Showing Some International Love: Euro Hockey Tour Preview - Oddset Hockey Games Preview

The NHLers might be gone, but the EHT rolls on. Sweden is the host for the third tournament in this series.

Note: Most information from IH Forums.

Rosters

Czech Republic

Goalies: Jakub Kovar (Ceske Budejovice), Alexander Salak (Farjestad)
Defense: Michal Barinka (HC Vitkovice Steel), Petr Caslava (Severstal Cherepovets), Lukas Krajicek (Dynamo Minsk), Jakub Krejcik (Lev Praha), Zdenek Kutlak (HC Ambri-Piotta), Jakub Nakladal (Spartek Moscow), Ondrej Nemec (Lev Praha), Petr Zamorsky (PSG Zlin)
Forwards: Martin Adamsky (Ocelari Trinec), Tomas Hertl (Slavia Praha), Zbynek Irgl (Dynamo Minsk), Lukas Kaspar (Donbass Donets'k), Petr Koukal (Neftekhimsk Nizhnekamsk), Vaclav Nedorost (Donbass Donets'k), Jiri Novotny (Lev Praha), Lukas Pech (Karlovy Vary), Jabuk Petruzalek (Khabarovsk Amur), Petr Prucha (SKA St. Petersburg), Petr Tenkrat (Sparta Praha), Michal Vondrka (Slovan Bratislava), Petr Vrana (Lev Praha)

Finland

Goalies: Ari Ahonen (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Atte Engren (TPS Turku)
Defense: Juuso Hietanen (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod), Mikko Kousa (MODO), Lasse Kukkonen (Rogle BK), Mikko Maenpaa (CSKA Moscow), Ilari Melart (HIFK Helsinki), Janni Niskala (Dynamo Minsk), Atte Ohtamaa (Karpat Oulu), Ossi Vaananen (Jokerit Helsinki)
Forwards: Juha-Matti Aaltonen (Rogle BK), Marko Anttila (TPS Turku), Ilari Filppula (Jokerit Helsinki), Juha-Pekka Haataja (Karpat Oulu), Juha-Pekka Hytonen (Amur Khabarovsk), Tuomas Kiiskinen (Donbass Donets'k), Jarno Koskiranta (Tappara Tampere), Kristian Kuusela (Espoo Blues), Miika Lahti (JYP Jyvaskyla), Oscar Osala (Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk), Sakari Salminen (KalPa Kuopio), Veli-Matti Savinainen (Assat Pori), Peteri Wirtanen (Donbass Donets'k)

Russia

Goalies: Konstantin Barulin (Ak Bars Kazan), Vasili Koshechkin (Severstal Cherepovets)
Defense: Anton Belov (Avangard Omsk), Yevgeny Biryukov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Maxim Chudinov (SKA St. Petersburg), Denis Denisov (CSKA Moscow), Evgeny Medvedev (Ak Bars Kazan), Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan), Evgeni Ryasensky (CSKA Moscow) Yakov Rylov (CSKA Moscow)
Forwards: Dmitri Kazionov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Yevgeny Ketov (Severstal Cherepovets), Denis Kokarev (Dynamo Moscow), Yevgeni Kuznetsov (Traktor Chelyabinsk), Sergei Mozyakin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Alexei Perezhogin (Avangard Omsk), Sergei Plotnikov (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl), Alexander Popov (Avangard Omsk), Alexander Radulov (CSKA), Vadim Shipachyov (Severstal Cherepovets), Sergei Shirokov (CSKA Moscow), Viktor Tikhonov (SKA St. Petersburg), Mikhail Varnakov (SKA St. Petersburg)

Sweden

Goalies: Joacim Eriksson (Skelleftea AIK), Johan Gustafsson (Lulea HF)
Defense: Jonas Ahnelov (MODO), Mattias Backman (Linkopings HC), Niclas Burstrom (Skelleftea), Johan Fransson (Lulea HF), Robin Jonsson (Lulea HF), Mattias Karlsson (HV71), Tobias Viklund (AIK)
Forwards: Jonas Andersson (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod), Per Aslund (Farjestad BK), Nicklas Danielsson (Lev Praha), Jimmie Ericsson (Skelleftea AIK), Jesper Fasth (HV71), Calle Jarnkrok (Brynas IF), Oscar Lindberg (Skelleftea AIK), Joakim Lindstrom (Skelleftea AIK), Joel Lundqvist (Frolunda HC), Linus Omark (EV Zug), Niclas Persson (CSKA Moscow), Fredrik Pettersson (Donbass Donets'k), Carl Soderberg (Linkopings HC), Martin Thornberg (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod)

Schedule

All games are in Malmo, Sweden unless denoted.

February 6
Russia vs. Finland (in St. Petersburg, Russia)

February 7
Czech Republic vs. Sweden

February 9
Finland vs. Czech Republic
Sweden vs. Russia

February 10
Russia vs. Czech Republic
Sweden vs. Finland

Last Year (Oddset Hockey Games)

Sweden                     2W - 1OTL - 0L - 7PTS - +4GD
Czech Republic        1W - 1OTW - 1L - 5PTS - -2GD
Russia                       1W - 2L - 3 PTS - -5GD
Finland                     1W - 2L - 3PTS - +3GD

Euro Hockey Tour Standings

1 - Russia                    4W - 1OTL - 1L - 13PTS - +11GD
2 - Czech Republic      3W - 3L - 9PTS - -7GD
3 - Finland                  2W - 1OTW - 3L - 8PTS - -2GD
4 - Sweden                   2W - 4L - 6PTS - -2GD

Predictions

1 - Russia
2 - Sweden
3 - Czech Republic
4 - Finland

Russia should still have what it takes to continue maintaining the top spot in the EHT. Sweden has been disappointing, but hosting this tournament should give them a much needed boost to climb the standings. Czech Republic and Finland might be fighting for a third place finish.