Olympics: Olympic Pre-Qualification Round 3 (6-9 February 2020)

[jcbio11]

After watching them play their guts out vs France in Slovakia last year, I really want to see the UK at the Olympics. How's their team right now? Any chance they make it through this round?

 

[SoundAndFury]

After watching them play their guts out vs France in Slovakia last year, I really want to see the UK at the Olympics. How's their team right now? Any chance they make it through this round?

They definitely have a fighting chance.

 

[MeHateHe]

After watching them play their guts out vs France in Slovakia last year, I really want to see the UK at the Olympics. How's their team right now? Any chance they make it through this round?

They definitely have a fighting chance.

You are being generous. UK lack the depth to hang with the likes of Latvia, Belarus or Slovakia. I suspect even Norway and Denmark would hang a pretty solid beating on them. Sorry, UK fans, but your guys should consider getting to the last round a solid success upon which to build for 2026.

 

[kabidjan18]

You are being generous. UK lack the depth to hang with the likes of Latvia, Belarus or Slovakia. I suspect even Norway and Denmark would hang a pretty solid beating on them. Sorry, UK fans, but your guys should consider getting to the last round a solid success upon which to build for 2026.

...

"This round" is in reference to the pre-qualification round that we are in right now, round 3, which happens from February 6-9, during which the UK will not play Latvia or Belarus or Slovakia or any of the other mentioned nations...

 

[SoundAndFury]

You are being generous. UK lack the depth to hang with the likes of Latvia, Belarus or Slovakia. I suspect even Norway and Denmark would hang a pretty solid beating on them. Sorry, UK fans, but your guys should consider getting to the last round a solid success upon which to build for 2026.

The question basically was can they beat Hungary, not any of those countries.

 

[jonas2244]

It's the most contested of the three groups. KAZ and SLO should not have problems advancing. GB is also the favorite but Hungary is not that far that it is a free pass. But I'm rooting for Team GB.

 

[ZT]

Naujo trenerio vedina Lietuvos rinktinė į Slovėniją vyks priverstinai atjaunėjusi
Začenja se prvi test za slovenske rise v letošnjem letu - Hokejska zveza Slovenije
Širi popis seniora za olimpijske pretkvalifikacije u Jesenicama | Hrvatski savez hokeja na ledu
https://www.jihf.or.jp/image_data/EVENT/2304_2.pdf

Lithuania with eight debutants, Croatia with the weakest roster in recent history.
This will be a nice shooting practice for Slovenia...

 

[kabidjan18]

I still think Lithuania should add Adrian Nabuurs to the pool. He'd be helpful on the blue line.

On a team with basically exclusively Right shot Dmen, a puck-moving left shot Dman could put the team on the next level.

 

[blair3]

After watching them play their guts out vs France in Slovakia last year, I really want to see the UK at the Olympics. How's their team right now? Any chance they make it through this round?

From a GB fan, thanks for your support. I think we can make it to the final round and I would be disappointed if we don't. We will have to play well in all games to get through and Hungary in particular will be really tough. My concern is that the team hasn't been together since Slovakia and the coach is now based in Germany. IF we get through we might have a small chance of making the Olympics, no more than 5% if we get a good match up with the draw.

 

[Michal]

This is the last cycle where Slovenia will be relevant.

It's really unclear to me which of the mid-minors are actually rising. GB has a (single) promising prospect. Japan allegedly has some interesting players. Estonia has some mildly interesting prospects, but that's what they are, mildly interesting. Liivik would be nice but he's only got maybe once cycle left in him. Erik Embrich would be the big pickup, it remains to be seen whether that is possible, but even he is only alright. Poland has two young players who might be somewhat interesting, but not that interesting. Hungary is in a bit of a drought. Slovenia had a good 99' and nothing else anywhere around. Lithuania is underrated, but they're so poorly rated that I'm not sure how much that actually says. There are no clear examples of Lithuanian players who look poised to carry the senior team in the near future and hold it up for years to come.

