Going for It All

OTTAWA--To beat the champ, you've gotta knock him out, the old maxim goes.

The Swedish national junior team, however, seemed to think it could walk into a Canadian rink and win a split decision with jabs and footwork, and that proved not even close to enough in a 5-1 loss to Canada in the gold medal game tonight.

Dustin Tokarski, the Canadian goalie so many slagged in recent days, stopped 39 shots in a terrific performance. John Tavares was named tournament MVP, and a Canadian team that couldn't defend in earlier games played a very solid defensive game to easily take the gold.

Former Maple Leaf coach Pat Quinn has now secured himself an impressive chapter in Canada's international hockey history by winning gold at the Olympics, the world under-18s and now the world juniors as well.

If the rampant speculation in this town proves correct, it might also land him a job very soon with the Ottawa Senators.

Canada's 2-0 lead after 40 periods expanded to 3-0 early in the second on a power play goal, and that was about it. Two empty-netters salted it away, and an expected confrontation between the two best NHL draft eligible players, Tavares and Sweden's Victor Hedman, simply didn't emerge. Hedman, really, wasn't much of a force on the Swedish blueline.

That's now five golds in a row for Canada at the world juniors, with two of the next three events also to be held in Canada.

Canada went 6-0 at this year's event, and will go for six golds in a row next winter in Saskatoon and Regina.

Comments

[Dan]

WOW. Five in a row . . . our Canadian juniors are AWE-INSPIRING. Their work ethic is amazing, and they win it not because they are THAT much better than other teams, but because they WANT it more. We can all learn from these courageous kids.

[Moses]

Go Team Canada! =D

[Brian Hanlon]

It always comes down to Canadian style and love for the game! With Sweden being marked as the most talented team in the tournament it was hard to see where anyone would get such a dunb idea. They were dirty, bitter losers. As we all know Canada is No.1 and always will be. I would have rather seen The Slovaks play in the final against Canada, at least they are a fast skating team that didn't give up all tournament long!
*****ANOTHER GOLD FOR CANADA*****

[Minnia]

GOLD CANADA GOLD!
awesome game, awesome team, awesome tournament.
of course it's all that much sweeter when Canada wins :)
congrats to all on the team!
and markstrom...if goaltending doesn't work out, try acting school.
WHOOOOOO!!! GO CANADA!

[Mr Swede]

When countries are arranging tournaments in various sports, the normal behaviour is to show hospitality and make sure spectators and TV viewers get a nice view of the country.
But not in Canada... No way.

Why don't you put up a sign - "We don't like anybody but ourselves, go away!"

You Canadians have proved the hockey world yet once again that you don't know anything about sportsmanship. Nothing!

Running over our goalie so many times in the same game and boo-ing when Hedman does the right thing!?! (although he could and should have punched harder)

I wonder what would have happened if a Swedish player brought down your goalie with a trailing leg???

I'm changing destination for our annual NHL trip from Vancouver to Denver. Last two years destinations were Toronto. I just can't stand Canadians anymore after yet another proof of your damaged mentality. No wonder you don't win the Cup anymore. You can't (or don't dare to) treat US teams and players like you treat Europeans...

I finally understand what my friends from the US are talking about...

[Angry swede]

WOW you got lucky with the ref on ALL those attacks on Markström (swe goalie)

[canadiansrock]

Wow Mr.Swede... way to hate on the parade' How can you possibly judge the conduct of a nation from a 3hr hockey game involving teenagers? Just kids being kids... want some cheese with that wine?? GO CANADA GO!!! hahahaha, ;P

[congratulations?]

Yes, Canada played better hockey. But Canadians, come on. Poorer sportsmanship is hard to be found. Dirty and bitter, as the guy who couldn't spell dumb said above, well, those are the words which should be used on the European judges and the Canadian public. I would very well have loved to congratulate you on your 5th straight win, it really is an amazing accomplishment, but there is a bitter taste after this game, and I hope you realize that the Canada as a hockey team and as a hockey audience have lost almost all credibility everywhere else in the world. You guys are good enough to win without the foul tactics and poor sportsmanship, and I hope that next year the competition will be decided purely on who the better team is.

[Fred]

Canada might be hockey and all that but when it comes to the olympics (the real test of who is the best) Canada hasn't made it in the last two tournaments. It probably is harder to win when you can't dictate EVERYTHING. Canada was today the better team but Markstrom being an actor is just silly, as the others has said, imagine if a Swedish player had done the same to the Canadian goalie. He would have got teared up while the crowd would have been cheering. I'm still proud of what Sweden did in this tournament and once they grow up and skills is all that matters, the Swedes will once again stand as Olympic Champs.

[Rick]

Mr. Swede...Are you kidding me? Markstrom should have competed in diving in Beijing for all those flops he took. I'm 99.9% sure he would have won gold. He must also have the loosest helmet in the tourney.

You got beat. Stop crying. 5 in a row!

[Cry Me a River . . .]

