Qualification Playoff: how it works

As in Vancouver, the format of Olympic ice hockey tournament features a so-called qualification playoffs before to play quarter-finals.

The qualification playoffs involve all the teams finishing under the fourth place. The first fourth teams, instead, are automatically qualified for quarter-finals. In the last day of prelimirary groups, with just three games left to play, it's already possible to make a prediction of what will be the pairs for the playoffs.

With Slovenia - USA and Slovakia - Russia (along with Finland - Canada, but this game won't affect the final standing) to play and assuming the favourite (Usa and Russia) will win, and with Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland already in quarter finals, these would be the pairs:

Russia - Slovakia
Switzerland - Norway
Slovenia - Austria
Czech Rep. - Latvia

There would be a small difference if Slovakia wins against Russia in regular time. in this case Czech Republic will face Austria and Latvia will play against Slovenia.

The standing of teams from 5th to 12th place is dertermined by the following criterias:

1. Higher position in the group
2. Higher number of points
3. Better goal difference
4. Higher number of goals scored for
5. Better IIHF ranking

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