2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Review: (A1) Boston Bruins vs. (W2) Detroit Red Wings

Series Summary

Game 1 turned out to be a goalie duel, as Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard stopped 23 and 25 shots (respectively). It took 57 minutes for the lone goal to be scored, as Pavel Datsyuk would break the deadlock and give Detroit the win. Boston bounced back in Game 2, scoring twice in the first while outshooting Detroit 18-10. The Red Wings would get one back in the second, but goals by Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara later on would put the game out of reach and give Boston the win. The Bruins looked to finally take the series lead in Game 3, as Rask stopped all 34 Red Wing shots while Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Caron both scored in the first to give the Bruins the 3-0 win (Patrice Bergeron added an empty netter). Game 4 looked to be Detroit's time to bounce back, as Nicklas Kronwall would open the scoring midway through the first. The Red Wings would add another in the second but that would be it for them. Torey Krug would cut the lead to 1 in the second before Bergeron tied it up early in the third. This game needed overtime, where Jarome Iginla would deflect Hamilton's point shot to give the Bruins the win and push the Red Wings to the brink of elimination. With the next round in their sight, Boston struck early in Game 5, as Loui Eriksson's powerplay goal gave them the lead. Both teams swapped powerplay goals in the second. Lucic would add to the Bruins lead in the third. Henrik Zetterberg would pull the Red Wings within one, but they could not find a way to tie the game. Iginla would add an empty net goal and Boston would win the game. The Bruins would take the series in 5 games, and will now face the Canadiens in the second round.

Games

Detroit Red Wings 1
Boston Bruins 0

Detroit Red Wings 1
Boston Bruins 4

Boston Bruins 3
Detroit Red Wings 0

Boston Bruins 3 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings 2

Detroit Red Wings 2
Boston Bruins 4

Three Thoughts on the Series

1. Really wonder what the hell Brendan Smith was thinking here.
2. Should have known the Bruins would win the series, they had a holy entity on their side.
3. It's funny how out of the 8 first round series, it was the 2 Atlantic Division ones to finish first.

Picture of the Series

Lucic goes taint-hunting again (and actually got fined this time).

(Image via Puck Daddy)

Highlight of the Series

Datsyuk goal in Game 1 was the lone goal in that game, and it was spectacular. Also, credit to Abdelkader for tying up Hamilton and giving Datsyuk a nice screen to shoot through.

2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Review: (A2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A3) Montreal Canadiens

Series Summary

The series kicked off with a high-scoring affair, as the Habs and Lightning would go goal=for-goal during regulation. Dale Weise would be the unexpected hero, as received a pass from Danny Briere and snuck it past Anders Lindback to give the Habs the series lead. Carey Price, after a bad Game 1, would rebound in Game 2, stopping 26 of 27 shots. On the other end, Rene Bourque contributed 2 of the Habs 4 goals in that game. Bourque continued his scoring ways in Game 3, getting the opening goal 11 seconds into the game. Tampa Bay would tie the game in the second and look to have taken the lead, but had a goal called back on a controversial call that saw Alex Killorn having incidental contact with Price. The Canadiens would score soon after that call, and held on to take Game 3. Montreal wanted to end the series in Game 4, and came out firing, scoring twice in the opening frame. While Tampa Bay did get one back in the second, Montreal was able to chase Lindback from the net for the second time in the series. The Lightning didn't go lying down though, as goals by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson early in the third would tie the game up. Late in the period, Cedric Paquette would take a penalty that would end up costing the Lighting another game. Max Pacioretty would jam in a powerplay goal with 43 seconds left to give the Habs the series sweep. The sweep would be the only one of the first round, as the Habs get a long break until the second round.

Games

Montreal Canadiens 5 (OT)
Tampa Bay Lightning 4

Montreal Canadiens 4
Tampa Bay Lightning 1

Tampa Bay Lightning 2
Montreal Canadiens 3

Tampa Bay Lightning 3
Montreal Canadiens 4

Three Four Thoughts on the Series

1. This might have been the last we've seen of Anders Lindback in the NHL. He's a free agent this year and I doubt the Lightning are going to extend a contract to him (especially given how Gudlevskis has performed this year).
2. Rene Bourque woke up this series, scoring 3 goals and pushing the play with a 56.3% Corsi For rate (5v5).
3. Have to feel sorry for Tampa on that disallowed goal in Game 3. Price did embellish a bit of the contact in order to draw the call (its kind of funny, if he didn't draw the contact then he's probably in position to make the save).
4. The Paquette penalty in Game 4 was pretty karmatic.

