Mixed emotions as Canada loses in world hockey final
There were tears of joy trickling down Henrik Lundqvist’s cheeks and sobs of sorrow on the Team Canada bench. If ever there was a snapshot of what the world hockey championships means to those who play in them, this was it.
What Canada and Sweden produced in the gold-medal game of the 2017 worlds in Cologne, Germany, on Sunday was riveting theatre. No, it’s not the Olympics, or is it the Stanley Cup playoffs, but in the seconds after the Swedes had posted a 2-1 shootout victory, try telling the players involved that this was a secondary event.
Indeed, try telling that to Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander who, once the final horn sounded, left his feet and tackled Lundqvist out of sheer joy.
As we close the book on the 2017 worlds, here are some of the top take-aways we are left with:
YOUNG GUNS 2.0
Remember the electrifying World Cup of Hockey performance turned in eight months ago by the Young Guns, a.k.a. Team North America?
It was a glimpse into where the sport was headed, a new generation of speed and skill.
Now, for the past three weeks, we were once again reminded of that thanks to a cache of talent 25 and under that included the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, Gabriel Landeskog and tournament MVP Nylander, just to name a few. Also, if you needed any more proof why Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic says MacKinnon is untouchable, this tournament served as proof. The kid’s skill set is ridiculous.
COACH COOP A CLASS ACT
While two-time Olympic champ Mike Babcock seems to have a stranglehold on most of Team Canada’s head coaching duties, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper showed he’s worthy of consideration down the road.
This wasn’t the most experienced Canadian team, yet they bought into Cooper’s message and did not lose a game in regulation in the entire event. Moreover, Cooper and his team took the high road when it came to the way they were sent to defeat in the final.
“We don’t feel like we lost a hockey game tonight, we feel like we lost a shootout,” Cooper told reporters. “I told our guys, ‘Hang your head high.’ We knew the rules going in, it was part of the format, and they bested us. … In the end, they deserved to be world champs.”
SIZZLING SABRE
We can’t call Ryan O’Reilly Captain Canada — that’s Ryan Smyth’s title. But the leadership the veteran centre showed on and off the ice was impressive to say the least. Incoming Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill certainly must have been enthused by what he saw.