IIHF World ChampionshipDiscuss International Tournaments like the WJC, Olympics, and World Cup, as they take place, or discuss past tournaments. performances.
Question for Swiss members, is this year's Swiss team good enough to finaly crack semis ?
I think not really because of the weak center depth and there are potentially stronger teams (defense and offence)
If they come to the quarters and have a strong team effort and very good goaltending it might be possible
I'm a bit disappointed by this group of forwards, but when you look at past rosters, Switzerland has been successful with unimpressive 4th line. Defense and goaltending are good enough.
Cracking the semis is as unlikely as every year, but considering that Switzerland has been good for an upset or two every tournament, it's not completely out of question.
I'm a bit disappointed by this group of forwards, but when you look at past rosters, Switzerland has been successful with unimpressive 4th line. Defense and goaltending are good enough.
Cracking the semis is as unlikely as every year, but considering that Switzerland has been good for an upset or two every tournament, it's not completely out of question.
not completly out of question but chances are not higher or lower than other years.
Imo it's even very difficult to get a qf spot. that nothing you can take for granted.
but like mentioned before, the swiss are able to beat some better teams, they just didnt do that in an important game yet.
Question for Swiss members, is this year's Swiss team good enough to finaly crack semis ?
I believe that they could ... (like they couldn't !)
Seriously ... the level is on the rise. So we might see microvawes saying not this year (lack of quality centers, No josi, ... 1000 of micorvawes). The big trend still being that hockey is progressing in our country ... therefore i believe that this year could be the year.
Year after year, we can clearly see a lack of offensive depth for the national team. It's on the rise since we have a increasing offensive talents with the U20. This year was a good one for Switzerland on junior level. I think that in 2-3 years, it's will be far better and players like B. Plüss or Traschler won't have a chance to get a spot with the nati.
I have a good hope on guys like Richard, Berstchy, Andrighetto or Vermin. Without citing Nino or Baertschy, or older guys guy like Brunner, Moser.
Otherwise, i have no worries for your goaltenders or defensemen. So like lots of you, i'm far more confortable with the defense then the offensive for this WM 2012.
Trachsler should be getting much more love. He's a really solid and good 4th line center and I can see him getting that spot for a few years. He won't score much, but such players are also very important.
Streit will captain the Swiss team at the IHWC. Seger, Rüthemann and Bezina will get an 'A'.
In the first training with the final squad Streit and Sbisa played together. And Nino played together with Ambühl and Wick.
Simpson will cut two defenders and one attacker out of this squad. My bets are Liniger or Plüss for the Offence. The defence is quite difficult, Grossmann will be one cut, the other one is very, very unclear. Du Bois? Vauclair (who was injured last week)? or even Blindenbacher?
Hm, I wouldn't pair Streit and Sbisa, but well, Simpson is the expert, not me.
According to the bernerzeitung Vauclair and Grossmann will likely be scratched and in the offence one of the trio Hollenstein, Liniger and Bieber won't travel to Finland.
I think that in 2-3 years, it's will be far better and players like B. Plüss or Traschler won't have a chance to get a spot with the nati.
What's the point in running 4 scoring lines when the scoring lines from quite a few nations are probably better than any of these?
We need guys like Trachsler, they play a very important role in the national team. Its not like we're russians or canadians and can waltz our way into the semi-finals or smth like that
Regarding the lineup, judging by the exhibtion games played so far, I think the Brunner-Romy-Moser line is here to stay, as well as the Wick-Niederreiter combo, probably with Ambühl at center according to reports on the lines used in practice.
Monnet I assume will play with Sprunger, as the two have some chemistry together, while Trachsler should center the 4th line.
I think Rüthemann may be the man on the side of Romy and Brunner. Then we'd have Moser maybe with Monnet and Sprunger and a checking line led by Trachsler. I don't know if Plüss is the right person for such a line.
So we have too many centers for the 4th line, with Bieber, Liniger and Trachsel.
I think Rüthemann may be the man on the side of Romy and Brunner. Then we'd have Moser maybe with Monnet and Sprunger and a checking line led by Trachsler.
Good point, Moser did well with Trachsler last year, and could also be the right guy to play with Monnet and Sprunger, with Monnet also able to play center.
What's the point in running 4 scoring lines when the scoring lines from quite a few nations are probably better than any of these?
This is one of my points when i say i would prefer to see NLA guys rather than "the best" we have.
In the year of the olympics of Vancouver, on the WM, we had a 100% NLA team. And they did spectacularly well. They overran the Canadians and other teams with speed.
This is why i believe good to pair Streit and Sbisa (2 NHLers), they should do the same with the other lines. The NLA style being successfull. (didn't Zoug beat the rangers 8-4 !! and it could have been more ... there would have been no scandal, speed was fully to our advantage ... like in the WM in Germany, yr of Vancouver Olympics). So on European ice, (bigger rinks) i would definitely favor pure NLA lines and would not mix the 2 styles (NLA and NHL).
