Daugavins, a veteran at 22

Daugavins, a veteran at 22
Young Latvian part of new, post-Irbe wave
IIHF May 14, 2010

Kaspars Daugavins first came to international prominence at the 2006 World Championship in his native Riga. Only 17 years old at the time, he played just a small role on the Latvian national team, but as he has developed, he has become the cornerstone of the team’s future in the generation following Arturs Irbe, Sandis Ozolins, and the late Sergejs Zoltoks.

“We have a lot of young guys coming into the national team,” Daugavins said the other day after the team beat Italy, 5-2, to advance to the Qualification Round. “We now have maybe only six or seven guys here from the team when I first started. I think we’re a stronger team now because we’re younger and faster.”

Daugavins is central to the team’s development. He played for Latvia at three U18 events in Division I and demonstrated even as a young teen he was a top prospect in Latvia. In fact, in 2006 he played at the U18, U20, and World Championship and was even considered for the Olympic team.

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Kaspars Daugavins and Latvia Keep quarterfinals hopes alive with 5-0 victory over Norway

Latvia blanks Norway
Masalskis gets shutout as Latvians stay in Group F race

IIHF May 16, 2010

With a 5-0 win over Norway on Sunday, Latvia kept alive its slim hopes of making the quarterfinals. The Latvians exploded for five third-period goals, two by Janis Sprukts.

The Latvians close out the Qualification Round against the Czechs on Monday, while Norway faces Group F-leading Switzerland that day. Norway, Latvia, and the Czechs are currently tied with three points apiece.

This game didn't provide thrilling hockey for the 1,925 in attendance, unless more than two periods of scoreless action kept you on pins and needles as a fan of either nation. Through two periods, the Latvians and the Norwegians played like they were afraid to lose, but one team had to.

"We knew this was an important game for both teams, so nobody wanted to risk anything on offence," said Latvia's Kaspars Daugavins. "Everybody played smart, defensive hockey, no crazy passes in the neutral zone, so it wasn’t a lot of fun to watch."

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Binghamton Senator Kaspars Daugavins & Team Latvia Moving To Next Round

Sens duo moves onward at worlds
Karlsson, Swedes drop preliminary round finale to Czechs
Rob Brodie Ottawa Senators May 13, 2010

For a pair of Ottawa Senators, it's on to bigger and better things.

But for a third, not so much at the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Germany.

Despite a 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic earlier today in Mannheim, Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson and Sweden finished on top of Group C. And Sens forward Peter Regin and surprising Denmark, which wound up third in Group D, will join the Swedes in the next phase of the competition, which begins Friday in Cologne and Mannheim.

Joining Karlsson and Regin in the qualification round is Binghamton Senators forward Kaspars Daugavins and Latvia, which claimed third place in Group B. The top three in each of four groups moved forward in the tournament, while the bottom teams now play in the relegation round. Shockingly, that group includes Sens forward Nick Foligno and the United States, which went winless in three preliminary round starts.

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Latvia Is Rocking, Kaspars Daugavins Scores Twice In 5-2 Win Over Italy

Latvia yea, Italy nay
Daugavins scores pair, Italian offence falls short again
IHF May 12, 2010

Riga is rocking tonight. For the third straight year, Latvia cracked the Qualification Round with a 5-2 win over Italy on Wednesday. The Italians, meanwhile, now face a tough battle to avoid getting relegated again, as they were in 2008.

Defenceman Arvids Rekis got the winner for Latvia early in the third period, and Ottawa Senators prospect Kaspars Daugavins paced the attack with two goals.

Latvian starter Edgars Masalskis earned his first victory of the 2010 IIHF World Championship, outduelling Italy's Adam Russo. Latvia outshot Italy 38-26.

"They played aggressive hockey, Canadian-style," said Daugavins of the Italians. "It was hard to play. We were waiting for their mistakes. They play you one-on-one, so that means if you beat your man, you’re going to get a scoring chance. We crashed the net and got to the puck."

In the Qualification Round, Latvia will aim to secure its fourth quarterfinal berth of all time. The previous ones came in 1997, 2004, and 2009, all of which led to seventh-place finishes.

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Kaspars Daugavins Scores 21st Goal In Home Finale

Smith tallies twice, B-Sens win home finale
Donald Rieber Jr. Binghamton Senators Examiner April 12, 2010

The Binghamton Senators closed out the home portion of their schedule on a high note Friday night with a 3-1 win over the Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins....