Mr. Swede,

You're obviously not a real hockey fan if you couldn't tell that your goalie was auditioning for a penalty almost every time he fell down, or his helmet fell off, or whatever. I understand that you're upset Sweden lost, but to go after Canadians based on a weak performance from your junior team is rather shallow. Canada loses plenty of times, and we have to swallow it, and it's not easy. Tonight, we got lucky, and we got luckier against the Russians the other night. Sweden's time will come, and when it does, congrats in advance. And I promise not to criticize Swedes based on the actions of our goaltender. Cheers.

[Hockeyman]

So sorry you lost sweedly but next time get some acting lessons in if your going to play that type of game here next year.

Up until all the dramatics it was a very well played game and myself my family and my neighbourhood are very proud because we are CANADIAN!!! YA EH

Congrats to Team Canada GO CANADA GO!!

[Dova]

The referee gave in to the preassure from the home crowd.

You canadians can say whatever you want, but you cannot deny the facts:

1. Team Canada ALWAYS has the best locker room, every singel tournament.

2. Team Canada ALWAYS gets the best practise hours.

3. Team Canada ALWAYS puts alot of preassure on the IIHF before the game to ensure that a referee is appointed that allows their physical play and hence win the game.

As mentioned above, how come Canada has enjoyed limited success in the Winter Olympics? Can it be because the IOC can't be bossed around like the IIHF?

We all remember what Rob Niedermayer did to Peter Forsberg in the final 2004, An Amazing combination of Charging, Boarding, Crosschecking and Checking from behind... All in one move. Not even you canandians can think that it is okay to do something like that.

Also, this might be of intrest to you.
The rulebook followed in this tournament is the offical IIHF rulebook
http://www.iihf.com/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/rules_part_two.pdf

" 3. A goalkeeper is not “Fair Game” just because he is outside of the goal crease
area. A penalty for a “Interference” or “Charging” shall be called in every case
where an opposing player makes unnecessary contact with a goalkeeper. "

You can yell diving all you want, it doesn't matter.

There you have it,
This is where i would say "Start playing by the book" but wheres the point in that... You never win when you do.

[Peter]

to all the bitter swedes out there!
Canada lost oll credibility? after all the acting and dirty plays and cheap shots showed by the swedish team? wow! you guys just can't lose like a sportsman! that stupid goalie gets bumped by his own teammate and he flops like a fish out of water! it was hilarious! i can't wait and see him doing this in the NHL. maybe you guys should have told your kids before the game that it's not a soccer game...

[vhigge]

Boys are silly.

[Tedenby]

It is a fact that Canada plays by different rules than other countries. For instance the 1987 Canada cup final against Russia was much worse than what we witnessed yesterday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCh4PtteLuY

Canada is a great country with nice people and great hockey players. No doubt about that! But for the sake of the future of icehockey this problem needs to be dealt with...

[U.S. fan weighs in]

That was some of the most edge of your seat hockey I've ever watched. Saw the Swedes play once before and was impressed. I did not expect the sad display some of them put on last night. Almost embarassing.
I applaud the patience, skill, and level-headedness Team Canada displayed throughout the game. Players, and coaches alike. Well done.
Proud to be your neighbor.

[MrSlovakia]

Agree with mr tedenby. Its a Canadian tradition to change the rules. Even Gretzky was embarresed after the game 1987.

When Ben Johnson wasnt fast enough he tried to make new rules.

Yesterday the rules regarding charging the goalkeeper was nolonger a rule.

Conlusion: A country of cheeters.

[Hockeyman]

Did you watch the whole game Dova or just the last two minutes of the third. Team Canada was on the penalty kill almost all of the second period. So I don't see your referee issues, as for the dressing rooms, come on that's just silly. The rules are different then NHL rules but it was Canada that changed the system so we could play the euro rules and still we have success.

Now you cry a good cry about the charging of the goalie but you must also see the swede's doing the same thing.

Could be camera angle or CBC but my TV showed a Swede punching an already downed Canadian player in front of the net.

Is biting part of the fair play rules, my TV also showed that as well in front of the swede's net?

Remember these are not NHL players making big buck but teens who are still developing with ragging hormones and the will to be their best.

[Eric]

I'm embarrassed by Canadian hockey today. Only staunch red & white supporters would fail to see the hypocrisy that survives in this country. When other teams play tough, Canadians are up in arms, "Where's the whistle?" "What a baby!" "This guy just plays that way because he knows we can't beat him up- wait until they meet in the NHL!"

I'm Canadian and I'm so tired of it. The Swedes are not saints but they deserved to be outraged at times last night, and all we heard from the television crew (and the fans since then) is how their behaviour makes a "disgrace" of the sport. Let's put the cards on the table: the 'behaviour' is exactly the same from team to team throughout the sport (including Canada)- the only thing that differs is the reaction, and that's only due to bias. I think other countries are far more objective when they watch these games- while Canadians are so insecure and weak that they only see what they want to see.

I've considered putting these games on "mute" because I'm so ashamed. I can't believe I share a passport with these people.

