Switzerland: National team discussion

[jonas2244]

I agree on all points. Nyffeler had a good start in his NT-career, he showed that he has the potential to be the starter after Genoni/Berra retire.

I liked Karrer, he wasn't visible that much but I think he played a smart game and had very few mistakes. Le Coultre has a nice offensive flair. This year WC is too early for them but I think both will have their career in the NT.

Rathgeb should have been the best D-men here, but he wasn't. With this shape he won't have a chance to crack the roster. Kreis is just limited, as is Simion. Altough I think Simion played ok today, much better than yesterday.

Because of SVK OT-win vs. Germany Switzerland wins the tournament. Only team with a win after regulation, so I guess it's deserved.

 

[Kuracmugger]

I agree on all points. Nyffeler had a good start in his NT-career, he showed that he has the potential to be the starter after Genoni/Berra retire.

I liked Karrer, he wasn't visible that much but I think he played a smart game and had very few mistakes. Le Coultre has a nice offensive flair. This year WC is too early for them but I think both will have their career in the NT.

Rathgeb should have been the best D-men here, but he wasn't. With this shape he won't have a chance to crack the roster. Kreis is just limited, as is Simion. Altough I think Simion played ok today, much better than yesterday.

Because of SVK OT-win vs. Germany Switzerland wins the tournament. Only team with a win after regulation, so I guess it's deserved.

I really liked suter in the deutschland cup. But rod impressed me to i liked bertaggia aswell those three guys are the only ones to me that could crack the roster for the world championship

 

[jonas2244]

Well, Norway wasn't much of an opponent but it looks clearer and clearer, roster spots in offence will be heavily fought for. Especially if those NHL-players who are now out of a playoff-spot are healthy.

 

[stv11]

I wouldn't put much emphasis on the result given that Switzerland has a very strong roster for an in-season international tournament while Norway had something like half of its WC roster only. Still, my main take out from Yesterday's game is that the players who already were the most likely to make the WC team had the best game. The Corvi and Ambühl lines were above the rest of the forwards, including Bertaggia who keeps showing he wasn't a fluke last year. The best players from the 2nd and 3rd lines were Suter and Scherwey, as would have been expected. Praplan, Hollenstein and Richard need to show more. Difficult to comment on the defense as Norway didn't show much offensively, but I liked Karrer and Egli, who could be a surprise WC player if he keeps doing that well (although his role might work against him). Strong game by the special teams too, especially the first PP unit.

 

[stv11]

Another good game, I can't remember seeing such strong special teams over the course of an in-season tournament. 8 goals by Lugano and Bern players show the effect a change of context can have on performances.

I know it's been the way of doing things for several seasons, but I wonder if going with an experimental team in November, a strong one in December and a young one in February is still sensible? There's probably more to gain by playing close games than by sending a WC caliber team to face a 2nd rate team Norway.

 

[jonas2244]

Perhaps the best option would be to get better opponents.

I really like what Karrer has to offer. He made the right choice to swap teams. Very smart, mobile defender.

 

[stv11]

Better opponents won't happen as long as the Euro Hockey Tour exists in its current format. Unless you convince Germany, Slovakia, Norway and the like to show up with a WC level roster, but they need to test players too.

In the end, the only solution may be to balance the rosters between the three international breaks.

 

[jonas2244]

While Roman Josi is probably playing his best hockey ever his team is struggling and with Ryan Ellis out of the lineup for probably some time it could well be that they won't make the playoffs.

Seeing the best ever Roman Josi on the WC at home would be amazing. Hischier, Mueller (He is RFA but I think for WC on home ice you may risk that) will miss the playoffs, I also don't think the Sharks will make it and Minnesota is also already some points behind a spot.

Could be a great roster if everyone stays healthy. Also rises the pressure, though.

 

[filip85]

While Roman Josi is probably playing his best hockey ever his team is struggling and with Ryan Ellis out of the lineup for probably some time it could well be that they won't make the playoffs.

Seeing the best ever Roman Josi on the WC at home would be amazing. Hischier, Mueller (He is RFA but I think for WC on home ice you may risk that) will miss the playoffs, I also don't think the Sharks will make it and Minnesota is also already some points behind a spot.

Could be a great roster if everyone stays healthy. Also rises the pressure, though.

But problem is that there is a lot of hockey left to play in NHL still and things can change. St.Louis last year was in much worse position than any of teams you mentioned yet they won the Cup. Hopefully all teams with Swiss players will either miss it or get out in the first round.

 

[Speyer]

I usually dont root against swiss players making the playoffs but Nashville has no shot at the Cup this year anyway. And since its the home tournament all bets are off anyway. It would be nice to start with Hischier, Müller, Meier, Fiala and maybe even Josi right of the bat and leaving some spots open for Nino, Siegenthaler etc. To bad Kukan has fallen out of faver since hes apparently having a solid season. The other guys however will be motivated even more to salvage their season with a great WC performance in front of their families and friends. The pressure will be extremely high anyways since a tournament like this comes only around every 10 years so why not have the best possible roster? With Josi playing the best hockey of his career and Hischier starting to dominate games on the NHL level this could be finally the year and all the hardship we went through against Sweden would have been worth it

 

[jonas2244]

Yes, a lot can happen, of course, and especially Nashville should normally have the class to turn it around. We'll see. I really like Weber, but a team which has to play him in the Top-4 is normally not Playoff-bound.

