Canada vs Slovakia [Archive] - Hockey Station Forums

Max Power

5-11-05, 11:01 AM

Well the quarterfinal sudden death action begins with this potential nail biter Thursday at 10:15 EST. Canada?s sub par defensive game could be their downfall to speedy players like Gaborik, Hossa, Nagy, Satan, Demitra, Zednick and Palffy. The Slovaks are much stronger team then last falls disappointing performance by them while at the same time Canada?s top two lines are missing from last falls winning team.

IMO if Canada immediately brings the physical game to the Slovaks it should result in a hesitant Slovak offence. Canada won?t be able to out-skate them but they should be able to outplay them.
The Slovaks have choked many times in international events but this group wants recognition so if Canada dosen?t bring their A game it could be all over for them

I think I might just have to take the morning off =]

IMO Players to watch for

Slovaks ? Chara, Stumpel, Hossa, Palffy
Canada ? Nash (obviously) Heatley, Gagne, Philips, Redden

Anybody know who?s playing in nets?

Madferret

5-11-05, 11:27 AM

Brodeur for Canada and I believe it will be Lasak for the Slovaks...
If we can wear down Chara then their defense is about 95% less effective, of course our defense needs to tighten the hell up. That PP of the Slovaks is deadly, may sound like a cliche but if we can stay disciplined and stick to a forechecking game, we should be all-right.

TimmyTabasco

5-11-05, 11:38 AM

This game will come down to goaltending

Canada for sure has the edge in that department. Lasak is a hot and cold goalie, and Stana can't stop a beach ball.

If canada can find its defensive game, they will win..because they cannot win on offense over this team

bluemeanie

5-11-05, 11:40 AM

I'd feel a lot better about our defence if McCabe was in the line up... oh well. =]

I think this game will be decided early in the third period.

Max Power

5-11-05, 11:49 AM

I'd feel a lot better about our defence if McCabe was in the line up... oh well. =]

Thanks for the laugh Blue... That was good =]

bluemeanie

5-11-05, 11:53 AM

Well you know... I aim to please. I just figured that since half of the key players from Slovakia are Senators, what better way to shut them down in an important game then by waving a few Leafs in front of them??? =]

Max Power

5-11-05, 12:07 PM

Madferret

5-11-05, 12:29 PM

leaferfan87

5-11-05, 5:44 PM

Well in the past we have worn down this Slovakian team by tight checking. I would look for nothing different tommorrow.

slapshot™

5-12-05, 12:08 AM

More quarter final matchups here -> IHWC.net (http://www.ihwc.net/english/article/news/index.ihwc?&artId=2138)

May 7, 2002 and May 7, 2004 are key dates on which the current Canada-Slovakia rivalry at this tournament emerged. In 2002, it was the Slovaks knocking Canada out of the quarter-finals with a surprising come-from-behind 3-2 victory paced by Peter Bondra's two goals. In 2004, a controversial play led to Canada's 2-1 winning goal, as the Slovaks contended Rob Niedermayer tripped goalie Jan Lasak behind the net before Shawn Horcoff scored, though no penalty was called. There should be plenty of fireworks in this one as Canada tries to keep its three-peat hopes alive.

Damn...I have to figure out how I can spend most of the morning in my truck so I can listen to the game. Good thing I went surveying today and don't have to do it tomorrow!

bluemeanie

5-12-05, 10:14 AM

I read in the news yesterday that because of a unique alignment between the moon and mars, survey equipment all over the west was disrupted... you may have to go out again today to verify your results Slappy. Good luck. =]

Madferret

5-12-05, 10:56 AM

2-2 end of 1st...
1-0 Yanks end of 1st...

Madferret

5-12-05, 11:20 AM

3-2 Canada, Gagne from Nashers...

:thumb:

2-0 Yanks..

slapshot™

5-12-05, 11:35 AM

uhmmmm...penalty problems

slapshot™

5-12-05, 11:37 AM

Palffy didn't score on the penalty shot!

Madferret

5-12-05, 11:45 AM

2-Man Advantage then a Penalty Shot for the Slovaks...

:conspire:

- Canada going on the PP....