Picture of the Series

Between the Stamkos scrum and the snarkiness, Jon Cooper seems like a good dude.



(Image via Toronto Sun)

Highlight of the Series

Come for Subban's awesomeness, stay for Palat pole vaulting.

Showing Some International Love: 2014 World Championship Division I Group B Review

It was no surprise to see Poland top the standings, just like it was no surprise that the only NHLer (Zubrus) was the points leader in this tournament.

Note: Most information from the (not overly fancy) IIHF website.

Standings

Team	Wins	OT/SOW	OT/SOL	Losses	Points	Goal Diff.
Poland	4	0	0	1	12	+13
Croatia	3	1	0	1	11	+7
Lithuania	3	0	0	2	9	+6
Great Britain	3	0	0	2	9	+1
Netherlands	1	0	0	4	3	-5
Romania	0	0	1	4	1	-22

Results

April 20
Croatia 4 - Great Britain 0
Romania 0 - Poland 7
Lithuania 4 - Netherlands 0

April 21
Great Britain 4 - Romania 1
Netherlands 0 - Croatia 4
Poland 3 - Lithuania 2

April 23
Poland 5 - Netherlands 1
Croatia 4 - Romania 3 (SO)
Great Britain 1 - Lithuania 2

April 24
Poland 4 - Croatia 1
Netherlands 3 - Great Britain 4
Romania 2 - Lithuania 5

April 26
Netherlands 9 - Romania 1
Great Britain 4 - Poland 2
Lithuania 2 - Croatia 3

Team Recap

Poland: The favourites to win the tournament didn't disappoint. They started off with a 7-0 blowout against Romania. Against Lithuania, it was a goal in the first that helped Poland, as both teams would end up swapping goals in the second and third. Poland would win the game 3-2. Poland had trouble early on against the Netherlands, as they could not get anything though. Poland would open the scoring in the second, and would pile on in the third, winning the game 5-1. The wining streak continued against Croatia, as Poland struck midway though the first and early in the second before their opponent would score. Poland added two more in the third for the 4-1 win. Poland's only loss came in their last game against Great Britain, as they gave up the winning goal in the third while 2-men down, losing the game 4-2. Poland finished first, ensuring a spot in Group A for next year.

Croatia: The Croatians started the tournament on fire, as they put up four goals in each of their first two games, while Mate Tomljenovic would shut down Great Britain's and the Netherland's attack. Against Romania was when Croatia started to face some adversity, as they had to claw back from being down 2-0 and needed a late goal by Tadija Miric to tie the game at 3-all. Croatia would end up winning in the shootout, beating Romania 4-3. Croatia's only blemish was against Poland. They kept Poland close for most of the game, but could not get more than a goal, eventually losing 4-1. Against Lithuania, Croatia opened the scoring with two powerplay goals in the second. Lithuania would tie the game in the third, but Borna Rendulic would score midway through the frame to lift Croatia to the 3-2 win. Croatia would end the tournament in second, just shy of first place.

Lithuania: The host would start off with a 4-0 win over the Netherlands. Against Poland, Lithuania gave up an early goal and could not catch up, losing the game 3-2. Lithuania would score early against Great Britain, but would give up the tying goal early in the second. Zubrus would score a powerplay goal midway through the second, and Lithuania would hang on from there, winning 2-1. Lithuania didn't need many shots to beat Romania, as they won the game 5-2 while only registering 17 shots. In their last game, Lithuania would fall behind to Croatia in the second. Even though they did tie the game, Lithuania would lose the game 3-2. Lithuania would finish the tournament in third place.

Great Britain: The Brits didn't have a good start to the tournament, as they were shutout by Croatia 4-0 despite heavily outshooting them (33-18). Great Britain would bounce back against Romania, scoring a pair in the second and third enroute to a 4-1 win. Great Britain fall behind early against Lithuania, and while they did tie it up, they would give up the game winning goal soon after, losing the game 2-1. Great Britain scored two quick goals against the Netherlands and never looked back ,taking the game 4-3. The Brits would end the tournament with a 4-2 win over Poland. Great Britain finishes the tournament in fourth place.

