IIHF World ChampionshipDiscuss International Tournaments like the WJC, Olympics, and World Cup, as they take place, or discuss past tournaments. performances.
I am not a defeatist. I am what you call... a realist? Nobody knows, how many of these guys will really turn out to be successful players, when they get older. I wish them all of the best! We need those prodigies. But better be cautious, than go around and claim we have new Ozoliņš and Balders in few years.
Balderis and Ozolins has never happened to Denmark....they could be 50 years before anything like that comes again in Latvia!!! Curse of being a small country!
Denmark has its niche with Sweden trained very disciplined 2-way players that are perfect for 3-4'th lines in NHL......maybe Latvian are either line 1-2 or bust?? Great skill but less defensive discipline?
What do you think??
No, some years ago we had interesting abilities to spend half of the game in penalty box and play a competitive game. Our defense was always something to admire, not because of the skill, but because of the spite they showed. Especially with the guys like Skrastiņš. Lately not so, but I hope we will improve.
No, some years ago we had interesting abilities to spend half of the game in penalty box and play a competitive game. Our defense was always something to admire, not because of the skill, but because of the spite they showed. Especially with the guys like Skrastiņš. Lately not so, but I hope we will improve.
I want to remind you that some (depending on what you mean by some) years ago we had a goalkeeper called Artūrs Irbe that saved us constantly in PK situations. But don't get me wrong I'm not questioning Skrastiņš or any other player defensive abilities, I'm simply stating that our good performances were mostly thanks to Irbe.
I want to remind you that some (depending on what you mean by some) years ago we had a goalkeeper called Artūrs Irbe that saved us constantly in PK situations. But don't get me wrong I'm not questioning Skrastiņš or any other player defensive abilities, I'm simply stating that our good performances were mostly thanks to Irbe.
Yeah thats probably spot on:
In hockey the goalkeeper is at least 50% of the team. A guy like Irbe really made an enormous difference to a team. When a team don't have a game winning goalkeeper it will get very hard to consistently get QF's in the world cup (it was even hard with Irbe).
Importance of goalkeepers are very prominent in the NHL right now, teams that move forwards has Quick, Lundquist, Smith or Rinne......very hard to get anywhere with non-awesome goalkeepers (meaning only good goalies like Pittsburg, Vancouver etc).
Masalskijs and Andersen are both good....but not great like Irbe's was.
Yeah thats probably spot on:
In hockey the goalkeeper is at least 50% of the team. A guy like Irbe really made an enormous difference to a team. When a team don't have a game winning goalkeeper it will get very hard to consistently get QF's in the world cup (it was even hard with Irbe).
Importance of goalkeepers are very prominent in the NHL right now, teams that move forwards has Quick, Lundquist, Smith or Rinne......very hard to get anywhere with non-awesome goalkeepers (meaning only good goalies like Pittsburg, Vancouver etc). Masalskijs and Andersen are both good....but not great like Irbe's was.
Masaļskis once had 50+ saves against Finland. I was talking about post-Irbe period. There was one Championship (can't remember the year), when we spent much time in the box, almost half of the time sometimes, and it was team effort in the defense that prevented some games to turn into a disaster and humiliation. There is no similarity between our D style and Russia's.
I think Masaļskis is/was NHL caliber goalie. Now he's not in the best shape, but he had his peaks.
Masaļskis once had 50+ saves against Finland. I was talking about post-Irbe period. There was one Championship (can't remember the year), when we spent much time in the box, almost half of the time sometimes, and it was team effort in the defense that prevented some games to turn into a disaster and humiliation. There is no similarity between our D style and Russia's.
I think Masaļskis is/was NHL caliber goalie. Now he's not in the best shape, but he had his peaks.
Good goalkeepers can still have awesome matches, but the great goalkeepers have it consistently. I agree that without good defence any goalkeeper would be hammered (Endras is not a bad goalkeeper, that's why i really feel sorry for him against Norway and Czech). Latvia lost their defensive coherence totally in the last matches where they did very well in the pre-games and first matches in the WC. Maybe it's lack of experience but tired/frustrated players can easily loose their concept...that happened both to Denmark, Germany and Latvia. Teams need leaders that can bring a bad situation around - maybe Skratins was exactly that kind of guy that Latvia's needed in the defence (like old ironman defender Jesper Duus for Denmark - he played in 2010 as 42 year old and we reached the QF and just stopped this season as 44 years old - hadn't he stopped he would have been with the team this year Im sure).
