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What can I even say—a Great victory. So much was marked by it in the same hockey context.
The commentators were wonderful, true patriots; listening to people like that is twice as pleasant. Simply well done!
Tretiak is a beast; he says, "this one's for '72." It really is true what they say: "big" defeats are remembered no less than big victories!
Once again, congratulations to all the fans who were with us.
I liked the article...
Sport-Express.
Slava MALAMUD, Pavel STRIZHEVSKY
from Quebec
How to describe it? How to convey a state of total excitement—even greater than when you're getting ready for a date with a woman you've dreamed about for many years? When you realize that you are about to witness an event that has never happened before and, perhaps, will never happen again in your lifetime? Perhaps that's the only way to describe it: Quebec. World Championship. Final. Canada. Russia. How much is contained in those sounds...
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A CANADA-RUSSIA FINAL
A trick question: when was the last time the Russian/USSR and Canadian national teams played in a World Championship final? Don't rush to rummage through reference books or call your dad. The answer is not obvious, but simple—never. In the entire history of the world championships, there were three occasions when teams from these countries met on the final day of the tournament and the outcome of that match decided the fate of the gold medals—in 1954, 1955, and 1958. The Canadians won twice, we won once. However, back then there were no finals as such: world championships were held in a round-robin system. There were also no Canadian national teams then: amateur clubs went to the same world championships to defend the honor of the homeland of hockey. So yesterday's bout truly entered history as the first of its kind.
But the fact that two hockey superpowers contested the IIHF top prize for the first time in 50 years did not escape the attention of Canadian journalists, who decided to recall great milestones. In distant 1958, the harsh winds of change were only just beginning to blow across Canadian soil. The '56 Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo had been lost, and the Canadians boycotted the '57 World Championship in Moscow due to the invasion of Soviet troops into Hungary. Never before had Canadians had to go without gold for two consecutive years, and the mission with which the Whitby Dunlops club set out for the 1958 World Championship in Oslo was truly great.
"It was a traumatic time for Canadian hockey," recalls the captain of that "Whitby," 75-year-old Harry Sinden. "No one could believe that we were no longer champions. When we went to Oslo, the whole country expected us to return what was lost."
The amateurs did not let the country down, winning against Loktev and Alexandrov's team 4:2. As for Sinden, even greater deeds awaited him: it was he who coached the Canadian national team during the 1972 Super Series.
VLADISLAV TRETIYAK: "IN '72 WE GAVE AWAY THE VICTORY OURSELVES"
By the way, it is very easy to guess what place the year 1972 holds in Canada's history by looking into school history textbooks. Or simply talking to any local over 40. Or even much younger. For example, with current national team captain Shane Dowd, who a few years ago spent some insane amount of money to acquire an autographed portrait of Paul Henderson and hung it on the wall of his home in Phoenix. Henderson, as a reminder, scored the winning goal in the Super Series and became a national hero overnight.
For some reason, he is exactly who another famous participant of those events, Vladislav Tretiyak, remembered during our conversation.
"That guy really took off," said the president of the FHR. "He didn't do anything special after that; he didn't even shine in the WHA. He's not in the Hall of Fame either. But every Canadian knows his name... We gave away the victory ourselves back then. We arrived in Moscow proud, thinking we would destroy them now. The guys started skipping practices. And the Canadians, on the contrary—they only grew more determined."
As for Dowd, who was born four years later, the confrontation between Russians and Canadians is a part of his people's culture.
"Every Canadian grows up knowing about such things," said the captain. "For me, childhood memories are linked to stories about the Super Series and video footage. Growing up, all we hear is: 'Russians, Russians, Russians.' To play them for a gold medal—as you can imagine, that's something special."
KEN HITCHCOCK: "NO ONE HAS TRULY TESTED RUSSIA YET"
But let us return to the history unfolding before our eyes. One of its creators, Canadian head coach Ken Hitchcock, stepped out to the press barely after finishing the last practice and said the following:
"We and Russia were the two best teams of the tournament from start to finish. And it's quite logical that we will play at the finish now. In our squad, as in theirs, there are many young hockey players, and we are very interested to see how our youth will look against the Russians. Both the Canadian defense and the Russian one will be subjected to a most serious test."
