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Sports Column: Gold for Canada’s Juniors … Again

Posted by andPOP Staff on January 8th, 2006


So, it?s back-to-back gold medals for Team Canada at the World Juniors.

It?s also back-to-back lopsided victories over the Russians for our boys in red and white.

This year?s win however was a just a little sweeter considering coach Brent Sutter?s squad were considered underdogs?and oh, did I mention the tournament was held in British Columbia?

Capturing gold in front of a partisan capacity crowd at GM Place in Vancouver marked the first time a Canadian junior team won gold on home ice since the tournament was hosted in Red Deer, Alberta in 1995.

However, playing the Russians for the second straight year was not the only d?j? vu moment for Team Canada:

Last year when the Canadian Junior team captured gold in Grand Forks, N.D., they trumped the Russians 6-1 in the final game. This year, the boys notched a 5-0 victory over their hockey rivals.

In the past two years, both countries finished first in their respected groups and thus earned a by into the semi-finals. Canada entered the elimination rounds with a perfect record and beat the Czech Republic in 2005 and Finland in 2006.

The Russians entered the semis with a 4-1 record last year, but maintained a perfect record this year. For the past two years, it was Russia vs. the United States in the semi-finals. Both affairs were one-sided victories for Team Russia as they posted 7-2 and 5-1 wins. Tempers flared at the end of both games as the American players took exception to the embarrassing scores. The offensive onslaught brought by the Russians showcased their abilities on the big ice surface as they outscored, outplayed and outskated the Americans?Team Canada were taking notes.

In the gold medal match-up itself, the Canadians were going up against a skilled Russian squad highlighted by their star captain; in 2005 Russia were led by the first pick overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Alexander Ovechkin and this year?s squad was captained by Evgeni Malkin, the player taken number two behind Ovechkin in the ?04 Draft. Both young men possess speed, size and skills that make them offensive threats. In 2006 Canada?s game plan heading into the final game didn?t change from the year before?take out the Russian captain.

The gritty Canucks applied bodycheck after thunderous bodycheck to Ovechkin in Grand Forks, ditto for Malkin this year to try and intimidate them physically and take them out of their game. Malkin faired pretty well in comparison to Ovechkin, considering he was able to actually finish the game.

During Russia?s 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Team Canada in ?05, Ovechkin suffered a dislocated shoulder which forced him out of the gold medal game in the second period. Teary-eyed, he was helpless to watch his club suffer defeat at the hands of a high-powered Canadian team.

With a target on his back and the captain?s ?C? on his chest this year, Malkin was subject to the physicality Sutter?s team became infamous for. The Canadian players forced him to the corners and finished their checks every time he had the puck. Malkin, who comforted Ovechkin the year before, crumpled on the ice in tears as the Canadians piled on goaltender Justin Pogge in celebration.

Who knows what next year?s World Junior Tournament will bring when the event is held in Sweden. What is known is Team Canada will have many of the players who played on this year?s team available to play again [barring the possibility any of the eligible crack a NHL roster in October.] The Russian squad however, will enter a new-look team next year as majority of their roster this year consisted of 19-year-olds. Brent Sutter will probably be asked by Hockey Canada to come back as head coach and attempt to go for the three-peat as Canada?s under-20 Squad will again be defending gold medal champions.

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