“The composition is weaker, there is nothing to discuss here” – what do Latvian journalists say about the national team’s prospects for the WC?

Latvian hockey team | Photo: LHF

Today, May 10, the world hockey championship starts, while tomorrow, May 11, the Latvian hockey team will also participate in the battle for the trophy. Already traditionally before the tournament “Sportazinas.com” offers the opinions of Latvian hockey commentators about the upcoming tournament and Latvia’s prospects.

Each of the interviewees was asked the same six questions – surprises in the lineup, comparison of this team with last year, Elvja Merzlikin’s number one status, the decisive game, the weakest stage and a prediction about the team’s progress in the upcoming tournament.

Aivars Zakharov, LETA

The only surprise is such a large number in the rookie column. On the other hand, perhaps only Martins Laviņš and Fēliks Gavars should be called “green-beaks” here. The others – Haraldas Egli, Eduards Tralmaks, Raivi Ansons – were expected by many to be in the national team for a long time, but due to various circumstances it did not happen, but Markus Komulas is already 26 years old.

The selection has become weaker. There is not much to discuss here – last championship’s MVP goalkeeper Artūrs Shilova is missing, one of the attack leaders Rudolph Balcers is missing, fighter Ronald Ķeniņš is missing, Kristiāns Rubīns, the main character of the “bronze” game, will not play. Also, we are unlikely to expect an addition from the NHL, as it is unlikely that the Vancouver “Canucks” and Florida “Panthers” will lose quickly in the second round.

I think that Merzlikin’s number one status is only logical. However, he is an NHL-level goalie and wants to play for the national team, no matter what he said or thought there before. I would like Kristers Gudlevski, who has had one of the best seasons in his career, to play in a couple of games as well. Who knows how things can turn out in the tournament?… Even last year, no one thought that Shilov would stand on his head throughout the tournament.

For the Latvian national team, all games are always decisive. But if we take it seriously and everything goes according to plan in the first three matches, then it is clear that the Germans and/or Slovaks will also have to win. Without beating one of these teams, you can’t dream of the quarter-finals.

The weakest link is the attack. It is usual that we do not have “throwers” in recent years. Ok, Rodrigo Abols arrived, but you can’t say that he had a great season. Veterans Kaspars Daugavins, Mikas Indrašis and the Bukartis brothers will have to throw the pucks in the goal. There are hopes for Oskars Batni, who had a great season, and also for Tralmak. You can’t really count on the young players to shoot suddenly, or those whose task is to disrupt the opponents’ play rather than to create carousels in the attack zone.

It’s an ungrateful thing to predict… I’ll say it, it won’t fall out, but the medals won’t be seen this year. Probably usually around tenth place. It will be nice if I’m wrong and ours play in the elimination matches again.

Ulvis Brože, Sportacentrs.com

At the beginning of April, I would have imagined a lineup with slightly different features and other debutants. However, the coaches also painted a different picture at that time. If we look in the context of the beginning of May and the state of health, then there are no huge surprises. It is a pleasure that a trust loan has been given to several students studying in America. Previous tournaments have shown that they do not disappoint.

If the MVP of the world championship, a first-shift forward from the best club in Europe and a very important defender who made it to the NHL are out of the lineup, it’s hard to call the lineup stronger. However, a stronger lineup does not always mean better results, and vice versa. If hockey was played on paper, Latvia would not have bronze. “We won with character and dedication. Of course they are more skillful. Two of their players have a bigger bank account than our whole team,” Rodrigo Abolas was quoted as saying after the quarter-final win against Sweden.

To guard the goal in the next tournament after the bronze, when the predecessor was recognized as the best player of the whole tournament – that’s pressure. I think no one doubts that Elvis is one of the best goalkeepers in the tournament purely in terms of skill. Number one in the NHL is and should be a status. Will the responsibility and surrounding noise be dealt with psychologically? Work for Artūrs Irbes. Hopefully you won’t have to work overtime.

Decisive games – against Germany and Slovakia. The first goal is to reach the quarter-finals and they are without a doubt our main opponents.

After the last few test games, it looks like they still haven’t been able to patch the Balinsky-sized hole in the second majority brigade on the blue line. If there are no defenders to inspire confidence in the coaches, maybe we should try a majority with five forwards?

