Now that all the group events (even the Quarter Finals) are over and the crossover games begin, it is a good time to look back at the events of the past two weeks. Here is the summary for Group S. All information from the IIHF website.
Round Robin Standings (Wins-OT Wins-OT Loss-Loss-Points-Goal Differential)
1. Russia 7 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 21 - +19
2. Sweden 6 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 18 - +14
3. Czech Republic 4 - 1 - 0 - 2 - 14 - +13
4. Norway 4 - 0 - 1 - 2 - 13 - +14
5. Latvia 2 - 0 - 0 - 5 - 6 - -8
6. Germany 2 - 0 - 0 - 5 - 6 - -17
7. Denmark 1 - 0 - 1 - 5 - 4 - -10
8. Italy 0 - 1 - 0 - 6 - 2 - -25
Quarter Finals
Russia 5
Norway 2
Sweden 3
Czech Republic 4
The Story For Each Team
Czech Republic
What surprised me about the Czechs: This was the first time Petr Nedved was playing for them in the World Championship. The last time he represented the Czech Republic internationally? the 1996 World Cup! What didn't surprise me about the Czechs: they won the expects games and lost to the usual teams. They started the tournament by shutting out Denmark 2-0 before losing to Sweden 4-1. Probably the toughest challenge for them was needing overtime to win over Norway. The Czechs against Latvia? Win. Against Italy? Shutout. Against Russia? well, as they say: in Soviet Russia, shutout gets you (translated: lost 2-0). The Czechs last round robin game was an 8-1 blow out against Germany. In the Quarter Finals they faced Sweden, getting the chance to revenge an earlier lost. The Czechs had a 2-1 lead after one and 3-2 after two. Sweden tied it up within the first minute of the third. With only 29 seconds left in regulation, Milan Michalek scored to put the Czechs ahead as they hung on for a 4-3 win. With the advancement to the Semi-Finals, the Czechs will move to being ranked #3 in the world with a chance to move up depending on how they finish. The Czechs also secure an automatic berth to the Olympics.
Denmark
Denmark was trying to survive for most of the tournament. They started off by getting shutout by the Czech Republic, losing in overtime to Italy, and failing to come back against Sweden. Denmark improved a bit from there, but still lost to Russia (3-1) and Germany (2-1). The only win Denmark had was a 2-0 shutout against Latvia. They ended the tournament losing to Norway 6-2. With their lone win, Denmark stays alive in the main competition. Denmark's ranking will likely fall one spot and they will have to qualify for the Olympics.
Germany
Germany started with a shutout against Italy, and was ineffective after that. They lost to Latvia after needing to come back and tie the game, got shut out by Russia, and beaten by Sweden. Germany did rebound with a 2-1 win over Denmark, but that was the last time they added to the win column. Germany finished the tournament by getting HAMMERED by Norway (12-4) and the Czech Republic (8-1). With their mediocre result, Germany will sink to #10 in the world ranking, meaning they just miss the cut to automatically qualify for the Olympics and will now have to qualify.
Italy
After losing 3-0 to Germany to start the tournament, Italy showed some promise as they beat Denmark 4-3 in overtime. They promise left quicker than it arrived as Latvia shut them out in their next game. Italy lost to Norway 6-2 in their next game, and that was the last time an Italian registered a point. Italy was shut out by the Czech Republic (6-0), Sweden (4-0) and Russia (4-0) to end the tournament. By finishing last in the group, Italy was been relegated to Division I Group A* and will have to qualify for the Olympics.
*Still find that Group A/B split being Division I-but-not-on-the same-level annoying.
Latvia
Dinamo Riga...I mean Latvia started the tournament off by losing to Russia (they did lead after the first period, so there's something positive). After that, they started a mini-winning streak, defeating Germany (3-2) and Italy (5-0). That was it for them winning though, as they lost to the Czech Republic 3-1 in their next game (they kept it tied through two, another positive!). Latvia ended the tournament goalless, being shut out by Norway (3-0), Denmark (2-0), and Sweden (4-0). Latvia will likely jump a couple spots up in the world rankings, but will still have to qualify for the Olympics.
Norway
The surprise team of this group. After Sweden, Russia, and the Czech Republic, the final playoff spot was up for grabs. Despite facing said teams in the beginning, Norway didn't go down lightly. They lost to Sweden 3-1, Russia 4-2, and the Czech Republic 4-3 in overtime. After that battle, it was smooth sailing for Norway. They easily beat Italy (6-2), Latvia (3-0), Germany (12-4), and Denmark (6-2) to finish the tournament one point behind third-place Czech Republic. The good times ended for Norway, as Russia gave them more than they could handle in the Quarter Finals (thanks to some help from Washington). Norway's result has them moving up to #8 in the world and an automatic berth in the Olympics.
Russia
Russia going undefeated this far? Well colour me unsurprised. Probably the only surprise is that they didn't blow out the weaker teams. After winning 5-2 against Latvia to start the tournament, they beat Norway, Germany, and Denmark by 2 goals. They didn't blow out a team until they faced Sweden and won 7-3. Russia finished the tournament with two straight shutouts (2-0 against the Czech Republic and 4-0 against Italy). Ovechkin and Semin joined the team soon after and helped Russia beat Norway 5-2 in the Quarter Finals and will now face Slovakia in the Semi-Finals. Russia will be ranked as #2 in the world (thanks to a Sweden lost) with a chance to either move up or down a spot depending on how they finish, and they get an automatic berth in the Olympics (they're hosting so they get in either way).
Sweden
Sweden started the tournament limiting Norway and Czech Republic to a goal each in their first two games. They got a bit of a scare as Denmark tried a late comeback but it fell short. Sweden won against Germany 5-2 before getting trounced by Russia 7-3. Sweden finished the tournament with a pair of 4-0 wins against Latvia and Italy. During that time, they added Hornqvist and Backstrom to their lineup. The Quarter Finals matchup against Czech Republic wasn't good for Sweden. They clawed back to tie it up after being down 3-1 before giving up the game winning goal with 29 seconds left in the game. Sweden will fall down to #5 in the world ranking but will be in the Olympics.
Power Rankings Fun
Now that the IIHF Power Rankings are becoming popular (about damn time!) lets take a look at the best lines for each team.
Czech Republic - Don’t forget, this kid Nedved was drafted ahead of Jagr (May 4)
Denmark - Spotting Sweden four goals was perhaps unwise (May 8)
Germany - Coulda used Uwe Krupp – on defence, that is (May 15)
Italy - Mr. Berlusconi, do you have any tips on how to score? (May 13)
Latvia - The only guarantee is our fans will be loud (May 4)
Norway - Our slogan is “Better than Iceland, worse than Sweden” (May 4)
Russia - This ranking really ticks Don Cherry off (May 15)
Sweden - Hey Loui, has anyone ever told you you're underrated? (May 8)
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