Printed 2024-05-23 16.33
share-arrowDela
unsaveSpara
OSTRAVA How a lot is 21 factors in seven video games actually price?
Not a smack if there’s a loss towards Finland.
As a result of it’s now that the World Cup begins – and it’s now that Tre Kronor’s effort is critically beginning to be valued.
Hockey is a playoff sport and only a few (if any) keep in mind a great common season or group stage if it ends proper within the playoffs.
Ask Färjestad’s supporters this spring. Or the Boston Bruins ditto a yr in the past.
Or why not those that hoped for Three Kronor in Riga in 2023.
After robust common season or group stage, it ended instantly for all these three I point out.
Through the years, there have been a number of “the day earlier than the playoffs begin” on website.
It is all the time a particular feeling.
This Wednesday in Ostrava was no exception. A light-weight rain came visiting, however it felt most liberating in an in any other case pretty oppressive warmth. At our resort, the USA packed up and took the bus to Prague to satisfy the house staff.
Finland made the alternative journey to arrange for a brand new enviornment and a gathering with the archrival.
Tre Kronor carried out a voluntary coaching session within the well-known Ostravar Area. Seven gamers and three goalkeepers have been on the ice and the environment was lighthearted.
Sam Hallam was not on the ice however used the time for one more affected person stroll via the blended zone.
Not win or lose for Hallam, however…
Quarterfinals in championships are a crossroads for a hockey nation like Sweden, each within the WC and JVM. A sporting problem, after all, however a fair higher psychological problem.
Lose and the event is assessed as a serious failure or, at worst, a fiasco.
Victory and that hazard has been averted, and that the whole lot is open to go all the way in which.
expand-left
full display Tre Kronor celebrates the victory towards Latvia within the hockey World Cup after successful 7–2. Photograph: Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT
I am not going to say that the assembly with Finland is win or lose for Sam Hallam, as a result of it isn’t. However one other outing within the quarter-finals towards a lower-ranked staff – this time additionally with a closely NHL-strengthened Swedish staff – doesn’t improve his belief capital forward of the 2 last years of the contract.
Then Hallam’s result’s all the way down to the extent of the closely criticized Johan Garpenlöv, despite the fact that Garpelöv even missed the playoffs in his first World Cup as nationwide staff captain.
Sam Hallam’s aspect have hardly put a foot fallacious throughout the group stage.
Raised the sport at a excessive World Cup stage when required, towards USA and Slovakia. Bought the three factors required, however with out pointless effort, towards groups like France, Poland and Kazakhstan.
A gaggle sport principally with out blemishes, however on the identical time in a gaggle that will need to have been the weakest a Swedish World Cup staff has ever participated in.
Assembly Finland is sort of a derby
In any case, Tre Kronor has given themselves the absolute best situations for the playoffs, even when there’s not a lot in the way in which of benefits that the Swedes get with them.
Positive, on paper Finland is weaker than the Czech Republic, Canada and Switzerland.
On the identical time, the overwhelming majority of individuals know that the conferences between the Nordic neighbors are particular matches that tackle a lifetime of their very own.
Like a derby in membership staff sports activities.
Finland, with a principally European staff, actually has the whole lot to win towards a Swedish staff crammed to the brim with NHL gamers. Not least now that the Lions’ solely star and likewise the staff captain, Mikael Granlund, has incurred a suspension. Positive, Tre Kronor wins seven or eight video games out of ten towards this Finnish staff, however a single quarter-final is one thing else fully.
We’ve got seen earlier than what Jukka Jalonen can construct up in protection with a bunch of gamers from European leagues. And what it is prefer to lose to such a staff within the quarter-finals, we solely want to return 5 years in time to search out.
Now I nonetheless suppose that Tre Kronor has a lot extra edge and is so significantly better that they win. There are too many offensive threats for a reserve-oriented Finland to have the ability to resist.
An enormous step in the fitting course
The important thing to victory will after all be to drive the defensive wall that Finland will construct up within the center zone and round its personal goalkeeper as early as potential. However on the identical time do it systematically and with out dropping persistence.
Powerplay is a superb likelihood to attain objectives in shut and even matches. There, after a tentative begin, Tre Kronor has had a clear break recently. Not least, the modifications within the formations and the tempo of the puck towards Slovakia felt like a giant step in the fitting course.
If we glance even additional forward, we are able to state that Tre Kronor should ship three high-class performances in 4 days to win gold. That is how powerful the remaining resistance seems to be to be.
Tre Kronor has not been near that stage of demand throughout the group stage, and that’s additionally the place the massive problem lies.
However first it’s Finland that applies.
Tre Kronor’s final match in Ostrava, if the black headlines are to be averted, it should not be the final within the event.
