Recap: Canada-Russia Super Series

As promised, here is a recap of the Canada-Russia Super Series. I will attempt to determine what went wrong and what went right for each team, though I admit that I spend a little more time talking about Team Canada.

Coaching

There is a reason why Brent Sutter has a 19-0-1 record as a coach in international competition – he’s damn good at his job. He demands that his players are responsible and that they play hard every shift. He is not above benching a player for a mistake made on the ice, and he also rewards players with ice time. The result is that players compete with each other for ice time, and the on-ice product is world class.

Coach Sutter’s system involves not only defensive responsibility, but also a hard-nosed, physical style of play. Players have to be ready to block shots, take hits to make plays, defend your teammates, and crunch the opposition when necessary. The players in this Super Series bought into Sutter’s system from the very beginning, and they maintained the physical game until the very end.

Sutter also exuded an air of confidence throughout the Series. The Russians wanted to add three additional players to their roster for the Canadian leg of the Series, which was against the rules because rosters were frozen on August 26th, but Sutter allowed them to make the adjustments. Sutter’s attitude was that the Russians could do what they wanted to their team because Canada was still going to win.

I think that Sutter deserves a lot of credit for keeping the team’s collective head on straight during the Super Series. Team Canada could have gotten very cocky after winning so many games, but they always acknowledged that the Russians were good players. In addition, Sutter did not let the score of the game influence how the Canadians played the game – they always had the same level of focus, whether they were down by two goals or up by five.

In short, Brent Sutter, along with Andy Murray, would be on my short list of head coaches to hire for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Sergei Nemchinov, on the other hand, was the antithesis of Brent Sutter. His inexperience behind the bench was obvious, as he often looked dazed and confused, like he didn’t know what to do.

The games in Russia were particularly odd for many reasons. First of all, Nemchinov did nothing to match up his players to the Canadians. In fact, he would send his players out on the ice before the Canadian players, even when he had home ice, so Sutter was in complete control of the match-ups. Second, Nemchinov didn’t put his best players on the power play, which is probably the reason why they scored only one power play goal in the first four games. Third, the thought didn’t seem to enter Nemchinov’s mind to change the lines in order to spark the offence.

Leadership

One of the downfalls of the Russian team was that they lacked leadership straight across the board. I think that this started with Nemchinov and ran through the entire team. The team would have flashes of great play, but the moment something bad happened, the entire team fell apart. It began in the first game, when Russia was up 2-0 by the 10 minute mark of the first period. They enjoyed a very lengthy 5-on-3 advantage, but failed to capitalize. Stefan Legein got Canada on the board a few minutes later, and Kyle Turris scored on a penalty shot only 45 seconds after that. This absolute, team-wide meltdown was the story of the Russian team for two weeks.

The Canadian team, on the other hand, boasted a number of players with leadership coming out of their ears. They made sure that the team did not panic and lose composure when something went wrong. They also kept the guys focused on the task at hand, no matter what hand they were dealt. The team had a difficult time in Russia, with the travel, hotel and travel issues, heat and humidity, unfamiliar food, and culture shock, and you have to give them credit for succeeding.

Goaltending

All three of Canada’s goaltenders were stellar in this Series. There was not one weak player among the three, and they all deserve the highest of praise. Jonathan Bernier has obviously recovered from the ankle injury that he suffered during the Memorial Cup. Leland Irving was great in his first 3 games as a member of Team Canada (he was on the last World Juniors team as a backup to Carey Price, but did not play in the tournament). And Steve Mason showed us all how calm he is in net, and how great a puckhandler he can be.

I would not want to make the decision regarding goaltenders for the next World Juniors team, because one of these guys is not going to make that trip to the Czech Republic. The consensus in the media is that Mason and Bernier have a slight edge over Irving, but if Bernier ends up with the LA Kings this season (as some suggest he might), then no one will argue Irving’s place on the team.

The Russians believed that their go-to guy in goal was Semen Varlamov, but he flopped…badly. Allowing 3 goals on 4 shots in the first period of the third game does not make a good goalie - he might have done a better job if he had made snow-angels in the crease. He did play considerably better in Saskatoon, but that’s not saying much. His teammates Sergei Bobrovsky and Vadim Zhelobnyuk were better, but even they couldn’t stop the onslaught of the Canadian offence.

Offence

The Canadian forwards seemed to do no wrong. They won 90% of their face-offs, which (a) kept them in control of the game and (b) didn’t give their goalies a heart attack when the face-off was deep in their zone. They forced turnovers and created quality scoring opportunities. They passed well, and though they could be cutesy at times with the puck, they also registered tons of shots on goal.

The skill level of these players is simply incredible. It is hard to pick out just 1 or 2 players who played above all others, but I will mention a few of those players that really stuck out to me.

(1) Brandon Sutter. As I’ve said before, this kid is GOOD, and he is my MVP of the tournament. He might not lead the team in scoring (though he did score 3 goals in his last 3 games of the Series), but he plays a spectacular defensive game – I would not be surprised to see him win a Selke or two in his NHL career. Sutter, along with Legein, made a terrific pair in this Series, and they are a big part of the reason why the Russians scored so few goals.

(2) Sam Gagner. Gagner has come a long way since January, when he finished the World Juniors tournament without a single point. He is now the leading scorer of the Super Series (with 15 points, including 6 goals), and the Series MVP. He is now with the Oilers’ camp, and I would not be surprised to see him make the team this year.

(3) Kyle Turris. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Turris in this Series. Though he had scored 60+ goals for the Burnaby Express, he didn’t play in the CHL and I wondered if he could elevate his game. Boy, was I wrong – he elevated his game and the puck…seven times, in fact, as he had the most goals of any player in the Super Series. Even better is the fact that he is a great two-way player who logged a ton of minutes on the PK. I would be surprised if Turris played more than one season of college hockey - I think we’ll see Turris in Phoenix sooner rather than later.

One player that disappointed me a bit was John Tavares. I don’t know if it’s because I had unrealistic expectations of Team Canada’s youngest player, but I thought that he would have dominated the game a lot more than he did. He certainly wasn’t used to being a defensively responsible player, and he turned the puck over to the Russians a number of times in the first couple of games, but he did get better as the Series went on. I guess I feel as though he should have been a better player in the Super Series because he and his agent are going on and on about how he should be drafted a year early because of his exceptional play – if he can’t stand out against a Russian team that is playing sub-par, then how can he justify asking the NHL to bend the rules to allow him into the clubhouse?

