mustamato
05-08-2004, 04:50 PM
.... despite a slow Canadian as a judge that wanted USA to win.
It's 2003 all over again as Tre Kronor wins!
http://live82.ihwc.net/image/large/1494.jpg
Per-Johan Axelsson scored the
deciding 3-1 goal in the second period
Nicklas Lidstrom's magnificent play near the end of the second period
helped vault Tre Kronor into the gold-medal game against Canada for the
second straight year. The Swedes beat USA by a 3-2 score and were in
control literally from the opening faceoff.
Just 18 seconds into the game, Samuel Palsson tried a wraparound on
USA goalie Mike Dunhamn. He made the stop, but in so doing pushed the
puck to his side and slid out of the crease. **** Tarnstrom had the open
goal and fired a wrist shot on target for the early lead.
The Americans took a few shifts to recover, but once they did they held
their own against the team much superior to their own on paper. Their
efforts were lost, though, when Joans Hoglund tipped home a lovely pass
by Mikael Nylander on the power play at 18:58. Mike Grier was in the
penalty box serving a doudble minor for high stiocking. In all, he had six
penalty minutes in the first 20 minutes. Tre Kronor went into the dressing
room up 2-0.
In the second, the Americans once again regrouped and started to play
solid hockey. They got a break of their own when Richard Park coralled a
loose puck to the side of goalie Henrik Lundqvist and lifted a beautiful
backhand over his blocker as he was being hauled to the ice by a
Swedish defenceman.
But one again, a solid period when all for naught because of Lidstrom. On
the power play in the final minute, the Swedes had the puck in the
American zone when a USA defenceer drilled the puck down the middle
of the ice about waist high. Ninety-nine times out of 100, it would have
gone down the ice, but Lidstrom calmly batted the puck down, controlled
it, and saucer passed the puck perfectly to P-J Axelsoon right in front of
him. Axelsson walked in and nailed a beautiful snap shot over the
shoulder of Dunham, to give the Swedes a back-breaking 3-1 lead
heading into the dressing room after two periods.
The third was uneventful as the Swedes shuit down the American attack
and coasted to victory, despite a late US goal by Jeff Halpern. They now
play Canada again in the gold-medal game and will try to avenge last
year's dramatic 3-2 overtime loss. The USA will play Slovakia for the
bronze medal.
And in the other semi-finals earlier today (also here strange Canadian behaviour)...
Canada in final again after controversial Horcoff winner
http://live82.ihwc.net/image/large/2451.jpg
Daniel Briere got things started for Canada
before Horcoff finished the Slovaks off
It was only fitting that Rob Niedermayer and Shawn Horcoff were in on the
winning goal early in the third period of this afternoon's Canada-Slovakia
game here at Sazka Arena. It was their extraordinary spadework in
covering the potent line of Miroslav Satan-Marian Gaborik-Jozef Stumpel
all evening that contributed so much to the fine team effort, but the goal
in question was soaked in controversy. The fans continued their
ear-splitting disapproval long after the puck was dropped to resume play,
but the goal proved to be all that Canada needed to advance to the gold
medal game on Sunday with a 2-1 victory.
On the play, Niedermayer headed behind the Slovak goal just as Jan
Lasak was coming out to play the puck along the boards. Behind the net
Lasak stumbled on his way back to the crease after firing the puck along
the glass, and Niedermayer made incidental contact with him at about the
same time. Lasak fell, and the puck came around to the point where
Steve Staios quickly put the puck on goal. Lasak, diving back, made the
initial save, but the puck came free. Horcoff was there to push the loose
puck over the goal line, and Lasak went right for referee Rick Looker,
hoping to convince the ref of a goalie interference call. Looker stood by
his decision, but many of the 17,204 fans littered the ice with debris and
hooted and hollered right through the player presentations after the final
horn.
http://live82.ihwc.net/image/large/2450.jpg
The Slovaks will have to overcome their dejection
to succeed in the bronze medal game
"All I saw was the puck coming around, no whistle, and Horcoff banging it
in," team captain Ryan Smyth said after the game, his 50th for Team
Canada at the IIHF World Championships. "I just dumped it in and got
off, so I didn't see the whole situation."
