Showing Some International Love: Final Olympic Qualification - Group E

Latvia host Group E in the Final Qualification round for the Olympics, and come in winning only 4 of their last 12 international matches. France and Kazakhstan are fresh off good showings at different EIHC tournaments and Great Britain is trying to keep their qualification-momentum going despite the fact they lost a key veteran player to international retirement.

Note: Most information from the IIHF website.

World Rankings

11 - Latvia
14 - France
17 - Kazakhstan
21 - Great Britain

Rosters

Rosters as of February 6th

France

Goalies: Florian Hardy (Angers), Cristobal Huet (Lausanne HC), Fabrice L'henry (Rouen)
Defense: Baptiste Amur (Grenoble), Yohann Auvitu (JYP Jyvaskyla), Vincent Bachet (Amiens), Kevin Hecquefeuille (Karlskrona HK), Antonin Manavian (HC TWK Innsbruck), Maxime Moisand (Odense IK), Johann Morant (HC Lugano)
Forwards: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (Skelleftea AIK), Charles Bertrand (Lukko Rauma), Valentin Claireaux (Amiens), Julien Desrosiers (Rouen), Damien Fleury (Sodertalje SK), Brian Henderson (Angers), Loic Lamperier (Briancon), Laurent Meunier (Straubing Tigers), Damien Raux (Mulhouse), Anthony Rech (Rouen), Nicolas Ritz (Dijon), Sacha Treille (HC Stadion Litomerice), Yorick Treille (Pirati Chomutov)

Great Britain

Goalies: Ben Bowns (Hull Stingrays), Stevie Lyle (Basingstoke Bison)
Defense: Steve Lee (Nottingham Panthers), Danny Meyers (Sheffield Steelers), Ben O'Connor (Arlan Kokshetau), David Phillips (Belfast Giants), Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils), Rod Sarich (Sheffield Steelers), Mark Thomas (Sheffield Steelers)
Forwards: David Clarke (Nottingham Panthers), Robert Dowd (IF Troja-Ljungby), Robert Farmer (Braehead Clan), Mark Garside (Belfast Giants), Jason Hewitt (Sheffield Steelers), Phil Hill (Cardiff Devils), Robert Lachowicz (Nottingham Panthers), Matthew Myers (Nottingham Panthers), Greg Owen (Basingstoke Bison), Craig Peacock (Belfast Giants), Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Colin Shields (Belfast Giants), Ashley Tait (Sheffield Steelers)

Kazakhstan

Goalies: Vitali Kolesnik (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl), Pavel Poluektov (Barys Astana), Vitali Yeremeyev (Barys Astana)
Defense: Yevgeni Blokhin (Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk), Kevin Dallman (SKA St. Petersburg), Yevgeni Fadeyev (Barys Astana), Alexei Litvineko (Barys Astana), Vitali Novopashin (Barys Astana), Roman Savchenko (Barys Astana), Alexei Troshinski (Vityaz Chekhov)
Forwards: Viktor Alexandrov (Barys Astana), Maxim Belyayev (Yugra Khanty-Mansisk), Andrei Gavrilin (Barys Astana), Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev (Barys Astana), Fyodor Polishuk (Barys Astana), Konstantin Pushkaryov (Barys Astana), Mikhail Rakhmanov (Barys Astana), Konstantin Romanov (Barys Astana), Konstantin Savenkov (Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk), Ilya Solarev (Barys Astana), Roman Starchenko (Barys Astana), Dmitri Upper (Barys Astana), Talgat Zhailauov (Barys Astana)

Latvia

Goalies: Maris Jucers (Dinamo Riga), Edgars Masalskis (Yugra Khanty-Mansisk), Ervins Mustukovs (Mora IK)
Defense: Oskars Bartulis (Donbass Donets'k), Arturs Kulda (Sibir Novosibirsk), Sandis Ozolins (Alant Mytishi), Georgijs Pujacs (Avangard Omsk), Krisjanis Redlihs (Dinamo Riga), Arvids Rekis (Dinamo Riga), Kristaps Sotnieks (Dinamo Riga)
Forwards: Armands Berzins (Kompanion Kyiv), Martins Cipulis (Lev Praha), Andris Dzerins (AK Bars Kazan), Miks Indrasis (Dinamo Riga), Roberts Jekimovs (SaiPa Lappeenranta), Martins Karsums (Dinamo Riga), Rolands Kenins (ZSC Lions Zurich), Gints Meija (Dinamo Riga), Aleksandrs Nizivijs (Lev Praha), Vitalijs Pavlovs (Dinamo Riga), Mikelis Redlihs (Dinamo Riga), Janis Sprukts (CSKA Moscow), Juris Stals (Kompanion Kyiv)

Schedule

February 7
France - Kazakhstan
Latvia - Great Britain

February 8
France - Great Britain
Kazakhstan - Latvia

February 10
Great Britain - Kazakhstan
Latvia - France

Last 5 International Matches

France: Won (Slovenia) - Won (Italy) - Won (Slovenia) - Won (Latvia) - Loss (Denmark)
Great Britain: Loss (Japan) - Win (Hungary) - OT Loss (South Korea) - Win (Romania) - Win (Japan)
Kazakhstan: Loss (Canada) - Loss (Finland) - OT Win (Poland) - Loss (Ukraine) - Won (Romania)
Latvia: Loss (Denmark) - Loss (Sweden) - SO Loss (Denmark) - Loss (France) - OT Win (Slovenia)

Predictions

1 (Qualify) - Latvia
2 - France
3 - Kazakhstan
4 - Great Britain

This is probably the only group were I would be satisfied with any team winning. More than likely, Latvia will end up in first. France might be able to make a push for the top spot. Kazakhstan is a dark horse, and it would be nice to see them back on the main stage. Even better than that would be to see Great Britain back in for the first time since 1948, but injuries have weaken their already-inferior roster, and might need another miracle to end up not last.