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:08 PM

Nashers scores....oops, wait, might not count.

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:11 PM

No goal...

:curse: :curse: :curse: :curse: :curse:

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:15 PM

Demitra.... :curse:

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:25 PM

Gagne! 4-4 :thumb:

US/Czechs 2-2...

Mel

5-12-05, 12:31 PM

Czechs tied it up from 2 down in the third - out shooting the US 45 - 21 *gulp*

sounds like they're flying.

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:34 PM

Thornton!!!!!!!!!
5-4 on a blister from just past the blue line....

:thumb:

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:38 PM

Oi....Slovak going on the PP with about 2 1/2 to go....

:eek:

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:45 PM

Off to the semi's we go, 5-4 Final. What a game....

:thumb:

bluemeanie

5-12-05, 12:50 PM

Phew! That was a good game. What's happening with the US?

Madferret

5-12-05, 12:55 PM

Phew! That was a good game. What's happening with the US?

2-2 in O.T I believe...

Mel

5-12-05, 12:55 PM

Phew! That was a good game. What's happening with the US?

Over time 2-2. DiPietro has 50 saves on 52 shots!

I'm just watching the live data feed refresh on www.iihf.com

Sounds like the US will be lucky to get out of this game with a win... being out shot 2-1 margin

TimmyTabasco

5-12-05, 12:56 PM

Great game by the Canucks

I was impressed with the top line ofcourse, but also Boyle, Walker had a solid game

What an intense game :coffee:

Madferret

5-12-05, 1:06 PM

Over time 2-2. DiPietro has 50 saves on 52 shots!

I'm just watching the live data feed refresh on www.iihf.com

Sounds like the US will be lucky to get out of this game with a win... being out shot 2-1 margin

Has it gone to a Penalty Shoot-Out yet Matty?
If Dieps is playing like that a PSO might be good for the US...

Madferret

5-12-05, 1:12 PM

IIHL.com is saying 3-2 CZK's......Matty? Anything?

Mel

5-12-05, 1:17 PM

The US definitely lost but that's all I can gather from that awful web site.

I believe it went to shootout... but I'm not positive

3-2 Czechs win. Good luck in the next game Canada.

Madferret

5-12-05, 2:35 PM

You're right Matty, that site is trash...

Canada defeats Slovakia 5-4, advances to semis
By John Sanful
Innsbruck

Thursday at the Olympiahalle, two champions past and present battled in what was perhaps the most thrilling game of the tournament in Innsbruck. Team Canada won 5-4 on a late third-period goal by Joe Thornton. Simon Gagne added a pair of tallies, while Dany Heatley and Ryan Smyth had singles. Pavol Demitra scored twice for Slovakia and Marian Gaborik and Michal Handzus also got on the scoreboard.

Canada will now gear up to face off in Vienna Saturday against the winner of the Russia-Finland quarter-final. Slovakia, the 2002 world champion, and Canada, the defending two-time champion, fought through a close contest that was ultimately decided with just 4:22 remaining. Rick Nash added three assists to pace the Canadian attack and send them off to the semi-finals. Martin Brodeur's biggest save of the night was against Zigmund Palffy on a second-period penalty shot

The Canadians held a 33-25 edge in shots on goal. It was a back and forth game where both Canadian goalie Martin Brodeur and Jan Lasak were called on to make key saves, and Brodeur, despite some shaky moments, kept his composure best when the game was on the line. The Slovaks came out skating like the wind. Both teams were determined to test each other early. And Slovakia used a strong counterattack to get their first chance and first goal.

Forty-five seconds into the game, Ziggy Palffy unleashed Marian Gaborik with a great pass, and Gaborik broke into the Canadian zone past Ed Jovanovski. Jovanovski lunged at Gaborik's feet causing the young Slovak star to fall. But Gaborik got up in stride, regained his composure, and deked to beat Martin Brodeur high on the stickside. "They are a dangerous team that can do that to you," said Dany Heatley.

