Hockey History

This really is ridiculous…

Russia sends Canada home

ovechkin_60603.jpgHockey: Russia sends Canada home

Alexander Ovechkin broke a scoreless tie 1:30 into the third period and Russia eliminated defending champion Canada from the Olympics with a 2-0 victory in the men’s quarter-finals Wednesday.

It’s the first time Canada has failed to reach the semifinals in three tries since full participation of NHL players began with the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, when it lost the bronze medal game. Canada won gold at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

”I don’t feel very good,” said Canadian coach Pat Quinn. ”You only get certain chances to stand as the best and I really believed that we had a team that was capable of that.”

There are no consolation games at the Olympics, so Team Canada will be headed home while Russia moves on to play Finland in the semifinals on Friday. The Finns beat the United States 4-3 in their quarter-final.

Canada holds on to edge Czech Republic

canada_44657.jpgTSN : nhl – Canada’s Sports Leader

Wayne Gretzky tried to rally his beleaguered Canadian team on Monday and they responded in kind – with a nail-biting win.

Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Chris Pronger built an early first period lead for Canada but the team was on its heels the rest of the way, holding on for a 3-2 victory over the Czech Republic in their last game of the preliminary round.

With a shaky Tomas Vokoun replaced by Milan Hnilicka, Canada appeared to be in control of the game after the first 20 minutes.

The Czechs, however, charged right back as Pavel Kubina scored on Martin Brodeur in the second period and Petr Cajanek pulled them within one in the third.

Hnilicka did his part, stopping all eight shots he faced over the final two sessions, including a denial of St. Louis on a breakaway in the second and a left pad stop on the 2004 Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner from alone on the right side less than a minute later.Olympics

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