The Russian forwards were less than impressive. I expected Alexei Cherepanov to really make an impact on this Super Series, but that did not happen. Sure, he was injured and only played two games, but I expected him to show up and be an effective player from the very start of Game 1. He was so angry over being drafted so late in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, and I thought that maybe he would blow away the Canadian competition to prove all of the scouts wrong, but to me, they were proven right. Cherepanov was invisible in the first game and had a few spurts of offence in the second game. Until further notice, he will be an inconsistent player in my mind who doesn’t seem to want to show up and compete night after night, shift after shift.

Artem Anisimov was a fairly good player for the Russian team, but what got me was that he just up and left for New York after Game 6. I know that he has a contract with the Rangers, but I think they would have understood if he stuck around and finished the Super Series. This stunt of his showed me that he doesn’t stick with his teammates through thick and thin.

I actually give a lot of credit to the Russian players who found their heart and showed up to play in the final two games. They generated more scoring chances in this 120-minute interval than in the previous six games combined. They played like the games mattered, and that must have been hard to do since they had already lost the Series and their countrymen were essentially crucifying the team for their performance.

Defence

I mean this in the best possible way, but I didn’t always notice Canada’s defencemen. It’s not that they didn’t play well, but rather it’s because they did play well. The majority of the time the D-men made great passes, cleared the puck, forced turnovers and broke up Russian plays. I think that the forwards did such a great job that I only noticed the play of the defencemen when they were either absolutely spectacular or absolutely awful. Luckily, they seemed to be in position most of the time and had very few defensive breakdowns over the course of eight games.

The two defencemen who made the biggest difference, in my opinion, are Karl Alzner and Drew Doughty. These two guys were near perfect each and every game, and they will have great careers in the NHL.

Special Teams

The Canadian power play was off to a slow start, but they got it going and scored often; in total, Canada scored 19 power play goals in 8 games for a success rate of about 25%. Their penalty kill was also fantastic, as they allowed only 5 Russian power play goals in over 70 chances (approx. 93%). In my opinion, Canada’s special teams were probably the main reasons why they were able to win the Series so convincingly.

Physicality

As I mentioned before, Brent Sutter’s system calls for a physical game, and the Canadian team bought in to this system hook, line, and sinker. They forced the Russians to play the game North American-style, and even though the Russians didn’t always want to get involved, the Series had its moments of intensity and nastiness, especially in the final two games.

Final Note…

This Super Series was basically an extended training camp for Team Canada, and many of these players were auditioning for spots on the World Junior’s roster. I think that most of these guys have earned their places on the World Junior team, but I doubt that the roster will remain the same come December. Who knows which players will be in the NHL this winter, or who will simply be dropped from the team. It will be interesting to see who will be added to the list. Remember, Angelo Esposito and Steve Stamkos were not in this Series…

It will be interesting to see how the Russian Hockey Federation will respond to their team’s performance. Their reaction is basically the same that Canada had in 1998 with the failure of the Men’s Olympic Team in Nagano. They may decide to make sweeping changes to the entire system, but I don’t think that is necessary. I think that their problems lie in the coaching, maybe the scouting, and probably the players themselves – maybe this group is just not a great crop of hockey players. As Bob McKenzie pointed out, this same group didn’t medal in the U-18’s a couple of years ago.

Game 8: Canada-Russia Super Series - Canada unbeaten!

It’s the final game of the Super Series and Canada has long since won the competition. Canada seemed to do everything right, while the Russians seemed to do everything wrong. You have to give the Russians credit for the past 2 games, especially in Red Deer, for actually showing up to compete. I had to wonder if this competitive spirit would remain with Team Russia for Game 8, or would Canada pull off a convincing win in front of 18,000+ fans in Vancouver.

I would have to answer ‘yes’ to both of those questions.

Russia did play hard, and they seemed to have some spirit in their game, but Canada still outscored them 6-1. Ouch.

Leland Irving made his third start in goal for Canada, and he was stellar. Up until about 17 minutes into the third period, it looked as though Irving would earn a shut out, but a goal by Dodonov shattered that goose egg. Nevertheless, Irving made some spectacular saves and robbed the Russians of goals on many occasions. His Russian counterpart, Bobrovsky, was almost as good, despite being beaten six times. If his game had been more shaky (like, say, Varlamov’s), then Canada could have easily scored 10+ goals in this game. Both goalies were the reason why there was no score after the first period.

Canada’s offence came flying out of the gate at the beginning of the game, and they didn’t stop until the final buzzer sounded. They had an incredible 7 shots on goal on their first power play, but Varlamov kept Canada scoreless. However, Canada’s power play was not idle in Game 8: they scored an amazing five power play goals, bringing the series total to 19 (compared to Russia’s five PPG).

So here’s my daily Sutter rant: Brandon Sutter scored his third goal of the Super Series in as many games, but that wasn’t the great part. What was great about it was that it came on the power play about one minute after he was high-sticked in the face (in the eye area, no less). Add that to the fact that he does all the little things perfectly, and you get one special player.

Turris is another player who dominated in Game 8, adding 2 power play goals in the third period in front of his home crowd. He continually shows that he never quits on the play. One year in Minnesota and he’ll be ready to join Gretzky’s team in Phoenix.

Add to this list a highlight-reel goal by Boychuk, who scored from his knees while on the power play. Wow.

Canada’s D-men played a hard game tonight, continuing to block shots all game long, and they also created some offence. Drew Doughty made a great play when he went from behind his own net, darted around Russian traffic, went hard to the net and almost scored. And congrats to Alzner, who finally scored a goal in this Super Series when he put the Canadians on the board in the second period.

As much as the Canadian offence is a big story in this game, the physicality of this game is what really stood out, and no game in this Series has been as nasty as Game 8. Sure, there were huge hits coming from left, right and centre, but it was the absolutely dirty play from the Russians that will be remembered.