I'm already looking forward to the battle for spots. Will be a though job to select the team. Especially on the Wing.

 

[filip85]

What are the expectations in Swiss public for this WC ?

 

[jonas2244]

Tough to say. Expectation of the federation is to reach the Quarters, as in each tournament. But of course, if we really can get a roster with Josi, Hischier, Fiala, Meier, Nino ... the public expectations will rise.

 

[filip85]

Tough to say. Expectation of the federation is to reach the Quarters, as in each tournament. But of course, if we really can get a roster with Josi, Hischier, Fiala, Meier, Nino ... the public expectations will rise.

What is situation with Sven Baertschi ? Is he finally healthy ? Is he considered for NT ?

 

[torero]

What are the expectations in Swiss public for this WC ?

High ... Semi Finals ... less would be a deception depending on how it happens.

Swiss are systematicaly having some upsets ! but then, they loose 7-1 to Sweden ... and therefore we keep our status of underdog . But that was the picture 5 yrs ago ... now we are still loosing on average to Sweden but not 7-1 ... . And are a real threat for Slovakia and CZE. Not to say that we can beat CAN, USA, RUS or SWE at any point in time. would still be an upset.

The Swiss is waiting more than the simple QF now.

In other words :
no QF = big negative
QF = we are tired of that
SF = will be accepted and it will correspond to the popular positive expectation.
F = great stuff ... waiting for the gold
Gold ? = Fischer is Bundesrat fur sport / conseiller fédéral pour le département des sports ... president

 

[kudla]

Switzerland winning gold would be huge.

 

[jonas2244]

What is situation with Sven Baertschi ? Is he finally healthy ? Is he considered for NT ?

If he's healty I'm pretty sure he will be considered. But as I said. Positions on the wing will be fought for hardly. He has 31 points in 25 AHL-games which is quite solid.
On the other hand, Utica has a strong team and if he has to stay there they could have a deep playoff run which would mean he0s not available.

Fischer has to find the right mix. There is much less depth on Defence, so Josi/Weber would be very welcome.

 

[jonas2244]

Roster for the prospect games vs. Germany:

Van Pottelberghe
Descloux

Yanik Burren
Roger Karrer
Tobias Geisser
Andreas Glauser
Simon Le Coultre
Dominik Egli
Elia Riva
Sven Jung

Sven Leuenberger
Justin Sigrist
André Heim
Axel Simic
Yannick Zehnder
Luca Hischier
Luca Fazzini
Damien Riat
Valentin Nussbaumer
Dominik Diem
Gilian Kohler
Marco Miranda

 

[stv11]

Love that defense. Karrer, Egli, Le Coultre and Glauser already had solid performances this season, and Geisser showed nice things in the WC camp last year. Both goalies have WC potential too.

The forward group is a bit less impressive. Riat is the obvious big name, then Hischier and Fazzini, but both are going to be 25 this year and need a big step forward in their development if they hope to make it to the WC. Diem and Miranda are having a good season too, and the rest are still just prospects, probably several seasons away from contributing at this level.

 

[jonas2244]

I wonder why he didn't call Berni and Moser. Aren't they prospects anymore?

The forward group is not that impressive, but still interesting. Especially those who can play Center could be earlier in the mix as expected, depending on who is reporting from NA and injuries. The depth there is still not that good.

 

[jonas2244]

Livio Stadler replaces Elia Riva who is injured.

 

[jonas2244]

SRF is airing both games. Today on SRF2 and tomorrow on SRFinfo. Cannot remember that they did show such games before.

Lineup today:

Van Pottelberghe

Le Coultre - Glauser
Jung - Egli
Stadler - Karrer
Geisser - Burren

Hischier - Diem - Fazzini
Miranda - Heim - Riat
Kohler - Nussbaumer - Simic
Zehnder - Sigrist - Leuenberger

 

[stv11]

Any comment on the game? I couldn't watch.

 

[jonas2244]

Yeah, first period was ugly, the second and the third one were quite good. I thought there was quite a gap between the two teams in terms of skill and that the result was probably too close.

Jung has no business at this level, the rest of the defence played solid. Egli wasn't as dominant as he was in autumn. Stadler was surprisingly good.

On offence Simic and Nussbaumer were the most noticable. Nussbaumer could be in the mix for the WC, Center-depth is thin and he is physically ready. Fazzini had a good game too but was a little bit unlucky with some posts. Hischier is just too limited technically and on his skates to be an option. Not much from the Miranda-Heim-Riat line, Zehnder - Sigrist and Leuenberger got better as the game went on and had a nice goal in the last period.

No blame for Van Pottelberghe, he played a good game, not many rebounds, always in control (beside one moment when he wanted to play the puck and missed it )

 

[stv11]

Interesting comment about Nussbaumer, although it would take a lot centers not coming for him to play at the WC, especially this year as players are more likely to play through injuries with the tournament being in Switzerland.

The more I see van Pottelberghe, the more I think he will be at the WC. He's one of the most improved players this season.