Very soon, the 2021 IIHF World Championship will begin in Latvia, which fans have been waiting for for two years. Who will win it?
RUSSIA
In 2019, the Russian national team took the third place, and then this result upset many. Of course, because we always hope only for "gold". However, then the "red car" really had all the chances to win. Now, even optimists doubt the success of Bragin's wards.
The Russians started their preparations for the World Cup with two consecutive defeats against Switzerland with a total score of 4:1. If you remember, the Russian national team had a shock Euro Tour, and there were mostly young hockey players, but everyone understood that strengthening was extremely necessary at the World Cup.
Artemiy Panarin could have been a great reinforcement, but because of the very scandal with Nazarov, the participation of one of the best Russian hockey players overseas became impossible. In addition, the participation of the Gagarin Cup finalists from CSKA and Avangard, including Tolchinsky and Sharipzyanov, in the national team is a huge question.
Unfortunately, the team will not be helped by the most experienced Vadim Shipachev, who is still injured.
There are also questions about the motivation and attitude of Valery Bragin. The SKA coach looks somewhat nervous and even haggard after a bad season. In the friendly matches against Switzerland, all of Bragin's attempts to somehow save the match were like a battle with windmills.
Nevertheless, Russia always sets high goals for itself, and trying to get into the medals is a minimum task.
CANADA
"Maple Leafs" will be the main favorites of the World Cup in any case. Canada has a huge number of star hockey players who are ready to help the team because of the failure to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Experts believe that Canada's chance of winning is about 30%, while Russia's is no more than 15%.
In 2019, the Canadians managed to lose in the final to Finland, although they were considered the undisputed favorite. Back then, the Maple Leafs just seemed to believe in their success ahead of time.
OR SOMEONE ELSE?
Among the favorites of the World Cup in Latvia, in addition to Russia and Canada, there are quite old faces. The Swedish national team is considered the third most likely contender for victory, and, admittedly, in the last games, "tre krunur" look as confident as possible.
The chances of the Finnish national team, which is the current world champion, are significantly lower. There are a lot of veterans on the team, and the NHL's top stars are still playing in the Stanley Cup. Then there are the teams of the USA and the Czech Republic. For the sake of understanding, the chances of the Czech national team to win the final victory are less than one percent.
FORECAST LIVERESULT.RU
I would very much like to say that the Russian national team should win the 2021 IIHF World Championship, but the situation is not the best for the "red machine". To reach the semifinals is quite realistic, but to fight for the victory will be as difficult as possible.
We believe that the Canadian national team will become the world champion. First, there are a lot of cool players who were left without the NHL playoffs. Secondly, Canadians usually know how to rehabilitate themselves after disastrous finals. And that's exactly what it was in 2019.
