesting.

 

[Czechboy]

I’ll have a Kozel Lager in celebration, mmm Czech beer rules!

I was running out of options.. no more Staropramen here. It was gonna be Brouczech for the US game.lol

 

[Czechboy]

So...

Russia beat the U.S. by 2

The Czechs beat Russia by 2

Sweden beat the Czechs by 6

The possibilities are interesting.

In no way do I think the game against Austria is guarteed but if we can somehow avoid Canada in QF.. then I'll be thrilled because I know how that ends.lol

 

[majormajor]

Great game by the Czechs.

I really like some of those role players - Raska, Rychlovsky, Jiricek, etc...

I don't like Russia's game plan here. When you're playing a turtling defensive team you shouldn't try to endlessly regroup and pass around the perimeter all night. This Russian team doesn't have the passing skill for that. That and it is just too easy for the Czechs. They know where they need to be when Russia is passing around the outside, it's easy to defend. They aren't going to leave their spots. What they don't want you to do is send bodies to the net and get in the way of their defensive positions, to tie up sticks, to get in the goalies eyes. Where is this year's Voronkov? It seems there isn't anyone who excels in front of the net. The lack of deception from the point matters too, when did the Czech shot blockers ever have to deal with a fake? Late in the third the Russians did send some bodies into the slot, the right play in my opinion, but they didn't pass through to them.

 

[Startseva]

So...

Russia beat the U.S. by 2

The Czechs beat Russia by 2

Sweden beat the Czechs by 6

The possibilities are interesting.

cz max can be happy by winning russia in WJH in group stage and the yare so happy that they end on 1/4

 

[Czechboy]

We can only hope Larionov's motivational effort between games is any better than what he does in the game.

As for gold medals... I will be happy if they medal at all.

9 of the last 10 tourneys
17 of the last 20
Not worried about Russia medalling!
Czechs beat russia last year and Russia was in the most interesting 3rd period gold medal game in history!

 

[snipes]

@Czechboy

Congrats on the win, unreal defensive effort by the Czech players. That was one hell of an effort.

 

[Czechboy]

@Czechboy

Congrats on the win, unreal defensive effort by the Czech players. That was one hell of an effort.

It was crazy to watch a bunch of undrafted guys blocking shots and gutting out... most these guys literally just had the games of their lives!

Crazy upset...

I still think Russia will be in the semis and this won't slow them down one bit but, tonight, I drink!lol

 

[701]

We can only hope Larionov's motivational effort between games is any better than what he does in the game.

As for gold medals... I will be happy if they medal at all.

Would you or other Russian speakers here please let us know what the Russian sports media are saying about this game,
and the players and coaching? It looks to me like the Captain has been told to stand net front in both zones and he's unhappy about the whole thing. The players are playing hard but not smart. Thoughts about the coaching? Thanks!

 

[czechcanadian]

Larionov will have to answer some unpleasant qurestions. I've seen bad coaching. This one was right up there. No adjustments throughout the game. Schemes that were obviously dumb, not working, not applicable agaist the branded czech hockey, but never abandoned. And he is no Bragin who could light a volcano under the players' arses in the intermissions. Just a sad, declining attitude on the team over the course of the game and no motivational effort behind the bench.

Bragins Russians lost 3 times to worse Czech teams in the last few years.
It’s one game. Russia always plays when it matters.

 

[Yakushev72]

Hey boys and girls, it is late December, and that means it is time for the Czechs to hand out their annual beating of the Russian WJC hockey team. It was a beating in two ways: (1) on the scoreboard; and (2) as a brutal physical beating that sent the Russian players scurrying for the safety of the bench, under the protective wing and warm breast of their leader, Igor," the Nutty Professor," Larionov. Russia held a wide edge in talent, but the Czechs held a wide margin in hate and fierce determination. Just like every other year. They seem to know that the Russians will be unable to cope with the intensity of their emotion.

