2 games what should be mentioned before play offs
Latvia 1-8 Germany
What a game, sorry I never thought it can happen, it was like well when Latvia get real opponent, because Poland, France, kazakstan is not same level, but Germany, good players, good DEL tournament. Its first time I see team what never left A level in WC since came beck lose so much to equal team (yes 9-1 or 11-something to Sweden and Canada) dont counts.

Canada 7-6 Austria in OT and Finland 2-3 Austria is basically to Austria means they won medal, they stay in top get 5 important points. I never thought.

Big teams as Canada, Finland, Sweden, Cz, Suisse and USA plaid well as they should so far. Now lets wait 1/4

Just checked roosters for WC
What a Irony Sweden ha sonly 2 players from home league and not even Champion Felix Unger Sörum from Leksands IF and Linus Johansson from Färjestad
Thing I noticed in this WC from Denmark and Norway, that they most play in Finland Liiga, not in Swedish SHL or Hockeyallsvenskan. There are less and less players what play here, yes there are many but not so much as before. Finns often play in Sweden, good level players and get paid more as in home . If we dont count NHL Only Suisse players all play at home league also Canada and USA since only NHL players are there,

One Czech, David Tomášek in Färjestad.

Dens: Oscar Mølgaard-Malmö Redhawks, Matias Lassen and Frederik Dichow - HV71, Joachim Blichfeld - Växjö Lakers, Nick Olesen - IK Oskarshamn

Finland - Rasmus Rissanen , Hannes Björninen- Örebro, Oliwer Kaski - HV71, Jere Innala - Frölunda, Lassi Lehtinen - MoDo, Emil Larmi - Växjö, Ahti Oksanen - Oskarhamn.

Norwegians Mattias Nørstebø - Björklöven, Noah Steen, Petter Vesterheim , Michael Brandsegg-Nygård - Mora, Thomas Berg Paulsen – Malmö, Tobias Normann - AIK Solna, Jonas Arntzen - Örebro, Max Krogdahl - Östersunds IK

Latvians Mārtiņš Dzierkals - Skellefteå AIK, Rodrigo Ābols - Rögle(to me best foreigner whit 6 I think year stats in SHL; if we dont count juniors), Miks Indrašis - Brynäs

Slovaks - Marek Hrivík and Peter Cehlárik- Leksand,

I wont count but Sweden maybe Finland has most player from SHL or Liiga



Sweden 7-2 Latvia
I know Sweden has one Latvia 9-0, 11-0 in odl WC format but not in a group
Good game, but what is uniqe in such level Latvia had 5 minutes power play and Sweden in penalty kill in 3 seconds lose 3 goals, basically I dont remember anything like that.

On paper this is best Swedish team in a ages, many NHL teams did not reach play offs or was eliminated in first round , so why not Gold? quastion is how they will fin each other , Suisse, Finland, Canada, Cz who knows

So we had quarter finals here.
Group stage was interesting, 3th place team Latvia did not qualify to the play offs. Austria almost shocked Finland, UK proved they can play same Poland.

I predicted UK progesss 10 years ago. They have good leuges well players from Canada and USA what speaks same lingo.

Denmark and Norway had weaker leuges ad UK had imo. To me those teams had reach max, can happen miricle. They can produce players what can play in Ger, Swe and Fin even tier 2.

French leuge is good, but can't progress needs mord teams and money, buy they are in top level.

Poland, they well I belive they will return in top level some time in a future.

A group : Canada, Suisse, Cz, Finland /Austria, Norway, Denmark / UK

B group : Sweden,USA, Germany, Slovakia /Latvia, Kazakstan, France / Poland

1/4 Finas
Sweden vs Finland
Bad Finland and good Sweden, that's scares me. Because now all can turn. Finns has dominate in last 3 finals, 2 gold, 1 silver. Sweden has not been in final hmmm 10 years. Good team, I say if we hold 10 minutes and get rapid goal it will be good, if no Finland can kill if defense starts struggle and goal machine can't score.

Canada vs Slovakia
Rusty game whit srugle in late 3th canafs find a way for 3 goals.

Suisse vs Germany
Last time Ger won in quarter, was last year, this year will be other way around. I think Suisse remember it and will play well. Even after loosing final against Sweden 10 or more years ago in Sweden btw, Suisse don't show so good game.

