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 […]
Kazakhstan U20
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
