Russia Defeats Canada in Another Epic
- Tuesday, January 3, 2012 10:08 PM
- Written By: Josh Marks
When the puck drops between Canada and Russia you just never know what will happen. At Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta tonight another magnificent chapter was written between these two hockey-loving nations and intense rivals. In the World Junior Hockey Championship semi-finals the Russians dominated the Canadians 6-1 into the third period until the Canucks mounted a furious comeback attempt to cut the lead to 6-5 with just under five minutes remaining to send the sold-out, red-clad partisan crowd into a frenzy.
The fifth goal lead to a netminder change and with less than a minute to go Ryan Strome hit the post and Russia hung on for the victory despite being outshot in the game 56-24. They will face Sweden in the Gold Medal game while Canada will play Finland for the Bronze.
Washington Capitals prospect and Russian captain Yevgeni Kuznetsov scored a hat trick and 2012 NHL Draft projected number one pick Nail Yakupov had four assists.
Even though these are the junior teams, the epic nature of the game still adds to the storied rivalry between the two nations. It seems only appropriate that this dramatic match took place only a day after Versus relaunched its brand as NBC Sports Network by airing the documentary "Cold War on Ice: Summit Series '72" celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and Russia. Of course that series was all the more dramatic because it took place at the height of the Cold War and political tensions added to the heated action on the ice.
Ten years ago I visited the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto with my father and we were treated to the 1972 Summit Series 30th Anniversary festivities. At a press conference we got to see Phil and Tony Esposito and other Team Canada legends speak about the dramatic series. That moment really crystallized for me how much hockey means to these two countries. In Canada they say hockey is religion and the mystical bond between a nation and a sport is really seen at the National Cathedral in Toronto, otherwise known as the Hockey Hall of Fame's Great Hall, where the domed ceiling features stained glass windows reminiscent of old European churches and Canadians file past the Holy Grail -- Lord Stanley's Cup. Even in French the building at the corner of Front and Yonge Streets has religious connotations, as it is called Temple de la renommée du hockey.
For the citizens of Russia and Canada tonight the almost miracle comeback (another religious reference) was another glorious chapter in this storied rivalry. For the rest of us it was simply one of the most entertaining games of the year. And it builds anticipation for the next time Russia and Canada battle on the ice.
Hoquei sobre gel means ice hockey in Catalan. I recently visited the hockey hotbed of Barcelona in northeastern Spain and was surprised to see that the most popular football club in the world (that would be FC Barcelona and their fearless leader Lionel Messi) does not just dominate the game of soccer like no other club in history, but that other sports -- from basketball to hockey -- have teams bearing the FCB crest as well.
Compared to the renovated basketball arena and soccer stadium and the bustling FC Barcelona team mega store, the ice rink is a bit run down with a very small seating capacity. But the mere fact that there actually is an ice hockey team with the name FC Barcelona and that they have been in operation for nearly forty years, is simply amazing.
It seems like a decade ago Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins raised the Stanley Cup after winning Game 7 against the Canucks in Vancouver. The off-season has been tragic. The headlines have been filled with one untimely death after another. So this season comes with more anticipation than most because of the simply awful summer hockey fans had to endure.
In a summer already tainted by the untimely deaths of professional hockey players Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak, comes the tragic news today that nearly the entire Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv -- 43 people in all -- were killed in a plane crash near the city of Yaroslavl in Central Russia.
Forget football. Spring is the best season for sports fans. We just wrapped up the most exciting March Madness in recent memory (thanks VCU and Butler) and now we have the NHL and NBA playoffs to look forward to. Plus, MLB baseball and MLS soccer have started up.
Brad Dayspring, press secretary for Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), warming up before the game. Between periods the Verizon Center crowd sang Happy Birthday to Dayspring, who was born on March 10, 1977.
Senator John Kerry waits his turn to take shots during warm ups at the Verizon Center. Kerry earned the second star with one assist.
Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL. O'Ree played winger for the Boston Bruins and is known as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" for breaking the color barrier.
The man behind the mask is Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY). Every time he made a save the crowd chanted "Weiner! Weiner!"
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane paying a visit to the Lawmakers bench. Kane was in town for the White House ceremony honoring the team's Stanley Cup victory last season and also for Sunday's game against the Washington Capitals.
The Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center held a summit in Rochester, Minnesota this week titled "Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion." The event was bound to garner media attention given the recent crackdown by both the NFL and NHL on hits to the head after a slew of incredibly violent incidents.
Tonight I was watching the Dodgers-Giants game on ESPN and I noticed something strange -- San Francisco's catcher appeared to be wearing a hockey goalie mask.
Washington Capitals fans have been attempting to get President Obama to attend a game at Verizon Center to no avail, even going so far as setting up a 
The coldest sport on earth is icing global warming.
Hockey fans in the United States and Canada are rightly focused on the NHL playoffs. But on May 7 the rest of the world will be turning their attention to Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and their television sets to the opening game of the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championship.
In no other sport is there as much of a difference between the regular season and the playoffs than hockey. And in no other sport is there as much parity in the playoffs as in the NHL.
Welcome to Vancouver, eh! There was a large Korean group in line at customs so the wait was long. But everyone was in good spirits and friendly. This is Canada after all! Plus there was a humongous video screen showing the Olympic events to pass the time.
Who's that waiting in line at customs? It's actor Michael Madsen! He is probably the only straight guy who can get away with carrying a Louis Vuitton bag through an airport. Would you question his masculinity? I didn't think so.
NBC hospitality program representative. She wasn't very friendly. Go figure. This is the network that forced out Conan O'Brien and decided to tape delay the Olympics by three hours on the West Coast even though the games are on the West Coast. To say NBC has problems is an understatement.
Vancouver's brand new Canada Line SkyTrain zips you from the airport to downtown. It is fast, frequent and clean. Upon my return to Los Angeles while I was choking on exhaust fumes waiting for the FlyAway bus at LAX, I was wishing L.A. had a train to the airport like Vancouver. There was lots of room for luggage and bicycles or strollers for families. It never felt cramped even on a packed train coming back to the hotel from the hockey game at Canada Place. And again those Canadians are just so darn friendly.
Canada is the most apologetic nation in the world. Saying sorry is not a sign of weakness as in the United States but simply a part of everyday conversation. Even the buses say they are sorry when they are not in service or full.
What's a trip to Vancouver without a Mountie picture! Well, at least a cardboard version. There are few more recognizable uniforms in the world than those of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Welcome to the Visa-McDonald's-Starbucks-Nike-Coke Olympics! One has to wonder what the Ancient Greeks would have thought of the corporatization of the Games. The Olympics should be about country not commercials and consumption. But this is the reality so charge that Big Mac and Dr Pepper on your Visa card and get ready for some hockey!
The Olympic Rings and the Olympic Cauldron. These are the real lasting symbols of the spirit of the Games. Not Visa. Television does not do the Olympic Flame justice. It is breathtaking up close and was the highlight of the trip.
The stereotype of Canadians is that they are a humble people lacking in national pride compared to the United States. So it was both surprising and refreshing to see the streets of Vancouver turned into a sea of red and white. The patriotism was especially evident after Canada defeated Russia 7-3. "O, Canada" was full-throated on the SkyTrain by Canucks with one too many Molsons and the Maple Leaf flag was draped across the backs of many proud people from the Great White North. These two guys above are celebrating Canada's win over Russia.
The thousands of volunteers were amazing. They did a fantastic job riling up the sometimes nonpartisan crowds at the events. This crazy Canuck got the crowd juiced up for the men's hockey game between Sweden and Slovakia.
Sometimes you just shrug your shoulders and don't even try to understand what they were thinking. But hey, it's the Olympics. It's all good fun.
The Vancouver Winter Olympics were the greenest Games ever. The organizers made sure to make the events as environmentally friendly as possible. There were plenty of recycling and composting receptacles, and of course every venue was easily accessible by bus or rail. The bar has been set high in terms of reducing the carbon footprint of a major international event. Great job being green, Canada!
Team Sweden's two biggest fans. Too bad for them the Swedes lost to Finland in overtime. The president of Finland, Tarja Halonen, was on hand to witness the Suomi women win the Bronze Medal at Canada Place. It was a special moment. I've personally never experienced anything like it. To see the emotional reaction of a country like Finland after winning a medal was exhilarating. At that moment for the first time I understood what the Olympics Spirit is all about.
The thrill of victory.
The agony of defeat.
