WC: Team Latvia Roster

[Namejs]

The best possible line-up this evening vs. Russia, but still waiting for
Blueger
Balcers
Jevpalovs
Galvins
Siksna
Jaks
(Merzlikins or Kalnins)
(Rubins)
(Darzins)

A. Kulda got injured, so one of Siksna or Jaks will probably make the line-up. Considering how good Siksna is playing in the VHL play-offs, this might be even an improvement.

Daugavins is going to center the 1st line tonight, so my assumption of Hartley acknowledging the lack of C depth was correct. More conservative coaches wouldn't be placing wingers at C.

So it's going to be

Blueger
Abols
Daugavins
4C (Batna/Pavlovs/whomever)

3 scoring lines pretty much.

 

[Namejs]

Damn, Darzins did extend his contract and will join the national team

I'm pretty stoked to be honest.
Darzins - Blueger - Indrasis (so, so much skill for Latvian standards, holy shit)
Balcers - Abols - Kenins (so much speed and skill and energy)
Bukarts - Daugavins - Bukarts Jr.(ridiculous chemistry and skill, PP unit)

We've never had 3 proper scoring lines before. And we even have the depth to juggle the lines around and place some bigger bodies on that 3rd line against top tier teams.

All we need is a good goalie and some puck-moving defencemen, and you have a dark horse on your hands.

 

[ozo]

Damn, Darzins did extend his contract and will join the national team

I'm pretty stoked to be honest.
Darzins - Blueger - Indrasis (so, so much skill for Latvian standards, holy ****)
Balcers - Abols - Kenins (so much speed and skill and energy)
Bukarts - Daugavins - Bukarts Jr.(ridiculous chemistry and skill, PP unit)

We've never had 3 proper scoring lines before. And we even have the depth to juggle the lines around and place some bigger bodies on that 3rd line against top tier teams.

All we need is a good goalie and some puck-moving defencemen, and you have a dark horse on your hands.

Why are you getting me so excited for the tournament?

 

[Namejs]

Why are you getting me so excited for the tournament?

Haha, well, we still sorely need Merzlikins to join us. Gudlevskis is a mediocre goalie, he's probably our 4th best option. Kalnins-Gudlevskis would be OK, I guess.

Waiting on that update from Kalnins medicals this week.

 

[ozo]

God these jerseys are giving me cancer, as does the announcing of Kreipans and Stepitis. Just terrible product.

 

[Namejs]

2:4 against Russia after taking an early 2-0 lead.

Blueger and Darzins are with the team, Balcers will join the camp later this week due to some rib bruise, Siksna's season is over too.

Still no word on Jevpalovs.

Rubins got sent back to ECHL, which means he's probably not joining the team any time soon. One of Marlies or Growlers will probably advance further.

Bruins-Jackets series starting soon. Never thought I'd say this, but Go Bruins

 

[GX]

Siksna and Jaks are joining.

Jevpalovs is out. Allegedly, doesn't want to spend time on the 4th line, in which he couldn't show his skills to the potential employers..

 

[Retroglyphs]

Siksna and Jaks are joining.

Jevpalovs is out. Allegedly, doesn't want to spend time on the 4th line, in which he couldn't show his skills to the potential employers..

0G 0A 0Pts and -2 in 8 matches at last year's WHC

 

[Namejs]

No Jevpalovs due to some weird demand from his agent regarding role/ice time. It's a bit of a blow in terms of forward depth, but if he doesn't want to wear the flag and be a 4th line grinder, it's his problem. He's not good enough for the top lines.

 

[Namejs]

0G 0A 0Pts and -2 in 8 matches at last year's WHC

Well, if he had had PP time and top line minutes, it wouldn't be all zeros. He recorded 100 points in the Q, he's got some nifty mittens, he's a pretty good player, but we've got a lot of good wingers.

If Karsums and Girgensons hadn't declined, Jevpalovs would ne riding the bench anyway.

 

[GX]

He's not good enough for the top lines.

As long as we stay away from injuries in the next 2.5 weeks.

 

[Namejs]

So turns out it was some press fluff about Jevpalovs. The only reason he's not playing is a lack of contract for the upcoming season.

 

[Namejs]

So a 2-1 OT win over Russia last night.

Did someone watch the game?

How did the bubble players look like?

 

[Namejs]

16 players have been let go from the camp, only a couple of notable names there, though. One of them is Krastenbergs, which is a bit of a surprise, but he's still a kid and he will make it eventually. His job next year is to make the switch to AHL.

Balcers will join the camp on Monday.

As for what's actually going on in the camp, the coaches are juggling up the lines all over the place. And another career winger Indrasis was tried out at center, so that's a theme now I guess.

Meija seems to have impressed the coaches so far, getting even some 1st line minutes. I guess he's going to be one of our energy/glue guys.

A. Kulda seems to have returned to practicing, so his injury wasn't as bad as thought.

 

[Namejs]

Galvins won the Czech league and surely will join the camp in the coming days.

