Gold Mine!

by Gowingsgo8803

Gold Mine! (written for Hockeyleaks.com)

Gold Mine! Marc Valeri Hockeyleaks.com January 9th, 2007

What a way to open up 2007. With the IIHF tournament being held in Leksand, Sweden, Team Canada took home its third straight gold medal, topping the Russians 4-2. It was the third straight time and the sixth time since 1999 that Team Canada has battled Team Russia.

This year’s Canadian team looked untouchable throughout the entire round. Though they favoured for the majority of the tourney, Team Canada was missing many pieces of the puzzle from last year, and had to bring in many fresh faces. A total of 11 gold medalists from the 2006 IIHF Team Canada roster were included in this year’s team. As with every championship-calibre team, among other things, experience is key.

Luckily for Canada, they studied Russian game tapes, and used their speed and quick open-ice style of play against them. Canada played much of the game along the boards or in the corners, a physical, aggressive, almost pre-NHL lockout style of hockey that Team Russia was not prepared for. To add injury to insult, Team Canada scored their first three goals in 2:27 of the first period, knowing full well that the Russians are capable of coming back from deficits. With Canada up early, they began giving Russia some slack, which backfired for the Canucks. Team Russia continued playing open-ice hockey, almost like a post-NHL lockout style of hockey, and scored in the third and made the game interesting. This style of play can never truly be stopped, only contained to an extent.

And luckily for Team Canada and company, there was no Evgeni Malkin to cover this year.

There may be oceans in-between Sweden and Canada, but roughly 300 Canadians came to cheer on the 13-time IIHF World Junior Champions. Chants of “We Want Gold” and “You’ve Got Nothing” erupted from the Canadian section before the game began, as well as after Team Canada took a commanding 4-0 lead. Oddly, the Canadians cheered for the Swedes when they took on the United States in the bronze medal game, with the win going to the US. To repay the Canucks, Team Sweden fans began cheering for the men from north of America.

For anyone who watched every game, every period, every minute, and every second of typical Team Canada hockey, I think everyone would agree with the statement that defense won the gold. Team Canada only scored 20 goals, a low total when comparing them to previous years. The stat that sticks out the most, however, is goals against – seven, in only six games. (14-4 in Round One, 6-3 in Playoff Round, 20-7 Total). That…is outstanding.

There are a number of Canadians who are deserving of a shout-out. Firstly, the entire team deserves credit, along with head coach Craig Hartsburg, for playing an aggressive, selfless, physical, smart, and defensive-minded style of hockey to take home the gold. I thank them on behalf of a proud nation, as I can once again show off my team’s colours with pride. In order to win, you need the whole team of 22 selfless individuals, and they all must have one goal in mind – the gold medal. No stats, no numbers, no fear. Anything less is a failed tournament. If it isn’t gold, we don’t want it.

Netminder Carey Price was simply outstanding this entire tournament. He allowed seven goals in six games, earning him MVP of the tourney, as well as being named to the IIHF All-Star team, and getting an IIHF Best Player Award. He didn’t, however, do everything himself. Guided by Captain Kristopher Letang, Marc Staal, Kris Russell, Luc Bourdon, and Ryan Parent all did phenomenal jobs in defending the goal from the opposition. Russell saved Price’s rear on one play – the loose puck behind Price was sitting, untouched in the crease, when Russell came and swept it out of harms way. On the other end of the spectrum, Andrew Cogliano, Steve Downie, Jonathan Toews, and Ryan O’Marra all played particularily well. Downie ended up taking a big hit into the bench in order to feed the puck up, which resulted in a mouth-watering Canada goal.

All in all, a truly awe-inspiring tournament by Team Canada, resulting in the 13th gold medal for the red-and-white, as well as their third straight at the IIHF World Junior Championship. I am sure that the respective clubs (seen below under the “NHL Status” column) would not trade away any of the 2007 Team Canada gold medalists without enduring a lifetime of regret.

Goaltenders Player Name S/C Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown NHL Status Leland Irving L 6'0 177 04/11/88 Swan Hills, AB CGY 2006 Carey Price L 6'2 217 08/16/87 Anahim Lake, BC MTL 2005 Defence Player Name S/C Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown NHL Status Karl Alzner L 6'2 209 09/24/88 Burnaby, BC NHL 2007 *Luc Bourdon L 6'3 211 02/16/87 Shippagan, NB VAN 2005 Cody Franson R 6'3 204 08/08/07 Sicamous, BC NSH 2005 *Kristopher Letang R 6'0 207 04/24/87 Ste-Julie, QC PIT 2005 *Ryan Parent L 6'2 194 03/17/87 Sioux Lookout, ON NSH 2005 *Kris Russell L 5'10 162 05/02/87 Caroline, AB CBJ 2005 *Marc Staal L 6'4 207 01/13/87 Thunder Bay, ON NYR 2005 Forwards Player Name S/C Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown NHL Status *Daniel Bertram R 5'10 183 01/14/87 Calgary, AB CHI 2005 Marc-Andre Cliche R 6'1 189 03/23/87 Rouyn-Noranda, QC NYR 2005 *Andrew Cogliano L 5'9 186 06/14/87 Woodbridge, ON EDM 2005 *Steve Downie R 5'11 203 04/03/87 Queensville, ON PHI 2005 Sam Gagner R 5'11 190 08/10/89 Oakville, ON NHL 2007 Darren Helm L 6'0 182 01/21/87 St. Andrews, MB DET 2005 Bryan Little R 5'11 201 11/12/87 Cambridge, ON ATL 2006 Brad Marchand L 5'9 183 05/11/88 Hammonds Plains, NS BOS 2006 Kenndal McArdle L 6'0 205 01/04/87 Burnaby, BC FLA 2005 James Neal L 6'3 203 09/03/87 Whitby, ON DAL 2005 *Ryan O'Marra R 6'2 207 06/09/87 Mississauga, ON NYI 2005 *Tom Pyatt L 5'11 186 02/14/87 Thunder Bay, ON NYR 2005 *Jonathan Toews L 6'2 203 04/29/88 Winnipeg, MB CHI 2006 *= 2006 IIHF Team Canada Gold Medalist

Just to cap off this article, I want to mention the jersey retirement of Steve Yzerman. Arguably, the greatest Detroit Red Wing to ever lace up skates, with all due respect to Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Terry Sawchuk, Alex Delvecchio, and Sid Abel. The longtime Red Wing Captain had his #19 raised to the rafters on January 1, 2007, with a Red Wings win over the Anaheim Ducks.