WC: General Talk '12 — Sweden (Part II)

[DontToewzMeBro]

The Blackhawks are lost when it comes to a second and fourth line center

Can someone please give me a detailed disruption of Krugers play?

 

[Nordic*]

J.Ericsson will play against Czech.

Yeah, a third pairing defenceman from the NHL will certainly win this for us

 

[WayneBruce]

Yeah, a third pairing defenceman from the NHL will certainly win this for us

A full team might make every difference in the world.

 

[mindfly]

Haven't really been watching the recent games but even if he is being pushed around like a ragdoll, does he still disrupt plays and move the puck out of harms way?

Because even if he is overpowered, I'm fine as long as the puck isn't on the opposing forwards stick. It could be more of a stylistic issue.

Worst case scenario for Brodin is when the opposition dump the puck in, and brodin goes after it with the opposing player right behind him, 9 times out of 10 he will lose that battle and the other team will have the puck down low to create scoring opportunities.

Other than that he's smooth as hell, basically he must gain strength to win battles.

 

[1912]

This hockey season is officially over for me save for a couple of games in the SC finals. Have a nice summer break every one.

Don't pout, there is still loads to look forward to this summer.

 

[allroundfan]

This hockey season is officially over for me save for a couple of games in the SC finals. Have a nice summer break every one.

Don't pout, there is still loads to look forward to this summer.

Really? Looking forward to another Swedish team playing well in the group stage and choking in the elimination?

One can always hope I guess.

 

[benzino]

Really? Looking forward to another Swedish team playing well in the group stage and choking in the elimination?

One can always hope I guess.

At least the footy team got no pressure on them to succeed so they might actually do some damage. Today was so typical team Sweden and Swedish media. They are all celebrating that Slovakia beat Canada and forget that they have to play a QF to actually progress into the semi. I'm sick of these older nice guy coaches like BÅG and Mårts. Get someone new in that actually shows passion and knows how hockey work 2012. Rönnberg might be that guy.

 

[jfc64]

No catastrophy:

It was a good game. The czechs were better than expected. They scored twice on a few small chances in the first period. Their defense knew their limits and what to do. And a few chechs were real fast. A few swedes looked slow. There was always a forward in their defense zone ready to start the attack. Swedish defenders should have taken a few steps up to put pressure on the czech. Sweden were short on players. Lundqvist, Pettersson, Franzén. Team defense didn't seem to exist. Brodin did it great, but both a Erik Karlsson and a Brodin on the ice for much of the defenders time on ice seemed questionable. Silfverberg and Järnkrok was no ideal fourth line. There was no clear role assignment in the team. Stålberg and Hörnqvist were lame NHL:ers. Stålberg a bit stale, too. Landeskog had the will. Bäckström should have benefit from a few more games. Swedish defense... throughout the tournament, if there was one opposing player and three swedes, many times there was schabbel. Strange, as if they were not on their toes. We should have had a few underdogs, a Fernholm, Frögren or another Persson (Jimmie Ericsson). Sweden didn't do anything about it through the tourney. Management's fault? Popovic? Mårts? Did he have the respect? I wonder if defense would be this bad (team defense) if Henrik Lundqvist was goalie.

Today teams assemble 20 players who exchange an equal ammount of chances...USA-Finland-Slovakia...it's all the same. Losing in Globen hurts.

 

[Harikkerk]

I feel so bad for Alfredsson I knew he just wanted to take that gold with the national team before he retires. And actually he didn't play that bad, he created much, just that the pucks didn't go in! And when he assisted those pucks didn't go in either.

He's close now....he's close ;(

 

[Nordic*]

Sweden weren't really put to the test until they faced Russia. They sailed through the other teams in the group, Czech's included. Over all, a pretty weak sowing by the Swedes, especially considering the players they had.

Here's my grades.


Loui Eriksson *** (Looked pretty tired, but has good positioning and got the points)
Henrik Zetterberg **** (Best Swede by far)
Johan Franzén *** (Decent tournament, some stupid decisions)
Patric Hörnqvist * (did nothing)
Johan Larsson * (always pushed up against the boards)
Daniel Alfredsson ** (At least he tried, but the feet aren't there any more...)
Viktor Stålberg ** (started off good, but only became worse with every game)
Marcus Krüger ** (Had a decent tournament, but his talent is very limited)
Gabriel Landeskog ** (rookie of the year candidate and not better than this?)
Jakob Silfverberg * (totally out of gas, completely useless)
Calle Järnkrok *** (passing grade, better than anticipated)
Niklas Persson ** (hard working forward, decent showing)
Bäckström ** (For being a semi-superstar, he was pretty invisible)
N.Kronwall ** (Really close to one (*), terrible for his standards).
S.Kronwall ** (Better than his brother...which is hilarious)
Brodin ** (Almost deserved ***, looked good)
Karlsson *** (probably best defenceman, but not Norris caliber)
Hjalmarsson ** (started off great, tailed off...)
Hedman - (complete garbage, worst Swedish player by far, even worse than Fasth)
Ericsson ** (looked decent if the limited time he got to play)

