Gold medal gives Russians something to sing about
GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Sweaty and spent, the Olympic Athletes from Russia gathered to finish their mission.
Dazzling young Kirill Kaprizov’s powerplay goal 9 minutes, 40 seconds into overtime had given them a 4-3 victory over upstart Germany and had transformed them into Olympic hockey champions for the first time since 1992. But there remained a job to do, a promise to keep.
Because Russia had been banned from the Games for state-sponsored doping, its anthem was replaced by the Olympic hymn at the gold-medal ceremony.
But the players ignored the hymn. Standing with their arms around each other, they sang the Russian anthem. It was a violation of the IOC’s sanctions. And they didn’t care.
“It means a lot,” said Ilya Kovalchuk, a former NHL standout who plays for St. Petersburg of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. “We knew that we would do it if we win.”
The Russians became the Olympic favorites as soon as it became clear the NHL would not allow its players to represent their homelands. The KHL, as Kovalchuk pointed out, is the second-best league in the world, so the Russians were well stocked.
The U.S. and other nations were forced to scour second- and third-tier leagues to try to make a whole out of jumbled parts. That was a recipe for failure. But Germany, seeded 10th, was an exception.
“What happened here,” forward Moritz Muller said, “was a little miracle.”
Under the guidance of coach Marco Sturm, the Germans gained strength after losing their first two games and mowed down Sweden and Canada to reach the final. They were within a minute of pulling off a huge upset. They might have been the happiest silver medalists ever to stand on Olympic ice.
“After we lost the game we were really disappointed, but more and more we’re going to realize we lost against the Russian team in the gold-medal game of the Olympics, and I think we can be proud of ourselves,” forward Marcel Goc said.
Germany took a 3-2 lead with 3:16 left in the third period, but Russia pulled even while killing a penalty with 56 seconds left.
“I think we thought we won,” Goc said, “but they didn’t stop.”
Kaprizov ended the game 29 seconds after Germany’s Patrick Reimer was sent off for high-sticking.
“This was my dream since I was 5 years old,” Kovalchuk said. “It’s good for Russia; it’s good for everybody. I think the final was so exciting and unpredictable. That’s what this tournament is all about.”