On top of the world

I'll go all-junior this morning and a bit long, after Canada defends its world under-19 title, their 5-0 win over Russia a matter of execution over aesthetics -- although they weren't exactly deficient in the latter category as the night went on, generating good scoring chances and ending up virtually even in shots.

CP PHOTO

Justin Pogge tastes victory, and victory tastes good.

But it all started with fundamental hockey: Finish your check (and finish it hard), frustrate future star Evgeni Malkin, get a perfect night from goalie Justin Pogge, and never take a shift off. Everything worked from there, and not even the blemish of a disallowed Russian goal at a critical time in the game turned out to be a factor in the result.

Wish I could say the same for the Vancouver crowd, who continued with their classless ribbing of the Americans in the bronze-medal game.  Or the refereeing, that missed goal in the second period the most glaring screwup on an overall night of cheesy calls and no-calls, interference  being pretty much ignored in favour of touchy-feely stick infractions and dives.

Bob McKenzie at TSN is calling this a triumph for Brent Sutter, and it's hard to argue. Sutter's game plan and its implementation were just about perfect:

How did he want them to play? Go way back to the 1987 Canada Cup when he played against the Soviet Union.
With Canada down 3-0 to the Soviets, it was guys like Sutter, Rick Tocchet and Doug Gilmour put out on the ice by head coach Mike Keenan to make things happen. That was the spark plug - the deciding factor - needed to win the Canada Cup.

Even when the Russians looked to be ready to run them out of the rink in the first period, the Canadians got big stops from Pogge and never stopped taking the body, and were rewarded late with two critical goals when Russia wilted. The visitors looked to deflate again midway through the second, taking a couple of dumb penalties that led to a pair of power-play goals a good seven or eight minutes after that goal that no one saw until too late.

The IIHF shouldn't be crowing too much about a tournament that, as Damien Cox notes, ended up a $10 million winner at the box office. Cox figures this tournament is now the equal of the Grey Cup in Canada's consciousness, and those revenues, the television numbers and the timing around the holidays have made it a huge hit here:

Having become rich in history and national lore, this tournament has become, for a country addicted to strappin' on the blades, hockey's Grey Cup.
There's a little bit of myth-making involved, sure. Some of these boys already have pro contracts, but they are presented as unspoiled, fresh-faced teenage hockey players who, when told by farmer/coach Brent Sutter to get a haircut if they wanted to play on his team, did so.
Seven of 10 provinces were represented on this year's team, and like every other year, kids from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds became national celebrities over the past two weeks.

Now if only the IIHF could do something about adding another referee, improving the officiating standards, and fixing replay.

Some other reaction:

Hey Leafs fans, how about a good old fashioned goaltending controversy? Pogge in one corner, and Tuukka Rask, named No. 1 goaltender for the tournament -- one's signed with the Leafs, and the other is their drafted property.

With two successive gold medals and a perfect 12-0 record at the helm, is Sutter ready for the NHL? Not yet, he says. Ken Campbell reports.

And the Globe's Eric Duhatschek dissects pesty Steve Downie's shadow job on Evgeni Malkin.

I've been looking around for some Russian reaction, with no luck. If anyone has any links, send 'em along. Oh, one last thing: That bouncing beer truck commercial, the video equivalent to fingernails on a blackboard. Did we really have to see it FIVE TIMES?

(C.Y.)

Comments

[Tom Rice]

It seems that the Vancouver fans have a bit of soul searching to do. They
lustily boo U.S.A's Jack Johnston presumably for a last minute cheap hit on
a Canadian player, but cheer heartily for Todd Bertuzzi who has put Canadian
hockey into the category of gutter goonery.

[Tim Kutkuhn]

I just wanted to voice how appalled I was at the behavior of the Vancouver fans towards the American team at the WJC. These fine young hockey players deserve better. If it was a political statement I can understand, but it should be voiced elsewhere, not at the WJC. I hope the IIHF takes notice and never considers Vancouver again as a host. It is sad that as the world watched Vancouver showed it's true colors.

[Iain Wood]

I've never known the US or any other country to openly boo our athletes simply because they were Canadian.

We Canadians really need to outgrow this petty anti-American attitude. It's childish and, as a country that "has it all", we look selfish and spoiled to our good neighbors to the south and the rest of the world.

Can you imagine if the US booed us in Salt Lake? Our grandchildren would be taught about it in school. Yet, being more mature and confident in themselves I suspect the US citizens have tolerated our rude behavior.

The only thing worse than a bad loser is a bad winner - and that's what Canada is. Manners, Canadians, please.

[Fred]

I agree with the comments posted above. That was rude of Vancouver fans to boo the Americans. They played good throughout the tournament and deserved some respect. I think the Russians could have easily won the game just as Canada did, and that no-goal in the 2nd period may have changed the game.

[Lauren]

If anything, these American players can now face any kind of crowd in their future hockey careers. As an outside observer, I can only wish the Vancouver fans showed a little more respect. That being said, I wasn't in Vancouver, I didn't experience the environment created by our Juniors. Perhaps booing wasn't the right way to behave; however it's common in sports. Was it fair? No. Could the fans have channelled their exuberance toward cheering for the other team instead? Yes. I'm not saying I condone the behaviour of my fellow Canadians, but being caught up in that atmosphere can make you forget that all the players out there are not even 20 yet. Americans can take it as a sign that we Canadians realize that they are truly an up and coming nation when it comes to international competitions. Their threat to medal every year is legitimate. I want to give special congratulations to Jack Johnson. He handled himself well on his last shift - and if anything, was the antithesis to how we would normally view our American neighbours.

[Jlo]

I say cry me a river. I'm willing to bet the Swedes (as polite and reserved as Canadians, are they not?) boo the Fins and vice-versa. It's called rivalry. It's sports. It's allowed. Americans don't boo Canada because we don't register for them. You can bet they would boo France though. The Leafs get booed (and cheered) in Montreal. Again, so what? Deal with it people.

Good point about Johnson vs. Bertuzzi though. Still, cheering Bertuzzi does not mean Vancouver crowds are not allowed to boo someone else. Who is to say it is even the same people at the game?

[cy]

JLo, I understand passion, and I understand that the union of sports and politics is inevitable and not always a bad thing. I understand booing a referee for a call, or an overpaid ingrate player, the Leafs when they're playing the Habs (and vice-versa). But booing 18-year-olds who aren't being paid a dime? I don't think it's fair.

[Jlo]

What about college football? Are there no boos there? They might not be getting paid, but the fans are paying to watch. And, let's be honest, anyone in that tournament might not be getting paid to play there specifically, but they will be hitting it big sometime soon. I don't have sympathy for professional athletes (and at this level of junior, they are professional--they've dedicated their lives to it, it is their job) who can't take fan reaction. "It's part of the game" is a more valid defence here than it is in the case of fighting.