Canada - Russia Super Series II

[Kreskin]

http://www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/news_story/?ID=216985&hubname=

UFA, Russia (CP) - From the goaltender out to the forwards, the Canadian team showed resilience during a 4-2 win over Russia to open the eight-game Super Series on Monday.
Goaltender Steve Mason and his Canadian teammates got off to a rough start and quickly fell behind 2-0.

But Canada eventually shed its rust and nerves to grab a 1-0 lead in the series, which celebrates the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union.

 

[#juan]

http://www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/news_story/?ID=216985&hubname=

UFA, Russia (CP) - From the goaltender out to the forwards, the Canadian team showed resilience during a 4-2 win over Russia to open the eight-game Super Series on Monday.
Goaltender Steve Mason and his Canadian teammates got off to a rough start and quickly fell behind 2-0.

But Canada eventually shed its rust and nerves to grab a 1-0 lead in the series, which celebrates the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union.

That first game is being replayed on TSN right now....started at 9 pm.

 

[Walter]

It's been done.

 

[#juan]

The Canadian team looked very good this morning, beating the Russians 3-0. Sutter has them playing with so much confidence they will be hard to beat.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Does anyone really care anymore? 35 years ago this was a big thing. Now, what, its been like 2 months since we played the Russians? Not quite the same impact.

 

[#juan]

Does anyone really care anymore? 35 years ago this was a big thing. Now, what, its been like 2 months since we played the Russians? Not quite the same impact.

It sounds like you don't care very much.....and that is your right.

Some of us do care and most of us realise that hockey is also entertainment. Good hockey is good entertainment. Hockey makes our six months of rain on the west coast more bearable...:smile:

 

[talloola]

missed the second game this morning, too early for me.

this team jumped into playing condition real quick thanks to Sutter. It's the best training camp these
kids will ever have, and probably the most fun too, they'll be ready for their regular season for sure.

It'll be interesting to see if the russians can find a way to win some games, diving and phantom
penalties don't seem to be working so far, although I didn't see todays game, so don't know the
penalty times for Canada yet, but definitely did see some strange ones in the first game.

Canuck uniforms being unveiled today, probably not a big change, but I do think it will be the blue
and green, and I like them, not sure about the orca, maybe he will look 'older'.;-)

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

It sounds like you don't care very much.....and that is your right.

Some of us do care and most of us realise that hockey is also entertainment. Good hockey is good entertainment. Hockey makes our six months of rain on the west coast more bearable...:smile:

You are correct. Hockey, in particular the NHL, has lost my interest over the last couple of years.

But I don't see the same level of talk/hype as what I remember back in 1972 or the 2002 Olympic Hockey (where Canada did the double gold thing) or even the Canada Cup back where Gretsky and co scored the winner with seconds remaining. It seems to me like this is trying to re-create magic that can't possibly be re-created. In today's hockey world there is a international tournament every couple of months. The significance of one tournament is rather diminished with that regard. 1 year from now if I say Canada-Russia will you think of this tournament or Paul Henderson?

 

[talloola]

You are correct. Hockey, in particular the NHL, has lost my interest over the last couple of years.

But I don't see the same level of talk/hype as what I remember back in 1972 or the 2002 Olympic Hockey (where Canada did the double gold thing) or even the Canada Cup back where Gretsky and co scored the winner with seconds remaining. It seems to me like this is trying to re-create magic that can't possibly be re-created. In today's hockey world there is a international tournament every couple of months. The significance of one tournament is rather diminished with that regard. 1 year from now if I say Canada-Russia will you think of this tournament or Paul Henderson?

All memories will fade and we don't have a 'cold war' any longer, and the russians play in our junior
hockey system all the time. They originally wanted to have another summit series with the NHL
playing, glad they didn't do that, as you can't recreate the original, it's gone, and a memory now.
That is why they chose the juniors, as it means more to them, and it is quite exciting for them
to play for their country, many of them for the first time.

 

[#juan]

A few memories about that 1972 series:

I wasn't that young, but I was foolish enough to bet real money that Russia wouldn't win a game.
In the first game in Montreal, the Canadian team took a three to nothing lead and I was gloating and ecstatic. The Russians won that game seven to three.
Canadian dreams and myths about hockey superiority were fast fading by the time they got to the fourth game in Vancouver. Our professionals were obviously over confident and out of shape.
They redeemed themselves in Russia but just barely. If they had taken the tournament as seriously as the Russians, I think it would have been a different story. As it was, we just hung on to the bragging rights by the skin of that great goal by Paul Henderson.

 

[Kreskin]

I was in elementary school. For game 8 they shut down classes to watch. By noon I think Canada was behind 5-3. Dejected I went home for lunch, but it was 5-5 when I got home. Then Henderson scored.

This won't recreate that era but what's nice about this series is it's a change from the one game knockout format used Internationally. One gamers crown champions but don't always determine who the best of the tournament is.

 

[talloola]

Since that series in 72, we have become a more finess league in Canada, and the Russians have learned to play a tougher more north american style, so all in all it made the total hockey scene
better, in my opinion, for both sides.
They had lots of skills, but played like robots, and didn't have any fun at all, just like their citizens
didn't have any fun in their daily lives, there was such control over everyone, not healthy.
The russians used to do all that phony diving, and we were all disgusted by that, but now in the NHL
what do we see?, but diving, and it's still disgusting. I'm glad to see referees now call penalties for
doing that, it doesn't belong in hockey, OR SOCCER for that matter, looks chicken sh** to me.

 

[#juan]

Canada 6 Russia 2

 

[lone wolf]

Hockey became a lot less interesting when it went big bucks. In '72 it was a bridge over the Cold War. It's no longer a game - memories of a dozen kids slapping a puck around the pond. Now, it's a business - just a bunch of greedy boys doing what money does to sensible folk....

If Canada/Russia can capture the moment - even for just a second - it's worth it.

Wolf

 

[#juan]

Canada 4 Russia 2

 

[Kreskin]

4 game sweep in Russia. That's a helluva accomplishment. I hope Vereya isn't too mad at us.

 

[#juan]

Back in the days when Russia was beating the pants off our national team, we used to outshoot them by a good margin. In these four games Russia has had many more shots on goal than Canada. Is our goaltending just better, or are we getting better shots?

 

[mapleleafs67]

it be alittle more interesting to watch if there was a war between the two countries

 

[gopher]

I well remember that '72 series. Canadians felt like sh*t when the Russkies won that first game but they came back and won it on Paul Henderson's late goal off of Phil Esposito. One really good thing that came from it was that Russian players defected to play in the NHL. This strengthened the league and ultimately depleted the USSR of its best players.

I don't follow pro hockey anymore but the sport was great fun in those days.

 

[Kreskin]

5 - 1 Canada after two. The boys on TSN are calling this a joke and saying the Russians don't belong in this. Apparently the NHL has 30% less Russkies than 6 years ago. The Ducks won the cup after shipping them out, leaving only a backup goalie from Russia. Perhaps the powerhouse is in decline overall. Next year they want this to be Canada vs USA.