EvanL
05-09-2004, 05:18 PM
PIERRE LEBRUN
CANADIAN PRESS
PRAGUE — These guys just don't quit.
Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers broke a 3-3 tie 20 seconds into the third period Sunday as Team Canada rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits to beat Sweden 5-3, capturing its second straight gold medal at the world hockey championship.
And they did in nearly the same fashion as last year in Helsinki, falling behind 2-0 to the Swedes before charging back.
Matt Cooke of the Vancouver Canucks, Rob Niedermayer of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Dany Heatley of the Atlanta Thrashers and captain Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers also scored for Canada (7-1-1), who captured back-to-back world championships for the first time since the Whitby Dunlops (1958) and Belleville McFarlands (1959) turned the trick nearly half a century ago.
The back-to-back gold medals also give Canada four world titles since 1977, the year NHL players began playing in the tournament (1994 and '97).
Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators, Swedish league star Andreas Salomonsson and former Toronto Maple Leaf Jonas Hoglund replied for Sweden, who suffered its first loss of the tournament (6-1-2).
Netminder Roberto Luongo of the Panthers recovered from a shaky start to stand tall once again for Canada, stopping 28 shots. The Swedes have had just about enough of Luongo, who made 37 saves in last year's gold medal final.
At the other end of the spectrum, 22-year-old goalie Henrik Lundqvist, a New York Rangers prospect who had been the surprise of the tournament for Sweden, crumbled after Canada tied the game in the second period.
CANADIAN PRESS
PRAGUE — These guys just don't quit.
Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers broke a 3-3 tie 20 seconds into the third period Sunday as Team Canada rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits to beat Sweden 5-3, capturing its second straight gold medal at the world hockey championship.
And they did in nearly the same fashion as last year in Helsinki, falling behind 2-0 to the Swedes before charging back.
Matt Cooke of the Vancouver Canucks, Rob Niedermayer of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Dany Heatley of the Atlanta Thrashers and captain Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers also scored for Canada (7-1-1), who captured back-to-back world championships for the first time since the Whitby Dunlops (1958) and Belleville McFarlands (1959) turned the trick nearly half a century ago.
The back-to-back gold medals also give Canada four world titles since 1977, the year NHL players began playing in the tournament (1994 and '97).
Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators, Swedish league star Andreas Salomonsson and former Toronto Maple Leaf Jonas Hoglund replied for Sweden, who suffered its first loss of the tournament (6-1-2).
Netminder Roberto Luongo of the Panthers recovered from a shaky start to stand tall once again for Canada, stopping 28 shots. The Swedes have had just about enough of Luongo, who made 37 saves in last year's gold medal final.
At the other end of the spectrum, 22-year-old goalie Henrik Lundqvist, a New York Rangers prospect who had been the surprise of the tournament for Sweden, crumbled after Canada tied the game in the second period.