"When you see the replay, you see the contact, but that stuff happens
during a game," Staios added.
The rest of the affair was intense and hard-hitting, and ended with some
pushing and shoving representative of a game with no love lost. The
Slovaks will have to content themselves with seeking a bronze medal in
Sunday's early match.
This was a chess match of a hockey game, Canadian Head Coach Mike
Babcock matching Rob Niedermayer and Horcoff against the most potent
Slovak line all night. Slovak Head Coach Frantisek Hossa didn't try to
change the matchup, even though his top threesome were not able to do
much all afternoon. The game started off slowly and tentatively, both
sides cautious and playing conservative hockey. The best chance of the
period came during a Canadian power play, but it was a Slovak chance.
Pavol Demitra got behind Derek Morris and went in alone on Roberto
Luongo, but the goalie made a huge save to keep the game scoreless.
Beyond that, the Slovak speed coming through centre ice had the
Canadian defense reeling at times, but they proved resilient in their own
end and the period ended 0-0.
"When you look at their first two lines, they're loaded with speed," Staios
said. "But our forwards came back and helped out, and we were able to
slow them down."
The Slovaks got the first goal of the game while most fans were still at the
concession stands. Right from the opening faceoff, Martin Strbak stepped
over centre and fired the puck in. It hit the glass soundly and bounced
directly back in front of Luongo, and before defenceman Scott
Niedermayer could come to his aid, Miroslav Satan batted the puck out of
mid-air and past a stunned goalie. Time of the goal, ten seconds.
Midway through the period, Lubos Bartecko took a slapshot off his ankle,
hobbled to the bench, and did not return. His season, as things turned
out, was over. Meanwhile, it took the Canadians a few minutes to recover
their senses after the surprise goal.
Canada's power play came to the resue a few minutes later when the
team started to pass the puck around beautifully, shifting point men and
moving in a circle until Daniel Briere wound up with the puck at the top of
the circle to Lasak's right. He drilled a shot between two Slovak
defenders past Lasak's glove, and the game was tied.
While Canada heaved a sigh of relief, the Slovaks played with renewed
purpose and controlled much of the rest of the period. Their speed
through the middle caught Canadian defenders flat-footed more than
once, but Luongo played his best hockey of the tournament and gave his
team every indication nothing more would get by him. As so often is the
case, the Canadians played in a way that suggested they would be able
to get their game up just to that point needed to win.
"We have eight returnees from last year who have stepped up," Smyth
said, "and we have added guys like Scott Niedermayer leading by
example."
Then came the Horcoff goal at 6:10 of the third. Although Rob
Niedermayer didn't get an assist, he deserevd one for his hustle on that
play and all game long. Usually, he is the "other" brother, the sibling to
Cup-winning star defenseman Scott, but tonight he was the best player
on the ice. He got to prove his worth more than once after Canada took
the 2-1 lead, because the team then took three successive penalties in
the next few minutes. The penalty killing, led by Rob Niedermayer up
front and Luongo in goal, saved Canada's bacon, and virtually every
forward blocked a shot today.
Coach Hossa didn't give much credence to Jacques Martin's strategy in
Ottawa, as he never put the towering Zdeno Chara in front of Luongo on
the power play, with two notable exceptions. On the first, Chara almost
scored, and on the second, in the last-minute scramble, he also had an
impact.
At 18:37, with a faceoff deep in the Canadian end, the Slovaks called a
timeout and pulled Lasak. The final minute and a half was a battle of
bodies and race to the puck, and Canada managed to survive. After the
horn sounded, Marian Gaborik tried to spear Glen Murray and Chara
cross-checked a couple of other Canadian players hard. The linesmen
broke things up, though, before the two countries' players lined up at
their respective bluelines.
And now Canada has done its part to recreate last year's gold medal
game. The rest is up to Tre Kronor tonight, or for the USA to ruin that
eventuality. "It's going to be about will tomorrow, not skill," Babcock the
poet-coach promised after today's victory.
"We hope they have a tough game tonight so they're tired tomorrow,"
Staios said after being called for three minor penalties himself this
afternoon.
