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Would-have-been revenge: Russia deny Canada final berth
Published: 04 January, 2012, 09:46
Members of Team Russia celebrate after defeating Team Canada during the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship Semifinal game at the Saddledome on January 3, 2012 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (AFP Photo / Richard Wolowicz)
TAGS: Hockey, World cup, Russia's hockey squad
Team Russia have advanced to the World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game with a hard-fought victory over hosts Canada.
The Russians consciously ceded territory to their Canadian coevals, relying on counter attacks. This tactic proved to be the right one as by the end of the second period Valery Bragin’s charges found themselves leading 5-1.
The team’s captain, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and goalie Andrey Vasilevsky were the key elements of this success. Kuznetsov, the lone returning Russian from last year’s gold-medal winning team, scored three times and set up another goal during the first two periods, while Vasilevsky locked his net, letting the opponents score only once in the first 40 minutes of play.
Russia went on to score their sixth early in the third period as part of the home crowd began to head for the exits of the Calgary arena. But a four-goal burst, which approached the Canadians within just one lucky shot, changed the fans’ mood.
A year after Canada suffered a third-period collapse against Russia in the gold-medal final, the Canadian juniors were close to getting even, but Mark Stone’s shot trickled wide of the far post less than three minutes before the end of the game.
"It was a tough game to play, and a very hard game to play," Evgeny Kuznetsov said after the game. "I have all kinds of emotions because we won. But it’s a bad thing we allowed too many goals in the third period, so I’m a bit disappointed [about that]. I knew that the end of the game would be tough for us, but I thought the fourth and fifth goal would be enough for us."
Consequently, Russia ended Canada’s streak of 10 consecutive appearances in the gold-medal game and postponed the local fans’ aspirations of revenge.
In the final game on Thursday Russia will face Sweden – the only team they couldn’t beat during the group stage.
03.01, 11:58
2 comments
Russian juniors to face Canada in World Champ semisTeam Russia have prevailed over the Czech Republic in the quarterfinal thriller at the Under-20 World Ice Hockey Championships in Canada to settle an encounter with the hosts in the last four rounds. |
06.01, 08:38
1 comment
Sweden shock Russia in OT of Junior Worlds finalSweden have stunned Russia midway through the extra period to clinch the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Canada. |
Sorry to disappoint the fans of the Russian team, but Sweden has just won the gold medal game 1-0, in overtime.
New World Order: Canadian players never respected Soviet players in the past, as demonstrated when Bobby Clarke deliberately broke Valery Kharlamov`s leg by chopping it as though he were swinging an axe, for the sole reason that Kharlamov was too fast and skilled and this was the only way he could be stopped.
Donald, for me this was deeply shocking. I find it hard to believe a nation that takes pride on being civil and decent can act with such collective brutishness and animosity toward teenage boys who defeated Canada in a game of hockey. Alberta was the host of these games and that means the players were not just competitors but they were guest of Alberta and Canada as well. The Prime Minister of Canada took the lead in this collective Russophobic hooliganism. I was so ashamed. I watched the game last night and for all the reasons I mentioned, I wanted to badly Russia to win- But the Swedes dominated the game from the first moment. The Russian boys were tired and failed to respond to the Swedish challenge . But The Russians have no reason to be sad. Sweden is such a great hockey country—the won by Sweden is good for hockey. The games will be held in Russian soil next year. Russian citizens must not copy the brute Canadian style but instead cheer for all the teams including the Canadian team. Russians must treat Canadians players and spectators with kindness and respect. This is the best revenge for Russia in response to the Canadian rudeness and utter brutish ways (in all sorts of disgusting stereotypes were used to describe the Russian players and staff by sport commentators and in discussion board—it is sickening)