Quote:
Originally Posted by dj_patm
No. How I understood it is that the top seed automatically qualifies for the quarters while the rest play-off for the final spots.
Canada has to win 6 games.
RR 1 - RR 2 - RR 3 - Quarter - Semi - Final
Or if they don't come in first (ahem... '06)
RR 1 - RR 2 - RR 3 - Playoff - Quarter - Semi - Final
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This is correct, but you don't need to win your group to get the bye to the quarters. At the end of the RR the teams will be seeded from 1-12 based on points earned (and assorted tie breakers), the teams in places 1-4 go directly to the QF, teams 5-12 go to the playoff (5 v. 12, 6 v. 11 etc.).
So at least one second place team is getting a bye (I don't have time to work this out, but I think with the point system a team could conceivably win their group and still finish 5th).
Yep, it's possible to win your group with 6 points and also possible to finish second with 7. If one group winner only has 6 points and the runners up in the other two groups have 7 points the group winner would go to the playoff round. I don't believe there's anything that says group winners take priroity over points earned.