Balinskis - Sotnieks
Freibergs - Cibulskis
Kulda - Galvins
Siksna and Jaks are the only righties tho, so one of them wilk definitely make it too

But in any case we're going to have at least 3 more or less even, decent pairings now with some offensive production in each unit.

Nothing spectacular at all, but a bunch of solid, reliable guys. Same as last year.

Wonder if they'll leave a spot open for Rubins.

 

[Namejs]

Daugavins got some minor ankle injury today and he might miss the exhibition games vs. Switzerland, but he should be ready for the game vs. Austria.

It's also clear now that it's going to be Indrasis, not Daugavins, who's going to be a C. Which is interesting.

It means that Daugavins should be the one playing on Blueger's wing.

Darzins-Blueger-Daugavins
Balcers-Abols-Kenins
Dzierkals-Indrasis-Bukarts

Bukarts Jr.-Pavlovs-Meija

That's a lot of skill packed into these 3 lines. But I am getting a little worried comparing the last year's roster with this one. We lost a bunch of gritty, hard-working guys. No Karsums, no Dzerins, no Redlihs. We have more skill, but the work-rate has dropped.

Everyone on that 3rd line is a bit soft.

I'm kind of starting to think that we'll need to break-up the lines against the bigger teams. More size and more hustle is needed. Someone like Girgensons/Jevpalovs would've really tied that bottom 6 together.

I really hope that the lazy controller-disconnected guys like Darzins, Indrasis or Bukarts will hustle. Otherwise our whole game philosophy will sputter and it just won't work.

 

[Namejs]

Guys, why am I the only one posting updates, saņemās

K. Redlihs has been cut as
Jaks, Siksna and Galvins joined the camp today

Also, Pavlovs has been injured. Not really a major loss, but with this injury we have officially reached the bottom of the barrel in terms of roster depth. There's no equally skilled reserves in case someone else gets injured.

We still have to make 2-4 cuts, depending on whether we're waiting for Rubins, Merzlikins or someone else.

Out of the forward group Gegeris and Marenis should be packing bags. Gegeris still has to make progress, while Marenis is basically a Div I level player and I have no idea what's he doing there in the first place. Batna is going to be the 5C, while one of E. Kulda and Andersons is going to be the 4th line winger.

I really hope both T. Andersons and E. Kulda make the cut.

Andersons has been slowly building up his career without a lot of attention in the Latvian media in NLB, having a breakout season last year. And he's actually going to make the jump to NLA next season. An all-around decent spark plug with some skill. Totally serviceable also at the WC level on the 4th line.

E. Kulda on the other hand was almost completely burned out by everyone's expectations of him following that Memorial Cup streak at WHL. He got the Memorial Cup MVP award, got drafted, but he just couldn't get a break in the KHL for several years in a row. This season in Czech Extraliga was a bit of a second coming for him, he got the feel for scoring back, his confidence is back and he could be a decent energy guy too.

With no Karsums, Jevpalovs, M. Redlihs, Girgensons, etc., this could be their chance to make their name heard.

It gets a little more complicated with the defencemen. Siksna and Jaks are the only righties, which means Zile should be the odd one out. But I'm not sure if they're actually planning on keeping both of Siksna and Jaks. Siksna is on that VHL scoring streak and should be in a real good condition, while Jaks is a bit of a question mark. Not exactly a stellar season in NCAA, fresh from the plane. He has work cut out for him if he wants to crack the lineup.

 

[ozo]

Marenis is a strange one, no idea how he even gets invited to national team for years or managed to make Dinamo roster, dude spent 4 years in NCAAIII out of all places he should be nowhere near this level, yet here he is.

 

[Namejs]

Marenis is a strange one, no idea how he even gets invited to national team for years or managed to make Dinamo roster, dude spent 4 years in NCAAIII out of all places he should be nowhere near this level, yet here he is.

He's a good friend of LHF president's son.

It's not like he's useless, recording 5 points in the KHL takes SOME skill, but yeah. Not national team material.

 

[OregonCanuck]

Stoked to see Kenins

 

[BigBadBoar]

The roster looks pretty strong, I would say the strongest Latvian roster in some years. They are definitely just behind the group favourites' back and will be waiting for their mistakes and failures. I would be surprised if they make the QF at the end, but not shocked. It is not a mission impossible for them.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I'm going to wait and see for Merzlikins. If he's in I will be mildly disappointed if Latvians don't make QF.

 

[Namejs]

Annnd Merzlikins is available

Assuming no key players are injured and Daugavins/Blueger have healed their bruised ankles come May 11, this team must finish no lower than 5th place in their group.

If we finish lower injury-free, I'm officially incompetent.

The Swiss have a slightly better team, the overlap in skill is pretty big, but we have no one to match Josi and we're playing them on the 2nd night of a back-to-back.

But, yeah, I'm stoked

 

[CraigBillington]

After Canada, Latvia is my #2. I have zero ties but just love the passion of the team and the fans

 

[ozo]

Drop the puck already!!!