ZOH 2022 hockey today – Slovakia – Latvia – opponent presentation | Šport.sk – ŠPORT.sk

The third opponent is in the same situation as the players from the Tatras. The Latvians lost to stronger countries from both Sweden and Finland, so they did not score any points in the table. They also managed to score only three goals, but collected less. The group’s favorites were able to torment more significantly, so the duel against them does not automatically guarantee a win, but promises a challenging and balanced duel. The skeleton of the team consists of KHL players, their selection also has more experience from national team matches than the Slovak team.

“We want to play fast and active. But if we lose the puck, we will try to inflate the middle band and make it difficult for them to enter, ” stated the basis of the strategy for Sunday ‘s match assistant to the head coach of Latvia Artis Abols for Diena.lv.

GOALKEEPERS

The trio of Latvian goalkeepers is not unknown to Slovak players, some of them came across them in preparatory matches, tournaments, but also at the club level. None of the Latvians have ever caught at the Olympics. They do not have much experience with representation, unlike other positions in the team.

Ivars Punnenovs started in the opening match against the Swedes, in which he collected three goals from 26 shots. The 27-year-old goalkeeper grew up in Switzerland, has been playing in the top league for nine years and has been with the SCL Tigers for the seventh season.

He captured against the Slovaks in a preparatory match last year in April. At that time, he held a clean sheet for three-thirds, which Juraj Slafkovský eventually deprived him of with an overtime goal. He has no good memories of Slovakia even from the last mutual confrontation at the Swiss Cup, when he collected three goals and took turns after the second period. Latvia then lost 2: 6.

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Ivars Punnenovs

Source: TASR / AP

Three years older Janis Kalninš he gained confidence in the second match under five circles. He faced a total of 38 Finnish missiles, only three penetrated behind his back. He worked in the KHL for five seasons, and was part of the Jokerit Helsinki for three years. He is currently catching in the highest Swedish competition. He has better experience with the Slovak team, in the preparatory match in April 2021 he led Latvia to a close 2: 1 win after extra time.

The team trio is not a foreign foreign fan. Kristers Gudlevskis started this season in the Tipos Extralige in the Slovan jersey, which he later exchanged for the club of the highest Swedish league. As the only one of the three to pass the NHL draft, he only caught three matches in the Tampa Bay jersey. He also scored against Slovakia in preparation, lost in both matches and collected a total of seven goals.

DEFENDERS

The Latvians played in both matches with four defensive pairs. The most experienced of the first formation leads the defensive Oskars Cibulskis, which played over 50 matches in the national team and helped the team qualify for Beijing. He played a significant part of his career in the KHL, where he celebrated winning the less popular Cup of Hope. Twice he became one of the team’s three best players at the world championships and he was absent from one of the two victories over Slovakia at the world championships.

He gets by his side Ralfs Freibergs, which for the second time contributed to Latvia’s participation in the Olympics. He has experience from the lower North American leagues, after returning to Europe he played in the Czech Republic.

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Latvia – Finland

Source: TASR / AP

The other couple form Janis Jaks a Roberts Mamčicsthird Kristaps Žile a Uvis Balinškis, which is Latvia’s most productive defender in Beijing. A stable part of the fourth pair is Patrick Ozolsnext to which they took turns Nauris Sejejs and veteran Arturs Kulda, who was the only defender in the NHL. In the KHL, in the past he managed to block the most shots of the season, but he also scored the most goals in the championship as a back.

ATTACKERS

Latvia, like Slovakia, managed to score against the stronger favorites only three times. However, the goals were shared between three different players. An experienced captain also leads the offensive Lauris Darzinswho is one of the oldest hockey players at the Olympics. The 37-year-old winger is the most productive attacker thanks to two assists, scoring two goals against Sweden, with which the Latvians tried to turn the match around. He also played against Slovakia in the last match under five circles in Vancouver in 2010.

The forward of the first formation also has two points Renars Krastenbergs per goal and one assist. Apart from him, they only managed to score Rodrigo Abols a Nikolai Yeliseyev. Points would also please the attackers of the fourth formation Robertsa Bukartsa a Martinsa Dzierkalsawhich is doing well in the Czech extra league and is one of the TOP 5 most productive players in the Latvian team in terms of the club season.

Matches with Slovakia

Slovakia rarely encounters Latvia at the biggest hockey tournaments, more often countries measure their strength in preparatory duels. At the World Cup, these countries played only three matches against each other. Surprisingly, the Slovaks could not succeed in any of them. However, as they always lose at championships, they have a more positive balance from the Olympics. In both the 2006 Turin and Vancouver 2010 matches, they celebrated their victory with six goals. Their third duel under the five circles will probably be much more balanced this time.

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The program of hockey matches of Slovakia at the Winter Olympics in Beijing