Netherlands: The Dutch had a bad start to the tournament, as they suffered a pair of 4-0 losses to Lithuania and Croatia. Despite getting outplayed early against Poland, the Netherlands kept the game close for the first two periods. It was different in the third though, as Netherlands gave up four goals in the period, eventually losing the game 5-1. The Netherlands would fall behind early in their next game (against Great Britain) and failed to recover, suffering a 4-3 loss to the Brits. Holland ended the tournament with a 9-1 route of Romania. The Netherlands finish in fifth place.

Romania: Romania had a porous start to the tournament. They were blown out by Poland 7-0 and would lose to Great Britain 4-1 (Romania's lone goal came late in the third). Romania looked to have bounced back against Croatia, leading for the majority of the game. They would blow it in the third though, and would eventually lose the game 4-3 in a shootout. Romania would continue on the losing track, losing to Lithuania 5-2. To end the tournament, Romania was blown out 9-1 by the Netherlands. Romania would finish in sixth, winless and relegated to Division II.

Showing Some International Love: 2014 World Championship Division I Group A Review

While Slovenia didn't have much trouble advancing, it was a bit chaotic when it came to the middle of the standings. The host team, sadly, was not part of the chaos, and didn't give the home crowd much to cheer about.

Note: Most information from the (fancy) IIHF website.

Standings

Team	Wins	OT/SOW	OT/SOL	Losses	Points	Goal Diff.
Slovenia	4	0	0	1	12	+9
Austria	2	2	0	1	10	+6
Japan	3	0	1	1	10	0
Ukraine	2	0	1	2	7	+5
Hungary	1	1	1	2	6	-2
South Korea	0	0	0	5	0	-18

Results

April 20
Ukraine 2 - Austria 3 (OT)
Japan 2 - Slovenia 1
South Korea 4 - Hungary 7

April 21
Austria 4 - Japan 1
Hungary 0 - Ukraine 3
Slovenia 4 - South Korea 0

April 23
Slovenia 2 - Hungary 0
Ukraine 2 - Japan 3
Austria 7 - South Korea 4

April 24
Slovenia 5 - Ukraine 3
Hungary 4 - Austria 5 (OT)
Japan 4 - South Korea 2

April 26
Hungary 5 - Japan 4 (SO)
Austria 1 - Slovenia 3
South Korea 2 - Ukraine 8

Team Recap

Slovenia: Slovenia, for the most part, eased into first place. Against Japan, it took until near the end of the second for Slovenia to open the scoring. Slovenia though couldn't hold it, as they gave up two third period goals in the 2-1 loss. Slovenian goalie Luka Gracnar would stop over 30 shots in each of the next two games, helping Slovenia shut out South Korea (4-0) and Hungary (2-0). Slovenia started off well against Ukraine, scoring twice in the first. Penalty trouble would catch up to Slovenia though, as they gave up two powerplay goals in the second and one in the third. In the end, Slovenia regrouped and would storm back to win the game 5-3. In their last game against Austria, both teams would swap goals in the second before Slovenia took it in the third, winning 3-1. Slovenia finished first in the group, and will be playing in the main tournament next year.

Austria: The Austrians sort of lucked into the second promotion spot. They started off well against Ukraine, with Dominique Henrich scoring twice on the powerplay in the first (Ukraine had a goal in between). Austria would give up the lead in the second. This game went to overtime, where Brian Lebler would end it for Austria, giving them the 3-2 win. In their next game, Austria would give up an early goal to Japan. The Austrians would tie the game in the second, then take it over in the third, winning 4-1 in the end. Austria had a wild first period against South Korea, giving up the first three goals in nine minutes, then scoring four unanswered themselves in a five minute span (the period ended with Austria up 5-4). The game's craziness would calm down afterwards, and Austria would add to their lead in the third, eventually winning the game 7-4. Austria would enter another wild period - this time against Hungary - as both teams held a lead during the second period, but it ended tied 3-3. Both teams swapped a goal each in the third, forcing overtime. Austria would win the game 5-4 on an overtime powerplay goal. Against Slovenia, Austria would once again end the second period in a deadlock (this time 1-1). They could not do anything in the third however, and would lose to Slovenia 3-1. Since they held the tiebreaker over Japan, Austria would end up in second place, and get promoted back into the main tournament.

