Ice Hockey 2015 - 2016 Discussion Thread

[hckošice 13,339]

13 minutes ago, bestmen said:

the top 4 of each group will qualify ?

 

Exactly,

 

The top-four ranked teams of each group advance to the quarter-finals that will be played cross-over. The first-place team in each preliminary-round group plays the fourth-place team of the other group, while the second-place team plays the third-place team of the other group. 1A-4B, 2A-3B, 1B-4A, 2B-3A. The winning teams advance to the semi-finals.

 

also rules for relegation

 

The 8th ranked teams of both groups will be relegated to the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A.

but remember that this year we have an exception.

If the co-hosts for the next years 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (Germany and France) end up in positions 7 and 8 in Group B during the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, only one team will be relegated – the 8th-ranked team of Group A – and only the winner of the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A will be promoted.

If one of the co-hosted teams for the next years 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (Germany or France) end in 8th position, but the other co-host nation will end at worst 6th, the 7th ranked nation will be relegated.

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Sweden - Czech Republic  2-4

 

 

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Czechs on top

Down 0-2, Vujtek's men bounce back

The Czech Republic's Richard Jarusek #96 looks for a scoring chance against Sweden's Jacob Markstrom #25 during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Championship.

 

 

The Czech Republic opened up a two-point lead in Group A after a come-from-behind win over Sweden in a game that featured two short-handed goals.

 

A topsy-turvy game between two of the big contenders in Group A featured clinical breakaways, wonderful composure among both sets of forwards and great character as the Czech Republic fought back to down Sweden 4-2.

 

A trio of unanswered goals in the second period enabled the Czechs to wipe out a 0-2 deficit and make it three wins from three, paced by three points from Michal Birner.

 

For David Pastrnak, scorer of the opening Czech goal, these are exciting times to be part of the national set-up.

 

"We have a young team and we're excited to be here," said the young Boston Bruins forward. "We want to show everyone we can play. We have  a lot of energy and we're felling good about our chances. We've played three good games now and I think we're getting better and better."

 

But it all started very differently. The Swedes got ahead in the 10th minute on a power play goal from Robert Rosen. The Vaxjo Lakers man opened his World Championship account last night against Norway and here he got the deflection that took Erik Gustafsson’s shot from the point past Pavel Francouz and the video official was satisfied that there was no high stick involved.

 

The Czechs had their chances to respond, particularly on a power play late in the first. But while the forwards struggled to find a killer chance on Jacob Markstrom a blunder allowed Sweden to snatch a short-handed second.

 

Michal Repik was the unfortunate forward, coughing up the puck in the Swedish zone and inadvertently setting Mattias Sjogren on a dart up the ice. The Ak Bars Kazan forward was joined by Martin Lundberg, who applied a nerveless finish that left Francouz clutching at thin air.

 

The Czechs had a good chance to get one back early in the second as the puck travelled a long way across the Swedish zone to find Roman Cervenka in acres of space at the back post. But Cervenka took his time setting up his wrister and Markstrom was able to slide into position and shrug away the danger.

 

Frustration soon turned to celebration. Cervenka behind the net, waiting for the perfect pass, found David Pastrnak’s stick on the slot. 1-2.

"I just came off the bench and went to the post," Pastrnak said of his goal. "Roman made a great pass to me and I put it high."

 

More composed offence: Jakub Jerabek shaped to shoot but saw Jan Kovar move into a menacing position. Potential slap shot became an inch-perfect pass as the Metallurg Magnitogorsk man turned in yet another big goal in Russia. 2-2.

 

Then another short-handed goal, this time for Birner, put the Czechs in front deep in the second. Alexander Wennberg lost control of the puck and Birner was in full flight. Gustafsson slid out of position, inviting the Czech forward to shoot over the glove and complete the turnaround.

 

After all that excitement the third period had much to live up to. Both teams continued to play open, attacking hockey with play switching from end to end at high speed. But it was the Czechs that created the better opportunities with Richard Jarusek twice getting a good look at Markstrom's net while Cervenka came close after Patrick Cehlin was caught in possession in centre ice.

 

And the killer goal arrived in the 55th minute with Birner again doing the damage. As before, he swept up a loose puck in centre ice and surged forward, this time shooting from the deep slot and seeing a deflection off a Swedish stick lift the puck beyond Markstrom.

 

Sweden responded with a bold gamble: the goalie came out with five minutes still to play. It almost backfired at once when Tomas Filippi went close to an empty net goal before Tomas Plekanec clipped the outside of the unprotected post. But the Tre Kronor continued to risk it and Gustafsson was agonisingly close to seeing his slap shot deflected into the net in the 57th minute.

 

Rosen, Sweden's opening goalscorer, explained that pulling the goalie with so much time to play was a gamble with no down side.

 

"We were down two goals and we had notthing to lose," he said. "Playing so long with six on five at least gave us a chance to try to score the goals we needed but it didn't work out this time."