"Are you not surprised by how good the Russian team is in defense? Their opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals didn't get a single chance."
"(Smiling promisingly.) No one has truly tested Russia yet."
"Was it difficult to choose the goalie for the final between Leclerc and Ward, whom you rotated in previous matches?"
"Perhaps that's my fault; before the start of the tournament, I didn't even know there were nine games in the championship. In hockey, there is nothing harder, nothing more serious than the Stanley Cup Final. But it is Ward who has the unique experience of winning a seventh game of the Stanley Cup. And he knows how to prepare himself for such battles."
"How do you plan to contain the first Russian line, already dubbed 'Capital Punishment' here?" (A play on words. The expression referring to our unit from the "Capitals," translated from English as "death penalty").
"Ovechkin and Semin play North American hockey. The other two Russian lines, from whom trouble can be expected, play in a European style, with more lateral movement and passing. They are also capable of coming up with something, deceiving with their movements. But these two, like any of the great North American hockey players, have absorbed the style of small rinks. The problem with them is not only how phenomenal they are, but that they can play in a very tough manner. It seems both learned a lot from the first Stanley Cup playoffs of their careers."
"How did your players take the news that they would play in a 'dream final' Canada-Russia?"
"In my opinion, hockey players are somewhat overwhelmed by the very sound of this confrontation. In reality, we know the Russians well, and they know us, and it all comes down to the fact that you just need to go out once and play hockey with each other. We are going to focus on ourselves. The Russians are the only team in this tournament that will make you pay for every little mistake. Our goal is not to make them."
STEVE EISERMAN: "THE RUSSIANS ARE NO LESS HAPPY ABOUT THIS FINAL THAN WE ARE"
The theme was expanded upon by the general manager of the Canadian national team, the legendary Steve Eiserman:
"Long before this year, we managed to create such a work ethic in the national team that no one objects to having a smaller role in the team than some of their partners. Everyone understands: we are fighting for Canada and we have one goal—to win. Personal ambitions are thrown into the back seat."
"What does the opportunity to fight on home soil specifically against Russia, and specifically for gold, mean to you?"
"I think it's a dream ending for the guys. Memories of the '96 World Cup, in which I played, immediately come to me. Those stands, that sea of flags... There can be no doubt that the guys will get a sea of pleasure from such an atmosphere. As for Russia, we haven't played matches of this status against them for many years for various reasons. We know that the Russians are no less happy about this opportunity than we are. Moreover, many of our guys grew up in the aura of greatness of the Soviet national team, and, of course, there can be no better irritant on home soil."
THE OVECHKIN FACTOR
The sweetest thing to do in the final pre-match hours is to speculate about what's coming with a journalist brother. You sit down somewhere with a fellow self-writing Canadian—and you start tossing constructive ideas back and forth. Especially when he is the famous Pierre McGuire, the country's main hockey voice, former coach of "Pittsburgh" and "Hartford," Canada's best journalist.
"You know this feeling from last year: home walls press on the psyche," said McGuire. "Moreover, we have a young team; there is a 'changing of the guard' in the national team. Look at the defense: Green, Keith, Burns. It seems to me that we view this championship even more as a preview for Vancouver-2010. Let's see how the youth withstand the test of the pressure from home ice."
"And what do you think of the Russians?"
"In the semifinal, I liked the line from 'A-K Bars' (that's how they are written in Western reference books, AK Bars. - Note "SE"). The Washingtonians—that's understandable. Korneev, whom "Montreal" took in the draft, surprised me a lot. And Kalinin actually plays much better than he did all season in the NHL. But the main thing, it seems to me, is the 'Ovechkin factor.' The Canadian national team respects him most of all. It's very important when there is a player in the team who can not only change the course of the game single-handedly but also make his partners play better. Canada has always had such hockey players—Lemieux, Gretzky, Eiserman. Now Russia has one. And I cannot even imagine what kind of team it will be when Malkin also plays in it."
