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Canada claims gold at World Championship
PRAGUE (CP) - The swagger is back.
[img]http://www.tsn.ca/photo_gallery/images/GoldAgain_20040509/5_77275.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.tsn.ca/photo_gallery/images/GoldAgain_20040509/8_77475.jpg[/img]
A determined and character-driven Team Canada came from behind for the third straight game Sunday in a thrilling 5-3 win over Sweden, capturing a second straight men's world hockey championship.
Six years after hosting an Open Ice summit to fix what was wrong with the national pastime, all indications are that Canada is on its way back to where it belongs.
``Yeah, I think we can put that to rest now,'' said a champagne-soaked Brenden Morrow. ``We proved that hockey is Canada's game again.''
The back-to-back gold medals also come on the heels of Canada's Olympic glory in Salt Lake City two years ago, as well as the women's world title two months ago.
``It's definitely nice to re-assert that we're one of the top hockey countries in the world,'' said centre Brendan Morrison. ``It's not easy, other countries are always getting better. But Canada is the benchmark.
``Other teams always measure how good they are when they play Canada.''
The way this year's tournament started off, few would have believed another gold medal was on its way.
The team was rocked on the eve of its first game with the loss of head coach Joel Quenneville after he fell ill. Canada, assembled by general manager Jim Nill, opened with a 2-2 tie to lowly Austria, barely beat France 3-0 and was later crushed 6-2 by the Czech Republic in the final round-robin game.
But then came last Thursday's 5-4 quarter-final win over Finland and Saturday's 2-1 semifinal victory over talented Slovakia, both come-from-behind victories.
``We always found a way to win,'' said star goaltender Roberto Luongo. ``That showed the true character of Canadians.
``I know a lot of people didn't really believe in us in the beginning, but we came through and that's what counts.''
And they won the last game nearly in the same fashion as last year in Helsinki, falling behind 2-0 to the Swedes before charging back and winning it on Jay Bouwmeester's goal 20 seconds into the third period.
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), which 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.
``They say that repeating is the hardest thing and I have to agree with that. It's a tough thing,'' said Smyth, capping his sixth consecutive world championship. ``We came from behind it and we did it.
``We're not only proud of ourselves but we're proud of the Canadians back at home who supported us.''
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 as well).
``It doesn't get old,'' said Daniel Briere, one of eight returning players from last year. ``Winning back to back, it's a tournament that's so hard to win. Canada had just won this twice in 25 years before last year.
``So to win back to back and to be part of it is just an amazing feeling.''
Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators, Swedish league star Andreas Salomonsson and former Toronto Maple Leaf Jonas Hoglund replied for Sweden, which suffered its first loss of the tournament (6-1-2).
Luongo 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.
``It's a great feeling,'' Luongo said, champagne dripping off his long curly hair. ``Again like last year we were down 2-0 but I knew deep down inside we were going to get back and win so it was important for me to finish off strong.''
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.
Canada's No. 1 objective was to limit superstar Peter Forsberg as much as possible, and Shawn Horcoff's checking line with Niedermayer and Cooke did just that, keeping the Colorado Avalanche centre to one assist.
With the win, star defencemen Scott Niedermayer of the New Jersey Devils became the 14th player all-time to win Olympic gold, world championship gold and a Stanley Cup ring. Joe Sakic, Rob Blake and Brendan Shanahan are the only other Canadians in the select club.
Now he can add a World Cup title this summer.
``I don't ever get tired of wearing this jersey,'' said the Norris Trophy nominee.
It didn't look promising early in Sunday's game.
It was just the kind of start for Canada head coach Mike Babcock surely had nightmares about.
The Swedes came charging out of the gates and were up 2-0 less than eight minutes into the first period, Hoglund finding the top shelf over a screened Luongo during a Sweden power play and Alfredsson finding the inside of the post on a breakaway.
``I couldn't believe it,'' said Babcock. ``We're down 2-0 to the Swedes and they won't let us touch the puck.
``I said to the guys: `Let's stop watching TV, let's get playing. Let's get after them.' And the Ryan Smyth line with Morrison and (Glen) Murray, they came to play tonight and they set the tone.''
Smyth restored hope at 13:58, shovelling a Morrison pass from behind the goal into an open net after Morrison forced Lundqvist to commit on a deke.
Canada came out stronger in the second, the passes crisper and on the tape, the decisions more confident.
And Briere thought he had tied it 2-2, his slapshot beating a screened Lundqvist but ramming off the crossbar.
The Swedes came charging back down on a 2-on-1 after the near miss, Hoglund feeding Salomonsson for a one-timer that Luongo was slow to react to and got beat top corner on the glove side.
It was 3-1 and several Canadian players on the bench were slouched over in disbelief.
``I'm sure after it was 3-1, we could feel everyone in the stands saying: `That's it. They're done. They're not coming back from this, this time around,' '' said Briere. ``But we just dig deeper and deeper every time and find something.
``It's just amazing what we do when we come together and when we decide to play together.''
Heatley took a long, looping pass from Bouwmeester and cut in from the right boards and lifted a shot over Lundqvist's left shoulder and just under the cross-bar to make it 3-2 at 14:44. It was Heatley's tournament-leading eighth goal.
The Canadian bench erupted, its confidence restored.
Horcoff's checking line came off the bench and kept the pressure on in the Swedish zone, and it paid off when Niedermayer beat Lundqvist on a backhand from in-close and suddenly it was 3-3 just 52 seconds after Heatley's goal.
And more importantly, Lundqvist appeared to have his confidence cracked.
He did. Bouwmeester scored the winner right off the bat in the third period, his wrist shot from the left side beating Lundqvist five-hole and Canada had its first lead of the game.
Cooke gave Canada an important insurance marker midway through the period, re-directing a nifty cross-ice pass from Rob Niedermayer over a sprawled Lundqvist.
It was 5-3, and the game was over. The Swedes were stunned and the Canadians would not let them back in the game.
``It's great to repeat,'' said Heatley. ``Both years are special. Coming together as a group is such a Canadian thing.
``We came together and really believed in each other. We fought back and clawed back in the last three games, it's such an awesome way to win.''
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