Championship prediction: Czech Republic will advance to the quarter-finals, but from which place?

In Group A in Prague, the teams of the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Great Britain, Denmark, Canada, Austria and Switzerland will face each other.

The favorite of the group is Canada, which should dominate the whole group. The Czech Republic, Finland and Switzerland will share the second to fourth place. I am tipping Finland for second place. The Czech team takes third place, just ahead of fourth place Switzerland.

The second quartet will have a fight to stay in the elite company. Great Britain has returned to the elite group and will be one of the candidates for relegation. Recently, Norwegian hockey, which is the number 2 contender, is not having the best season. The teams of Denmark and Austria should occupy the 5th and 6th place in Group A.

Slovakia, Sweden, USA, Poland, Germany, Latvia, France and Kazakhstan will compete in the Ostrava group.

The selections of Sweden and the USA will share it for the first place. The Swedes brought 18 players from the NHL to the championship. This puts him in the role of the favorite of the group, and they should confirm that. The second place will be taken by the overseas selection. Latvia, Slovakia and Germany will fight for the remaining two promotion spots.

Latvian hockey, which will defend the bronze medals from last year’s championship, is experiencing an amazing period. Slovakia will rely on the spectators, who should create a home environment for their players in the Ostrava hall. But Germany, last year’s unsuccessful finalist of the world championship, must not be forgotten either. I am tipping our western neighbors to advance from 3rd place. The hockey players of Slovakia will be the last to advance, narrowly ahead of Latvia.

Sixth place in the group, with no chance of advancement, will be occupied by France. Poland and Kazakhstan will compete for relegation. Here, the prediction says that group newcomer Poland will take last place and return one group lower.

The elimination fights already promise an exciting spectacle, as really loaded rosters will be pitted against each other. According to predictions, Canada will advance without major complications over Slovakia, Sweden will advance over Switzerland in the best quarter-final duel. Finland will cope with Germany and the traditional quarter-finals will pit the Czech Republic and the USA against each other. I believe in the power of the home environment and that Radim Rulík will silence the eternal critics with a surprising nomination.

In the semi-final duels, which will be created on the basis of the mini-table, the selections of Canada and the Czech Republic would face each other, and in the second semi-final Sweden and Finland would face each other.

In the first semi-final, the Czech team will not be enough for an overseas power, the second semi-final will be dramatic, and here I believe that Sweden will not be helped by the large number of players from the NHL.

We will not be enough for the Swedish team, and the Czech team will remain without a medal at the home championship.

Canada will come to the Czech Republic again for the title of world champions, just like in 2004 and 2015. In the final against Finland, they will win in regular time.

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