1. Cum
10. This season in IIHF there is only one team that is going to shock people and that is team Norway who are the perennial underdogs and have constantly overperformed expectations that are set for them by the general league population. There is noting fancy about this team its just good old fashioned hard work and gritt that carries them through each season and there is very little poor perfromacne that occurs with this teams management team in place. The onlythign that can stop this nation from shocking the world for another season is going to be the overtime system in IIHF which has been a killer for Norway. The 2 points for a win has seen them drop as many as 6 points in a season and lose out on a knockout stage draw. If thgey can get those wins in regulation there is no reason they cannot make a run for the gold.
2a. new England is the more impreossive of the teams. Just good solid team building for the long run by their GM. Id expect to see them survive at this level for a long time. Their opposition built around a peak and that means there will be some fall over the next few seasons which is sad for how dominate they have been.
b. WPG has to actually show up this time to win and get some goaltending. The issue for them has always been the hot goalie and for them to take the title they are going to have to be the team getting the hot goalie vs the team constantntly facing the hot goalie as has been the case.