Germany has a weaker squad after last year’s silver, Slovakia has a stronger squad after being out of the quarter-finals. We have to beat at least one of the main opponents, avoid the fiasco against France, Kazakhstan and Poland, and we are in. Latvia has never played in the quarterfinals two years in a row. Handy group to erase this fact from the agenda.

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Mārtiņš Kļavenieks, “Latvijas Radio”

In general, the composition is good and balanced. If the students playing in America weren’t with the team from the start, but had come in at some point later, you’d think it was a surprise, like they’d have been seen in one or two games. But now they’ve come full circle, and seeing how they’re playing, it’s not a surprise to me personally. Maybe the fact that Markus Komuls and not Arvils Bergmanis are included in the list of available defenders, but otherwise there are no huge surprises.

This team might be quite similar in strength to last year’s team, it’s different, with different emphasis, but I wouldn’t say it’s weaker. It was not the case that last year the team won the bronze with its unequivocal strength, there was togetherness, unity, going towards a common goal, dedication. In order to achieve something, it will all have to be there, regardless of personalities.

Thoughts on Elvi as the first goaltender of only the best, the goaltender of an NHL team, the number one goaltender for large parts of the season. The team, of course, is not like this, nor like that, when it comes to the outline of the team and the results, but I think no one has any doubts – Elvis is an NHL-level goalkeeper, he can play there and will play for a long time. It is not debatable that he should be number one. Of course, it can happen like in Tampere, when he doesn’t start from the beginning and then Krister Gudlevsky will have to step in, who could replace Elvi if something doesn’t go well. But I hope to go from the beginning and also the fixture list is handy.

Since 2012, when the WC format was changed and there are two groups of eight teams, there is no longer such a decisive match. The seven-match format gives the opportunity to either tie everything up from the very beginning, or keep the intrigue alive until the last game, as was the case in 2018 in Herning, when you beat the hosts and reach the quarterfinals. The result is 1:0, Andris Džeriņš scores the only goal and Latvia is in the top eight after a nine-year break. I don’t think it will be the decisive game, but the first three games against teams that should be won, as a whole, they will be decisive. After that comes Germany, and if the points are not lost before then, then this match will decide whether the highway will go in the right direction, the quarter-finals, or will divert to smaller and less prominent stations. But if you lose some points in the first three games, then the match against Germany already has a completely different meaning. All in all, it could be said that the first four games are extremely important to be where the team wants to be.

Test matches showed the weakest part and that is goal scoring. Realization is a well-known problem of Latvian hockey teams, low productivity. I hope that something will turn in the opposite direction in the championship with the recruitment of Rodrigo Abolas, with the rest of the forwards, and hopefully the defenders will also be able to get pucks in the goal.

I will be cautious, but optimistic, I will say that Latvia will take fourth place in the group, play in the quarterfinals, and anything can happen there. It can be like last year, there can be a loss and seventh or eighth place.

Lotārs Zariņš, “Latvian Television”

The surprise, most likely, would be Markus Komul, who on his own initiative left the ECHL team with the aim of returning to Europe and fighting for a place in the team. He proved himself very well to the coaches, played surprisingly well, and that’s why he was included in the team. This is the most positive surprise this year. Batna’s story continues from last year – before the WC 2023 we remember him as a third-fourth shift player, currently he is a majority hockey player, one of the most positive examples of how you can get from the French league to Finland, and then get a contract in the Czech Republic.

The defense is less experienced than last year. But in general, I would say that the composition is similar. We had an NHL-level goaltender last year, and we have one this year as well. Elvis is clearly a solid NHL player, the main thing is to focus only on hockey. I think that Gudlevsky will also be given a chance, but Elvis himself is motivated to prove himself as best as possible, to show that Latvia is capable and he is capable of taking the team to the quarterfinals.

The decisive games will be against Germany and Slovakia, you could say that Germany will be the most important, although all their games are important. If last year the calendar was at the beginning with tougher opponents, then this year with nominally weaker ones. It is important not to stumble at the beginning against the traps set by the nominally weaker opponents, to get through them and win the victory.

Judging by the test matches, the weakest stage is the majority, except for the last game against Norway. But knowing that everything can change rapidly when the WC starts, I would still say that the defensive line.

As much as I would like Latvia to reach the quarter-finals, I won’t predict much this year how it will be. We’ll see how it goes after the games, because pre-tournament predictions have never really meant anything. Let’s just enjoy hockey.