Post by nottinghamsenator on May 28, 2019 10:59:56 GMT
From this year's rules:
"The 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will consist of 16 teams including the team of the organizing member national association, thus Switzerland cannot be among the two relegated teams. If Switzerland were last in its group and thus among the overall bottom ranked two teams, the overall ranked 14th-placed team would be relegated instead."
So based on these rules, (say France were hosting next year's Worlds) this year we would have survived as we finished 13th overall. It's by no means impossible.
If we beat Belarus and they don't win a single game it becomes a 3 way battle between us, Italy and Kazakhstan (presumably).
If we beat Belarus in regulation, it would only need Italy and Kazakhstan going to OT for us to survive and then both teams to not pick up anything else. If we won in OT then we'd be relying on Goal Differential (which was the separation between us and Italy this year).
The hopeful scenario:
13th GB 3 points/2 points with better goal difference
14th Italy/Kazakhstan 2points (relegated as next worse team to Belarus)
15th Italy/Kazakhstan 1 point (relegated as bottom team in Group B)
16th Belarus 0 points (hopefully)