Experience cannot be bought
... At the award ceremony, Andy Murray no longer grumbled at the players and did not swing the tablet. Milo smiled with a sense of accomplishment. Under his leadership, Canadians won gold medals for the third time. The St. Louis coach assembled in Moscow, perhaps not the most vivid composition by name, but in two weeks he managed to form a real team out of it, in which there were no weak spots. Exemplary defense, which did not allow the Swedes or the Finns to clear up in decisive matches. A powerful and inventive attack that easily swept away any opponent. The Canadians decided the outcome of the final, in fact, in the first period. Rick Nash effortlessly copied Malkin's goal in the semifinals, and Eric Staal podsulitsya on the spot. Against the background of the rival, the Finns looked like extras. Of course, they tried, fought, but the difference in class was too noticeable.
Canadians came to the decisive games fully armed and showed them their best hockey. You can recall how strained they started, but gradually added from match to match, sparingly spending energy. Nine out of nine possible victories - such a grandmaster result at the world championships has not obeyed anyone for a long time. It is not surprising that the general manager of the Canadian national team Steve Aiserman dreamed of seeing this particular specialist as head coach.
God loves trinity
The Canadian team at this tournament had a real leader and lead - defender Eric Brewer. He cemented the defense, launched attacks and spent a lot of time on the site. It was the same in 2003 and 2004, when Brewer won two of his first world championships. In Moscow, he made a golden hat-trick. It is surprising that he was not included in the symbolic national team of the championship.
The champion’s defense line generally deserves a separate discussion. This is a tutorial on how to organize a defense game. From it you can learn how to properly position yourself in your area, squeeze an opponent out of the patch, impose a power struggle without breaking the rules. The ideal, of course, does not exist. But Canadians were damn close to him. In the finals, the Finns had chances only in the third period, when the fate of the match was almost decided.
With an eye on the 2010 Olympics
A year later, Canada will host the World Cup, and two years later, the Winter Olympics. You need to start preparing for these tournaments today, define an expanded list of candidates, and look for young talents. Apparently, "Maple Leaves" do not lose time in vain. In Moscow, we saw many young talents. Among them, of course, stood out one of the top scorers of the World Youth Championship, Jonathan Taves and universal defender Dion Fanuf. Drafted "Chicago" Taves did not get lost in the adult team and scored a labor goal in the semifinals, and Fanuf ... There are simply no words. All the majority was built around him. A minority, however, too. The Finns, no matter how they tried, could not neutralize the young Canadian. He was omnipresent. For his age, an amazing team player who sees the site perfectly. Brilliant trump card in the deck of Merrey.
The Disappointment of Westerlund
But what about the Finns? They tried to match the high level of the match. They were not even rude as often as in the semifinals with Russia. Either their forces left, or the opponent did not allow himself to be beaten. Rather, the second. Toward the close of the game, the Finnish national team was honored even by two goals. A ray of hope flashed. On the bench, Ville Peltonen flashed a toothless smile, mysteriously twisted Pekka Saravo's red mustache. But ... The most valuable player of the tournament, Rick Nash quickly repaid the Finnish hope.
Wards Erkki Westerlund earned kind words. They fought to the last second. Probably, it was the coach, like anyone else, who wanted to win gold - because this was his last match with the Finnish national team. He will be replaced by others. Maybe they are more lucky. And the Westerlund collection will be very difficult for them to collect: the silver of the Olympics, the bronze of the World Cup. The coach did not get only the most important award ... But in this final, the Finns really had no chance. None.