World Junior Hockey Championship

I was impressed how Canada responded in the third period in a close game, scoring two powerplay goals and getting some good saves from their goaltender. Russia's a decent team and Canada needed to see how it would respond in a close game.

 

Rough start for the Canucks, they couldn't get out of their own end for the first 10 minutes or so. Second Russia goal was a real softie.

If they keep those big bodies crashing opposing nets will create some problems for defences, particularly on the PP.

Unfortunate headline on a Toronto Sun story about Casey Cizikas's prowess yesterday killing penalties:

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/12/26/16677111.html

 

Unfortunate, to put it mildly.

The Canucks were nervous as hell and were running around trying to drive everybody wearing a red sweater into the fifth row behind the net.

Once they calmed down, they were fine and it was no contest. Russians are an adventure in their own end.

 

The headline has been changed...

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/12/26/16677111.html

 

"Casey's a killer! Casey's a mess!"

 

Good to see Emerson Etem running his mouth about Buffalo.

 

Ha, USA Hockey must love that...a USA kid shitting on the USA host city.

A Swedish BLOGGER also adds his two cents worth about the Queen City. I should add that I have been to Buffalo many times over the years, planning weekends there around Bills games, and never had a bad time.

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2010/12/27/1899177/emerson-etem-swedish-media-buffalo-world-juniors

 

Well, I like Buffalo but it IS a ghost town after six. Remember coming out of whatever the ballpark's called now after a Bisons game and the streets were empty. And it was summer and still light.

And there's only a handful of bars within a short walk from HSBC. Compare that to Toronto where there are dozens within a ten minute walk

 

Canucks up 2-1 after one against the Czechs, who were outshot 14-2 and spent almost the entire period in their own end. Both Canuck goals on the PP, Czech goal was a softie early with Roy too deep in the blue ice.

 

Too deep and off his angle. This Canadian team is wearing the Czechs down, just like they did with the Russians.

Nice story about Ryan Johansen. Was the 150th pick in the WHL Bantam draft and went FOURTH overall (Columbus) in last year's NHL Draft

 

Zack Kassian strikes ... again. And I don't mean that in a good way, lest there be any confusion.

Ejected after a hit that sent Czech Republic defenseman Petr Senkerik off on a stretcher.

 

Canucks up 5-1 after two. Biggest goal was unquestionably LeBlanc's shortie with Canada killing a five-minute major given to Kassian for checking to the head. Call was not made by either ref when it happened.

I have seen Kassian do some dumb shit in the OHL, but this looked like a pretty good hit, he never made contact with the Czech's head, but it looked like the force of the hit - along with the "whiplash factor", to quote McGuire - hurt the kid and caused him to leave on a stretcher. I know the IIHF - with damn good reason - is very strict regarding checks to the head but this doesn't look like a good example of what they are trying to eliminate.

Brayden Schenn has easily been Canuckistan's best player.

And, JR, I did a story for the Anaheim Ducks on Joffrey Lupul, another former Canuckistani world junior star who was chosen seventh overall by the Ducks in 2002 after making the Medicine Hat Tigers as a walk on.