Shoalzie
Trust me!
Now that every team has played a game...
...how do you rank the teams (1-8) so far?
1. Canada...most complete team in the tournament, hasn't disappointed yet. They smoked Slovakia and should've done the same to Team USA if it wasn't for Esche. I want to see if the Russians can give them a game.
2. Finland...they may not be a team of superstars but they are wiping the floor with their opposition. Kiprusoff is definitely no fluke.
3. Sweden...they aren't too far behind Finland and obviously they haven't played each other yet. The fact that goaltending is a bit of a question mark, that's why they are third. They have the best two top lines in the tournament (Forsberg-Zetterberg-Naslund and Modin-Sundin-Alfredsson).
4. Russia...only saw them once but they look strong. We all know how skilled they are, it all rests on their focus and on how much they want it. Bryzgalov was very good last night...I thought goaltending would be their weakness with no Khabibulin and Nabokov. The game with Canada will be the true test for them.
5. USA...I have them this high only because of Esche. His defense is leaving him out to dry but he's been as good as any goalie in the tournament. The forwards just haven't produced enough pressure on the other end and they are getting outshot by nearly a 2:1 margin. They have to be Slovakia tonight or I see them being one-and-done in the playoffs.
6. Czech Republic...I think of them the same way as I think of the Russians. They are very talented but they need to have the motivation for them to succeed. With Hlinka's death, I would've thought they'd rally around it but have looked flat. Other than the third period of the Sweden game, they've been the worst team in the tournament.
7. Slovakia...same with Russia, only played once. Tonight with Team USA will be a good measuring stick for them. The Americans are vulnerable but the Slovaks are missing a few key forwards. The loser of the game tonight will likely have the unenviable task of taking on Canada in the first round of the playoffs.
8. Germany...bless their hearts, just no match for the other 7 clubs in the field. I don't know who would've been a better choice to fill out the 8 teams. I personally thought this tournament should've had 12 teams with only 8 advancing to the playoffs and making pool play more important.
My pre-tournament rankings were:
1. Canada
2. Czech Republic
3. Sweden
4. USA
5. Finland
6. Slovakia
7. Russia
8. Germany
...how do you rank the teams (1-8) so far?
1. Canada...most complete team in the tournament, hasn't disappointed yet. They smoked Slovakia and should've done the same to Team USA if it wasn't for Esche. I want to see if the Russians can give them a game.
2. Finland...they may not be a team of superstars but they are wiping the floor with their opposition. Kiprusoff is definitely no fluke.
3. Sweden...they aren't too far behind Finland and obviously they haven't played each other yet. The fact that goaltending is a bit of a question mark, that's why they are third. They have the best two top lines in the tournament (Forsberg-Zetterberg-Naslund and Modin-Sundin-Alfredsson).
4. Russia...only saw them once but they look strong. We all know how skilled they are, it all rests on their focus and on how much they want it. Bryzgalov was very good last night...I thought goaltending would be their weakness with no Khabibulin and Nabokov. The game with Canada will be the true test for them.
5. USA...I have them this high only because of Esche. His defense is leaving him out to dry but he's been as good as any goalie in the tournament. The forwards just haven't produced enough pressure on the other end and they are getting outshot by nearly a 2:1 margin. They have to be Slovakia tonight or I see them being one-and-done in the playoffs.
6. Czech Republic...I think of them the same way as I think of the Russians. They are very talented but they need to have the motivation for them to succeed. With Hlinka's death, I would've thought they'd rally around it but have looked flat. Other than the third period of the Sweden game, they've been the worst team in the tournament.
7. Slovakia...same with Russia, only played once. Tonight with Team USA will be a good measuring stick for them. The Americans are vulnerable but the Slovaks are missing a few key forwards. The loser of the game tonight will likely have the unenviable task of taking on Canada in the first round of the playoffs.
8. Germany...bless their hearts, just no match for the other 7 clubs in the field. I don't know who would've been a better choice to fill out the 8 teams. I personally thought this tournament should've had 12 teams with only 8 advancing to the playoffs and making pool play more important.
My pre-tournament rankings were:
1. Canada
2. Czech Republic
3. Sweden
4. USA
5. Finland
6. Slovakia
7. Russia
8. Germany
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I wonder what happens if Sweden scores a first goal, cause Finland has been leading all the games this far. Will Finns get confused and how Kipper handles situation?