Japan: It was a tale of oh-so-close for the Japanese. Japan started there tournament with a 2-1 upset win over Slovenia, with Yutaka Fukufuji (remember him?) stopping 26 of 27 shots. Against Austria, Japan would take the lead early, but could not do much outside of that, eventually losing the game 4-1. They would bounce back against Ukraine, as Takuro Yamashita would play hero with a late goal in Japan's 3-2 win. Japan would notch another win against fellow Asian country South Korea, beating them 4-2. In a must-win against Hungary, Japan could not hold a lead. Japan would eventually be forced to a shootout, where they could not finish the deal, losing the game 5-4. Since they failed to get the extra point(s) from a win, Japan would end up in third place and will be back in this tournament next year.

Ukraine: Penalties would be the bane of Ukraine against Austria, as they gave up two powerplay goals in the first. They did end up tying the game and forcing overtime, but Ukraine took a too many men penalty in the extra frame that cost them the game, losing 3-2. Against Hungary, it was Ukraine's powerplay that would go to work. They scored three times on the powerplay, while Sergi Gaiduchenko turned away 15 shots in the 3-0 win. Ukraine's powerplay would once again help them, as they erased Slovenia's lead and took it on three goal (all on the man advantage). Unfortunately for Ukraine, they could not hold the lead, as they would give up three goals in the third in the 5-3 loss. Against Japan, Ukraine did keep it close for most of the game, but gave up the winning goal with under two minutes to play, and losing 3-2 in the process. To end the tournament, Ukraine would blow out South Korea 8-2. Ukraine finished the tournament in fourth place.

Hungary: Hungary's powerplay started off strong against South Korea, as it contributed to three of Hungary's first four goals. Hungary would fend off a comeback attempt by South Korea for the 7-4 win. The Hungarians would fail to score in their next couple games, as Ukraine (3-0) and Slovenia (2-0) would shut them out. Oddly enough, Hungary would end the tournament with a pair of 5-4 games that needed more than regulation. The first one (against Austria), Hungary would take the lead, give it up, and tie the game (all in the second period). Both teams had a goal in the middle of the third. Hungary would take a penalty in overtime that cost them the game, as they lost 5-4 in the extra frame. The second one (against Japan) saw Hungary end up tied with Japan in all three regulation periods. This game required a shootout, where Marton Vas (who also scored a goal late in the third to tie the game) scored three times in the shootout, giving Hungary the 5-4 win. Hungary would end the tournament in fifth place.

South Korea: The host did not have a good tournament. They started off falling behind against Hungary and could not complete the comeback, losing 7-4 in the end. It didn't get better for them against Slovenia, as they were shut out 4-0. The host came out storming against Austria, taking a 3-0 lead nine minutes into the game. They would relinquish that lead in a hurry though, and would finish the first period down 5-4. In the end, South Korea couldn't tie the game back up, losing 7-4 to the Austrians. Against Japan, South Korea would give up three in the first and could not climb back, losing 4-2. The host would end the tournament getting blown out 8-2 by Ukraine. South Korea finished in sixth place, and is relegated to Group B for next year.

Playoff Game Recap: (3) Val d'Or Foreurs vs. (2) Halifax Mooseheads

Val d'Or Foreurs vs. Halifax Mooseheads

Final Score
Val d'Or - 3
Halifax - 4 (OT)

Goalscorers
Val d'Or: Anthony Mantha (2), Louick Marcotte
Halifax: Luca Ciampini, Andrew Ryan, Austyn Hardie Max Fortier

Goalies
Val d'Or: Antoine Bibeau (L)
Halifax: Zachary Fucale (W)

Fireball Player
(He's so hot, nothing is gonna put this guy out)

Max Fortier. Outside of the OT goal, I thought he played a good game.

Snake Bitten Player
(No amount of sucking will help get the poison out of him)

Basically any defenseman that tried to make a cross-ice pass. It was either picked off or completely missed the target.

Play of the Game
(Every game has a defining moment, this is probably it)

Fortier tipping in Jesse Lussier's point shot in OT to win the game and put Halifax up 3-2 in the series.

Notes

• Halifax did a good job early on defense, collapsing the slot and forcing Val d'Or to outside shots only.
• I know I kind of ripped the defense, but credit to Lussier. He had a nice stick check early on to stop a breakaway attempt and was the shooter on the OT goal.
• In the same vein, credit to Hardie for scoring the tying goal (a seeing-eye point shot)
• Fucale stoned Val d'Or on all breakaway attempts.
• This has been a rough series for Fucale, so it was nice to see him come up with a few big saves and have the crowd chant his name.
• Outside of getting outscored 2-1, that second period was the best second period I've seen the Mooseheads play this year.