Fasth * (useless)
Enroth ** (not much time to show off what he can do)

 

[Trotzig]

At least the footy team got no pressure on them to succeed so they might actually do some damage. Today was so typical team Sweden and Swedish media. They are all celebrating that Slovakia beat Canada and forget that they have to play a QF to actually progress into the semi. I'm sick of these older nice guy coaches like BÅG and Mårts. Get someone new in that actually shows passion and knows how hockey work 2012. Rönnberg might be that guy.

Thats hilarious considering all Swedish national teams plays according to the same philosophy, from U16 to the mens team.
Not to mention Rönnberg would probably have another shiny silver medal had we faced Canada in the WJC final.

 

[Skellhell]

Fasth has to be the most overrated goaile of all time. What the **** has he done to warrant this kind of hype. He's won an incredible 2 playoff rounds i 2 years and this year he was useless against Skellefteå i the semifinals.

 

[SELANI]

next year, Sweden...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og1WBAfYXx0

 

[Cruor]

Something is seriously off when the people in charge with the organisation over here declare that they are happy. Empty beer tents and seats would only be accepted here, this has to be a cultural issue I can't think of nothing else. Just hop on a ferry to Denmark/Germany/Central Europe and you have hospitality of a whole different magnitude.

I'm curious to see what happens next year, I suspect we pretend everyone wants to pay 150€ to watch Tre Kronor go up in flames and just rinse and repeat.

Tre Kronor Legends was a nice break from this madness, taking 5€ for a ticket.

 

[Harikkerk]

Sweden weren't really put to the test until they faced Russia. They sailed through the other teams in the group, Czech's included. Over all, a pretty weak sowing by the Swedes, especially considering the players they had.

Here's my grades.


Loui Eriksson *** (Looked pretty tired, but has good positioning and got the points)
Henrik Zetterberg **** (Best Swede by far)
Johan Franzén *** (Decent tournament, some stupid decisions)
Patric Hörnqvist * (did nothing)
Johan Larsson * (always pushed up against the boards)
Daniel Alfredsson ** (At least he tried, but the feet aren't there any more...)
Viktor Stålberg ** (started off good, but only became worse with every game)
Marcus Krüger ** (Had a decent tournament, but his talent is very limited)
Gabriel Landeskog ** (rookie of the year candidate and not better than this?)
Jakob Silfverberg * (totally out of gas, completely useless)
Calle Järnkrok *** (passing grade, better than anticipated)
Niklas Persson ** (hard working forward, decent showing)
Bäckström ** (For being a semi-superstar, he was pretty invisible)
N.Kronwall ** (Really close to one (*), terrible for his standards).
S.Kronwall ** (Better than his brother...which is hilarious)
Brodin ** (Almost deserved ***, looked good)
Karlsson *** (probably best defenceman, but not Norris caliber)
Hjalmarsson ** (started off great, tailed off...)
Hedman - (complete garbage, worst Swedish player by far, even worse than Fasth)
Ericsson ** (looked decent if the limited time he got to play)

Fasth * (useless)
Enroth ** (not much time to show off what he can do)

Mine would look pretty much the same....

Zetterberg, Loui and Franzén did best in my opinion. Zetterberg by far, love the guy! he can go back to Detroit with his head high.

Alfredsson created a lot of chances but missed them, and a lot of them VERY close. He even gave some good passes but whoever shot missed as well. Just bad luck for him

Also Karlsson shot a lot and came into good positions for goals, but missed so many of them.

Too bad we didn't go to the next round, would love to see more of Ericsson. He looked decent against the Czechs. And he's well known for his high class skating.

Well, not gonna mention the others, u described them pretty good.

Hedman deserves some more trash-typing tho, NEVER want to see him in a Tre kronor jersey again. Would bebetter to just play 4on5 than him on the ice.

 

[Matte99]

Mine would look pretty much the same....

Zetterberg, Loui and Franzén did best in my opinion. Zetterberg by far, love the guy! he can go back to Detroit with his head high.