"Is this a dream final for you?"
"I don't know about a dream. I wouldn't call the match a nightmare final. But generally, a final with Russia is not such a rarity for us. In Canada, much more attention is paid to youth world championships than perhaps in your country, and almost all recent finals there have been between us and you. And every year television ratings only grow. Canada-Russia is a giant event for us."
KOVALCHUK AGAIN IN THE KAZAN LINE
Turning to Russian affairs, we note that on the eve of the final, everyone was concerned about Ilya Kovalchuk's return to the squad. More precisely, the question of whether he should be let into the final at all after the national team, winning with a total score of 10:0 in the previous two matches, looked almost perfect, while Kovalchuk himself had no relation to these successes.
However, this question did not stand before the coaching staff.
"We are always looking for ways to strengthen the game," commented head coach Igor Zakharkin on the decision. "And we see reserves that must be used to strengthen the game in the final. That is why we need Kovalchuk."
"Are you not afraid of destroying combinations that brought so much benefit in the semifinal with the Finns?"
"You cannot speak like that. Benefit is a mathematical concept. We count the number of passes, technical-tactical actions, from which the concept of 'benefit' is formed. In this sense, Kovalchuk is beneficial. The attacking potential will undoubtedly increase with his return. You are obviously asking the question from a position of emotion."
"But even dry figures do not speak for Kovalchuk: '0+6' in seven matches and more than 50 penalty minutes."
"We believe that with Ilya, our 'red' line is more effective in dynamics, freedom, and game intelligence than the one that played in the semifinal, even though it scored two pucks against the Finns."
CANADIAN POLICEMAN WITH A GUN BURST INTO THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL TEAM BUS
Sunday in Quebec naturally became a day of harsh, principled confrontation between Russia and Canada. But no one expected that Russia and Canada would start harshly and prinsipally confronting each other... two hours before the match. What is even more surprising—the "showdown" with locals involving the police had nothing to do with fan passions.
It happened in the parking lot in front of the "Coliseum," where buses with both teams arrived—first the Canadian one, then ours. But while the Canadian national team was brought right to the Coliseum doors and they only had to walk a maximum of five steps from the bus (fifteen for Martin St. Louis), the appearance of the Russians was preceded by a cortege of flashing motorcycles. Then the bus with players arrived, but from the other end, where the press parking is located. For some reason, it wasn't allowed to the central entrance.
But they weren't going to let it in through the side either—it simply wouldn't fit there. Other motorcyclists immediately appeared, also flashing, joined by several police cars. We foolishly decided that some very important person had arrived at the arena. Or perhaps that our bus driver had collected this collection on the way—running past a dozen or two red lights.
Law enforcement began to quickly block the road for our crew. So quickly, in fact, that the driver didn't have time to react and clipped one motorcyclist. This was apparently interpreted as an act of aggression against Canadian sovereignty. A policeman burst into the bus with a gun and started shouting loudly that no one would go any further.
The players and coaches of the national team had to get out right in the parking lot and walk along the police line to the arena for about 200 meters. No one ever really figured out the reasons for the confusion.
CANADIAN OFFICIATING
In the second minute, on the second shift—a goal! Ours! It can't be! The Washington line, upon which Hitchcock had threatened to unleash his best "killers"—Nash, Heatley and Gatzlaf—knocked the Canadians down with the very first blow. Fedorov, despite Gatzlaf's tight marking, went along the right flank, fought behind the goal, and dropped the puck there to Ovechkin, who was immediately knocked over by a powerful hit from Nash. But a moment before that, Alexander passed to the "slot." Semin! One touch! It's in!
And then Proshkin sat for two minutes—he hooked in his own zone, just a little bit, but the referee worked in the style of "step right, step left." Short-handed, our guys descended on the "slot" with almost the entire team and allowed the Canadians only one shot. It got worse when the "penalty man" returned.