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Finland - United States  3-2

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Finns remain perfect

Komarov notches third-period winner vs. U.S.

Finland's Antti Pihlstrom #41 celebrates after scoring a first period goal during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Championship.

 

 

Finland kept pace with Canada as the 2016 tournament’s only other perfect team, beating the U.S. 3-2 on Monday night. Leo Komarov got the third-period winner.

 

Mikko Koivu and Antti Pihlstrom had the other Finnish goals in this hotly contested, physical affair. Frank Vatrano and Connor Murphy replied for the Americans.

Finnish starting goalie Mikko Koskinen earned his third straight three-point win against the U.S.'s Mike Condon. Shots favored Finland 22-18.

"We were a little tighter, knowing they were going to be sitting back in the neutral zone and the skill they have up front," said Murphy. "We didn’t really take care of things well in big spots and took penalties at the end of the game. We gave them some great chances and they have players who have been playing together for years on these national teams."

Fans came anticipating a showdown of apocalyptic proportions between the U.S.’s Auston Matthews and Finland’s Patrik Laine, who are vying for the honor of being selected first overall in June’s NHL Draft. These two teenagers in men’s bodies have size, strength, and skills that rival those of NHLers 10 years their senior.

"Patrik is a really good two-way player who makes smart decisions with the puck," said Finnish assistant captain Jussi Jokinen. "You see it the way he is playing here."

The centre from Arizona and the winger from Tampere took their first shift against each other just 1:21 in. They would go head-to-head on multiple occasions. Both were good, if not otherworldly. In the end, Matthews got a point and made fewer errors, but Laine made things happen and got the win.

"It would have been nice to get a win tonight but that is how it goes," said Matthews.

"Every team here wants to win," said Laine. "We have to keep going and playing our game, and I think anything is possible. But we have to keep working."

Buoyed by the partisan blue-and-white crowd’s chants of “Suomi!”, the two sides got off to a high-paced start at Yubileiny.

The Finns drew first blood at 9:16 with their Minnesota Wild connection. Mikael Granlund capitalized on a U.S. turnover behind the goal line and sent a deft backhand pass to Koivu, who fired it past Condon high to the glove side.

Laine made his presence felt against U.S. captain Matt Hendricks midway through the first, knocking off Hendricks’ helmet with a big hit in front of the U.S. bench

Pihlstrom made it 2-0 Finland at 12:04, taking a nice pass from Teemu Pulkkinen on the rush and beating Condon over the glove from the left faceoff circle. The shot placement was almost identical to Koivu’s.

The Finns were dancing now, with Granlund drawing cheers as he befuddled U.S. defenders with his clever stickhandling deep in the offensive zone.

Yet the U.S. cut the deficit to 2-1 at 13:45 on a play involving the two top draft prospects. Laine turned the puck over inside the American blue line, and Matthews got it to Vatrano. The stocky Boston Bruins forward zoomed down left wing and surprised Koskinen with a slapper.

When Nick Foligno was sent off for slashing with under two minutes left in the first, Laine got two great power play chances with his patented howitzers from the left faceoff circle. But both times Condon stopped him with his left arm.

In the second period, Laine set up Jussi Jokinen for a promising dash down right wing, and then Matthews came right back and kicked off a nifty passing play inside the Finnish zone.

Mid-period, Koivu had a superb chance for his second of the game on a 4-on-4 solo break, but Condon denied him on the slapper.

The Americans got a late-period man advantage when Laine was sent to the sin bin for hooking on defenceman David Warsofsky while forechecking aggressively. Matthews generated a couple of good but fruitless chances. The second period finished much like the first did – with Laine sparking a Finnish shooting gallery – but with no goals.

Just 53 seconds into the third, the U.S. got the 2-2 equalizer. Patrick Maroon's dogged work behind the net led to a nice centering pass to Murphy, and his quick, high release eluded Koskinen.

On a broken play, Finland regained the lead at 4:16 with the man advantage. Komarov tried to center the puck from the goal line, but Condon got his stick on it, and Aleksander Barkov simply passed it right back to Komarov to bang in the open side.

As the clock counted down, the Finnish checking tightened up, with Komarov doggedly setting the tone in every zone. The Americans pulled Condon for the extra attacker with 1:12 remaining. Matthews played the point, but there would be no more points for him this night.

"We weren’t able to get too many scoring chances and that cost us throughout the game," said Matthews.

Historically, the Finns have enjoyed a slight advantage over the U.S. at the IIHF World Championship. But this was their first win in five tries. They last beat the U.S. 3-2 in the quarter-finals on May 17, 2012.

 

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Belarus - Canada  0-8

HIGHLIGHTS

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Latvia - Russia  0-4

HIGHLIGHTS

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Finland - United States  3-2

HIGHLIGHTS

 

[hckošice 13,339]

Sweden - Czech Republic  2-4

HIGHLIGHTS

 

[Agger 1,601]

What a goal by Ehlers!