I could only think that Sweden must be literally licking their lips for their meeting with Russia on Wednesday. Sweden is far more talented than the Czechs, as well as bigger and more physical. Also, the formula for an easy win over Russia was laid bare tonight. Let the Nutty Professor play his silly drop pass game in the defensive zone, backing the puck up further and further. They must think that all they have to do is clog up the neutral zone, as the Czechs did, let the Russians play with the puck in their own zone as long as they want, and then, when they finally enter the neutral zone, force them to stickhandle through layers and layers of defenders. In all fairness, the Russians did spend a lot of time in the Czech zone, but all of it was cycling around the boards, far out of range of scoring a goal. When the Russians took shots, they were from just inside the blue line around the middle of the ice. Easiest place to block shots, and to get through the puck has to travel through 10 bodies. Nobody tried to go into the area in front of the goal to fight for close in shots. I know the Swedes are thinking that they wish they could play the game tonight.

 

[ORRFForever]

It was crazy to watch a bunch of undrafted guys blocking shots and gutting out... most these guys literally just had the games of their lives!

Crazy upset...

I still think Russia will be in the semis and this won't slow them down one bit but, tonight, I drink!lol

Do you think they have a 2nd BIG game in them and they can beat the Americans tomorrow?

 

[czechcanadian]

Hey boys and girls, it is late December, and that means it is time for the Czechs to hand out their annual beating of the Russian WJC hockey team. It was a beating in two ways: (1) on the scoreboard; and (2) as a brutal physical beating that sent the Russian players scurrying for the safety of the bench, under the protective wing and warm breast of their leader, Igor," the Nutty Professor," Larionov. Russia held a wide edge in talent, but the Czechs held a wide margin in hate and fierce determination. Just like every other year. They seem to know that the Russians will be unable to cope with the intensity of their emotion.

I could only think that Sweden must be literally licking their lips for their meeting with Russia on Wednesday. Sweden is far more talented than the Czechs, as well as bigger and more physical. Also, the formula for an easy win over Russia was laid bare tonight. Let the Nutty Professor play his silly drop pass game in the defensive zone, backing the puck up further and further. They must think that all they have to do is clog up the neutral zone, as the Czechs did, let the Russians play with the puck in their own zone as long as they want, and then, when they finally enter the neutral zone, force them to stickhandle through layers and layers of defenders. In all fairness, the Russians did spend a lot of time in the Czech zone, but all of it was cycling around the boards, far out of range of scoring a goal. When the Russians took shots, they were from just inside the blue line around the middle of the ice. Easiest place to block shots, and to get through the puck has to travel through 10 bodies. Nobody tried to go into the area in front of the goal to fight for close in shots. I know the Swedes are thinking that they wish they could play the game tonight.

Do your research on that one..

 

[Czechboy]

Hey boys and girls, it is late December, and that means it is time for the Czechs to hand out their annual beating of the Russian WJC hockey team. It was a beating in two ways: (1) on the scoreboard; and (2) as a brutal physical beating that sent the Russian players scurrying for the safety of the bench, under the protective wing and warm breast of their leader, Igor," the Nutty Professor," Larionov. Russia held a wide edge in talent, but the Czechs held a wide margin in hate and fierce determination. Just like every other year. They seem to know that the Russians will be unable to cope with the intensity of their emotion.

I could only think that Sweden must be literally licking their lips for their meeting with Russia on Wednesday. Sweden is far more talented than the Czechs, as well as bigger and more physical. Also, the formula for an easy win over Russia was laid bare tonight. Let the Nutty Professor play his silly drop pass game in the defensive zone, backing the puck up further and further. They must think that all they have to do is clog up the neutral zone, as the Czechs did, let the Russians play with the puck in their own zone as long as they want, and then, when they finally enter the neutral zone, force them to stickhandle through layers and layers of defenders. In all fairness, the Russians did spend a lot of time in the Czech zone, but all of it was cycling around the boards, far out of range of scoring a goal. When the Russians took shots, they were from just inside the blue line around the middle of the ice. Easiest place to block shots, and to get through the puck has to travel through 10 bodies. Nobody tried to go into the area in front of the goal to fight for close in shots. I know the Swedes are thinking that they wish they could play the game tonight.

It is crazy to me that the Czechs are now 4 wins in the last 6 matches...

BUT

Russia has medalled 9 of the last 10
You will medal again
I will enjoy tonight but it is trivial... Russia is a GOLD contender... I'm still worried about not making the quarters.