I can understand that Team Russia has been humiliated in this Super Series, that the press called their play shameful after the second game in Ufa, and that everyone in Russia is beating their own team upside the head for their performance (or lack thereof). That being said, they put themselves in that position and they did not have the right to attack Team Canada in Game 8. Two Russian players in particular (Voynov and Chudinov, who both wore full face masks due to their age) were running around with their sticks, smacking Canadian players in the face at every chance. Tempers boiled over in the third period when Voynov speared Lucic twice in the midsection and Lucic responded by roughing him up (and picking up the extra penalty, for some reason). Minutes later, after an offside call, Chudinov delivers an elbow to Giroux’s head and causes a melee that got the Vancouver crowd on its feet. I cannot believe the absolute undisciplined play of these two individuals, and they’d both be nailed to the bench if I was their coach.

Overall, Team Canada played a great game with few mistakes. I guess this statement could apply to the Super Series as a whole.

My stars of the game:
* Kyle Turris
** Brandon Sutter and Leland Irving – two-way tie
*** Zac Boychuk

I will be writing a ‘post-Super Series’ wrap-up of sorts in the next couple of days. Stay tuned.

Game 7: Canada-Russia Super Series

Friday night (and Saturday morning back east), Team Canada and Team Russia resumed the Super Series in Red Deer, Alberta. I was unable to watch the game live because I was virtually comatose from an early alarm clock and a long day of classes, but I did catch the game on TSN’s Broadband Network. So here’s my recap…

Before watching the game, I wondered whether fatigue would be an issue, and if Russia would completely roll over and die. I would say “no” to each of those questions. It was a hard-played, nasty game that resulted in a 4-4 tie.

Brent Sutter decided to allow Mason to play the first 30 minutes, and Bernier to play the second 30 minutes. Each goalie made spectacular saves, but they also each gave up a soft goal. Mason charged out of his net to challenge the Russian forward, but he miscalculated his speed and the Russian went around him and scored on the empty net to give Russia a 2-0 lead in the first period. Bernier, on the other hand, went down too early on a shot and Russia was able to score is fourth goal on the power play in the second period. These goals could have been prevented, but you still have to give credit to these guys for not mentally breaking down after letting in a softie.

At the beginning of the game, Canada was passing the puck too much and not shooting enough to take advantage of Russian goalie Zhelobnyuk’s shaky saves. Fortunately, they turned things around and held a 38-18 SOG advantage in the second half of the third period.

I don’t think that you can say enough about Gagner. He was a member of last year’s World Junior team, yet he didn’t have a single point in that tournament. Fast forward 7 months and he is the leading scorer of the Super Series. He scored his sixth goal of the Series in Game 7, and he also scored goals in the last 5 games. He will head to Yellowknife on Monday to join the Edmonton Oilers’ training camp, and he just may make that team this year. If he is sent back to London for another year, then he will certainly be a star in the upcoming World Juniors in the Czech Republic.

Sutter is another player that you can’t say enough good things about (and one that I keep writing about). In Game 7, this Red Deer Rebel had a spectacular shift on the PK in the second period that left his home crowd standing and cheering. This energy spread to his teammates and they put forth a number of great shifts where they created a lot of chances and put a lot of pressure on the Russians. Sutter also scored his second goal of the Series in Game 7, which gave Canada the lead for the first time in the game.

The Canadian defence has been largely solid for this Super Series, but they had a bad shift immediately after Sutter’s goal. Their absolute lack of effort allowed Russia to score the equalizer goal just 17 seconds after Canada took the lead.

From a physical point of view, this game was intense and nasty. The Russians came out swinging, and the Canadians matched their play. It was the most entertaining game to watch thus far, but at the same time I thought the officiating sucked. Yes, the Russian referees sucked. They called penalties on Canadians that should have not been called, they called penalties on the wrong players, and they didn’t call the Russians on a cross check to Legein and a high stick on Ellerby (and other infractions as well). Thankfully, they did give Kablukov a 2 and 10 for cross checking Pyett in the throat. I just thought that things got a little out of control at times because the Russian officials let it happen.

Canada did well in Game 7 when it came to offence and intensity, but they have to be more solid defensively and in goal because the Russians have proven that they can take advantage of a Canadian meltdown. Team Canada would have easily won the game 4-1 if the team had put forth an effort in the shift after Sutter's goal and if Bernier and Mason had not suffered from momentary brain cramps.

GM Place, home of the Canucks, will be loud on Sunday night for the 8th and final game of the Super Series. You can bet that the Russians will continue to play an intense game, as they don’t want to go home without a win. Canada must play their best game of the Series if they hope to remain unbeaten. They will have to maintain pressure in the offensive zone, and they must put forth an effort each and every shift. The team must not break down defensively, and the goaltenders must be sharp at all times. The people of Vancouver will be cheering for their Canadian boys, and the team should find their energy from the crowd if they find themselves fatigued.

My stars of the game:
* Brandon Sutter
** Sam Gagner
*** Kyle Turris

Game 6: Canada-Russia Super Series

Team Canada rocked the arena last night in Winnipeg, clinching the Super Series’ victory in front of a home crowd. Tonight, the teams will face off in Saskatoon, which will be a homecoming of sorts for Logan Pyett and Luke Schenn. No one expects Team Canada to let up on the Russians – the Canadians have their sights set on sweeping the series. The question is whether they have enough gas in the tank after the heavy travel schedules. Also, how will the Russians respond? Will they completely fold now that they have officially lost the Super Series, or will they fight to avoid the 8-game sweep the Canadians are so desperate to attain?

If you only see the final score, 4-1 Canada, you would think, “Wow, Russia got pounded again.” Well, the game was much closer than the final score suggests.

As I’ve done before, I’ll start by talking about goaltending. The Russians started Varlamov tonight, which surprised me since his last two starts were disasters. I have to give him credit, though, because he kept his team in the game in the first two periods, when Canada had almost double the shots on goal as the Russians, but kept the score tied at one coming into the third. There were times when he got really lucky, because he was a little out of position and the Canadian skaters had a lot of net to shoot at.

Leland Irving turned in another fine performance tonight, giving up only one power play goal in a game that saw the Russians play their best hockey of the Super Series. Team Russia really began to turn it on in the second period, and it was Irving who kept them at bay. I truly believe that Irving was the difference maker tonight.

