The Russians are a comeback team. They always have been and always will be.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Russian players sometimes need a fire lit which only comes from trailing in a game. It’s as if the players can’t get excited about a grind-it-out, dominating win and look only for the drama a come-from-behind win provides.
The most recent examples came in this tournament. Russia scored two goals with less than five minutes remaining against the Finns in the quarterfinals before winning in overtime.
Then there was a shootout win over Sweden in the semifinals after tying the game with 1:27 remaining in regulation.
The Russians’ motto is seemingly, "better late than never."
The Canadian players were familiar with those examples. One would think the players wouldn’t feel safe with a three-goal lead after two and a one-goal lead proved disastrous for the Finns and Swedes. Canada’s three-goal lead proved unsafe, as the Russians scored five unanswered goals in the third period to win its first gold-medal since 2003.
Team Canada knew the Russians’ character, but could do little to slow the overwhelming momentum carrying the Russians.
"You have to give them credit—that’s a fighting team over there," Canadian defenceman Erik Gudbranson said.
Russians simply love momentum. They live for it. They thrive under it. They seize it like no one else.
But it has been a while since the Russians last broke Canadian hearts in this tournament. One doesn’t need to look further than the last time the Russians were crowned under-20 champions for the latest example.
Russia trailed 2-1 going into the third period of the gold-medal game against the tournament-host Canadians in 2003. Fans in Halifax don’t need to be reminded of the outcome, as the Russians overtook the game in the third period and captured gold with a 3-2 win.
But an even more dramatic example came the year before.
Team Canada took an early 2-0 lead and led 3-1 shortly after the 20-minute mark of the gold-medal game. Then came the unraveling when the Russians scored three times in a span of eight minutes to take a 4-3 lead into the third period.
Chuck Kobasew answered back four minutes into the third period, but Anton Volchenkov scored the decisive goal less than three minutes later in a 5-4 Russian win in 2002.
Want more heartache?
How about when seldom-used future Vancouver Canuck Artem Chubarov ripped a slapshot from the faceoff to beat Roberto Luongo in overtime in the 1999 final?
It was an all-too familiar feeling watching the Canadians cough up a seemingly comfortable lead against a Russian team in the world junior final.
The Russians, after all, love to play the role as enemies almost as much as they love coming from behind.
Some may argue humility is good for a Canadian team so used to winning gold. It took several gold-medal let-downs for the fans to truly appreciate the 2005 win. Canada hadn’t had the sweet taste of victory in this tournament in seven years before they started the streak of five-consecutive championships, which was snapped by the Americans last year in Saskatoon.
Those seven tournaments prior to the streak included four silver medals, two bronze and its worst finish in eighth-place. Three of the four silver medals came in losses to the Russians.
Perhaps another loss in this tournament will take the target off Canada’s back. It’s no secret the rest of the hockey-playing nations enjoy seeing Canada falter. With success comes envy and greed.
One didn’t need to look further than the faces of a handful of Swedish players near the zamboni entrance at HSBC Arena moments after the Russians captured gold. The Swedes, who finished a disappointing fourth, were smiling as if they had just knocked the Canadians off their pedestal.
The Russians, however, will enjoy playing the enemy. Two of their previous three gold-medal victories came on Canadian soil. Although the tournament was not held in Canada, the close proximity to the border gave the Canadians the home crowd advantage in every game, meaning Russia got another chance to play the enemy.
Russia may have been the team of destiny.
As much as Canada bellied an "us against the world" mentality, the Russians came out of nowhere—much like they did in their comeback wins—to snatch another gold medal.
It’s the type of comeback win their reputation preceded.
When asked if he felt like he was a part of a historical moment, goaltender Igor Bobkov could barely express the excitement of yet another come-from-behind win.
"Only Russians, right?" Bobkov beamed.
Yes, only Russians.
