Well, the first game was terrible...
Even though we played bad and should've played much better to win the game I did not understand some fans reaction, i.e. we should've won the game! Why? Does Lev have worse players than we do or smaller budget? Yes, they are kinda new... kinda cause Poprad Lev played already last year.
So it's a normal result IMHO, the game should've been better, it was awful but we should have known that the loss was possible, some of guys have never played in KHL before (or only episodically), so they were probably nervous and the same goes for the opponent.
As for our players, no one really played very well. Indrašis had a lot of stupid mistakes despite the pass for the goal, Karsums scored and was good but anyway not a miracle man. Jučers was solid in the net, if your goalie allows 2 goals on the road then your attack should be able to get something out of the game... our guys didn't!
I hope though that last year's suffering with only one scoring line won't continue... We have a good roster, let's show it already vs Slovan.
I fear this as well, good portion of DR games last year were really unwatchable because our team was so miserable on the attack. And I'm also glad that I'm not the only one who can actually criticize Indrasis. He still is very raw, for every good play he makes one really bad - like poor and aimless pass, holds on to the puck for to long. Then again Nizivijs does the same but he doesn't put any points on the board, so I'd really should be more patient with the kid.
I fear this as well, good portion of DR games last year were really unwatchable because our team was so miserable on the attack. And I'm also glad that I'm not the only one who can actually criticize Indrasis. He still is very raw, for every good play he makes one really bad - like poor and aimless pass, holds on to the puck for to long. Then again Nizivijs does the same but he doesn't put any points on the board, so I'd really should be more patient with the kid.
Also,Niživijs is ****in slow as hell,and is just miserable when it comes to physical play
Shootout win for Riga against slovan,good game for jučers,karsums and indrašis,as for North Americans-Schremp and Giroux i really don`t understand the hype they get, they really havent shown anything thus far( except for schremps shootout goal) lets hope they open up,or its gonna be another season where Latvians have to do all the job.
Also really liked the way Lipsbergs played,he looks like a carbon copy of Indrašis,maybe pekka could put him in the 2nd line instead of slow Niživijs,until Daugaviņš is ready to play for Rīga.
Last edited by BalticWarrior: 09-08-2012 at 12:49 PM.
Shootout win for Riga against slovan,good game for jučers,karsums and indrašis,as for North Americans-Schremp and Giroux i really don`t understand the hype they get, they really havent shown anything thus far( except for schremps shootout goal) lets hope they open up,or its gonna be another season where Latvians have to do all the job.
Also really liked the way Lipsbergs played,he looks like a carbon copy of Indrašis,maybe pekka could put him in the 2nd line instead of slow Niživijs,until Daugaviņš is ready to play for Rīga.
The game felt a bit better than the first one and the broadcast was very good. Here you can see the highlights if you still didn't watch them:
Indrašis at the moment looks like a point machine (as much as he can be with team scoring 2 times per game), so let him make mistakes but this kid has appeared out of nowhere (or MHL if we want to be precise) and gets the job done when it needs to be done.
As concerns second line, I would kinda like to see Bukarts there instead of Nizivijs... I think Nizivijs star is slowly fading, after all he's already pretty old. I mean the older Bukarts, as I think they don't quite know how to use him. It seems as if he lacks just one thing to become a valuable player, as whenever he plays in first two lines for NT exhibition games or Spengler Cup, he's so productive and valuable member of the team... sort of in limbo at the moment, has no interest in 3rd - 4th line but is not given place on the first two. Yeah you might say he's just a primadonna but most of KHLs first liners are... they don't like physical play, doesn't mean they can't be used properly (like Nizivijs in his prime, Zaripov...).
Anyway something has to be done about the 2nd line... as with the current roster then we are doomed to have (again) only one creative line- as much as you like Lipsbergs, that's a guy with 18 points in MHL last year. At least Indrašis was team leader. And that's our bottom two lines- MHL third-liners Biezais, Lipsbergs, Bičevskis, Liepāja Metalurgs duo who maybe already are in their prime, AHL policeman Ivanāns, "never will be anything more than 3rd line" Meija and Džeriņš + confused Bukarts... plus Upītis in MHL whose not that good in defense as above mention and that's why not going anywhere. Podziņš (a mistake only useful to DR cause born in 1992)...... After that, in the hierarchy, we got 16 yrs old Rihards Bukarts.