Good goalkeepers can still have awesome matches, but the great goalkeepers have it consistently. I agree that without good defence any goalkeeper would be hammered (Endras is not a bad goalkeeper, that's why i really feel sorry for him against Norway and Czech). Latvia lost their defensive coherence totally in the last matches where they did very well in the pre-games and first matches in the WC. Maybe it's lack of experience but tired/frustrated players can easily loose their concept...that happened both to Denmark, Germany and Latvia. Teams need leaders that can bring a bad situation around - maybe Skratins was exactly that kind of guy that Latvia's needed in the defence (like old ironman defender Jesper Duus for Denmark - he played in 2010 as 42 year old and we reached the QF and just stopped this season as 44 years old - hadn't he stopped he would have been with the team this year Im sure).
The worst i think is that we are not getting any awesome goalies in the next 10 years,we have very good prospects but only forwards and d`s not one goalie prospect that could become elite.
Last edited by BalticWarrior: 05-17-2012 at 09:26 AM.
The worst i think is that we are not getting any awesome goalies in the next 10 years,we have very good prospects but only forwards and d`s not one goalie prospect that could become elite.
Yeah...it sucks not having good goalies.....all of Denmark's hockey history
Yeah...it sucks not having good goalies.....all of Denmark's hockey history
Well its not like Masalskis is not good goalie,hes just in no way elite guy like Irbe. As someone above noted Masalskis is nhl level goalie,hes just not elite one.
Well its not like Masalskis is not good goalie,hes just in no way elite guy like Irbe. As someone above noted Masalskis is nhl level goalie,hes just not elite one.
Borderline backup. Hard to see Masalskis being fit enough to withhold NHL games. He often looks gassed in rougher KHL games already.
But good defence can still make a good goalie shine. The latvians just seem be share Denmark's problem with lack of quality defencemen right now.
Quite contrary, our D is fine. We have two borderline NHL-ers - Kulda and Bartulis and numerous average KHL guys. Some pure scorers would be nice for a change.
But good defence can still make a good goalie shine. The latvians just seem be share Denmark's problem with lack of quality defencemen right now.
Yeah,unfortunatley we have only one possible draftee regarding defence(who may or may not be drafted) kolesnikovs,but we have some good d`s like kulda,bartulis,pujacs kr.redlihs,g.galvins.
Quite contrary, our D is fine. We have two borderline NHL-ers - Kulda and Bartulis and numerous average KHL guys. Some pure scorers would be nice for a change.
OK so you have good defence....but then it must be tiredness or lack of experience that brought you down in the last matches.
Denmark doesn't have the depth and neither does Norway, but their top D-men played better than our top d-men.
OK so you have good defence....but then it must be tiredness or lack of experience that brought you down in the last matches.
Denmark doesn't have the depth and neither does Norway, but their top D-men played better than our top d-men.
We have OKAY defence not GOOD defence guys like lavins,cibulskis and sotnieks(d`s) couldn`t even play on allsvenskan to be honest
Since as you have probably noticed my fuming over faking.....how bad is it in KHL and how is fan attitude to it in Latvia??
It`s quite rare acutally so our fans don`t seem to think about it too much,but ofcourse if theres obvious faking than fans will be pissed and rightly so.
It`s quite rare acutally so our fans don`t seem to think about it too much,but ofcourse if theres obvious faking than fans will be pissed and rightly so.
So can you explain the sudden russian prolification of it and that russian fans are for it???
If its not commen in KHL..where does it come from?
I can`t really,if i could i would explain it to you.
But i can assure its not common in KHL,i have no idea where it comes from
It seems that all the Russian fans are for it here on HF boards....I would never had thought that possible???
Good to hear that Latvian's are still not into that nonsense.
What would you think happen if a Latvian player started do it....what would Nolan do?
It seems that all the Russian fans are for it here on HF boards....I would never had thought that possible???
Good to hear that Latvian's are still not into that nonsense.
What would you think happen if a Latvian player started do it....what would Nolan do?
First of all we`re not into such stupid crap,second of all if such thing did accur i think Nolan wouldn`t tolarate it.
First of all we`re not into such stupid crap,second of all if such thing did accur i think Nolan wouldn`t tolarate it.
I never thought that either - it was a rethorical question!
Yeah I think it's the same in Denmark. Our coaches would be really mad, and I cant think of any player that would resort to that kind of tactics!
Can't imagine any true hockey fans liking it.
I never thought that either - it was a rethorical question!
Yeah I think it's the same in Denmark. Our coaches would be really mad, and I cant think of any player that would resort to that kind of tactics!
Can't imagine any true hockey fans liking it.
Well to be honest you cant take some random guys on Hfboards and use it as a mirror for all russian or whatver country they happen to be representing opinion
Well to be honest you cant take some random guys on Hfboards and use it as a mirror for all russian or whatver country they happen to be representing opinion
I know that....Im just stunned by the 100% in favour.