USA vs CZ
USA always are underdogs what should win think but wake up whit fact that Norden naibours plays better. Cz is not ad they was in 90s. Home ice factor might help, but I think USA will take it.

USA 2-1 Cz
I underestimated Cz team , even it was hard and tide game, seems Cz wanted it more

Sweden 2-1 OT Finland
Thanks, I almost get chock, but no matter what team you have, Finland has good skilled players, one game can happens all. For Sweden it was easy group stage games

Canada 6-3 Slovakia
Easy game for Canada

Suisse 3-1 Germany
I told it will be turn around here.

Semi Finals

Sweden - CZ
Swe has better team, Cz is hard biting dog here, wont let it, its be hard even Swe has better NHL players team on paper, but good they struggled against Fin, can be wake up call

Suisse - Canada
I believe Suisse will win, in hard game, more I hope they do and get gold once.

Sweden 3 - 7 CZ
Damn match, started well, but individual mistakes, sleepy situations and duels is why we lose that match. Maybe best team on paper, but damn. It's Cz first final in 10 year I think. Sad, but well maybe nhl players need more practices together, maybe staff should find other way, it was possible to win, but individuals and mistakes made that we loose.

Canada 2-3 Suisse in penalty shoot outs.
Good game, long penalty killing time was why Suisse lose 2 goals, in end hold it. They had better first half, more attack situations and Puck controls. In end Canada came back. But på is lothery. We can say cynic predictions on shout box worked, he told Canada sucks.

3th place game.
Sweden vs Canada.
Both came for gold, are burn out, no motivation, can be many mistake game, but I believe Sweden has bigger motivation.
Canada often don't play well bronze match.

Final
Cz vs Suisse
Hard to predict cz has home crowd, motivation,. Negative that they won easy over Sweden.
Suisse has good team almost all from home leuge won tide hard game against worlds best team. Team know each other.
Minus, they had late game players can be tired.

I hope the Swiss win the gold medal. Nothing against the Czechs, I just think it would be refreshing and more exciting to see some underdog beating the odds instead of the same few teams winning every year.

Written by Metal Rasputin on 26.05.2024 at 10:26

I hope the Swiss win the gold medal. Nothing against the Czechs, I just think it would be refreshing and more exciting to see some underdog beating the odds instead of the same few teams winning every year.

I agree, even this wc was awesome Poland did get point from Latvia, Austria almost reached play offs UK plaid well. A lot of suprises here in this wc. Good to see Rus n Belarus is banned.

I may be alone in this, but I think banning Russia and Belarus from sports tournaments was a stupid and unnecessary move. For one thing, I think international political conflicts and rivalries make competitions way more exciting. Victory is also worth the level of competition, and Russia had one of the best teams, so people can always point out that Canada, Finland, Sweden, Swiss, etc. didn't actually have to face the best. That's the like when they banned Muhammed Ali for protesting against Vietnam War, and George Foreman had to face Ali separately to be considered the real champion other than in name only.

I think it was good idea, I enjoyed few Olympics in row when Finland beat Russia, and Vancouver when Canada scored 7 goals.
So I hope ban stays and they re start from Division 4. Russia way in Eurotoyr us locked forever.
Best team well, we can only hope NHL players can play in Olympic games.
On paper Suisse has its best team, then Canada, Sweden.
Only 2 players from SHL.

3th place game
Canada 2-4 Sweden
Not best game, medal yes, but still to slopy to menaingless, I did not like it

Cz 2-0 Suisse
I am disappointed. one day Suisse will get medal , to much negative emotions here to comment

What's next?
Negative:
Well few Ukraine support banners was not allowed to take in, super cheap prices, Latvian team was robbed in hotel and such small things. And yes wrong winner

Positive: I saw small teams start to deliver and Poland, UK, Austria and France start play well, few years till and UK will be great team.

Next WC in 2025 Stockholm (Sweden) and Herring (Denmark)
2026 : Zürich and Fribourg in Suisse
2027 : Düsseldorf and Mannheim
2028 : Paris and Lyon

France has organized whit Germany one WC , Paris had group stage and Köln had group stage and finals

France maybe is not hockey county but they will do good job , they have arenas and possibilities. Question is will locals attend it?

I would like see WC in Austria again, but then I had interesting idea. Why not Italy? Milan and some other city where they have 10000 indoor arena?
London and Glasgow to can be. Then interesting for hockey bid would be Poland/Hungary .