When Lubos Bartecko was called for charging Brendan Morrison, the Canadian power play went to work. Mike Fisher kept the puck in the zone and passed it to Heatley, who whistled a wrister past Slovak goalie Jan Lasak to tie it 1-1 at 5:52. It was a huge goal for Heatley, who's had a relatively quiet tournament, and it reminded the Slovaks they were in a game. Slovakia came back to take the lead when Lasak sent a pass up ice to Bartecko, who fed Michal Handzus breaking into the zone. Handzus skated in on Brodeur, who lunged at Handzus while caught out of position, allowing the Slovak forward to put it into a wide open net for a 2-1 lead at 8:22.

Slovakia took the play to Canada, creating chances almost at will. There were several opportunties for both teams to add more goals. Miroslav Satan weaved around Scott Hannan and sent a shot on goal that hit Brodeur in the chest.

Canada rallied back at 16:47 on a beautiful connect-the-dots sequence. Heatley made a pass from behind the Slovak net to Patrick Marleau, who threaded the needle past Handzus to Ryan Smyth, who sent it home. "Smitty, Mo and myself pride ourselves on playing in the big games, and I think we played well tonight," said Heatley of his line, which combined for four points. "As a team we took a pretty big step."

In the second period, the big offensive unit for Team Canada once again rose to the occasion. Rick Nash intercepted a pass from Zdeno Chara and took a shot that Lasak saved, but Simon Gagne picked it up and scored glove side at 4:21. As Gagne celebrated, Slovak defenseman Rene Vydareny cross-checked Gagne into the boards, earning him a two-minute minor plus a 10-minute misconduct for hitting from behind.

It was like a good chess match: one team would score and then another would counter. Slovakia tied it 3-3 after going on a 5-on-3 man advantage. With Brendan Morrison gone for hooking and Kris Draper for elbowing, the Slovaks moved the puck around neatly and Pavol Demitra scored from the doorstep with three seconds left in the first call against Morrison.

The highlight of the period came when Robyn Regehr pulled down Palffy on a break and referee Thomas Andersson called for a penalty shot. Palffy tried going stick side but Brodeur extended his body across the goal and stopped the puck with his glove hand. It gave the Canadians a big boost. In the third, Demitra added his second goal with a shorthanded marker, but Canada was gaining momentum. They were wearing down the Slovaks, who came out so strong but began to show signs that their North American rivals had gotten to them. "It was a back and forth game," said Handzus. "We should have held on to the lead but we made a lot of mistakes in our zone and that was the difference, I think.

Gagne tied it up again when he converted a Nash pass from behind the net at 8:15 of the final period. With less than five minutes left, Joe Thornton did what he has done all tournament long, and that is break a game open. Thornton raced down on Lasak and sent a rocket slap shot that whizzed by Lasak's ear and into the net. it might have tipped on the way in, but it was an impressive goal that gave the Canadians the edge and the game, as they bore down defensively the rest of the way, even during a late Slovak man advantage.

"We were strong in our own end," said Heatley. "We shook off the early goal, gutted it out, and wore them down."

http://www.ihwc.net/image/large/2959.jpg http://www.ihwc.net/image/large/2964.jpg

bluemeanie

5-12-05, 2:38 PM

Well as crappy as it is that the US is out, I have to say that this tournament is turing out to be a pretty good one. No easy pick here.

Madferret

5-12-05, 2:45 PM

Well as crappy as it is that the US is out, I have to say that this tournament is turing out to be a pretty good one. No easy pick here.

The Chucks & their Shoot-outs eh....

:conspire:

J.R.

5-12-05, 7:01 PM

Didn't see the game, I only checked into TSN.ca when it was 4-3 Slovakia, then 4-4 a few moments later.

So judging by some highlights, Canada is very fortunate to come away with a quarterfinal win. They were really pushed hard today, and without the veteran leadership and experience, it would have been a loss to the flashy Slovaks. It was probably one of the best, if not the best, game of the tournament thusfar. There was good back and forth action, and an exciting comeback win to move on to the semifinal.

Keep it rolling. :thumb:

Max Power

5-13-05, 10:05 AM

Great game and one of the best I've seen in a while. Back and forth chances for both teams with crisp passing and many chances.
Man what a tough day at work yesterday, Great Hockey in the morning and golf in the afternoon. I really deserve a raise

bluemeanie

5-13-05, 10:15 AM