[Adrian]

All you people who wonder what would happen if the Swedes ran Tokarski? They did run him - he just didn't explode in a pile of pads and skates, so nobody noticed. I'm not saying "that's the Canadian way" or anything ridiculous like that, but Markstrom as a goalie, REGARDLESS of his nationality, embarrassed himself last night. If you can't see that - you're blinded by national pride.

HOWEVER, that being said, I can fully admit that the Canadian players made contact with Markstrom, but you need to watch some more hockey games if you don't think the goalie is never touched at all - especially in big/important/intense games. The problem is that Markstrom dove so blatantly on each occasion it's kind of hard to tell just how much contact there actually was.

Furthermore, this game featured as much sportsmanship as you could expect from two teams of teenagers in a winner take all match. Even NHL teams playing a Game 7 would have behaved in the same way - there lots of hits, scrums, pushing and shoving. That's hockey - not CANADIAN hockey. Hockey. Hockey is a contact sport last time I watched.

LASTLY, Swedish fans shouldn't be lamenting perceived canadian 'antics'...they should be wondering why Victor Hedman's "best" play was headlocking Esposito.

PS - For all the "stupid" penalties Canada took...Sweden's first penalty less than 15 seconds into the game was the worst. Unprovoked, "you can't push us around" ridiculousness that cost them.

[kushiro]

Let's be fair about this.

Swedes: Markstrom was legitimately knocked down a couple of times (Esposito did take his leg out, though unintentionally, and it's simple physics to expect that he'd be spun around and hit the deck), but please admit that he was pretty obviously flopping for a penalty.

Canadians: Yes, some Swedes dove too much, but a couple of Canadians took some pretty blatant shots at them too.

Glad to see the Canadians win, though I would have liked a more stirring game. The Swedes seemed a little flat. Of course, Tokarski was fantastic and has changed a lot of minds about his ability. Tavares, Hodgson and Subban, to name a few, played extremely well.

However, it was painful to watch this game. After some good work during the Russia game managing to curb his usual hyperbolic worshiping ways, Mr McGuire let it all out last night. He was just unable to view events with anything but Canada-red-coloured glasses.

Examples:

- Two almost identical plays at either end. A player is pushed onto the opposing goaltender by a member of the goaltender's own team. McGuire's view: The Canadian player was pushed onto Markstrom, but the Swede ran Tokarski (and PK Subban got his "revenge" later on).

- As I pointed out above, when Markstrom got hit by Esposito, his leg got taken out, and he spun and fell. It's simple physics. Get on a pair of skates, put on some goalie gear, have someone skate into one of your legs, and see if you remain standing. Pierre's view: "Pure embellishment". Not a little bit, but pure, as in 100% pretending to fall.

- A collision in the goalmouth. There's a penalty call on the Canadian (who was at fault). But Pierre notices a Canadian player appears to have hurt his hand. "What going on here?!?", he cries. Clearly some evildoing on the Swede's part. No way you can get your hand hurt by in a pileup of big guys wearing hard plastic equipment and carrying large sticks.

- The number one and two picks for the next draft are playing in this game. Tavares is "magical"; Hedman is "useful".

Sure, you can argue these are small points. Just comments. However, they reflect an attitude going in. Our boys are good, theirs are bad. It's like when a crowd boos whenever their team gets penalized, no matter how clear the infraction was. (Also, continue to boo Hedman when he gets a stick in the face, I enjoyed that.) The difference is I expect it from fans, but not from professionals. I know you work for the same network and so you can't really comment on him; and yes, he's a proud Canadian, and clearly loves our players, but I felt McGuire was cheerleading way too much (by the end, I was "incredulous"!). I love watching a good hockey game (no matter who's playing). It takes a lot to make me want to stop watching our hockey heroes win a big game (and no, watching with the sound off is not a preferable option). It's a shame because he was actually pretty fair and reasonable up until last night's game, and I could ignore the usual shouting and vocabulary tics.

Gord Miller, on the other hand, did a great job showing enthusiasm for plays on both sides of the puck.

Again, great job to Canada. Here's hoping next year sees some fantastic hockey.

[Tedenby]

Thanks a lot for some insightful comments! I don't think there is any doubt what so ever about which team was the best. Sweden was a pale shadow of the team that played great hockey earlier on in the tournament. Canada played like true winners.

Adrian:
Yes Sweden took a stupid penalty early on. Very stupid! But he got penalised for it. I am not saying he shouldn't have been. It was a clear penalty and he deserved the 2 min.

Everyone who have seen Canada play important games in ice hockey know that they targeted Markström intentionally from the start of the game. This went almost unpunished (If the referees were impartial Esposito would have been in the penalty box when he scored). I am not sure why it went unpunished the same way I am not sure why Canada had the favour of the referees in 1987 Canada cup final.

But I would be very interested in hearing some Canadian views on this!

[Peter]

Esposito should have been punished? really? and how about that dump dufus Hedman? is that part of swedish hockey?
and for the favour of the refs, i haven't seen any international hockey where canada got any favours from the refs. i wonder why a russian ref whould be pertial to canada...