WC Relegation Round GDTs

[RorschachWJK]

Germany loses 2-3 against Denmark

Austria is down, Denmark stays up and Slovenia had to beat Austria to stay up and send Germany down.

What is up with German hockey these days? Looks like Switzerland and Latvia are going to compete for the 8th spot in the future, not Germany...

 

[Jamina]

Germany - Denmark 2-3 (1-1,1-1,0-1)

3.16 1-0 Hecht (Schubert) pp
14.00 1-1 Green pp

25.44 2-1 Boos (Schauer)
36.08 2-2 Grey (Schioldan)

49.28 2-3 Degn

Müller GER 7+ 8+ 4=19
Hirsch DEN 11+13+12=36

Penalties GER 7x2 min DEN 7x2 min

 

[danista]

I think we're not that bad like we play in this WC. I think it's a coaching problem. We have some good players like Hecht (esp.), Ehrhoff, Schubert, Goc, Kreutzer so it shouldn't be a quality problem. There are also some good players that didn't play this WC like Sturm, Kölzig, Lüdemann and Ustorf.

 

[VanIslander]

Denmark impressed me from the very first game of the tourney with their defensive play and the work of a guy I'd never heard of before: Kasper Degn. That guy was money early and proved to be money late in the tourney too.

He may not have the size and age to be considered a "hot" prospect but he could be a Dane that makes the NHL. He should at least get a chance with some organization.

 

[The Imp]

Denmark impressed me from the very first game of the tourney with their defensive play and the work of a guy I'd never heard of before: Kasper Degn. That guy was money early and proved to be money late in the tourney too.

He may not have the size and age to be considered a "hot" prospect but he could be a Dane that makes the NHL. He should at least get a chance with some organization.

That's being a bit enthustiastic, on the part of Degn. I doubt he'd cut it, consistently, in the SEL.

But overall... defeating two World Cup teams to maintain a spot in A group...

Now, honestly, I hope Slovenia stays up, too. I want Denmark to have a shot at a rematch next year.

 

[Das Rancor]

How could this happen? The whole tourney... They've got to fire the coach...
This is way beyond unacceptable... A disgrace...
I'm just happy that Finland is having a terrible wc as well... Otherwise have to bury my head in the sand over here...

 

[Fan.At]

Germany loses 2-3 against Denmark

Austria is down, Denmark stays up and Slovenia had to beat Austria to stay up and send Germany down.

Austria can still avoid relegation by beating slovenia by 8+ goals...

 

[Hellström]

Fire Poss, NOW !

Get Zach back...never thought i´d ever say something like this..

 

[ALF AmericanLionsFan]

Germany loses 2-3 against Denmark

Austria is down, Denmark stays up and Slovenia had to beat Austria to stay up and send Germany down.

Man I can't believe it.

 

[JVR]

I'm actually quite happy that I don't get to see the games but I'm depressed nevertheless.

 

[ts11]

Fire Poss, NOW !

Get Zach back...never thought i´d ever say something like this..

Yeah, I agree. But I hope for another name. Maybe we can hijack Krueger from the Swiss .
Go Austrians, win...

 

[mole]

I can't say I feel Denmark deserved to stay up but after these two comebacks we've at least proved that we can play. Hirsch has been shaky and giving up his usual astronomical amount of rebounds and the defense still isn't handling that well. Losing Staal was a ***** but thank god for the Degn-Degn-Monberg line. And of course Frans Nielsen just gets better and better each year.

 

[Douggy]

If I were a German fan I'd be pissed but not worried. You guys are developing top quality talent and will be back in the main group in no time.

 

[Hellström]

If I were a German fan I'd be pissed but not worried. You guys are developing top quality talent and will be back in the main group in no time.

We´re not worried about the talent - we´re worried about the DEB keeping this headcoach...
I don´t doubt the talent of Goc, Ehrhoff and others, but i doubt that Poss is the right man and i´m afraid that they´ll keep him.

 

[Tronador]

If I were a German fan I'd be pissed but not worried. You guys are developing top quality talent and will be back in the main group in no time.

Thanks...but the fact is, that we still have too much foreigners in our leagues. P.Gogulla, Gawlik,S.Schoenberger,Pielmeier and Ondruschka are really very good prospects. They played amazing against Sweden,Switzerland and so on!!!!Perhaps more German players should play in other european leagues...like in Finland,Sweden,Switzerland....

 

[Wisent]

Slovenia leading 3-1. Doesn't look good for the Germans.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Slovenia leading 6-2
Ivo Jan with a hat trick, so far.

Edit: that is also the final result. Dejan Kontrec notched four assists and Edo Terglav three.

Slovenia and Denmark stay, Germany and Austria are relegated. Wow...certainly the biggest surprises of the tourney right there.

