Teema: Senior Canada National Team

Here it is after 2 games.
Game 1...Canada 1 ....Slovenia 0
Game 2...Canada 4.....Switzerland 2
France also has 2 wins and a higher +/- by 5.
We will be moving on to the next round.
A win tomorrow against France clinches first in our division which may give us more home games in the qualifying round and will determine who we play.
Whatever happens, next round, there will be 2 first place finishers, 2 second place finishers, and 2 from the rest of the field in each of the two groups of 6.
After 5 games (one against each team in the division), the top 4 teams in each division will move on to the playoffs. Playoffs are win or go home!
We've been lucky we didn't have to play on VH every period. Everyone still at 95% energy and now at 100% chemistry.

Impressive start! Go Canada!

Did you ever think we would win against CZE? :O

Presently, they are ranked 7th in the world, we are 6th, but they finished higher than we did last season. Despite less time of possession, and fewer shots on goal, great goaltending and home ice combined to give us a very welcome and perhaps unlikely 2-1 win. A win against the Netherlands (very necessary because of goal differential) would put us in the playoffs, and a win/tie against unbeaten Russia (0 goals against so far) would go a long ways in keeping us from facing any of the strongest teams in the first playoff game.

Bobby Jay, you are a national hero

We are in good position moving forward!

Thank you. There is still some work to be done!
After a 3-2 SO win in a nail-biter against a previously unbeaten and unscored upon Russian squad, we will be included in the final eight. Tomorrow's games results will determine the playoff seeding. Hopefully, will be on the opposite side of the playoff tree to the formidable French team.

After going down by 2 goals in the first 42 seconds, yes, in the first 42 seconds of the game, the team settled down and finally won the game against the Netherlands 4-3.
We are into the final 8, playing our old nemesis, Poland, tomorrow with the winner meeting the winner of Slovakia/Netherlands in the semi-final game.

We were about as well-prepared as possible this season throughout the tournament but,
True to form, Poland once again plays the role of spoiler. Although we marginally outshot and outplayed them, they come away with a 3-1 win including an empty-netter in the final seconds. Our record this year should keep us near our present world ranking of 6th.
Back to the drawing board to prepare for next season.
Thanks to all for your part in the training the members of the national team. There will be a few player changes again this season as we strive to put together a senior team capable of winning that first medal which always seems to be just out of our reach.

Slovakia vs Russia for the gold??
Didn't we beat Russia??
Once again, too bad our quest for a medal ran through Poland. May require some in depth study in that area for next season!!

Thanks to all who voted in the elections.
Now, on with the project at hand!
GO CANADA !!

This season we are in group 3.
Teams with world ranking following.

France.............3
Canada.............6
Slovenia..........12
Switzerland.......16

Presently, we are working on building the chemistry of the new-comers and those who may become part of the starting 28 this season. This should explain why you may see players playing out of position in some of the friendlies. Our objective is to have all starting 28 with chemistry of 90+ for the first World Cup game.

Ladies and gentlemen:
Tape the soccer for much later!
Once again PPM World Cup hockey is on the horizon.
The prep work has been done, and our top players are again well rested with chemistry over 90 for all. It is butterfly season again! Butterflies in the stomach, butterfly saves, and butter will fly in the kitchen if we lose another close playoff match to Poland. Fasten those seat belts and cinch up those helmets. I think it's going to be another wild ride! Start the playoff beards (ladies exempted unless you work for the circus), dig out the old rituals and superstitions, and keep your fingers crossed. Once more into the breach.....

Here is to success at the world's for all levels!

It happens in the World Championships too!!

Canada....2
Slovenia..5

We had home ice advantage.
By time of possession, we had the puck twice as much as they did.
We outshot them 49-15.
We outfaceoffed them 37-29.
We had fewer penalties 1 vs 7.
We had the tactical advantage every period.
We had the overall special teams advantage.
Our players had to be at least as well rested....100%.
Our team chemistry was over 90%.
We switched to 3 lines after the first period.
And still it was:
Canada.....2
Slovenia...5
The same goalies who have kept us in games in the past two seasons couldn't seem to stop a beach ball!! They both had save percentages of 66%.
Here's hoping we "used up" ALL our bad luck today!!
Back into the fray tomorrow.
Switzerland is no pushover. They knocked off France today.

A better effort today!

Canada........4
Switzerland...2

We had home ice advantage.
By time of possession, we had the puck twice as much as they did.
We outshot them 43-23.
Lost faceoffs 29-33.
Penalties at 7-6. Almost half the game, someone was short handed!
We had the tactical advantage every period.
Overall special teams slightly to Switzerland.

Goaltending by our aging Ronnie Home at a more respectable 91.30 %.
France tomorrow.
Anything but an outright loss
OR
A loss by Switzerland to unbeaten Slovenia
puts us through.
Time to "get 'er done"!