RUS - SLO
RUS - SLO
Und schon eingeschlafen das ganze hier! [[sleep]]
Russia - Slowakia 6,5/10
Two of the top offensive squads in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey butt heads in the final game of the preliminary round at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto at 7 p.m. ET (CBC).
The Short Shift -- This game will serve as a final tune-up for both teams as they prepare for next week's single-elimination quarterfinal matches in both Toronto and St. Paul. The game is especially important for the Slovaks, who have been badly outplayed in their first two games and need to find some consistency before the quarterfinals.
For the Slovaks -- Team Slovakia needs to find a way to get its stable of talented forwards on track. Despite having high-powered forwards like Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra and Miroslav Satan, the Slovakians only have two goals in the tournament. Neither has come from the team's superstars as Ladislav Nagy and Martin Cibak have lit the lamp. In order to be more successful offensively, the Slovaks must first get their defensive house together. The team has spent way too much time in its own end during the first two contests, unable to handle the swarming forecheck of its opponents. Slovak coach Jan Filc believes a quicker transition game will allow the team's speedy forwards to finally gain some operating room and attack in the one-on-one mode that is the specialty of many of the team's stars.
For the Russians -- Team Russia must continue to develop the foundation it laid in its tournament-opening victory against the Americans. In that contest, the Russians played a sound, patient game in their own zone, which not only easily defused the majority of the American attacks, but it also allowed the Russians to use their individual skill to counter-attack at will. They took a step back in Saturday's loss to Canada. Team Russia also needs to continue to shoot at every opportunity. In the past, this team has been guilty of over-passing the puck to set up the perfect shot. But, against the Americans, they peppered the opposing goalie at every turn and that paid off with the goals that had been so hard to come by during the exhibition portion of the tournament. The team's coach, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, must also decide on which goalie -- Ilya Bryzgalov or Maxim Sokolov -- will get their second start of the tournament.
What's at stake -- This game will determine the final standings in the North American Pool. Russia needs a win, tie or overtime loss to secure the second seed behind Canada.
Team Canada earned the top spot by beating Russia on Saturday night. If the Russians lose, all three remaining teams in the pool will have a 1-2 record and the seeds for the quarterfinals will be determined by goal differential. If Slovakia loses, they will finish fourth and play the Canadians in Toronto.
Players to watch:
Slovakia: Zdeno Chara -- The huge defenseman has been a target throughout the tournament as teams try to negate his ability to take over a game with his size and skill. Both Canada and the United States successfully wore down the Norris Trophy runner-up by constantly hitting him and driving Chara to distraction with after-whistle scrums. The Russians do not have the physical presence to pursue the same plan, which means Chara will be in a better position to dominate the action.
Russia: Maxim Afinogenov -- The forward was dominant in the game against the Americans, registering a 10-shot outing as he continually used his outside speed to burn the American defense. Against Canada, he assisted on Russia's only goal, by Sergei Gonchar. Now, he gets to show his dazzling puck skills in a game that should feature more open ice than seen in either of those two previous affairs.
Die Russen waren den Canadiern ebenbürtig, jeweils 28 Torschüße gestern, nur waren die Russen weniger klug vor dem Tor und scheiterten immer wieder 27mal an Brodeur.
Der heutige Sieger wird Russland heißen!
MfG [[bussi]]
