GDT: Relegation • May 8 • Slovenia 1, Belarus 7

[Systemfel]

Relegation Round

May 8, 2011 • 20:15 CET • 2:15 PM EDT

Ondrej Nepela Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia

Slovenia
Unconfirmed lineup.

Left Wing | Center | Right Wing

9 Tomaž Razingar (C)​

|

22 Marcel Rodman (A)​

|

12 David Rodman​

|-

55 Robert Sabolić​

|

24 Rok Tičar​

|

8 Žiga Jeglič​

|-

71 Boštjan Goličič​

|

76 Rok Pajić​

|

84 Andrej Hebar​

|-

26 Jaka Ankerst​

|

14 Matej Hočevar​

|

19 Žiga Pance​

|-

Left Defense | Right Defense

18 Greg Kuznik​

|

28 Aleš Krajnc​

|-

15 Blaž Gregorc​

|

51 Mitja Robar (A)​

|-

4 Andrej Tavželj​

|

23 Damjan Dervarič​

|-

17 Žiga Pavlin​

|

86 Sabahudin Kovačevič​

|-

Starting Goalie | Backup Goalie

33 Robert Kristan​

|

1 Andrej Hočevar​

|

-​

Scratched | Reason
G 69 Matija Pintarič |

Healthy​

|-
D 21 Klemen Pretnar |

Unknown​

|-
L 10 Mitja Šivic |

Unknown​

|-

Belarus
Unconfirmed lineup.

Left Wing | Center | Right Wing

18 Alexei Ugarov​

|

84 Mikhail Grabovskiy (C)​

|

19 Dmitriy Meleshko​

|-

11 Alexander Kulakov​

|

88 Yevgeniy Kovyrshin​

|

23 Andrei Kostitsyn​

|-

10 Andrei Mikhalyov (A)​

|

26 Andrei Stas​

|

59 Sergei Demagin​

|-

17 Artyom Demkov​

|

77 Alexander Kitarov​

|

61 Andrei Stepanov​

|-

-​

|

81 Alexander Pavlovich​

|

-​

|-

Left Defense | Right Defense

43 Viktor Kostyuchenok (A)​

|

89 Dmitriy Korobov​

|-

25 Sergei Kolosov​

|

22 Oleg Goroshko​

|-

91 Kirill Gotovets​

|

52 Alexander Riadinskiy​

|-

5 Nikolai Stasenko​

|

-​

|-

Starting Goalie | Backup Goalie

31 Andrei Mezin​

|

2 Sergei Shabanov​

|

-​

Scratched | Reason
G 40 Dmitriy Milchakov |

Healthy​

|-
D 7 Vladimir Denisov |

Injury​

|-
C 13 Sergei Drozd |

Injury​

|-

OFFICIALS | -

Darcy Burchell|Referee

Sören Persson|Referee

Christian Tillerkvist|Linesman

Miroslav Valach|Linesman

Click to read more...

 

[Systemfel]

Live box score: http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/261/gameaction_2854.html

Streams: http://www.myp2pforum.eu/forums/29-NHL-Icehockey

Tournament stats: http://www.iihf.com/en/channels-11/iihf-world-championship-wc11/statistics.html

 

[SerbianHabs]

I wanted both these teams to stay

I think Slovenia deserves to stay in the competition more than Belarus based on what I have seen of both teams.

Eagerly awaiting

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

I too want both teams to stay, unfortunately it won't be like that. But it's true, Slovenia showed more.

 

[Peter K]

If Belarus looses... there'll be no mercy.

 

[HOOKEDonHOCKEY*]

2-0 BELARUS, HERE WE GO!

Are there any better streams out there for this game?

 

[andreconstantin]

5-1 belarus, two goals for habs kostitsyn

 

[Like Wall]

7:1 This is the most awkward relegation tournament since...

 

[vsk92]

5-1 belarus, two goals for habs kostitsyn

make that 7-1, kostitsyn and Mikhalev have 2 goals and 1 assist

 

[Peter K]

Hugh, at one point it seemed that either Belarus or Latvia are doomed for sure.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Slovenia had a good showing and for now they may ride the elevator.

Belarus will be happy to survive and look ahead to better days.

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

Disappointed for Slovenia...one of the real surprise teams at the tournament. They really played well up until this game (I missed it so I cannot speculate on the quality of their play more than this)...but the fact they were able to scare Russia, play Slovakia tight, and beat Latvia WITHOUT Kopitar and Muršak shows they are very much an up and coming hockey country regardless of the result. They will probably be knocking on the door to be promoted back up in a year.

 

[PeacEnforcer]

Disappointed for Slovenia...one of the real surprise teams at the tournament. They really played well up until this game (I missed it so I cannot speculate on the quality of their play more than this)...but the fact they were able to scare Russia, play Slovakia tight, and beat Latvia WITHOUT Kopitar and Muršak shows they are very much an up and coming hockey country regardless of the result. They will probably be knocking on the door to be promoted back up in a year.

Don't be ridiculous: their true strength was demonstrated against a totally lacklustre Belarus. Of course, lack of playoff experience played a part, but overall it would be a huge overstatement to speak of an "up and coming hockey country": I did not see Slovak game, but when they appointed Hanlon what were they thinking I wonder??? So in any event, it was no indicator.