Pictures

One of the Mooseheads' many chances

Not a goal, puck slid right by him

GWG scorer Fortier during the post-game interview

Showing Some International Love: 2014 World Championship Division I Group B Preview

Lithuania play host in this group, and get a surprise by having Zubrus play for them. Poland hopes to get the promotion after coming very close last year, while newly-relegated Great Britain hope their stay in this Group won't be long. The newly-promoted Croatia hope to stick around for more than a year. The Netherlands and Romania round out the competition.

Note: most information from the IIHF website.

World Ranking

20. Great Britain
24. Netherlands
25. Poland
26. Lithuania (host)
27. Romania
30. Croatia

Roster

Croatia
Goalies:

Name	Club
Mate Tomljenovic	HKm Zvolen
Andrej Vasiljevic	Slough Jets

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Igor Jacmenjak	KHL Zagreb
Alan Letang	KHL Medvescak Zagreb
Kenny MacAulay	Olimpija Ljubljana
Luka Markovic	EC Peiting
Sasa Martinovic	KHL Medvescak Zagreb
Nikola Senzel	KHL Medvescak Zagreb
Marko Tadic	Mladost Zagreb
Geoff Waugh	KHL Medvescak Zagreb

Forwards:

Name	Club
Mislav Blagus	KHL Zagreb
Ivan Brencun	KHL Medvescak Zagreb
Dominik Kanaet	Herlev Eagles
Dario Kostovic	KHL Medvescak Zagreb
Ivan Jankovic	KHL Zagreb
Marko Ljubic	Mladost Zagreb
Tadija Miric	Mladost Zagreb
Mario Novak	Mladost Zagreb
Michael Novak	VEU Feldkirch
Borna Rendulic	HPK Hameenlinna
Marko Sakic	KHL Medvescak Zagreb

Great Britain
Goalies:

Name	Club
Ben Bowns	Hull Stingrays
Stephen Murphy	Belfast Giants

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Stephen Lee	Nottingham Panthers
Daniel Meyers	Sheffield Steelers
Ben O’Conner	Arlan Kokshetau
David Phillips	Belfast Giants
Mark Richardson	Cardiff Devils
Paul Swindlehurst	Dundee Stars
Jonathan Weaver	Nottingham Panthers

Forwards:

Name	Club
David Clarke	Nottingham Panthers
Benjamin Davies	Cardiff Devils
Mathew Davies	Hull Stingrays
Robert Dowd	Sheffield Steelers
Robert Farmer	Nottingham Panthers
Mark Garside	Belfast Giants
Jason Hewitt	Sheffield Steelers
Phillip Hill	Sheffield Steelers
Robert Lachowicz	Nottingham Panthers
Matthew Myers	Cardiff Devils
Jonathan Phillips	Sheffield Steelers
Colin Shields	Belfast Giants
Ashley Tait	Coventry Blaze

Lithuania
Goalies:

Name	Club
Mantas Armalis	Mora IK
Nerijus Dauksevicius	Energija Elektrenai

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Roman Aliapkin	Yugra Khanty-Mansisk
Nerijus Alisauskas	EV Fussen
Rolandas Aliukonis	Energija Elektrenai
Arnoldas Bosas	Gornyak Rudny
Andruis Kaminskas	Slough Jets
Arturas Katulis	Energija Elektrenai
Mindaugas Kieras	Slough Jets
Pijus Rulevicius	St. Norbert College
Justinas Vezelis	Energija Elektrenai
Tomas Vysniauskas	Energija Elektrenai

Forwards:

Name	Club
Aivaras Bendzius	Energija Elektrenai
Daniel Bogdziul	Moloda Gvardia Donetsk
Aimas Fiscevas	Energija Elektrenai
Paulius Gintautas	Energija Elektrenai
Dovydas Kulevicius	Energija Elektrenai
Sarunas Kuliesius	Energija Elektrenai
Donatas Kumeliauskas	Arystan Temirtau
Darius Pliskauskas	Phantoms Deurne
Edgar Rybakov	HK Lida
Dainius Zubrus	New Jersey Devils