We allow only 2 goals per game away, it's not something oh and ah and not against THE TOP teams but you can work with that, last year it was the same. Only we also can't score more than 2 at the moment (like last year) and all our 4 goals are from one line.
But anyway, we have our first win and should celebrate.
If we look further in Latvia to search potential futue reseerves, Artūrs Kuzmenkovs (1993, last year in HK Riga, MHL) has 2+1 in two Belarus league games so far.
Last edited by Latgale_fan: 09-08-2012 at 03:45 PM.
Kuzmenkovs is on fire after the Zoltok Memorial, where he had great chemistry with Bukarts Jr and Golovkovs. No need to worry about reserves, at the moment we have plenty decent prospects in our pool.
Kuzmenkovs is on fire after the Zoltok Memorial, where he had great chemistry with Bukarts Jr and Golovkovs. No need to worry about reserves, at the moment we have plenty decent prospects in our pool.
Agree about Kuzmenkovs but Rihards Bukarts and Golovkovs are atleast 2 years away from playing in the K
I think Roberts Bukarts has himself to blame,if you`re not ready to hustle hard and fight for every centimeter on ice,you will never play in 1-2 lines.
I think Roberts Bukarts has himself to blame,if you`re not ready to hustle hard and fight for every centimeter on ice,you will never play in 1-2 lines.
That's true for NHL but as I said KHL is full of guys in first two lines that avoid physical play as fire... And I don't think everything that comes from North America should be taken at face value, after all international ice is wider and there's not as much use for a player to hit and chase opponent all the time. Sure if somebody will want to play in NHL he'll have to develop that skill set but you can be successful and bring your team results even if you're not that good in that respect.
I doubt that Roberts doesn't want to work as he seems like a down to earth sensible guy but he feels that it's not his style and why should he play that style. Daugavins at the moment, if we tak about scoring, is a shadow of himself if compared to times before leaving for NA. Yeah because of that he might be a decent grinder in NHL (and otherwise would be nowhere near the league) but what's the point for team Latvia??? As Russia this year in WC proved, if you have a lot of good (not even the best) KHL guys + a guy of Malkin calibre, you can have a great team.
As concerns Rihards, haven't seen him much and HK Riga isn't one of the top teams in MHL this year but he's 1st line player there and 2nd in scoring behind linemate Upītis.... He's not that far from Dinamo actually, sure his size but I wouldn't be surprised that following (hopefully) great WJC for him he plays KHL aleady this season.... Dinamo Riga has a lot of grinders but nobody really with a potential like him...
That's true for NHL but as I said KHL is full of guys in first two lines that avoid physical play as fire... And I don't think everything that comes from North America should be taken at face value, after all international ice is wider and there's not as much use for a player to hit and chase opponent all the time. Sure if somebody will want to play in NHL he'll have to develop that skill set but you can be successful and bring your team results even if you're not that good in that respect.
I doubt that Roberts doesn't want to work as he seems like a down to earth sensible guy but he feels that it's not his style and why should he play that style. Daugavins at the moment, if we tak about scoring, is a shadow of himself if compared to times before leaving for NA. Yeah because of that he might be a decent grinder in NHL (and otherwise would be nowhere near the league) but what's the point for team Latvia??? As Russia this year in WC proved, if you have a lot of good (not even the best) KHL guys + a guy of Malkin calibre, you can have a great team.
As concerns Rihards, haven't seen him much and HK Riga isn't one of the top teams in MHL this year but he's 1st line player there and 2nd in scoring behind linemate Upītis.... He's not that far from Dinamo actually, sure his size but I wouldn't be surprised that following (hopefully) great WJC for him he plays KHL aleady this season.... Dinamo Riga has a lot of grinders but nobody really with a potential like him...