But I say all this kinda hoping to be corrected and introduced to prospects I didn't know, so...

Do you mean Lyszczarczyk and Lewandowski?

 

[SoundAndFury]

I still think Lithuania should add Adrian Nabuurs to the pool. He'd be helpful on the blue line.

On a team with basically exclusively Right shot Dmen, a puck-moving left shot Dman could put the team on the next level.

I think we have talked about this before, briefly.. Since Lithuania doesn't allow dual citizenship that's just not a real option for him...

 

[kabidjan18]

Do you mean Lyszczarczyk and Lewandowski?

Yes

 

[kabidjan18]

I think we have talked about this before, briefly.. Since Lithuania doesn't allow dual citizenship that's just not a real option for him...

Yeah, too bad that referendum last year didn't pass.

Alternatively, if he wants to come to Europe after this season he should definitely consider an EU passport.

 

[filip85]

Croatia with the weakest roster in recent history.

Which bugs me even more is that roster won't be much stronger at much more important competition than this, and thats's WC in April. Considering how Mannheim is playing currently it would be miracle for them not to play in the DEL final, which excludes Rendulić and Katić. EIHL playoffs are during April, and Cardiff could go deep (they are currently 2nd) which means Morrissonn won't be available. On top of that Janković (last year 5+3) is still recovering from shoulder injury.

 

[tony d]

This begins this week, Group H with the Kazaks, Poland, Ukraine and the Netherlands looks to be the most competitive of the groups this week.

 

[SoundAndFury]

This begins this week, Group H with the Kazaks, Poland, Ukraine and the Netherlands looks to be the most competitive of the groups this week.

Definitely not, any team from GB group would beat both Ukraine and the Netherlands. Hell, Romanians even beat Poland last year.

 

[jaro]

Hungary vs Great Britain will be the biggest match of this stage qualification. Other groups have clear favorites (Slovenia, Kazakhstan)

 

[filip85]

All games from Slovenia will be streamed on following link

video2go.live

 

[ZT]

My prediction:
HUN, GBR, ROU, EST.
KAZ, POL, UKR, NED.
SLO, JPN, LTU, CRO.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Has Adam Vay fallen off the earth for Hungary?

 

[kabidjan18]

Has Adam Vay fallen off the earth for Hungary?

Yes and No. I mean, he's injured, otherwise he might represent them.

But he wasn't ever any good, and I don't want to be the "I told you so" guy, but...he's not that guy for Hungary. Largely I would say the momentum that Hungarian hockey had has died.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Yes and No. I mean, he's injured, otherwise he might represent them.

But he wasn't ever any good, and I don't want to be the "I told you so" guy, but...he's not that guy for Hungary. Largely I would say the momentum that Hungarian hockey had has died.

Fair enough...I looked at their team and they will be in tough to defeat GB. I don't know much about their current goalkeepers.

 

[kabidjan18]

Fair enough...I looked at their team and they will be in tough to defeat GB. I don't know much about their current goalkeepers.

I'm not blown away by the Hungarian team. They've always had weak goaltending and defense, despite the newly naturalized legio, and they're missing some forwards so even what should be their strength is weakened considerably. Even if they make it through this round, I don't see them as a serious contender.

 

[ozo]

This Slovenia isn't what it used to be couple of years, but they have no real competition in their group, so they should sail through with ease. Kazakhstan has 13 naturalized players, I wish this team all the worst but they unfortunately will dominate their games, I almost feel feel like double digit score might be possible too in a game or two.

 

[Exarz]

The only clear winner of this round is Kazakhstan, unfortunately. Pretty sad to rely on a bunch of mercenaries taking up the majority of a national team to actually gain some kind of achievements.

I hope they continue their current development of young players so they can stop with this shit show (although I doubt that they would actually stop naturalising players even with decent respectable home-grown players)