Canada’s offence started out good. They maintained pressure in the offensive zone, forced turnovers in the neutral zone and attacked whenever possible. I found that they kept up their great defensive positioning, which led to good offensive chances, but they were only able to capitalize once in the first 40 minutes, on a Gagner power play goal in the last minute of the first period. I also have to give props to my boy Brandon Sutter, who scored his first goal of the Series tonight – and it was a shortie at that. He won’t be a goal-scorer in the NHL, but he’ll have a long career and will win Selke Trophies a plenty.

The second period saw Canada play probably their sloppiest hockey of the entire Series, at least from an offensive point of view. They enjoyed an extensive 2-man advantage as the Russians kept taking penalty after penalty, but they couldn’t get it together. No one was in the slot, and they had a hard time handling the puck. That, combined with the fact that the Russians showed up and competed in the first two periods, meant that Canada couldn’t capitalize on their second period power plays.

Canada seemed to fix their mistakes in the third period and scored three goals. My guess is that Brent Sutter had a couple of words with the guys during the second intermission. If they had failed to fix this blip in their game, I think that the Russians would have won. They were flying high after the second period and that huge PK, but their balloons were deflated when Canada started scoring.

Overall, Team Canada played well defensively. Big thumbs up to Alzner and Doughty, both of whom have continued to be star defencemen on this team. Their names might not be on the score sheet that much in this Series, but their value has been unreal. And Doughty is yet to be drafted into the NHL – are D-men this young supposed to play so well?

From a physicality point of view, there were some big hits in this game, but it wasn’t a really physical game. I got the feeling at times that Team Russia didn’t want to engage in physical play, though they upped this part of their game as they found their spunk in the second period.

I suspect that fatigue has started to set in for these players, and it was evident tonight. They just came back from halfway around the world, played one game in Winnipeg, turned around and played another game the following night in Saskatoon. Thankfully they get a day off, and I hope that Sutter lets them rest in Red Deer. I don’t really see the point in having that much of a practice because there isn’t that much to fix in their game.

The one thing that probably gave Canada the win tonight was goaltending because Leland Irving made a number of saves when the Russians started to apply boatloads of pressure.

Canada needs to be able to avoid those offensive meltdowns that we saw in the second period. They’ve already won the Series, so now they need to find that extra motivation to drive their play and get them through the fatigue. They have to remain in control of the play at all times and avoid sitting on their heels.

My stars of the game:
* Leland Irving
** Brandon Sutter
*** Drew Doughty - Karl Alzner tandem

Friday night’s game in Red Deer is a late-nighter here in Atlantic Canada (11PM AT on Sportsnet), but it should be good. It will be Brent Sutter’s last game in Red Deer before moving to Jersey to coach the Devils. The arena should be a lot louder there than at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, and hopefully the boys will be ready to go.

Game 5: Canada-Russia Super Series

The Canada-Russia Super Series resumes tonight in Winnipeg. After sweeping all four games in Russia, Team Canada has the chance to clinch the series tonight. Sergei Nemchinov has added three new Russian players to his roster, and he hopes to give the Canadians a run for their money. Will Team Russia be successful in their bid to tie the Series, or will they lose it all tonight? Will Canada overcome jet lag and play a hard hitting game in front of a home crowd? And can Bernier keep his shutout streak going for another three periods of hockey?

Given the atmosphere created by the fans, one would have sworn that the home team had just won the Stanley Cup. With 5 minutes to go in the third, only thing the Winnipeg fans were cheering was 'Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye!' - and with good reason, since their hockey youngsters just won the Super Series with an 8-1 victory over the Russians.

The physical tone was established in the first minute of play, with Boychuk laying a huge hit on Russia (and taking a penalty). At first, the Russians were hesitant to play a physical game, but they began to return the favour later on in the opening period. I was actually surprised that things didn’t get really nasty towards the end of the game, but I expect that it will tomorrow night in Saskatoon.

For the fifth straight game, the Canadian goaltending has been solid. Bernier gave up just one power play goal in the second period, primarily due to the defence’s inability to clear the puck. Bernier made some incredible saves and really showed his skills and athleticism as a goalie, but what stuck out for me was his mental game. He was involved in a nasty collision with Russian defender Vishnevsky late in the first period that left Bernier on the ice for a few minutes, but he bounced right back and turned in a stellar performance.

During the first intermission, I doubt that any person watching this game would have thought that Canada would win the game by such a large margin, since all that was up on the scoreboard were a couple of big, fat goose eggs. It wasn’t that either team didn’t have any chances, because there were 9 shots on goal for each team; the difference makers in the period were the goalies (especially Bobrovsky, as the Canadians had many more scoring chances than the Russians). The second frame was a little more of an offensive show, with the Russians scoring their lone goal on the power play, and Canada netting five goals: three power play tallies, one shortie, and one at even strength. The third period saw another three goals (one being a power play goal) added to the score sheet for Team Canada.

This Super Series has been a coming out party for so many of these young players. Gagner is one of the four players returning from last year’s World Junior’s squad and he is proving that he is a much better player now than he was in January. He is the leading scorer of the tournament, has his second consecutive three point game, and is a player who is defensively responsible. I would not be surprised to see Gagner suit up for the Oilers this year, as they are in desperate need of scoring and it was just announced that Pisani is out indefinitely with illness.

Giroux had a slow start to the Super Series, but he has definitely been on the upswing since his first goal in Game 3. First, he scored from his knees, a la Sidney Crosby, then assisted on a goal by spinning around on his backside, and now he has a two-goal, three-point game. Not too shabby.

As for Turris, one word: wow. I bet Gretzky is itching to have him in a Coyotes’ uniform, because they’re definitely going to need some scoring.

The Canadians struggled a bit on defence tonight, and this was especially evident on the penalty kill. In the past four games, the defenders were able to clear the zone, but tonight they had a hard time getting the puck out and it led to Russia’s second power play goal of the Super Series. That being said, they still made it hard for the Russians to set up their power play because the Canadians got in their faces, took away the shooting lanes, and blocked the shots.

You really have to give Alzner a lot of credit because he has played so well thus far. He is another player who just may crack his NHL team this season. He, along with Doughty, has played a solid game with very few struggles. Alzner made an amazing play on the PK tonight when he stopped a puck at the goal line – it was thisclose to going into the net.