 

[VanIslander]

I predicted Germany would be relegated after the very first game of the tourney. They have been playing poorly. I thought Slovenia not Austria would as well.

Denmark, Belarus and Kazakhstan have impressed with their team play and skill.

 

[SergeiK]

I think that Austria and Germany are strong. I would bet my money on them.

Hope that you didn`t bet your money on them.

 

[Berkut]

I predicted Germany would be relegated after the very first game of the tourney. They have been playing poorly. I thought Slovenia not Austria would as well.

Denmark, Belarus and Kazakhstan have impressed with their team play and skill.

What about Ukraine? They gave hard time to 3 good teams!

 

[VanIslander]

What about Ukraine? They gave hard time to 3 good teams!

Yeah but in two of the games they looked better than they were because of the ineptness of the better team! Or so it seemed to me.

Just as all that praise for Latvia after the opening game against Canada was bullocks: it was a way to try and avoid what we all know now as major Canadian team weaknesses.

Overall, the tourney has been quite competitive, more so than it should be, IMO. Too many players who spent the winter golfing or relaxing.

Worth every penny paid through mediazone though.

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

Let me say that it is the game of hockey that loses to a degree with these results. Poss was hired because it was high time the German team not be happy with losing close but to develop a program that could tackle the big boys. They have the right mentality to be an in your face off the forecheck group; what it will take is some time to develop new players and to convert the current ones. I have been sick and tired of the Germans playing a 1-4 with a poor transition game and rarely attacking the net. My thought is if you were going to lose why not try a different way, perhaps use a more uptempo , exciting game. What really bites is that they have lost doing it, i hope they do not do anything rash and revert back to the fulltime 1-4. Hockey loses when nothing but negative teams stay up and teams trying to provide a decent product go down. On talent alone Germany is still the 8th best team and its just a shame they put themsleves in the position they did. I am happy hockey continues to grow in Denmark i do not resent them staying but i would like them to consider being more positive and forceful on the forecheck. Slovenia are truly a wonder, when it looks like they are dead they manage to pull some results out of the fire. Have to give them credit. Austria are a mess and perhaps somebody close to that scene can come in and pick up the pieces. I figured if any team would challenge Germany and Switzerland for the 8th best nation it would be them. I am really dissappointed Germany and Austria have gone down as it lowers the quality of next years tourney. I'll have to get over it i guess. Denmark and Slovenia deserve respect.

 

[VanIslander]

... On talent alone Germany is still the 8th best team and its just a shame they put themsleves in the position they did... I am really dissappointed Germany and Austria have gone down...

Are you German?

Lots of homers around here. No problem. But it obscures perception.

There were better skaters on Belarus and Kazakhstan, weren't there? Or are they too far from Switzerland to show up on your radar.

Homer!

signed,
A Canadian who has been saying his own country's team sucked since the opening game of the tourney because - well - that's how it really appears to me.

 

[SwisshockeyAcademy]

Are you German?

Lots of homers around here. No problem. But it obscures perception.

There were better skaters on Belarus and Kazakhstan, weren't there? Or are they too far from Switzerland to show up on your radar.

Homer!

signed,
A Canadian who has been saying his own country's team sucked since the opening game of the tourney because - well - that's how it really appears to me.

Perhaps you are unaware of Players like Kolzig, Sturm, Ustorf, Seidenberg etc that when playing make the German's the 8th best team. I was not meaning the 8th best at this tourney as clearly they were not. I am Canadian by the way, Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia being very much a part of Canada. Kazakhstan and Belarus did put up a fine fight and the game of hockey is better for it.

 

[VanIslander]

Perhaps you are unaware of Players like Kolzig, Sturm, Ustorf, Seidenberg etc that when playing make the German's the 8th best team.

SwisshockeyAcademy, I hear you loud and clear.

I appreciate what Kolzig HAS DONE in the past. I predicted Godzilla would win the Conn Smythe (which he almost did) before the playoffs in which the Caps went to the big dance (plus the team had Tikkanen and Linden, which meant I followed them closely that season). But Kolzig is close to retiring, unless he wants to pull a Hasek and play longer than goalies usualy do.

And I am often speaking about Sturm as underrated and have twice drafted him here at HF on mock drafts.

BUT, give me a Vladimir Tsyplakov or Konstantin Koltsov over the other Germans any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Not to mention two other Belarus players who impressed the heck out of me recently Andrei Mezin and Mikhail Grabovsky. And then there's the highly touted Andrei Kostitsyn.

There's now way that Germany could "clearly" ice the 8th best roster. Maybe they could, but it's not as obvious as comments around here by guys with Swiss and German avatars or usernames make them out to be (hence my "homer" statement).

I agree with you that international hockey is much better off with more competitive teams, and this tourney has shown that the gap isn't as big as it used to be between the Top 7 and everybody else.