Owning the Bear

Well of course Canada beat the Russians to open the world junior hockey championships.

It's been that way for a while now.

Not since the gold medal game in Halifax back in 2003 has Russia defeated Canada in this event, and after finishing sixth and losing a quarterfinal game to the Swiss last year in Saskatoon, it wasn't clear how good a team the Russians would bring this year.

Well, average, at best, it would appear.

They were 3-3 with Canada going into the third Sunday night and might have been ahead if not for some curious officiating - could Louis Leblanc have been more guilty of goalie interference on the opening Canadian goal? - and that chronic propensity to try and pass the puck into the net, something that never works well on North American ice surfaces.

But then the Canadians finished off their opponent strongly, putting three behind wobbly London Knights goalie Igor Bobkov, to start the 2011 tourney off in style with a 6-3 triumph. It was a spotty Canadian performance at times, not unexpected for a team still figuring out roles and getting comfortable with one another, a team that in in its opening game had to faced an opponent playing a very different style.

Which, as we've mentioned before, rarely works well on smaller North American ice. Once more, we plead with the IIHF that if this is going to be a tourney that is all about a maximum money grab, which will mean playing it in Canada or near the Canadian border most of the time, the least that must be done is to insist that the games be played on the larger European ice surface. That is the rink, after all, upon which the majority of the world's hockey playing countries play.

Otherwise, and particularly if this becomes a Canada-U.S. affair again this year, the world juniors is in danger of becoming a Jr. Canada Cup. Playing on small ice is a huge advantage for the North Americans, particularly in a short tournament.

For Canada, the good parts were an impressive power play, good physical play that wore the Russians down and effective balance among four forward lines. On the negative side, the blueline corps struggled at times and made some poor decisions, and it's not clear at all if Jared Cowan is up to the role he's been assigned, which is to be the shutdown ace of the Canadian defence. But he's got three more preliminary games to prove himself.

Speed and skill, as expected, were not major parts of the Canadian game. Then again, it's early, the kids were obviously nervous and Dave Cameron is still trying to find out which players work best together.

Discipline was fine, and goalie Olivier Roy was fine, not tested as much as Bobkov but still tested. If there is an identifiable strength to this Canadian team it is down the middle where Brayden Schenn, Ryan Johanssen, Sean Couturier and Casey Cizikas comprise a group that has size and lots of industriousness.

Three more games this week - first the Czechs, then Norway, then Sweden on New Year's Eve - will tell us more about them. And this very interesting team.

 

 

 

Comments

[Peter Politis]

Come on Damien, could you be any more of the typical Canadian cliché - trying to excuse us for winning or being better than others at something? Don't know what game you were watching, but, except for a couple of brief (real brief) moments, I saw a Canadian team that outright dominated the Russians. I saw Bobkov completely outplay Roy (who let 3 goals in on 12 shots or it wouldn`t have even been a game).

Certainly the Canadian Team got caught a little anxious and out of position, but for the most part they were well positioned and clearly the most determined group on the ice. I'm very excited about what this group will do once they do become comfortable with one another.

As far as the ice surface, please.... We have plenty of skill to put together a team that would also be better suited to larger ice. The difference is that the Europeans don't have the skill level (as we do) to ice a team that can play on either surface. As you've astutely framed it, they need the larger surface to compete.

Com'n Damien, stop being the quintessential appologetic and self critical Canadian and don't be affraid to be proud of who you are!

HOCKEY IS OUR GAME!!!

[Brad McLean]

As week as Jared Cowen played last year, he was by far the best defensive defenceman against Russia, and that was pointed out in some good iso work by TSN. I don't understand why Damien has referenced him as a question on the back end. Olsen was the one who had a real rough turnover prone game.

[Mike Henry]

Damien was right to be critical of Cowen.

He was by no means the best defensive defenseman Canada iced against the Ruskis. That honour goes to Erik Gudbranson.

[Hoofheartz]

Cox, it never ceases to amaze me that someone of your ilk who can only write about hockey and has no doubt never played at any level except novice house league is so quick to criticize how the game is played in North America. For once in your miserable life why can't you just be happy with the result of a game without making excuses.

