All the things signifies that this might be our most necessary match on the match. At 20:20 the Polish nationwide crew will face France, and the winner of this conflict will take a milestone in the direction of staying within the Elite.
“Les Blues” got here to Ostrava with a transparent objective: they need to rapidly safe relegation after which struggle for development to the quarterfinals, the place they final performed in 2014. Simply earlier than the beginning of the match, the teaching employees emphasised that the primary three matches within the match towards Kazakhstan, Latvia and Poland can be extraordinarily necessary.
To this point, the crew led by Phillip Bozon misplaced to the Kazakhs 1:3 and misplaced to Latvia 2:3 after additional time. They’ve one level on their account and are in penultimate place in group B, together with Poland, attributable to a barely higher objective stability.
The match with the white and crimson crew is extraordinarily necessary for them, and the victory can provide nice consolation when it comes to staying in the most effective sixteen on the planet.
With a veteran and a participant with a Polish passport
What’s the composition of the Loire and Seine crew? Let’s begin with the truth that it options one participant who performs within the NHL, specifically Pierre-Édouard Bellemare. He’s 39 years previous and final season he defended the Seattle Kraken, enjoying 40 video games and scoring 7 factors for 4 targets and three assists.
Nonetheless, Alexandre Texier from the Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t attain Ostrava attributable to insurance coverage issues. In flip, Pierrick Dubé, who performed in 3 NHL video games for the Washington Capitals this season, will compete with the Hershey Bears within the quarterfinals of the AHL play-offs.
Sacha Treille was elected captain of the French, and he might be helped by the beforehand talked about Bellemare and… Stéphane Da Costa in sustaining an excellent environment within the locker room and a preventing temper on the ice. The youngest of the Da Costa brothers final performed within the championship in 2018, and within the final two years he was excluded from the nationwide crew for remaining within the KHL after Russia’s navy invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier than the match, the French Ministry of Sports activities didn’t touch upon the scenario of the participant, who additionally has a Polish passport, explaining his case by the truth that he had been enjoying within the KHL for a very long time.
– The participant has by no means supported the Russian invasion, and his neutrality permits the French Ice Hockey Affiliation (FFHG) to nominate him. For that reason, the minister determined to not go towards the widespread will of the participant and the affiliation – wrote the Ministry of Sports activities in a particular assertion.
The goalkeeping dilemma
We’re curious which goalkeeper the French coach will select at the moment. Many French consultants imagine that it will likely be 195 cm tall Julian Junca, who had an excellent match towards Latvia and spent the earlier season abroad (2 video games within the AHL and 41 within the ECHL). It appears that he’s presently in higher form than Sébastian Ylönen
The leaders of the defensive formation are Yohann Auvitu, enjoying within the Elite World Championship for the eleventh time, and Hugo Gallet, who has been enjoying within the Finnish Premier League for 5 years.
Allow us to keep in mind that a 12 months in the past in Tampere, France received after additional time towards Austria 2:1 and likewise misplaced after additional time towards Denmark (3:4) and Hungary (2:3). Then it misplaced 3-5 to Finland, 0-4 to Sweden, 0-9 to the USA and 0-5 to Germany.
Staff chief – Stéphane Da Costa
– He’s an entire and unconventional participant, in a position to change the destiny of a match with one play. He has the character of a frontrunner and isn’t afraid to take the burden of the sport on his personal shoulders. His benefits embrace good skating, area imaginative and prescient and correct capturing. He can rapidly throw a shot from the wrist and make a bang with a full swing.
His CV consists of 47 matches for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, wherein he defeated rival goalkeepers seven instances, and his strikes opened the way in which to the web for gamers from the Canadian capital 4 instances.
The youngest of the Da Costa hockey clan spent 9 seasons within the KHL, the place he made a stable identify for himself and generated nice numbers. Within the common part, he performed 416 matches, scored 161 targets and recorded 215 assists, whereas within the play-offs he added 57 factors in 82 matches.
He spent the final three seasons in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, being the crew’s finest scoring participant. His counter stopped at a complete of 72 confrontations, 24 targets and 40 key performs. One factor is definite – our gamers can’t depart him any house.
Trener – Philippe Bozon
– He’s 57 years previous and one of many legends of French hockey. He discovered his teaching career in Switzerland, the place he first labored with younger individuals and later with seniors.
He has been working with the primary crew of “Les Bleus” for the reason that 2018-2019 season. Additionally it is price noting that two of his sons play within the nationwide crew: Tim and Kévin, who additionally play in Switzerland.
FRANCE
IIHF rating: 13
Steadiness of matches with Poland (Z, R, P): 27 – 6 – 21
Aim stability with Poland: 146-142
Highest victory towards Poland: 9:3
Highest defeat towards Poland: 1:10
THE LAST FIVE MEETINGS POLAND – FRANCE
France – Poland 4:7 (1:2, 2:4, 1:1) – December 2022, Three Nations Event
Objectives for Poland: Zygmunt (2), Wałęga, Starzyński, Jaśkiewicz, Górny, Fraszko
Poland – France 2:3 (2:1, 3:0, 2:1) – December 2021, EIHC
Objectives for Poland: Sawicki, Bukowski
France – Poland 1:0 – Could 2021, pleasant match
Poland – France 3:2 – December 2015, EIHC
Objectives for Poland: Guzik (2), Pasiut
France – Poland 3:5 – August 2012, pleasant match
Objectives for Poland: Zapała (2), Urbanowicz (2), Pasiut
France squad for the World Cup:
Goalkeepers: Julian Junca (Tulsa Oilers/ECHL), Quentin Papillon (Bordeaux Boxers), Sebastian Ylönen (Cergy Jokers).
Defenders: Yohann Auvitu (HC Vitkovice/CZE), Enzo Cantagallo, Florian Chakiachvili (Rouen Dragons), Pierre Crinon (Grenoble Wolf Burners), Hugo Gallet (KalPa Kuopio/FIN), Enzo Guebey (HC Davos/SUI), Vincent Llorca (HC Davos/SUI). Dukes of Angers), Thomas Thiry (HC Ajoie/SUI).
Attackers: Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (Seattle Kraken/NHL), Charles Bertrand (ERC Ingolstadt/GER), Louis Boudon (Iowa Heartlanders/ECHL), Kévin Bozon (HC Ajoie/SUI), Tim Bozon (Lozanna HC/SUI), Baptiste Bruche ( Boxers de Bordeaux), Valentin Claireaux (HC Vítkovice/CZE), Stéphane Da Costa (Awtomobilist Jekaterynburg/KHL), Aurélien Dair, Sacha Treille (Brûleurs de Loups Grenoble), Jordann Perret (HK Hradec Králové/CZE), Anthony Rech (Dragons de Rouen), Nicolas Ritz (Ducs d’Angers), Tomas Simonsen (Gothiques d’Amiens).