I was very disappointed with the officiating tonight. There were so many phantom calls on Team Canada. Legein, in particular, was on the referees’ radar; he was called for a trip when he was the one who was tripped, and then he was called for a roughing call that was bogus. On top of things, there were instances when Russia should have gotten a penalty but didn’t. Maybe the referees were trying to help their countrymen out by giving them power plays, but that obviously didn’t work – it only made the Canadians angry.

The one thing that led Canada to certain victory tonight: Special Teams! They accounted for 5 of 8 Team Canada goals.

The one thing that Canada needs to fix for tomorrow night: sloppy defence. They can do better.

My stars of the game:
* Claude Giroux
** Sam Gagner
*** Jonathan Bernier

The Canadians may have won the Series, but they are looking to improve to 8-0 so that Brent Sutter can leave for New Jersey with a 20-0 record in international competition. If the ‘wave’, standing ovation, and incessant cheering in Winnipeg were any indications, Saskatoon, Red Deer, and Vancouver should have amazing atmospheres to energize our boys.

Next face-off is in Saskatoon on Wednesday night at 9PM AT on TSN.

Game 4: Canada-Russia Super Series

Yesterday, Team Canada faced a Russian team that was rallying over the loss of their superstar player, Cherepanov. Team Russia played a strong 40 minutes, but fizzled in the third period as Canada took the game and increased their series lead to 3 games to none. Will Team Russia be able to rebound and avoid being swept in their home country, despite losing several key players? And can Canada keep their collective foot on the gas, while staying out of the box?

First off, Brent Sutter allowed Russian head coach Sergei Nemchinov to bend the rules to allow three more players to his roster to replace guys who are out with injury. Sutter’s message to Nemchinov is simple: do what you want, add whomever you want - we’ll still beat you.

You can’t say that the Russians didn’t try in Game 4. This game was certainly their best, as they showed a lot of spunk and finally adjusted their offensive and defensive game for the better. That being said, Canada was able to match the Russian team and win the game 4-2; they take the series lead 4 games to none after battling intense heat and humidity, poor arena conditions, time zone changes and culture shock.

Mason was, once again, one of the best players in the game. He demonstrated excellent rebound control and didn’t lose focus. He was solid in net in the first period as he stopped 18 shots. He again shut down Russia in the second period. Mason did allow 2 goals in 30 seconds in the third frame, but that was primarily due to a defensive breakdown in front of him and not entirely his fault. I expect that he will play one of the last two games, likely Red Deer, to show his stuff on Canadian soil – he has certainly earned it.

From an offensive point of view, Canada wasn’t as dominant as in previous games simply because the Russians played a better game than in the past week. That being said, it is hard to find fault with Canada’s offence. They were able to force turnovers and counterattack on numerous occasions.

Marchand learned his lesson and managed to avoid a third 10-minute misconduct. He was rewarded with ice time and he capitalized today, with two goals and one assist. He has proven himself to be an agitator, a physical force, and a skilled player as well. Good to see from this Maritime kid!

Tavares is finally starting to get used to the big ice and the level of competition. As a result, Brent Sutter rewarded Tavares with more ice time today and a key role on the point of the power play – and Tavares scores his first goal of the tournament on the power play in the second period. I agree with Pierre McGuire in that Tavares should be a huge force to be reckoned with next week, when the Super Series resumes on small ice in Canada.

Claude Giroux is used to scoring goals in the Q, and yesterday he scored a highlight-reel goal from his knees. Well, today he made another play worthy of the SportsCentre highlight-reel as he lost his footing and kept the play alive by spinning around on his backside and assisting on a goal.

Canada’s defence was strong at times, and then not-so-strong at other times. Alzner and Doughty once again played a great game, Ellerby was solid, and Hickey probably had his best game of the series so far. However, I did find that Canada gave up a few too many shorthanded chances to a team that has already scored a shorthanded goal. The defensive breakdown in the third period gave the Russians two goals, but Canada demonstrated their ability to focus and bounce back. From this point on, Team Canada managed to cover the defensive zone and keep Russia from adding a third goal.

The physical tone of the Super Series continued today, and it wasn’t a one-sided affair. The Russians delivered a number of huge hits on Canadian players, one which upended Gagner and one on Perron which resulted in a 5-minute major and a game for Voinov. Perron struck back and delivered 2 huge, clean hits minutes later. I still think that Canada will up their physical game on home turf when they get the support of the home crowd.

I’ve mentioned the last number of days that Canada needs to stay out of the penalty box, and it looks like they listened to me today. Okay, so they didn’t exactly stay out of the box, but they only had 8 penalties. Russia also had 8 penalties, but they found themselves in two situations where they were down 2 players. By and large, this game seemed to be called fairly well, with the penalties called actually being penalties – unlike yesterday’s game with the phantom calls.

As the series shifts to Winnipeg, Team Canada needs to make sure their defence remains solid because the Russians can capitalize when given the chance. Canada also needs to continue doing the little things: blocking shots, taking hits to make plays, delivering clean hits, forcing turnovers and so on. They also have to stay out of the box because it’s only a matter of time before they give up a second power play goal.

My stars of the game:
* Brad Marchand
** Steve Mason
*** John Tavares

Even though we’re only halfway through this series, I have a feeling that, the one thing that has made the difference in this series has been the coaching. My guess is that the Russian Hockey Federation is not happy with Sergei Nemchinov’s attempt at coaching this national team.

The Canadian leg of the Super Series begins Tuesday in Winnipeg at 9PM AT on TSN.

Game 3: Canada-Russia Super Series

On Wednesday, Team Canada took a 2-0 series lead over Team Russia at the Canada-Russia Super Series. They have left Ufa for Omsk, the hometown of Russian star Alexei Cherepanov. Will Team Canada continue to play a physical game, despite the travel schedule? How will the arena’s condition in Omsk compare to that in Ufa? Will the Russians use their anger and frustration in a positive way, or will their game continue to suffer? And will Cherepanov’s absence hurt the team, or be a rallying point for the rest of the troops?

The final score of Game 3 was 6-2 for Canada, but the Canadians did not play their best game.

