Coach Pat Quinn could have and maybe should have put the Canadian juniors through a hard skate after the 15-zip pummelling of the Kazakhs yesterday. Not punishment, just to work up a sweat. It didn`t look like aany of his players had to break one. They probably should have hopped on stationary bikes or into the sauna between periods.
A little bit tougher against the Germans, though. Exertion. Maybe even nerves.
Against the Czechs and Kazakhs, the Canadian juniors didn`t have to play a physical game to run up a score. But that`s exactly what they`re going to have to do from here on. If they don`t the Americans will and that would let the U.S. dictate play when they meet on New Year`s Eve in a game that will determine elimination-round seeding. And they`ll have to be physical with the Russians and the Swedes--a contest of polite skill with either of those teams doesn`t help the Canadians` cause.
64 secs: Checking-line centre Patrice Cormier drills a German defenceman into the end boards. The template is set.
16 seconds later: Checking-line left winger Stefan Della Rovere takes a run at Benedikt Bruckner.
Three minutes in: Angelo Esposito tries a little no-look between-the-legs pass to Chris di Domenico. A little soft. The Wizard of Oz line: We`re not against Kazakhstan anymore.
Four minutes in: John Tavares gets a chance--nice set up by Zach Boychuk but the puck is rolling. No payoff.
Just under five minutes in: First Canadian PP. Odd, I think, first PP D, Thomas Hickey and Alex Pieterangelo. Not P.K. Subban, not Ryan Ellis.
5:29: Another gets a five-on-three for 1:03 or less. These were in the back of the net in the tournament openers.
Germans kill off the first one uneventfully. But just before the second penalty runs out, 7:21, Zach Boychuk cashes in a pass from Tyler Ennis. 1-0 Canada.
8:17: Jamie Benn takes a run at a German d-man on 4check. A bit of head shot. Two minutes roughing. Marginal call other places but not in international play.
Cormier and Della Rovere first PK forwards. Uneventful penalty kill.
10:20-something: Benn right out of box makes a couple of dazzling moves but finishes too tight to put it away.
12:03: Della Rovere called for a slash. More like roughing. Not the worst thing in the world. Killed off uneventfully.
14:35: JT a little daylight on the right wing but back-checking German centre David Wolf squeezes him out. No real magic from JT so far. It`s not coming quite as easily.
16:01: Leaf prospect Jerome Flaake breaks up a long 3-on-2. Unfortunately for him, it was a German three-on-two. He skated to the bench even though Canadian forwards were caught out of the play. Flaake skated to the bench for a line change and his distracted line-mates went offside.
18:32: Benn takes a petulant charging minor. Just not going to be able to do that against the U.S., Russia and Sweden. You might get bitten by the Germans. You will get bitten by the three other contenders`powerplays.
20:00: Still 1-0 for Canada. SOG: Canada 15, Germany 4. Still, the home side has given German life. What momentum the home side had from a few early hits was squandered or, at least, not followed up on. My soapbox aside: At any level, juniors, worlds, Olympics, whatever, German teams inevitably give Canadian teams fits. For a long time the Czechs were a spoiler team for Canada but I think the Germans have supplanted them. The Czechs were like counter-punchers who stayed out of punching range. The German teams, like this one, usually back things up physically. They don`t get initimidated by physical play and they always have a couple of stay-at-home defencemen who aren`t graceful but make skilled players look bad. Seen it happen all the time. Even happens with NHLers. Okay, rant over.
Second period
First four minutes: Still tense. No sense that the Germans shot their bolt in the first period, that they think by hanging in for 20 minutes is some sort of moral victory. Crowd is very quiet.
Then a couple of German penalties. Maybe the wall is about to fall.
5:57 Jamie Benn scores on the five-on-three. Wired from the slot. First assist to JT. The better play was the second assist. It looked like the Germans were clearing the puck out of their end, a thigh-high clearance ... but Ryan Ellis somehow blocks it with something like a back-kick. It`s like Pele is on the point. Doesn`t just knock it down but puts it right on his stick, lightning pass to JT on the right side of the box. Great White North 2 Black Forest 0.
8:28: Della Rovere takes a x-checking penalty.
12 seconds later: In heavy traffic in front of the well-rested Chet Pickard, David Wolf deflects a point shot into the Canadian goal. You could hear 18,000 or so wince.
9:04: Great scoring chance. Benn forces a turn-over in the neutral zone. Tied up, pushes the puck ahead to Brett Sonne with one hand on his stick. Sonne`s wrist shot looks like it`s gold ... but Philipp Grubauer`s glove snags it. Polite applause from the crowd.
Last ten minutes of period: Canada consistently wins shifts, sometimes two or three in a row, but to no useful end. JT has another chance or two but again it is--well--something like a 40-minute slump. SOG Home team 33 Visitors 9. Pretty accurate reflection of play. Physical edge in play to Canada but not getting any leeway from the Swedish and Slovak refs. Sentenced for aggression--two cross-checking calls, one roughing, one slashing, one charging. Again, not the worst thing, I guess. The Canadians should get used to it and not expect to be allowed any liberties vs U.S., Russia and Sweden. Still a one-goal game.
Third period
1:04: P.K. Subban has not been his usual self--no grand tours, no deep pinches. But on his first shift of the third period he takes off on a 150 bicycle ride, cornering around a German d-man and hitting Grubauer like Evel Knievel hit the ramp at Snake River Canyon. Evander Kane picks up the spare change with the German goalie sprawled. Canada 3 Germany 1
4:32: JT has the puck on the dot on the PP. Wide open. Grubauer angles him. No rebound. Grubauer makes Save No. 37.
6:44: Cody Goloubef takes a minor for a slash but German d-man Dominik Bielke wants a piece of Stefan Della Rovere. Typical, in a good way. Opponents and opposing coaches in the OHL will all say that SDR is just a pain in the glutes to play against.
About 90 seconds later on the PK: SDR just drills a German winger who must have been checking his laces.
11 minutes in: A little change in line combinations. Esposito is out on the Tavares line and Evander Kane is in with Chris di Domenico. Quickly generates a chance and Germans whistled for a penalty.
11:25: 4-1. JT with the PP goal. Grubauer out of position.
And Germany sags. Not quits. But sags.
12:48: Esposito, skating with Sonne and Tyler Ennis, is run from behind by Dennis Reul, a monster-like d-man, a Boston draft. Maybe he has history with Esposito ... Reul tried to learn the Canadian game in Lewiston of the Q. Most would not think they could get away with this stuff in a Canadian junior league. Tyler Myers, who is only a couple of inches taller than Reul, starts pushing and sticking. Easy big guy. The team needs you vs the U.S. As big as Reul is, maybe he knows the game is lost, the Germans are going nowhere fast. A major and a game. Good night nurse. Esposito stays down for more than a minute, face down. Staggers up. Taken back to the dressing room by the team doctor but returns to the bench for the rest of the game.
A few minutes later: Zach Boychuk with unnecessary insurance.
Overview: Not a memorable game. Only glimpses of the skill that the defending champions showered on the Czechs and the godforesaken Kazakhs. Some hard-hitting ... you can see that Patrice Cormier and SDR will play in later games. Espo off the Tavares line ... maybe. Safe to say that this was not the best game this team can play. Nothing like the offensive light show put on by the Swedes at the Civic Centre. Brian Kilrea handing out postgame awards framed by two Mounties. Grubauer and Canadian captain Thomas Hickey the players of the game. Could not tell if Killer was ripping the refs when the anthem was played -- you know the old joke about the scorpion who rides on the back of a turtle to cross a river and stings him in midstream. That would be Kilrea ... nature of the beast.
