Canada's players celebrate on the rink after winning gold medal against Finland at 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Moscow on May 22, 2016. PHOTO: AFP
Canada, the 2010 and 2014 Olympic champions, overpowered Finland in a repeat of the 2007 final to successfully defend their world title for the first time since claiming back-to-back victories in 2003 and 2004.
“Today we did exactly we wanted to do,” said Canada skipper Corey Perry, who became the member of the Triple Gold Club after winning the Olympics, the Stanley Cup and a world championship. “We controlled the puck playing in their zone. We’ve executed our game plan almost perfectly and that made the difference.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin was in attendance at a packed Ice Palace arena, with Colorado Avalanche centre Matt Duchene providing a goal and an assist and Cam Talbot producing 16 saves as Canada claimed a 26th world title.
Canada were seeking revenge for the 4-0 defeat inflicted by Finland in their group match in Saint Petersburg and began peppering Finland goaltender Mikko Koskinen with shots from the opening face-off.
Edmonton’s 19-year-old forward Connor McDavid, a nominee for this year’s Calder Trophy given to the best NHL rookie, put Canada into the lead 11:24 into the final when he wristed the puck under the crossbar from just outside the crease.
In the second period, the defending champions still looked the commanding side and outshot their opponents 13-4. But the Finns remained disciplined and frustrated Canada’s attempts to increase their lead.
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Finland, who created few chances to score an equaliser in the third period, substituted their goalie for a sixth field player with a minute to go, but that only resulted in Duchene scoring an empty-netter to secure Canada’s victory.
Finland players acknowledged their defeat, naming it a deserved result of the match.
“Today they played better and won deservedly,” said Finland forward Aleksander Barkov.
Earlier, host nation Russia won the bronze medal with a crushing 7-2 win over the US.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2016.
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