Today’s game featured Leland Irving in goal. The question going into the game was if he would be able to match Mason and Bernier’s strong performances. He certainly entered the game with a lot of pressure on his shoulders, and his first game at this level of competition was good overall. The two goals that he let in were not great by any means, but the Russians held a huge shot differential over the Canadians at the end of the 2nd period: 24 for Russia and only 10 for Canada. I think that Irving held his own today, and Brent Sutter will be happy with his decision to start the goalie rotation over to let all three netminders play again in the series.

Contrast this to Russia’s goaltending situation. For some reason, Semen Varlamov started in goal today, despite his poor performance in Game 1. He played 20 minutes, faced 4 shots, allowed 3 goals, and was replaced in favour of Vadim Zhelobnyuk. I somehow doubt that we’ll be seeing Varlamov again in this Super Series.

Team Canada had a very good first period and demonstrated their skill when cycling the puck in the offensive zone. As a result, they were rewarded with 3 goals in the first period, versus one shortie for the Russians.

The second period was much different, as the Russians definitely stepped up their game and played their best period of the entire Super Series. They scored again, and I thought that Canada might have been letting up a little on the gas.

The Canadians sealed their victory in the third period with three unanswered goals, the first two coming within a minute of each other. The Russian offence really appeared to fizzle and they looked tired and frustrated after Canada scored goals 4 and 5 – they lost that spark that carried them through the first two periods.

Defensively, Canada has kept it up. Drew Doughty is one amazing kid, with an awareness that is rarely seen in a young defenceman – I think Pierre McGuire might be right when he says that he could go first overall in next year’s draft. Josh Godfrey is another D-man who was very visible today after sitting out the second game, and I bet his point shot is the envy of many players. Sutter and Legein continue to impress me with their defensive play. Sutter is so great with his stick and body positioning, and you don’t need to worry about turnovers when he is on the ice.

From a physical point of view, this game was not as nasty as the previous game, but the physical tone was still very much present. Canada kept blocking shots and delivering the body checks. The Russians seemed to step it up in the first two periods, but they are running into serious injury trouble. Not only is Cherepanov out for the series, but a number of other players, including Anisimov, hurt themselves today. This makes a bad situation even worse for Team Russia.

There are a number of things that Canada did well today, but the biggest was…Special teams, special teams, and special teams: Canada was able to kill off 13 penalties, including three 2-man disadvantages, and they scored four power play goals. It can’t get much better than that.

Things that Canada needs to work on for Game 4:
- Icing the puck. They still need to take that extra step because the linesmen are using magnifying glasses down there.
- Penalties. The players are still taking way too many penalties, and they had three 2-man disadvantages in the first 2 periods today. I know that the referees are making phantom calls now and then, but this is still unacceptable. And Brad Marchand needs to keep himself in check because he received his second 10-minute misconduct in as many games. He’s an important player on the team, but he can’t do much if he’s sitting in the box.

My stars of the game:
* Claude Giroux, for finally getting a goal (from his knees, no less) after being snake-bitten for 8 periods.
** Brandon Sutter
*** Kyle Turris, cuz this kid’s amazing

Honourable mention to Stefan Legein, who scored his third goal in as many games.

Game 4 kicks off tomorrow morning at 7AM AT on TSN. Will Canada be able to sweep the games in Russia?

Cherepanov done after just 2 games at the Super Series

Alexei Cherepanov, superstar forward for Team Russia, is out for the rest of the Super Series with a concussion. He sustained the concussion in the first period of Wednesday's loss when Brandon Sutter caught Cherepanov with his head down and delivered a crushing hit.

He didn't take part Friday in the morning skate, and officials for Team Russia are saying that he's still in the hospital.

I have to wonder about the severity of this concussion. On the one hand, the team would not want to lose their star player for the entire series, because it will be that much harder to succeed at all. But let's say that team officials are really beginning to doubt whether they can succeed, and they worry that the Canadians will go after Cherepanov even more as the series wears on. There are six games left, four of which are on Canada's home turf, so you know that Team Canada will be even more aggressive in front of their fans. Perhaps Cherepanov's RSL team quietly said that they don't want their star player to lose his entire season with the club and that he should be pulled from the team.

Ordinarily I don't question a player's health when it comes to concussions, but this one just struck me as being a little bit off. Cherepanov actually played his best hockey of the Series after Brandon Sutter hit him in the opening frame on Wednesday. Sure, he made a few lazy plays, but he had a number of shifts that were really good, if not great. He wasn't knocked out, he didn't have any balance problems (certainly not like Seidenberg of Germany, who was on the wrong end of a Shea Weber hit at Worlds this spring), and frankly, he looked okay on the ice for over 40 minutes of play. The fact that he's still in the hospital would suggest that he sustained a serious injury, so why was he able to play for so long after being hurt?

Maybe I don't know anything here...maybe Cherepanov is really hurt, and maybe my 'pro-Team Canada' attitude has clouded my judgment, but something just smells a little fishy here. I mean, shouldn't Team Russia be calling for some kind of suspension on Sutter? I haven't heard anything yet on that front.

Update: According to Pierre McGuire of TSN, the Russians did call for a suspension of Brandon Sutter, but they didn't get it. In addition, there are rumours in Russia that one of the reasons why Cherepanov isn't playing anymore in this series is because of a confrontation with his coach. Apparently the Russian coaches called out their star players for not producing, and Cherepanov wasn't happy about this.

Game 2: Canada-Russia Super Series - Keep your head up, Cherepanov!

On Monday, Team Canada overcame an early 2-0 goal deficit against Team Russia to win the game by a score of 4-2. How did Canada fare in the second game of the Canada-Russia Super Series? Was Jonathan Bernier of the Lewiston MAINEiacs as solid a goaltender as Mason? Did Canada learn how to stay out of the penalty box? And could the Canadians manage to capitalize on the power play?

I guess things clicked once again on Team Canada’s bench, as they won Game 2 by a score of 3-0.

Visibility was certainly an issue in this game, as the high humidity in the arena created a thick fog. All they needed was a bat flying around…Nevertheless, it didn’t seem like the players were hindered by the conditions.

Bernier is a terrific goalie for Lewiston, no doubt about that, but I was a touch concerned because he hadn’t played since suffering a high ankle sprain during the Memorial Cup playoffs. His right leg seemed to bother him a bit in practice, but his performance today shows that he was ready to play. He wasn’t very busy in the first period, with only 4 shots on goal, but he did make a number of really great saves in the game. He offered very few rebounds, and he remained calm while the players around him were exploding. Considering he earned a shut out in the fog, wow.