Derek Roy masterfully held a pause at the blue line, putting our player on the ice, and then shot between Proshkin's legs, who clumsily tried to get in front of the puck in a hurry. In the "slot," Burns put his stick in, and Nabokov had no chance—1:1.
A few minutes later—another heart attack. The Canadians' run along the flank ended with two people (one own and one opponent) crashing into Nabokov. Our goalie collapsed to the ice, losing his helmet, and at that moment St. Louis shot at completely empty goals. Post! We got lucky. But not for long.
Sushinsky, clearing the puck from his zone, lowered his head and collided with Staal. Both fell, but the Russian rose first and... immediately collapsed to the ice. On the replay, it was visible that he was tripped by a sprawling Staal, but no whistle followed. Kunitz took the puck, burst into the zone, and snapped it into the far corner—2:1.
The Canadians, smelling blood, rushed into attack and started fighting for the puck as if someone had told them this was the Stanley Cup Final. Unable to withstand the onslaught, our guys began to make mistakes: Fedorov was penalized for clearing the puck, Proshkin (Proshkin again!) hit an opponent in the face with his stick. The Canadians could not fail to use a two-man advantage. Burns won the battle in the "slot" against Daniil Markov and pushed the puck between the goalie's legs.
The first period only had to be survived, which the Russians did, despite the insane dedication of the Canadians, and especially Heatley.
During the break, our entire VIP corps, naturally, cursed the officials. For knocking down Sushinsky, for a foul by Zinoviev that no one but the officials understood, for an allegedly clean puck clear by Fedorov.
WHERE IS MOROZOV?
Former Russian national team coach Vladimir Krikunov soberly assessed what was happening:
"Yes, the officiating is home-biased. But why on earth did anyone expect it to be different? This isn't the Russian championship; no one is going to help us. We have to play ourselves! And endure. Where is Morozov? You can't see the man at all! Bykov urgently needs to come up with something."
Something was come up with, but not by Bykov, rather again by Semin. A power-play goal with a powerful one-touch snap on the 22nd minute restored hope for a happy ending. Ovechkin and Morozov could have equalized on an emotional surge—Ward outplayed both.
The Canadians seemed to take a timeout, dialed back the aggression, and started playing passively. Nabokov helped them get out of this state. Oh, Evgeni! The puck after Heatley's shot, tight against the near post, should not have flown under our goalie's pad! Alas, it did—4:2. For Heatley—a goal that made him a record-breaking sniper in Canada's history at world championships. For Russia—a terrible blow to the head.
But damn it, no referees stopped Andrei Markov from scoring into an empty net on the 37th minute! How did the national team's best defenseman manage to launch the puck half a meter to the right of the far post?!
KOVALCHUK!!!
The first half of the third period passed in absolute agony. The Russians were bogged down in the Canadian defense as if in quicksand, and it seemed that there would be no place to find strength for even a final assault with such play. But on the 50th minute, hope finally revived. Where Tereshchenko's goal came from with such play—don't even ask, but we scored it, and the evening of nail-biting continued. "Puck!" screamed a group of about 40 Russians right below us. And Russia raced to win this final.
By the time Kovalchuk threw the puck past Ward with a wrist shot five minutes before the siren, there was no strength left to be happy or shout. The eyes simply refused to believe these two fours on the scoreboard. In a wild jump, Kovalchuk leaped onto the glass and hung from it, covered by teammates going crazy. Could our dream really come true right here, right now?!
Two minutes before the siren, the puck bounced into Nash's face in our "slot," and the Canadian armored tank was taken to the locker room. Nash returned a minute later. In such matches, even leg amputation is not an obstacle.
The overtime, the happiest overtime in our history, lasted 2:42, when Kovalchuk beat Ward with his wrist shot into the "top shelf" and shocked Canada—5:4.
WE ARE CHAMPIONS !!!
Well, and a special thanks to the author of the thread—Hero In, the last word is yours (this is no longer sport-, but your own express).
