After a one-year hiatus, the Slovaks will play the quarterfinals at the World Hockey Championship in Prague. However, they are somewhat embarrassed before the match against strong Canada, which they will play today at 16:20. They finished the group with a poor performance and are being eaten up by a number of other problems.
Like many others, the Slovaks put together the strongest selection for this year’s WC in recent years.
The European core, which won bronze at the Olympics in Beijing the year before, was supplemented by the best Slovak players from overseas.
Juraj Slafkovský, number one in the previous year’s draft, Šimon Nemec, number two from the same talent auction, another defender, Martin Fehérváry, experienced Tomáš Tatar, tough guy Martin Pospíšil or Miloš Kelemen with Pavol Regenda. Only fullback Erik Černák is missing.
<p data="“>Seven matches of the Slovaks in the Ostrava group, however, brought rather embarrassing impressions. Especially with Tuesday’s 1:6 defeat against Sweden, coach Craig Ramsay’s men did not get in a good mood for the quarterfinals.
<p data="“>”Our worst performance. Everyone did what they wanted, we scattered. It can serve as a good slap in the face, but everyone has to look in the mirror and we have to go to the quarterfinals as a team, not everyone on their own,” commented the Fehérváry defender from Washington.
<p data="“>Slovakia started with a defeat against Germany, then blasted Kazakhstan and shined mainly with a 5-4 overtime victory against the USA. Although the Slovaks lost a 4-1 lead in that match.
<p data="“>They beat Poland and France relatively comfortably, but the end of the group didn’t work out for them. With a 2:3 defeat against the Latvians, they complicated their path to promotion, and at the end came the aforementioned debacle from the Swedes.
<p data="“>The 20-year-old star Slafkovski was criticized by many for his arrogant behavior on the ice, for example in the game against weak Kazakhstan. He did not score even once in seven games.
<p data="“>The Slovaks used the only power play out of the 22 options offered. This results in a threatening success rate of 4.55 percent. Only the relegated Poles (4.35) are worse in the tournament.
<p data="“>In the duel with the Swedes, Slovakia lost striker Pospíšil. Due to a shoulder injury, he finished the tournament, while he was one of the team’s best players. He played in a striking overseas formation with Kelemen and Regenda, collecting three goals and four assists.
<p data="“>Unspecified injuries limit even the team’s most productive player, Libor Hudáček (5+4). Against the Swedes, Marek Hrivík and Andrej Kudrna were given time off for preventive reasons.
<p data="“>Kudrna took a hard blow to the head from the blue line during the game against Latvia. The fans appreciated the sacrificial jump with thunderous applause, but Kudrna’s helmet cracked, he had to have a laceration and it turned out that he suffered a minor concussion.
<p data="“>To add to the inconvenience, the Slovaks complained loudly about the unbearable heat in the Ostravar Arena. Later, other national teams joined.
<p data="“>”It’s so hot here that in the fifth minute we have wet gloves and then we can’t properly control the puck,” complained Slovakian defender Nemec. “Players lose four to five kilograms in one match, most of it is water,” explained the team doctor Pavol Lauko.
<p data="“>Due to the fact that they finished the group in fourth place, the Slovaks moved to Prague for the quarter-finals behind the victorious Canada. It cannot be said that the players took it as a complication.
<p data="“>”Let’s go to Prague, I’ve had enough of Ostrava,” said Slafkovský.
<p data="“>”I’d rather not comment on what happened here in Ostrava,” Fehérváry joined in.
<p data="“>The Slovak hockey players are obviously looking forward to the new environment in the O2 Arena, but they have brought a lot of problems on their backs. In addition, they face an opponent who started after a weak start and defeated Finland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic in the last three matches of the group.
<p data="“>”For many players, it is a dream to play such a match. It will be difficult against such a giant, but I think we will have a similar style as in the match against the USA, which we managed perfectly,” said captain Tatar.
<p data="“>”We have to play harder than them and provoke them. Maybe they won’t be able to handle it if little Slovakia treats them badly,” he continued optimistically.
<p data="“>The match starts at 16:20 and you can also watch it online on the website Aktuálně.cz.
2024-05-23 04:22:31
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