It's 2003 all over again as Tre Kronor wins!
http://live82.ihwc.net/image/large/1494.jpg
Per-Johan Axelsson scored the
deciding 3-1 goal in the second period
Nicklas Lidstrom's magnificent play near the end of the second period
helped vault Tre Kronor into the gold-medal game against Canada for the
second straight year. The Swedes beat USA by a 3-2 score and were in
control literally from the opening faceoff.
Just 18 seconds into the game, Samuel Palsson tried a wraparound on
USA goalie Mike Dunhamn. He made the stop, but in so doing pushed the
puck to his side and slid out of the crease. **** Tarnstrom had the open
goal and fired a wrist shot on target for the early lead.
The Americans took a few shifts to recover, but once they did they held
their own against the team much superior to their own on paper. Their
efforts were lost, though, when Joans Hoglund tipped home a lovely pass
by Mikael Nylander on the power play at 18:58. Mike Grier was in the
penalty box serving a doudble minor for high stiocking. In all, he had six
penalty minutes in the first 20 minutes. Tre Kronor went into the dressing
room up 2-0.
In the second, the Americans once again regrouped and started to play
solid hockey. They got a break of their own when Richard Park coralled a
loose puck to the side of goalie Henrik Lundqvist and lifted a beautiful
backhand over his blocker as he was being hauled to the ice by a
Swedish defenceman.
But one again, a solid period when all for naught because of Lidstrom. On
the power play in the final minute, the Swedes had the puck in the
American zone when a USA defenceer drilled the puck down the middle
of the ice about waist high. Ninety-nine times out of 100, it would have
gone down the ice, but Lidstrom calmly batted the puck down, controlled
it, and saucer passed the puck perfectly to P-J Axelsoon right in front of
him. Axelsson walked in and nailed a beautiful snap shot over the
shoulder of Dunham, to give the Swedes a back-breaking 3-1 lead
heading into the dressing room after two periods.
The third was uneventful as the Swedes shuit down the American attack
and coasted to victory, despite a late US goal by Jeff Halpern. They now
play Canada again in the gold-medal game and will try to avenge last
year's dramatic 3-2 overtime loss. The USA will play Slovakia for the
bronze medal.
And in the other semi-finals earlier today (also here strange Canadian behaviour)...
Canada in final again after controversial Horcoff winner
http://live82.ihwc.net/image/large/2451.jpg
Daniel Briere got things started for Canada
before Horcoff finished the Slovaks off
It was only fitting that Rob Niedermayer and Shawn Horcoff were in on the
winning goal early in the third period of this afternoon's Canada-Slovakia
game here at Sazka Arena. It was their extraordinary spadework in
covering the potent line of Miroslav Satan-Marian Gaborik-Jozef Stumpel
all evening that contributed so much to the fine team effort, but the goal
in question was soaked in controversy. The fans continued their
ear-splitting disapproval long after the puck was dropped to resume play,
but the goal proved to be all that Canada needed to advance to the gold
medal game on Sunday with a 2-1 victory.
On the play, Niedermayer headed behind the Slovak goal just as Jan
Lasak was coming out to play the puck along the boards. Behind the net
Lasak stumbled on his way back to the crease after firing the puck along
the glass, and Niedermayer made incidental contact with him at about the
same time. Lasak fell, and the puck came around to the point where
Steve Staios quickly put the puck on goal. Lasak, diving back, made the
initial save, but the puck came free. Horcoff was there to push the loose
puck over the goal line, and Lasak went right for referee Rick Looker,
hoping to convince the ref of a goalie interference call. Looker stood by
his decision, but many of the 17,204 fans littered the ice with debris and
hooted and hollered right through the player presentations after the final
horn.
http://live82.ihwc.net/image/large/2450.jpg
The Slovaks will have to overcome their dejection
to succeed in the bronze medal game
"All I saw was the puck coming around, no whistle, and Horcoff banging it
in," team captain Ryan Smyth said after the game, his 50th for Team
Canada at the IIHF World Championships. "I just dumped it in and got
off, so I didn't see the whole situation."
