by Eric Sorensen
It hurts to lose. For Canadians, it hurts more to lose at hockey. Yet, to blow a three goal lead in the final 20 minutes of the championship final…THAT is excruciating.
I feel sorry for the Canadian kids, because they are young, they are so disappointed, and there is just no way to sugarcoat what happened. It was awfully hard to watch.
But…and I'm hesitant to say this…I couldn't help but feel some happiness for the Russian juniors. They were just sooo elated. Every one of those young Russians looked like he was ready to explode with pride. They whooped and held up the "Russia" on their jerseys, and sang their anthem at the top of their lungs.
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If you saw them afterwards on camera, they were all absolutely over the moon. One had to smile to see how much it meant to them to upset the Canadian juggernaut.
Denis Golubev #28, Nikita Dvurechenski #17, and Yevgeni Kuznetsov #25 of Russia celebrate Dvurechenski's goal next to Tyson Barrie #22 of Canada during the 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship gold medal game between Canada and Russia at the HSBC Arena on January 5 in Buffalo, New York.
Russia too has high expectations of its hockey teams. Probably the only other country besides Canada that believes it should be the best in hockey.
Much is made of the Canada-U.S. rivalry, but when it comes to hockey, Canadians and the Russians simply have a stronger bond and a longer history of wanting to be the best at this particular sport.
Think, then, how much disappointment Russian players have felt through the years (I was at the '87 Canada Cup game in Hamilton when Gretzky set up Lemieux for the winner. The roof came off the place: maybe 20,000 delirious Canadians, and 20 glum Russians on the visitors bench). It must be frustrating to be such a large hockey country with so many skilled players, and yet, fail so often to play to their potential.
At the same time, Russians watch a smaller, hockey-loving country like Canada get peak performances time and again with those unique Canadian traits of skill, grit and determination. How could they not be envious of their northern neighbours — this modern country, with great coffee and even better hockey?
So, what happened this time?
One bad period.
At another time in the tournament, this team would have bounced back, like Canadian teams so often do.
Alas, there were no more periods of hockey left to play.
So I hurt FOR the Canadians, and AS a Canadian. But there was some consolation watching the utter joy — and yes the relief… Canadians know what that's like — on the faces of those happy Russian youngsters.
Can't wait 'til we play them again…it is a great rivalry.
Eric is Global National's Washington Bureau Chief.
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