Who woulda thunk? Another WJC 2020 relegation-round drubbing. Team Germany asserted its superiority over Team Kazakhstan at Ostravar Arena on Sunday, netting 6 goals on 40 shots and shutting-out the Group A upstarts 6-0 to buy a ticket to the 2021 World Juniors in Alberta. German forward Dominik Bokk scored […]
Kurt Boyer
Kazakhs Blow Out Germany in Game 2, Force Relegation Rubber Match on Sunday
Here’s a wild guess – Germany’s pregame market to win Relegation Game 3 on Sunday won’t be 1-to-14 in London. Not after what happened on Saturday in Ostrava. Kazakhstan roared back from the brink of relegation at the 2020 World Juniors, whipping Germany 4-1 in a Game 2 victory that […]
WJC Relegation Game 1: Germans Dominate as Kazakh Attack Goes Flat
What a difference a week makes. 7 days ago, Team Kazakhstan was locked in a 1-1 draw with Slovakia late in the 3rd period at Werk Arena, seemingly poised to win a round-robin game and potentially earn a quarterfinal bid at the World Juniors. Kazakhstan would go on to lose […]
WJC Relegation Series Preview: Are Germany and Kazakhstan Really the 2 Worst Teams?
There aren’t many voices calling for more nations at the World Juniors. After the 2020 tournament, though, such chatter could very well begin. In fact, you can make a case that the 2020 relegation playoff involves its strongest pair of teams seen in years. Germany has built an impressive U20 […]
WJC 2020: Suomi Swarms Kazakhstan 7-1 Following 1st Period Fireworks
For a while on Sunday, it appeared as though Kazakhstan’s U20 squad was going to produce another tight outcome against a Group A stalwart. But the Finns were packing a Puistola. Carolina Hurricanes prospect Patrik Puistola scored the opening goals of the 1st and 3rd periods and led Finland with […]
Finland vs Kazakhstan Preview: Why the World Juniors Could Be Growing Up
The IIHF is often quietly judicious in competitive booking. For instance, when an “Asia” qualification spot at the senior Worlds failed to produce swift improvement in the Japanese or Korean squads, it was nixed without any ticker tape. Similar wisdom is shown in the inclusion of less nations in Women’s […]
Day 2 WJC Recap: Kazakhstan Goes Down Swinging at an Emotional Time
My efforts to preview Friday’s Slovakia vs Kazakhstan game at the World Juniors were stopped cold by a chilling news flash. A passenger plane carrying 100 people had slammed into a building in the Kazakhs’ homeland, and I feared the absolute worst, not believing the initial estimates of only a […]
WJC 2020 Recap: Kazakhstan Surprises in Tough Loss to Switzerland
Hate to break it to you, Kazzies, but it looks like we’ve got at least a fringe contender on our hands. Kazahkstan didn’t win its opener in the Czech Republic, but finished the day looking like the stronger of 2 likely relegation-round opponents. Team Kazakhstan U20 bothered Switzerland for 3 […]
WJC Day 1 Preview: Switzerland Faces Kazakhstan in Group A Opener
Two cycles ago Switzerland’s U20 ice hockey team was best-known for a viral fail.
IIHF World Junior Championships: Team Kazakhstan Preview and Roster Notes
The IIHF World Championships are a fertile landscape for Cinderella bids. Played on Olympic-style ice (for now) in a setting called “quirky” by NHL fans and “ice hockey” by the rest of the civilized world, the tournament gives Finnish, Swedish, and Swiss-league pros a fighting chance against the class of […]