"When you see the replay, you see the contact, but that stuff happens
during a game," Staios added.
The rest of the affair was intense and hard-hitting, and ended with some
pushing and shoving representative of a game with no love lost. The
Slovaks will have to content themselves with seeking a bronze medal in
Sunday's early match.
This was a chess match of a hockey game, Canadian Head Coach Mike
Babcock matching Rob Niedermayer and Horcoff against the most potent
Slovak line all night. Slovak Head Coach Frantisek Hossa didn't try to
change the matchup, even though his top threesome were not able to do
much all afternoon. The game started off slowly and tentatively, both
sides cautious and playing conservative hockey. The best chance of the
period came during a Canadian power play, but it was a Slovak chance.
Pavol Demitra got behind Derek Morris and went in alone on Roberto
Luongo, but the goalie made a huge save to keep the game scoreless.
Beyond that, the Slovak speed coming through centre ice had the
Canadian defense reeling at times, but they proved resilient in their own
end and the period ended 0-0.
"When you look at their first two lines, they're loaded with speed," Staios
said. "But our forwards came back and helped out, and we were able to
slow them down."
The Slovaks got the first goal of the game while most fans were still at the
concession stands. Right from the opening faceoff, Martin Strbak stepped
over centre and fired the puck in. It hit the glass soundly and bounced
directly back in front of Luongo, and before defenceman Scott
Niedermayer could come to his aid, Miroslav Satan batted the puck out of
mid-air and past a stunned goalie. Time of the goal, ten seconds.
Midway through the period, Lubos Bartecko took a slapshot off his ankle,
hobbled to the bench, and did not return. His season, as things turned
out, was over. Meanwhile, it took the Canadians a few minutes to recover
their senses after the surprise goal.
Canada's power play came to the resue a few minutes later when the
team started to pass the puck around beautifully, shifting point men and
moving in a circle until Daniel Briere wound up with the puck at the top of
the circle to Lasak's right. He drilled a shot between two Slovak
defenders past Lasak's glove, and the game was tied.
While Canada heaved a sigh of relief, the Slovaks played with renewed
purpose and controlled much of the rest of the period. Their speed
through the middle caught Canadian defenders flat-footed more than
once, but Luongo played his best hockey of the tournament and gave his
team every indication nothing more would get by him. As so often is the
case, the Canadians played in a way that suggested they would be able
to get their game up just to that point needed to win.
"We have eight returnees from last year who have stepped up," Smyth
said, "and we have added guys like Scott Niedermayer leading by
example."
Then came the Horcoff goal at 6:10 of the third. Although Rob
Niedermayer didn't get an assist, he deserevd one for his hustle on that
play and all game long. Usually, he is the "other" brother, the sibling to
Cup-winning star defenseman Scott, but tonight he was the best player
on the ice. He got to prove his worth more than once after Canada took
the 2-1 lead, because the team then took three successive penalties in
the next few minutes. The penalty killing, led by Rob Niedermayer up
front and Luongo in goal, saved Canada's bacon, and virtually every
forward blocked a shot today.
Coach Hossa didn't give much credence to Jacques Martin's strategy in
Ottawa, as he never put the towering Zdeno Chara in front of Luongo on
the power play, with two notable exceptions. On the first, Chara almost
scored, and on the second, in the last-minute scramble, he also had an
impact.
At 18:37, with a faceoff deep in the Canadian end, the Slovaks called a
timeout and pulled Lasak. The final minute and a half was a battle of
bodies and race to the puck, and Canada managed to survive. After the
horn sounded, Marian Gaborik tried to spear Glen Murray and Chara
cross-checked a couple of other Canadian players hard. The linesmen
broke things up, though, before the two countries' players lined up at
their respective bluelines.
And now Canada has done its part to recreate last year's gold medal
game. The rest is up to Tre Kronor tonight, or for the USA to ruin that
eventuality. "It's going to be about will tomorrow, not skill," Babcock the
poet-coach promised after today's victory.
"We hope they have a tough game tonight so they're tired tomorrow,"
Staios said after being called for three minor penalties himself this
afternoon.