I mentioned on Monday that I wanted Canada to create more chances in their own end because the Russians had about 40 shots on goal in Game 1. Looks like I got my wish today. Team Canada frustrated the Russians with their constant puck pressure, and they had many quality chances. The thing that I like is that it wasn’t just one or two guys who were great on offence, it was at least half of the team. Players like Tavares, Turris, Legein, Perron, Marchand, and Gagner all played a skillful game. And Perron’s goal in the dying minutes of the 3rd period is worthy of the highlight reel – like Kyle Wellwood’s goal in the World Juniors in Halifax. Simply amazing. If it wasn’t for the Russian goaltender Bobrovsky playing so well, this game could have easily been 8-0.

I was a bit worried about Canada’s power play, but they managed to get that going, thanks to a first period goal by Kyle Turris. Now if only they could get a few more.

As far as defence goes, Canada has definitely gotten better. Doughty’s vision and passing ability makes him a great player that should be a high draft pick next summer, and he partners very well with Alzner. The other D-men are also playing very well and keeping the Russians in check.

All players are becoming more and more defensively responsible, which is no surprise considering Brent Sutter is behind the bench. Turnovers were not a problem today, as players are starting to chip the pucks in deep to avoid turning it over in the neutral zone – Tavares is one player who has gotten much better in this department.

Penalty killing? Not a problem. Canada took less penalties this time around, with 10 (one being a 10-minute misconduct for Marchand), and there were less undisciplined penalties.

Three words describe the physical presence of Canada on the ice: oh…my…goodness. Brandon Sutter, who is 6-foot-3 and only 170 lbs, really laid the body on the Russians to stop them dead in their tracks. He caught Cherepanov with his head down and just crunched him on open ice, and repeated this action later in the game with another Russian player. The atmosphere between the teams is definitely getting nasty. The Russians are angry and frustrated and I expect it to get worse as the series moves to Omsk on Friday.

A word about the Russians: their play seemed to be a bit disorganized for most of the game. Cherepanov was definitely more visible today, and he had a few good shifts, but he also made a number of lazy plays that led to turnovers. I know that the Russians have a really good team, but I just haven’t seen them play really well for an extended period of time. If they’re smart, they’ll keep Bobrovsky in goal.

What did Canada do right? Just about everything…

What to work on for Friday’s game – not icing the puck. When Canada dumps the puck in before going for a line change, they have to be careful to take that extra step. The linesmen virtually have magnifying glasses when it comes to making icing calls.

Brent Sutter and his coaching staff should also work with the players to make sure that they don’t get over-confident in this series. A cocky attitude could really flip the momentum back to the Russians.

My stars of the game:
* David Perron
** Jonathan Bernier
*** Stefan Legein

Face-off for Game 3 is Friday at 9AM AT on Rogers Sportsnet.

Game 1: Canada-Russia Super Series

August 27th, 2007: the day the Canada-Russia Super Series opened, and also the day the new rink opened in Ufa, Russia - with the last-minute help of the Russian Army, equiped with tools. Nothing like playing hockey on brand-spanking-new ice when the temperature indoors nearing 100F. Makes for a lot of bouncing pucks...

To be honest, I expected Russia to have the clear edge in this game. The Russians had practiced together for a longer period of time, they had played two exhibition games together against RSL teams, they weren’t fighting a 10 hour time change, and they were playing to a home crowd. I thought that the Canadians would likely lose the game, but take the opportunity to work the bugs out and try to develop some team chemistry.

I definitely didn’t expect Canada to win the game 4-2.

I don’t think that I can say enough good things about goaltender Steve Mason. He displayed a calmness in the net that would make most NHL goalies envious, and this calmness was evident from the very start. He let in two goals in the first 10 minutes of the game, and I thought that this was more a reflection how the team was playing as a whole. Mason should have stopped the second Russian goal, but he didn’t let this mistake rattle him. His positioning in the net was excellent and it allowed him to stop shot upon shot, without rebounds. Goalies Leland Irving and Jonathan Bernier will also get starts in net in Games 2 and 3, but they will have a tough time stealing the job from Mason after that.

As alluded to, Canada didn’t start the game on a good note. The team as a whole appeared nervous, which led to many turnovers and bad penalties. Coach Sutter wanted Team Canada to set the tone of the tournament by really playing a physical game with Russia, but that physical element was absent on the Canadian side in the first portion of the first period – it was Russia who laid the body on Canada. After Russia scored their 2nd goal of the game, a power play goal at 10 minutes, Stefan Legein responded by scoring a goal for Canada. Just 45 seconds later, Kyle Turris was awarded a penalty shot, which he capitalized on. These goals helped Canada to gain confidence, and the tables started to turn in their favour.

The second period saw Canada extend their lead by two goals, thanks to contributions by Brad Marchand (the only Maritimer in the Series) and Sam Gagner – they each had a goal and an assist in the 2nd period. There was clear chemistry among the players, and they all stepped up their play. Canada wanted the puck, and they played well with (and without) it. This attitude continued into the third period, which saw the Russians play with a desperate tone and begin diving to try to draw penalties.

Canada often gets into penalty trouble on the international stage – like at this year’s World Championships – and this game was no different. There were 14 penalties called on Canadian players, two of them being called while Canada was already shorthanded, leaving Russia with 12 power play opportunities and two 2-man advantages. By comparison, Canada had 5 power plays. What saved Canada was their PK, as they allowed only 1 power play goal in the game. Claude Giroux and Turris seemed to work well together on the PK, and Brandon Sutter played a top-notch defensive game.

The big question mark over Canada’s head coming into this game was defence, and I thought that Canada’s D was pretty good today. The Karl Alzner/Drew Doughty tandem worked well, and the defencemen seemed to be in position to help Mason most of the time. What certainly helped were the defensive forwards – the shut down line of Milan Lucic, Sutter and Legein were effective in containing Alexei Cherepanov, who was virtually invisible in this game. Since Coach Sutter places such a high priority on defensive responsibility, I’d look for Canada’s defence to get stronger as the Series rolls on.