As for playing against Russia: first, as usual recently we find it difficult to psych ourselves up properly for minor games - it was a big factor; second, 3(?!) out of 4 goals they scored against us were UNBELIEVABLY LUCKY, 2 of these 3 were even luckier than I just described (hightlights are available on the youtube - goals 1, 3 and 4); and third, our defence is a nightmare ((( Unless we do smth about it, we won't be able to get what we want in Sochi.

So Slovenia did try hard, did get some impressive results, but when it did matter, they just disintegrated. So we can assume it was just some casual success, particularly given that they have as many as 155 registered profesional players in the country. I don't think it's serious or bodes well for them. So the bottomline: it's unlikely we'll see them in the elite division again any time soon.

 

[likid]

So Slovenia did try hard, did get some impressive results, but when it did matter, they just disintegrated. So we can assume it was just some casual success, particularly given that they have as many as 155 registered profesional players in the country. I don't think it's serious or bodes well for them. So the bottomline: it's unlikely we'll see them in the elite division again any time soon.

For us Slovenians it is on one side disapointment that we relegated, but on on the other side not a big suprise. Disapointment because we played really well through whole tournament and didn't have a chance in last game (also win against Austria wouldn't help us to stay in group A), not big suprise because we are to small nation and every player that is missing, hurt us to much in compare to any other nation on this tournament. We mised our first attacking line (Kopitar - Mursak - Urbas), first two from NHL, last one from Swedish 1. division, and last two games we played without our best player in this tournament Ticar, who was injured in first third of the game against Austria (scored two goals against Latvia). That was to much for us. We also didn't have any luck with our relegation group, because teams such as Belorus are to good for relegation group. If our oponent yesterday would be France, it would be totally different story.

I would just like to coment your last sentence. I really don't understand why it is unlikely to see us in elite division any time soon. In last 10 years our NT has played 6 years in elite division and in two of those 6 years we actually avoid relegation. Our team is really young, most of the team is under 23 years old and I'm not sure we had any player in squad, that is over 30 years old. In B group we are always promoted team or team, that lost his only match agaist team, that has promoted in that year. We are on the same level with teams such as France, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Kazahstan... that are teams who are main cotenders for relegation from group A and for promotion from group B each year.

 

[PeacEnforcer]

I really don't understand why it is unlikely to see us in elite division any time soon. In last 10 years our NT has played 6 years in elite division and in two of those 6 years we actually avoid relegation.

Look, I based my opinion on the results of the relegation round, and more specifically of the game against Belarus. Belarus was totally abysmal throughout the tournament, playing some of its worst hockey, u, on the other hand, played pretty well in the group and had everything at stake in the match against them. So why, if u have class, did u fall apart at the most CRITICAL moment??? The answer to me is simple: lack of class and playoff nerve-biting experience which, coupled with the infinitesimal number of professional players in your country, seems to warrant only one conlusion: it's unlikely we'll see u soon again. But...

U countered it with some valid points (to be honest, i did not track Slovenia's performance over the past decade, so I did not know the statistics u provided and based my opinion solely on the events of this current WC), which make my statement somewhat less definitive Indeed, if u did it already 6 times in the past decade, why not again? I can only wish u good luck - u'll definitely need it

ps: btw, nothing personal against Slovenia or slovenias!

 

[TopShelfSnipes]

Don't be ridiculous: their true strength was demonstrated against a totally lacklustre Belarus. Of course, lack of playoff experience played a part, but overall it would be a huge overstatement to speak of an "up and coming hockey country": I did not see Slovak game, but when they appointed Hanlon what were they thinking I wonder??? So in any event, it was no indicator.

Hanlon is a poor coach choice for Slovakia, I agree with that, in fact I think he's a poor coach choice for anywhere in general. But the thing is you have to give the Slovenes credit for how well they played against the Slovaks regardless of Hanlon because there was no comparison of skill between the teams, and yet it was close all the way throughout.

The Russia game, OK Nabokov was terrible, but Slovenia hung in until the end...that says something.

And they played the Germans well, losing by a goal...the same Germans who beat a lot of top teams including of course both Slovakia and Russia.

Slovenia may have struggled in the last game, but they were missing their best player and they deserve credit for playing well throughout, not to mention some very good goaltending from Kristan during the tournament until the final game.

 

[likid]

Look, I based my opinion on the results of the relegation round, and more specifically of the game against Belarus. Belarus was totally abysmal throughout the tournament, playing some of its worst hockey, u, on the other hand, played pretty well in the group and had everything at stake in the match against them. So why, if u have class, did u fall apart at the most CRITICAL moment??? The answer to me is simple: lack of class and playoff nerve-biting experience which, coupled with the infinitesimal number of professional players in your country, seems to warrant only one conlusion: it's unlikely we'll see u soon again. But...

I really don't know, how Belarus played in their previous games, but yesterday they played much, much better in compare to what have shown Russia, Slovakia or Germany against us. And with that game they would beat any of our opponents in first round. And yesterday probaby even with Kopitar we wouldn't have a chance for winning.

So I wouldn't say for yesterday that we fell apart, this statement is more true for game against Austria. Our main problem is lack of strong matches comparable to this on WC, because even in preparation with the exception of France no other team from group A didn't want to play friendly against us because they thought that we are to weak.

And I didn't take your comment as you would have something against Slovenians

 

[KristoLeblanc*]

In that tournament, we can clearly see that Andrei K is a better player than Grabovski. When they are on the same team (happened twice so far, with the Habs and that WC) and both times Kostitsyn outshined Grabovsky by a wide margin.

Another Leafs playing over his head with a lot of ice time.