The final goal of the game came off the stick of Kaspars Daugavins and just 1:02 after Sill was ticketed for hooking. Erik Condra found Daugavins in front of the net to and he buried the puck into the back of the net. Geoff Kinrade added an assist.

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Daugavins and B Sens Making Playoff Push

'Desperate' B-Sens edge River Rats: Kinrade's goal decisive in AHL victory
Chris Fitzgerald Pressconnects.com March 21, 2010

Left wing Josh Hennessy opened the scoring for the Senators as he finished off a give-and-go sequence with left wing Kaspars Daugavins by taking a centering pass in front of the net and chipping a shot over Morrison 5:03 into the game.

Additional Reading: http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100321/SPORTS01/3210351/+Desperate++B-Sens+edge+River+Rats

Binghamton Senators Cruise Past Portland Pirates in 6-2 Win, Daugavins Scores 17th

B-Sens blast Pirates
Dan Hicklings, Pressconnects.com March 13, 2010

Reaching beyond its station as bottom-feeders in the East Division, the Binghamton Senators handed the Portland Pirates a 6-2 thumping on Saturday at the Cumberland County Civic Center....

Six different Senators scored, while goaltender Mike Brodeur made 22 stops to give the B-Sens their fifth road win in their last six attempts -- all within the last 11 days.
Geoff Kinrade, Kaspars Daugavins, Zach Smith, and Jason Bailey were Binghamton's other goal scorers

Kaspars Daugavins has 17 goals and 40 points for the Amerks this season

Additional Reading: http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100313/SPORTS01/3130379/B-Sens-blast-Pirates

Kaspars Daugavins Scores 16th Goal of The Year in 4-1 Win

The Binghamton Senators brought an end to their eight-game winless streak with a 4-1 win over the Lowell Devils on Wednesday at the Tsongas Center. Winger Karpars Daugavins scored his 16th goal of the season in the 1st period. The Latvian native now how 36 points for the season.

Additional Reading: http://www.mlntherawfeed.com/minor-league-hockey/2010/3/4/lowell-devils-drop-4-1-decision-to-binghamton-senators.html

Kaspars Daugavins: Hockey Should Be Bigger in US

Mark McGuire, Timesunion.com 3-3-2010 "Making a difference in hockey "

Check out Mark McGuire's excellent piece about the hockey buzz post Olympics.

Here's all they need to deliberate: On the first Monday and Tuesday in March, with college basketball reaching a fever pitch and pitchers and catchers in Florida and Arizona and the NBA playoffs and NFL draft looming, people of all backgrounds were talking hockey.

That's right, hockey.

It's a crowded sports landscape across the country, and even here in Albany. To succeed presenting hockey you have to be distinct, do something different, do something that will make the casual fan or even non-fan notice.

"Especially here in the States, there are so many sports that a lot of people don't follow hockey," said Binghamton Senators left wing Kaspars Daugavins, who played for the Latvian national team that went 0-4 in Vancouver. "It should be a little bigger in the States because the NHL is here."

The Olympics opened that door. Still, owners grumble about shutting down the season or risking injuries or fatigue for players in a tournament that doesn't help their teams win the Stanley Cup. The short-sightedness would be stunning if not for the fact the sport has repeatedly failed to market itself successfully.

Binghamton Senators' Daugavins savors Olympic opportunity

Latvia is not particularly known for its international sports prowess, but don't tell that to AHL Binghamton Senator and Latvia native Kaspars Daugavins. Daugavins admits that Latvia has traditionally not stacked well against global hockey powerhouses such as Canada and Russia, but none the less, he believes his home country has the best fans ever.

To read Michael Sharp's excellent February 15, 2010 piece on Kaspars Duagavins and Latvia's Olympic hopes, please visit this link.

Kaspars Daugavins X Factor at 2010 Olympics for Latvians

Thanks to the Red Light District Blog for posting this 2010 Olympic analysis


X-Factor: F Kaspars Daugavins
The Binghamton Senator is having a solid season, but will have to find the score-sheet a lot for the Latvians to be remotely competitive.

Team Outlook:
The Latvians have some of the more rabid hockey fans, but they may not be cheering much once the games start next week. Latvia was unfortunately put in the ‘group of death’, which could result in them not getting a ‘W’ in these Winter Games. They only have two current NHLers, and the rest of the roster is relatively inexperienced at the international level. Any win would be a shocker, really, as their prelims include three legit medal contenders.