WJC: How does Slovakia Look?

[BiLLY]

Does anyone think they have a shot of beating the US tomorrow?

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[SpitsOHL89]

Does anyone think they have a shot of beating the US tomorrow?

They definitely have a shot. I see them being just as good as the US.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

They definitely have a shot. I see them being just as good as the US.

And you base this piece of information on......? Because either, the USA have to be way worse than last year or....??

EDIT: Btw isn´t the game in 2 days? on the 26th NA time, and already 27th over here at 2a.m.?

 

[SpitsOHL89]

And you base this piece of information on......? Because either, the USA have to be way worse than last year or....??

EDIT: Btw isn´t the game in 2 days? on the 26th NA time, and already 27th over here at 2a.m.?

I base it on how their roster looks this year which isn't all that great on paper. Could they exceed expectations? sure they can.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

I base it on how their roster looks this year which isn't all that great on paper. Could they exceed expectations? sure they can.

Well, you´d think that after all these years of failing exceptations they´d exceed them once.

 

[worstfaceoffmanever]

Does anyone think they have a shot of beating the US tomorrow?

I'd give them about a 35% chance, but this team could again be the surprise of the tournament. They've got a little more offensive depth this year, with Viedensky, Tatar, and Panik all a year older, and the injection of Stastny and Kudrna gives them some extra offensive oomph. They also have two solid young rearguards in Janosik and Marcinin to go along with Stajnoch and Siska. The biggest question mark is in goal: can one of the goalies get hot and play the way Janus did last year? If they can get that, they'll be tough to beat.

I wouldn't write off this U.S. team, though. They're untested, but very talented.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

I'd give them about a 35% chance, but this team could again be the surprise of the tournament. They've got a little more offensive depth this year, with Viedensky, Tatar, and Panik all a year older, and the injection of Stastny and Kudrna gives them some extra offensive oomph. They also have two solid young rearguards in Janosik and Marcinin to go along with Stajnoch and Siska. The biggest question mark is in goal: can one of the goalies get hot and play the way Janus did last year? If they can get that, they'll be tough to beat.

I wouldn't write off this U.S. team, though. They're untested, but very talented.

Both bolded players were cut from the team.

I think this team has more overall depth than last year´s one, but Mikeš has said that he was missing the team spirit that last year´s team. Lacking both goalies and heart, I don´t think we´d stand much chance against USA.

 

[Kamzik]

A pretty bizarre preview of SVK from TSN:

"Slovakia will miss goaltender Jaroslav Janus, who helped the team upset Finland and the United States to reach the semifinals last year. Marek Celick is expected to take over in goal on a team with some firepower in Jakub Gasparovic and Richard Panik as well as Tomas Tatar of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. The defence features Adam Janosik of the Gatineau Olympiques and Czech captain Michal Jordan. The Plymouth Whalers' defenceman has 21 pts in 29 games in the OHL this season."

Who the hell is Marek Celick? And why mention Adam Janosik when he was cut. And why would our defence feature Czech captain Michal Jordan? Was the TSN person that wrote this on some sort of narcotic?

 

[slovakiasnextone]

A pretty bizarre preview of SVK from TSN:

"Slovakia will miss goaltender Jaroslav Janus, who helped the team upset Finland and the United States to reach the semifinals last year. Marek Celick is expected to take over in goal on a team with some firepower in Jakub Gasparovic and Richard Panik as well as Tomas Tatar of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. The defence features Adam Janosik of the Gatineau Olympiques and Czech captain Michal Jordan. The Plymouth Whalers' defenceman has 21 pts in 29 games in the OHL this season."

Who the hell is Marek Celick? And why mention Adam Janosik when he was cut. And why would our defence feature Czech captain Michal Jordan? Was the TSN person that wrote this on some sort of narcotic?

I just read it a while ago and I thought pretty much the same you do about it and I was absolurely confused after the Jordán part.

EDIT: Let´s not speak about that Janus upseting the Finns is a hilarious thing as it did not happen, because the Slovaks were the way more active team offensively than Finland was, sure janus was good in the SO, but that was thousands of miles away from stealing a game or an upset, it was the slightly better team winning a very even game.

 

[Kamzik]

I just read it a while ago and I thought pretty much the same you do about it and I was absolurely confused after the Jordán part.

EDIT: Let´s not speak about that Janus upseting the Finns is a hilarious thing as it did not happen, because the Slovaks were the way more active team offensively than Finland was, sure janus was good in the SO, but that was thousands of miles away from stealing a game or an upset, it was the slightly better team winning a very even game.

You are exactly right. The shots in that game were actually 33 for Slovakia and 12 for Finland. Although Janus did have games were he saved Slovakia, that was not one of them.

Going way back to the year Slovakia won bronze in Winnipeg, TSN hockey expert Bob McKenzie picked Slovakia for last and relegation. He made no mention of the young Marian Gaborik. Again last year they didn't mention Slovakia at all. So I guess this year they gave Slovakia a paragraph, albeit a very bizarre one.

 

[sickest flow bro]

You are exactly right. The shots in that game were actually 33 for Slovakia and 12 for Finland. Although Janus did have games were he saved Slovakia, that was not one of them.

Going way back to the year Slovakia won bronze in Winnipeg, TSN hockey expert Bob McKenzie picked Slovakia for last and relegation. He made no mention of the young Marian Gaborik. Again last year they didn't mention Slovakia at all. So I guess this year they gave Slovakia a paragraph, albeit a very bizarre one.

who is the projected starting goaltender this year?

 

[Kamzik]

who is the projected starting goaltender this year?

I think Mikes will use both Tomas Halász and Marek Čiliak. Čiliak has played the most minutes for HK Orange 20, backstopping the team to two of their three victories so far this season (Matej Kristin stopped 51 of 52 L. Mikulas shots to win the third, but isn't on the team). Čiliak also started more games in the four nation tune-up tournament in Switzerland this November. From what Czechexpert has told us, goaltending will not be a strength for SVK in this tournament.

 

[JMFJ 3]

Tomas Tatar FTMFW

 

[Gorgeous George]

Tatar has the potential to be a game breaker in this tournament, and the Slovaks have the ability to take any one-game series.

As for Boxing Day, Slovakia will be in tough against the Americans, but it should be a fantastic game.

Outside chance they could medal this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Tatar's name up against Eberle, Schroeder, et al.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

I think Mikes will use both Tomas Halász and Marek Čiliak. Čiliak has played the most minutes for HK Orange 20, backstopping the team to two of their three victories so far this season (Matej Kristin stopped 51 of 52 L. Mikulas shots to win the third, but isn't on the team). Čiliak also started more games in the four nation tune-up tournament in Switzerland this November. From what Czechexpert has told us, goaltending will not be a strength for SVK in this tournament.

I think Čiliak will start against the US.

Btw, we lost our last pre-WJC game by four goals, nhl.com predicts us to finish 8th, that´s the best situation that a Slovak team in almost any sport (excluding wild water slalom) could have before the tourney to exceed expectations as it was already proved a few times in the last year by Vladimir Weiss.