[Glenburnie]

I wholeheartedly agree, Damien, about the need to play this tournament (and all higher-level hockey, including/especially the NHL) on the larger, international-sized ice surface. The NHL really blew big time it when all of its new arenas were built in the last fifteen or so years and the League lacked the foresight and intelligence to insist on the larger playing surface. Many of the fundamental and chronic problems plaguing today's game - injuries, lack of speed/finesse and offense, goonism, etc.,- can be attributed directly or indirectly to crowding a dozen of today's large and quick players (along with 4 officials) onto a pee-wee sized playing area.

[Impact]

Funny thing...

... nobody in Russia gives a rats about the World Jr's. Its not even broadcast! Unlike Canada, they are better than Canada in pretty much every other sport...

Unlike Canada, Russia doesn't need to create a Pro-Russia hockey torny, with pro-Russian refs, and Pro-russian rules (ie: ice surface that favors Canada).

... Hockey is Canada's game. Except, only Canadian's care about it. Look at the crowds in American NHL arenas. Look at the crowd's in the KHL. Hockey is a fringe sport in both country, like Rugby is in Canada.

Tell me, if the Leafs win the Stanley Cup, will it make the news outside of Canada? NO! Nobody cares!

Soccer is England's game. It is NOT Russia's came, nor is it Canada's game. Yet, if this were a soccer match... the score would be pretty lop-sided and Canada would lose.

If Russia beats Canada in a meaningless Exhibition game, it will make the news around the world. Canada winning gold in the World Jr's, nobody cares!

Canada may do well in the World Juniors, but it doesn't translate into the same success at the Olympic level... (ie: Torino & 50 years before Salt Lake City)

... why? Cause the rules in the Olympics use neutral refs and is fair. The World Juniors? A tool to pad up Canada's inferiority complex.

[Storm Daze]

Russians will be one of the teams to beat when it comes down to it. Of course Canada beat Russia - at these tournaments the Russians always take the the preliminary round matches as tune-ups. If Canada is to meet the Russians in the Medal Round - well I think we'll see a much closer outcome. Canada has looked beatable this year, and will be tested especially by the other hockey powers of Sweden, Czech and Finland - not to mention the favourite Yanks. This is going to be a nail-biter.

Thank you Damien for watching the games objectively - not with your Maple Leaf tinted glasses. Go Canada!

[Sensi-Bill]

Hoofheartz: I still don't buy into this nonsense that someone --- especially a professional, veteran journalist like Mr. Cox --- has to have played hockey at a certain level to be qualified to have an opinion or to discuss and analyze the sport.
(Heck, I've seen plenty of ex-pros who couldn't articulate and pass along interesting insights, even if they had any to begin with. And we all know a certain rather bombastic ex-player, ex-coach who is so full of himself, he hasn't been able to complete a full, even halfway coherent sentence in years now, Beauty eh?)

[Braco]

@Peter Politis "HOCKEY IS OUR GAME".Game that is played in 5 countries in the world.Are we great or what?What about basketball,soccer,track& field,swimming, tennis. Sports that are played allover the world!
Speed, skating and skill on our teams are terrible but goon-ship and similar things are TOP.This is not hockey what they play.This is UFC on the ice, the difference is that these goons don't have a testicles to come in the cage!!

[Simmer]

@Hoof

Honestly, I think Damien's point is pretty valid. I don't think there is an issue with the fact that the tournament is played on a North American-sized ice surface when the tournament is over here. The issue lies in the fact that the tournement is held (and will most likely continue to be held) for the most part in North America.

It gives an advantage to the teams used to playing on the smaller rink. I don't see any problem with them switching to the larger ice, or at least rotating the ice formats on a year-to-year basis.

[Matt B]

Totally agree with you, Damien, on the international ice surface. Canada still does well when we play on European rinks, but going from big to small ice surfaces is more difficult.

Russia showed some good speed but were weak defensively. This is also the first tournament in awhile when I wasn't 100% supportive of our goalies. Roy hasn't impressed me in his games to date.