2008 WJC: Czechs Bounced in Quarters

As hosts of the tournament, the Czech Republic were cheered on by energetic fans in the stands and did display a crafty, skilled brand of hockey, which was quite pleasing to the eye at times. Despite the flash, the Czech Republic easily lost momentum when facing any type of adversity and their top players were plagued by inconsistent performances.

In terms of pure individual skill, players like Michael Frolik and Jakub Voracek were among the best in the tournament, but still have intangibles to work on. In addition, the Czech team suffered from injuries prior to as well as during the tournament. Their best two-way centre, New York Rangers draftee David Kveton, could only play the opening game of the tournament for instance. The loss of Kveton in the lineup essentially turned the Czech's into a one-line team against elite opposition.

Facing well-rounded teams such as Canada, Russia or Sweden, the Czech's weaknesses became obvious and therefore, it all ended in a disappointing fifth place finish for the host country.

Scouting Notes

Michael Frolik (Fla), RW, Rimouski

Frolik is an extremely slick puckhandler and has the ability to stickhandle his way through an entire team at this level of competition .. his skating lacks some explosiveness in the first couple of strides, but then he smoothly gears up to an above-average top speed .. has an inventive passing game, but also has the tendency to set up the most difficult play available, instead of seeking easier and more effective options .. strong finishing skills, as he is very poised in scoring situations and simply knows how to find the net, albeit he is not a typical sniper .. instead, he thrives when he can charge up the wing, try some dekes and make a pretty pass .. has trouble with consistency in his game and does not handle adversity well .. could completely disappear at times and his defensive commitment varies between average and lacklustre, depending on his mood. Stats: 6-5-0-5

Jakub Voracek (CBJ), LW/C, Halifax

Compared to last year's WJC, Voracek made a much stronger impression this time around .. has improved his skating a great deal during the past year, as he now has a better top gear and a more fluid stride overall .. has excellent hands and is lethal with the puck on his blade .. his vision on the ice is top notch and the ways he can set up plays are of elite quality .. he opted to pass rather than finish off himself in this tournament and would likely have been more effective with a more balanced ratio .. covers the puck well in corners and knows how to handle traffic, although this part of his game could be even better, given his decent frame .. is apt defensively, but his offensive mindset is obvious in all situations .. wants to make something happen when he is on the ice, but his intensity level could drop off if the puck does not bounce his way. Stats: 6-0-6-6

Martin Latal (Phx), LW, P.E.I

A competent Czech winger, but lacks standout talent .. Latal is an able puckhandler with crisp passing skills, although his creative vision is limited .. smooth and mobile skater, but lacks notable top speed, which combined with sub par upper-body strength, often makes him an easy target for good defensemen .. shows some nifty stickhandling moves at times, and is at his best when working in rather confined spaces in the offensive zone, where his lack of breakaway speed is less obvious ..has an average wristshot, and adopts decent position skills in front of the net .. he is a hard worker, ready to take a hit to make a play, but his lack of strength makes him a non-factor in high-traffic areas .. reads the game well and does his job defensively. Stats: 6-2-0-2

Michal Jordan (2008), D, Plymouth

One of top-eligible players for this summers draft in the entire tournament .. despite his young age, Jordan was a fixture on the Czech powerplay and handled it well .. his soft hands and skill with the puck is obvious .. knows how to deliver crisp, outlet passes from his own end and knows how to join the rush .. fluid and quick skater, but his top speed is not amazing, although it is slightly above average for a defenseman his age .. both his wristshot and slapshot are accurate, but still lacks the boom .. will engage physically and tries to play the body when necessary in his own end, but still relies mostly on hockey sense and positioning .. the type of player that remains calm under pressure and usually finds a passing lane even in the midst of intense forechecking .. overall, a very mature player for his age. Stats: 6-0-1-1

Michal Neuvirth (Wsh), G, Windsor

Kept the Czech's alive in many games in the midst of several breakdowns against other top teams by his defensive line .. Neuvirth is not a big goalie by any means, but compensates well with good mobility and excellent reflexes, enabling to make highlight-reel saves from up close .. had some problems on his glove side in this tournament and his smallish frame sometimes opens up a lot of net when he goes down for the butterfly .. his rebound control can be shaky at times as well .. the type of goalie who could stop literally anything while on a hot streak, despite the technical errors in his game. Stats: .918 SvP, 2.50 GAA

Zbynek Hampl (2008), LW, Trinec

Created a lot more chances during the tournament than he was able to finish off, as he lacks some poise in front of net .. a nifty puckhandler, with very good lateral movement and is quite shifty, although his top speed is limited .. has a creative touch offensively and a strong passing game and sees the ice well, although not quite elite .. handles traffic areas well while carrying the puck and is generally apt at protecting the puck .. not proactive physically at all, despite a decent frame .. his intensity level off the puck is questionable and he is a one-dimensional player, who tends to take his defensive responsibilities lightly. Stats: 6-1-0-1

Tomas Kundratek (2008), D, Trinec

A young defenseman with a projectable frame, who played a steady game overall for the Czech's .. a mobile and fluid skater, although his top speed is average at best .. reads the game well, although he can still get out of position defensively at times, which could be remedied thanks to his good reach .. is strong along the boards, but should display more of a mean streak and be even more aggressive, in order to be effective .. has a weak slapshot, which lacks direction .. works hard though and knows when to play a simple game .. decent passer, but does not have much imagination aside from the ordinary when it comes to finding passing lanes on the breakout. Stats: 6-1-0-1

Anton Boruta (2008), D, Zlin

Has been passed over two straight years in the NHL draft .. Boruta's performance at the WJC's could be enough to warrant another look, but it is not very likely .. has a booming slapshot with a quick release and decent accuracy, making him the best shooting option on the Czech powerplay .. passing wise, he delivers good feeds and has average vision .. is physical and can dish out an occasional hit, but his defensive hockey sense is questionable and he tends to be beaten one-on-one too frequently, as well as making errors in positioning and judgement .. has long, fluid strides and good straightaway speed, but his lateral movement is a major weakness in his game. Stats: 6-1-1-2

Daniel Bartek (2008), F, Brandon

Was often used as the third wheel on the Czech's top line with Frolik and Voracek, and came out looking very good in the process .. a strong, swift skater with an above-average-top-gear .. has good puckhandling ability and can beat defensemen by himself .. decent passer, but left the playmaking to his linemates .. focused on crashing the net and generating space and time for Frolik and Voracek with his speed .. lacked a bit of grit and nastiness to be truly effective in front of the net and should have buried more of his scoring chances, as he sometimes hesitated that extra fraction of a second when getting the chance .. his wristshot is about average .. works hard and backchecks, but is hardly a defensive forward by any means .. keeps up a high intensity level, but needs to become even more aggressive and fearless. Stats: 6-2-1-3