There are a number of things that Canada did right in this game:

- players blocked shots

- they set a physical tone (although it did only come late in the first period)

- they won key face-offs, and

- they kept their composure when behind or on the PK.

In order to have continued success in the Series, Canada must decrease the number of turnovers. They must also adjust their game so as to not take as many penalties, while still keeping a physical game – international referees prove time and time again that they call a very tight game. Third, Canada must continue to be defensively responsible (and I'd like to see their defence get better) because the Russians had a number of really good chances today that would have been goals had Canada not been there to clear the puck. Finally, I’d like to see the Canadians spend more time in the offensive zone and get more shots on goal - the Russians seemed to dominate in the SOG deparment.

My picks of the game:

* Brandon Sutter

** Steve Mason

*** Karl Alzner

Honourable mention to Kyle Turris, who scored a penalty shot, won key face-offs, and smashed his face on the boards. Ouch

Game 2 will be Wednesday at 10AM AT on Rogers Sportsnet.

By the way, it was odd to hear Pierre McGuire providing colour commentary from the press box. His voice was so calm and quiet - unlike his loud volume, rink-side performances on TSN and NBC.

Leland Irving: An inspiration to sick kids everywhere

Leland Irving was selected as one of the goaltenders to compete for Team Canada at the 2007 World Junior Hockey Championships in Sweden, but he didn't play a single minute - Carey Price dominated the tournament instead. Many would show disappointment, but not Irving. He always had a bright smile on his face.

Irving is the star goaltender for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, and was drafted in the first round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. He will once again represent his nation at the Super Series this year, but there was a time when his future wasn't so bright. There was a time when his very survival was in doubt.

When he was just eight years old, Irving was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He endured 13 months of chemotherapy, but still managed to keep a positive attitude. He played hockey as often as possible during this time, and it probably helped him to overcome the disease.

Now cancer-free, Irving is an inspiration to many sick children. It's not easy living with an illness, and it's hard to keep going when things get difficult, but perseverance can bring great things.

And the countdown is on...

In less than 24 hours (10AM AT, TSN), Team Canada will take to the ice to play Game 1 of the 8-game Super Series against Team Russia. The hockey season finally begins!

Milan Lucic, a power forward with the Vancouver Giants, is playing in his first international tournament, but that didn't stop head coach Brent Sutter from giving Lucic the "C" to wear on his jersey. Sutter also named the team's alternate captains: Sam Gagner (London Knights), Brandon Sutter (Red Deer Rebels), and Karl Alzner (Calgary Hitmen).

The starting goaltender for Monday's game will be Steve Mason of the London Knights, who had an OHL-record 45 wins in 2006-07.

The atmosphere of the original Summit Series will certainly be missing this time around, but who knows what will happen. Maybe there will be a huge brawl and cause the TV ratings to skyrocket. Whatever the case, this tournament will be the highlight of the careers of a lot of these guys, and they're going to play their hearts out for their countries.

Esposito injured, out for Super Series

The big countdown is on: just six days until Team Canada and Team Russia clash in a one time, 8 game Super Series. Team Canada is currently in Toronto, having their first practice, and already someone is out of the lineup.

Angelo Esposito, the star centre of the Quebec Remparts, will not be suiting up for Canada for the Super Series. A groin injury will keep him out of competition, and he probably wants to rest up before his very first NHL training camp (assuming he's ready to go by then).

Esposito has a lot to prove to the hockey world. Just over a year ago, he was a rookie on the Memorial Cup-winning Quebec team and projected to be the first overall pick in the 2007 Entry Draft. However, Esposito's sophomore stats were not as impressive as his rookie stats and his stock fell. By draft day this past June, he was projected to be taken 8th or so, and hockey analysts were saying that he might be around for Carolina or Montreal to snatch up in the 11th and 12th spots. Carolina and Montreal went up to the podium - and chose someone else. Amazingly, Esposito was chosen 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although thrilled with the idea of joining the Pens, my bet is that Esposito has a burning desire to tear up the NHL and prove to 17 teams that they made a mistake in drafting someone else.

He could have used the Super Series as a first step in proving the world wrong, but he'll have to wait until the Pens training camp to make an impression. I seriously doubt that he'll make the team this year (but then again, they all said the same about Jordan Staal), but he can still put in a good showing before return to Quebec. My guess is that he'll regain his confidence and scoring touch this year in the Q - Patrick Roy will definitely help him out - and we'll be hearing a lot about him at Christmas-time.

"Super Series" of hockey coming soon

The hockey world has been generally quiet since the first few days of the ‘free agent frenzy’, except for ownership issues and a few offer sheets here and there. Hockey fans can get a quick fix now and then with brief stories on SportsCentre, sandwiched between stories on Michael Vick and Barry Bonds, but a Top 10 list of Crosby’s greatest NHL moments is little more than a tease.

The good news – check that, great news – is that the summer hockey drought is about to come to an end. The Canada Russia Super Series officially begins August 27th in Russia and ends on September 9th in Canada. This eight game series will showcase the best junior players in a format that is very familiar to each nation.

It has been 35 years since the original Summit Series was played between the best players in the Soviet Union and the best players in Canada. Many people believe that the best hockey in history was played during these eight games. At the time, it was assumed that the mighty Canadian NHL players would easily sweep the series and humiliate the Soviets, but Team Canada’s ego was put in check when they lost the first game 7-3 in Montreal. However, in the end, it was Canada that was victorious in the Series, thanks to a goal by Paul Henderson with 34 seconds remaining in the final game.

While the original Summit Series caused nationwide interest, and most Canadians tuned in to watch the final game, I do not believe that the current series will enjoy the same interest. There will certainly be a number of Canadians who will tune in to watch the games, but the interest will not be near what it was during the Olympics (especially the Salt Lake City Games) or maybe even the World Junior Championships.

Even though this Super Series does not showcase the best of the best Canadian/Russian players, it does have the best teenaged players from these two nations – the next generation, if you will. I think that we will see great hockey, and it will be a chance to peek into the future of the NHL. A lot of players have something to prove in this tournament: Cherepanov and Esposito will have to prove that they are players that should have been top 5 draft picks, Turris will have to prove that he can be as successful with CHL players as he was in Junior A, and Tavares will have to prove that he is the player that everyone believes him to be. Should be an interesting show!