I wouldn`t want to rush Rihards into KHL action ,but if he will be ready,heck let the guy play,also if we talk about scorers Golokovs,altough nowhere near the potential of Rihards,could also someday become a scorer for Rīga
I'm sick and tired of hearing about Daugavins being ruined by the NHL, there simply isn't enough evidence to support this claim. Period. He hasn't performed for our NT for quite some time and this bad stretch started even before he first set foot on the NHL ice.
CSKA-RIGA 2:1
Wow what a pathetic game once again and as before only 3 players that even TRIED where-Karsums, Indrašis and Jučers.
North americans schremp and Giroux have shown NOTHING
very very dissapointed with the game...
CSKA-RIGA 2:1
Wow what a pathetic game once again and as before only 3 players that even TRIED where-Karsums, Indrašis and Jučers.
North americans schremp and Giroux have shown NOTHING
very very dissapointed with the game...
I seem to have a rather different impression about the game. During the first half of the game Riga was very good - speed, physical play, good defence and also good at creating scoring chances. I watched KHL TV, where the commentators were clearly rooting for CSKA and they were very impressed by Riga. The only glaring problem - Riga couldn't materialize the scoring chances.
During the second part of the game Riga got into penalties and that kinda equaled the game out.
Regarding Riga players, besides Karsums, Indrašis and Jučers, several others had pretty good games. It was the first game where I saw Giroux and Schremp creating quality scoring chances (each rang the post). Also Dzerins had a good game. On defence Rekis had a very good game compared to previous games.
I have the impression that the second line is gonna start clicking very soon. The major problem is Nizivijs, who just does not fit on that line - he is way too slow, overholds the puck which ofter ends up in overturns, and too often looses in physical play. It seems to me that Nizivijs is more than half of the time to blame for the line being unable to generate proper scoring chances - he overholds the puck until the opposing defencemen take it away from him. Perhaps it is worth trying Bukarts or some of the more talented youngsters on that line (Biezais?). Nizivijs could be used on PP.
I have the impression that the second line is gonna start clicking very soon. The major problem is Nizivijs, who just does not fit on that line - he is way too slow, overholds the puck which ofter ends up in overturns, and too often looses in physical play. It seems to me that Nizivijs is more than half of the time to blame for the line being unable to generate proper scoring chances - he overholds the puck until the opposing defencemen take it away from him. Perhaps it is worth trying Bukarts or some of the more talented youngsters on that line (Biezais?). Nizivijs could be used on PP.
I like that idea, Sasha on PP and in SO round, while Bukarts gets some time together with NA guys. Too bad we got rid of Lucenius, he would've been a decent addition now.
This team is playing absolutley pathetic,as much as i don`t like to admit it,it was better under šupler because atleast then we could score more than 1-2 goals a game...
This team is playing absolutley pathetic,as much as i don`t like to admit it,it was better under šupler because at least then we could score more than 1-2 goals a game...
Really? I'd love to see what pan Julo would do with our 11/12 roster before the addition of Hossa.
I guess I should be glad that I'm working during our games From the highlights I figured that this was our best game, we really should of scored more than one from the moments we had.
I guess I should be glad that I'm working during our games From the highlights I figured that this was our best game, we really should of scored more than one from the moments we had.
You've got the right idea. Through the first 2 periods (and especially in the 2nd) our team was very dynamic. Giroux - post, Schremp - post. It's ironic that our only goal was fluky, while the real scoring chances were wasted.
Wow,has pekka been drinking recently?
Meija and Džeriņš on 2nd line Telquist in the net,indrašis on the 3d line and the only line that has been scoring has been reshuffled wtf..
Situtation with indrašis reminded me Rihards Bukarts placing from 1st line to 4th line altough he was 2nd in scoring in HK rīga.
I maybe overreacting,but looks like Pekka wont be in Riga for far too long.
Last edited by BalticWarrior: 09-15-2012 at 10:36 AM.
From the highlights I figured that this was our best game, we really should of scored more than one from the moments we had.
