Canada vs Kazakhstan
Just got to Riga yesterday after a long day of traveling. We landed at 815 local time and the game started at 8, so by the time we got through customs and dropped off luggage, it was near the end of the second period before we got to the rink.
Canada won 5-1 and was easily the stronger team, however the Kazakhs mustered up some good attacks in the third and the crowd came alive a bit. The individual offensive skill of the Kazakh players is very high and comparable to NHL level, but the defensive intensity and details is where the Gulf between the teams is enormous.
Toffoli looks talented but wasn't used that much with the score being 5-1.
Lucic is always noticeable as he is just so strong and in on every puck.
Weegar was the best player on the ice. He shuts down so many plays and then moves the puck well. Looks like he is keeping up the improved play from down the stretch.
The most bizarre thing from the night was one fan who kept yelling out that Adam Fantilli sucks. I couldn't quite tell if he was a Canada fan or just a randomly critical person, but he really had it in for the prospect.
The arena is great and I am excited to visit the beer gardens on the weekend when it will be full and wild. The crowd was small last night, only 3,400 people and you could tell they gave away a lot of tickets to students. Slovakian fans are my favorite so far. They cheered for both teams during the game and were chanting and having a blast inside and outside of the arena.
So far, the Latvian people have been very friendly and welcoming. Many people speak at least some English, so it has been relatively easy to get around.
I'll be attending 4 more games over the next few days and let you guys know how it goes.