Netherlands
Goalies:

Name	Club
Ian Meierdres	Tilburg Trappers
Martijn Oosterwijk	Friesland Flyers

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Nicky de Jong	Friesland Flyers
Jurryt Smid	HYS The Hague
Erik Tummers	Geleen Smoke Trappers
Joy Turpijn	Dordrecht Lions
Dax van de Velden	Friesland Flyers
Boet van Gestel	Tilburg Trappers
Jeffrey van Iersel	Geleen Smoke Eaters
Jordy van Oorschot	HYS The Hague

Forwards:

Name	Club
Maarten Brekelmans	Tilburg Trappers
Kevin Bruijsten	Friesland Flyers
Mitch Bruijsten	Fort Wayne Komets
Tony Demelinne	Friesland Flyers
Diederick Hagemeijer	Tilburg Trappers
Levi Houkes	Friesland Flyers
Steve Mason	EHC Brandis
Nardo Nagtzaam	Mercyhurst College
Joey Oosterveld	Friesland Flyers
Marco Postma	HYS The Hague
Roland Wurm	HYS The Hague
Ivy van den Heuvel	Tilburg Trappers

Poland
Goalies:

Name	Club
Kamil Kosowski	Cardiff Devils
Przemyslaw Odrobny	GKS Jastrzebie

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Aron Chmielewski	MKS Cracovia
Pawel Dronia	Schwenninger Wild Wings
Rafal Dutka	KH Sanok
Michal Kotlorz	GKS Tychy
Mateusz Rompkowski	GKS Jastrzebie
Marek Strzyzowski	KH Sanok
Patryk Wajda	MKS Cracovia
Jakub Wanacki	GKS Tychy
Jakub Witecki	GKS Tychy

Forwards:

Name	Club
Adam Baginski	GKS Tychy
Bartosz Dabkowski	MKS Cracovia
Krystian Dziubinski	Podhale Nowy Targ
Marcin Kolusz	GKS Tychy
Sebastian Kowalowka	MKS Cracovia
Leszek Laszkiewicz	MKS Cracovia
Mikolaj Lopuski	GKS Tychy
Tomasz Malasinski	GKS Tychy
Grzegorz Pasiut	GKS Jastrzebie
Bartlomiej Pociecha	KH Sanok
Krzysztof Zapala	KH Sanok

Romania
Goalies:

Name	Club
Adrian Catrinoi Cornea	Steaua Bucharest
Gellert Ruczuj	HSC Csikszereda

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Otto Biro	HSC Csikszereda
Huba Bors	HSC Csikszereda
Detre Hodos	Ujpeste TE
Nicusor Lusneac	Steaua Bucharest
Zsolt Mastaleriu	Corona Brasov
Csaba Nagy	Corona Brasov
Yevgeni Pysarenko	Corona Brasov
Alpar Sallo	HSC Csikszereda

Forwards:

Name	Club
Gergo Biro	HK Nitra
Matyas Biro	HK Nitra
Csanad Fodor	Corona Brasov
Mihail Georgescu	Steaua Bucharest
Attila Imecs	Corona Brasov
Ede Mihaly	HSC Csikszereda
Ervin Moldovan	HSC Csikszereda
Alexandru Munteanu	Steaua Bucharest
Leonard Pascaru	Steaua Bucharest
Ioan Timaru	Steaua Bucharest
Csanad Virag	Corona Brasov
Levente Zsok	Corona Brasov

Schedule

April 20
Croatia - Great Britain
Romania - Poland
Lithuania - Netherlands

April 21
Great Britain - Romania
Netherlands - Croatia
Poland - Lithuania

April 23
Poland - Netherlands
Croatia - Romania
Great Britain - Lithuania

April 24
Poland - Croatia
Netherlands - Great Britain
Romania - Lithuania

April 26
Netherlands - Romania
Great Britain - Poland
Lithuania - Croatia

Predictions

1 (Promotion) - Poland
2 - Great Britain
3 - Lithuania
4 - Croatia
5 - Netherlands
6 (Relegation) - Romania

It will probably be a two-horse race for the promotion, with Poland winning by a nose over Great Britain. I've switched between positions 3-5 a few times, finally settling on Lithuania (third), Croatia (fourth) and Netherlands (fifth). Romania gets stuck in sixth, and gets relegated to Division II.