Alfredsson created a lot of chances but missed them, and a lot of them VERY close. He even gave some good passes but whoever shot missed as well. Just bad luck for him

Also Karlsson shot a lot and came into good positions for goals, but missed so many of them.

Too bad we didn't go to the next round, would love to see more of Ericsson. He looked decent against the Czechs. And he's well known for his high class skating.

Well, not gonna mention the others, u described them pretty good.

Hedman deserves some more trash-typing tho, NEVER want to see him in a Tre kronor jersey again. Would bebetter to just play 4on5 than him on the ice.

Watching the game in Globen I must say I was impressed by Alfie and Zetterberg. EK was fun to see but a very "confusing" player, often way out of position. I sense that its easier for him to jump in on small ice where its easier to predict and position himself. He will be the biggest reason for cardiac failures in Ottawa the nearest 10 years or so. Landeskog was ok, worked hard and wanted to win. Järnkrok showed a lot of speed and skill but couldnt really get anywhere. Needs to get stronger... Silfverberg was a non factor. Hedman just looks really awful, decision making seems totally off.

In general the team looked pretty bad together, lack of puck support and lack of team work/sync in defense. A mess in their own zone to say the least. Fasth did some hairy saves and I cant really fault him on any goal. Perhaps he needed to come out more versus Michalek at the last goal.

Overall the team didn't click and the lack of physical play from a NHL based team was both surprising and disappointing. The game could have gone either way but yet another flawed defensive collaboration made the difference.

Arrangement in Globen was really off putting, very difficult to purchase tickets except the ones for max price. The webpage of ticnet.se sucks big time and was the main reason I (almost) didnt go to any game. I live nearby the arena and popped in and asked if they had tickets and got a great deal. Just a very weird experience overall, maybe Stockholm is to big of a city to host WHC. It was hard to notice the event if you didnt got to the arena.

 

[Cruor]

Just a very weird experience overall, maybe Stockholm is to big of a city to host WHC. It was hard to notice the event if you didnt got to the arena.

I can't help but feel this is on the organizer, I purposfully asked friends if they had any idea that WC was being organized here (and in Finland) this year. No one had a clue. This was a major blunder, but as per Swedish tradition no one will lose their jobs over this.

 

[Garl]

Instead of bashing Hedman and turning him into a scapegoat woukd have been better to support him.

He's 21 y.o! "I don't want to see him in Tre Kronor jersey ever again" How dumb.

It's Patrik Berglund circa 2009/Alex Edler circa 2008 all over again, when they had even worse tournaments than Hedman this year and some posters wanted to "never see him in Tre Kronor jersey ever again".

 

[Caz]

Really? Looking forward to another Swedish team playing well in the group stage and choking in the elimination?

One can always hope I guess.

SWE plays DEN in the final. Doesn't matter who wins.

 

[Garl]

Teams of Per Marts are always like this. If everything goes well, then good, if not then not. He can't change the flow of the game.

Intresting fact is that when he had worse players: WJC 2008(1988 was a rather poor year for swedish hockey) and WC 2011 he had good results, and when he had talented squads like at WJC 2009, WJC 2010(1989 and espescially 1990 were stacked with talent) and at this years WC, he failed.


Also, we probably needed more experience. Karlsson, Hedman, Landeskog, Silfverberg, Jarnkrok, Kruger all those guys are great talents, but after such long seasons they didn't look fresh.

 

[CRSeven]

Could somebody please translate this for me?

 

[LaGu]

Could somebody please translate this for me?

Q: How do you prepare for a game?
A: Pretty much the same every time. Good breakfast, morning training, lunch, sleep, a bit of planning and then game time.

Q: Any particular routines before the game?
A: A few small things. I always put on the gear in the same way, but I think many people do that.

Q: How are you in the locker room?
A: Very focused and calm.

Q: Who's the best player you played with, and who's the best player you've played against?
A: Lidstrom in the Olympics, but I've played with many good players. Against, again many good players but Chara. Luckily we don't play them very often.

Q: How is to play other Swedes in the NHL, and do you hang out with them when you meet?
A: No, we don't hang out. You come in, you play and then you leave so there's no time.

Q: What kind of pre-season training to you like the most, and is there something that you don't like?
A: Most fun... It's the same every year, you try to get stronger. It's not so great to run but you just have to do that, otherwise you won't be prepared.

Q: What do you do on your free time during the summer?
A: I spend it mostly with my family. Before I played a lot of golf, but now it's mostly time with my family.

 

[CRSeven]

^
Thank you!