Moscow played host to the IIHF World Championship tourney.
That is when Canada and Finland battled head to head for the gold medal.
Nine year later, Team Canada and Team Finland will square off in a battle that promises to be some of the best hockey that we have seen on international ice in some time.
Styles make great heavyweight fights. Canada loves to rush the puck and apply back check pressure to it's opponents. Finland loves to clog the middle of the ice, trap, and deny flow with tight defense.
Earlier this week, the Finns spanked Canada 5-0 in the prelims round.
In that game, Canada's Corey Perry threw an ugly slew foot at Finn sensation Patrik Laine, who was shaken up on the dirty hit but managed to finish the game. I'm guessing that the Finns will be looking to punish Perry for his unfair treatment of Laine.
This gold medal game will be something to behold. Connor McDavid and Canada vs. Patrik Laine and Finland.
Canada, the defending tournament champs, are looking for a repeat gold medal victory. Canada hasn't won back to back gold medals at the World Championships since 2003-2004.
Meanwhile, the pesky Finns is attempting to accomplish a more impressive feat.
Canada gets it's balanced scoring by rolling four lines and three D pairs. The Canadians have scored 44 goals in this tournament and have to be respected while on their PP and PK. They can quick strike at 5v5, man-up and man-down.
Finland will attempt to create history as the first ever country to win U-18 gold, U-20 (WJC) gold, and the World Championship gold medal all in the same season.
The remarkable feat has never been accomplished before.
Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes) scored 2 PPGs to pace the Finns to a 3-1 win over Alex Ovechkin and the host Russians earlier in the day on Saturday.
Thanks, IIHF
Finland has won two previous IIHF World Championships (1995, 2011). The Finns are now guaranteed their first medal since taking silver in 2014, where they lost the final to Russia.
The Finnish youth movement is truly remarkable.
At the Sochi Olympics, a 43-year-old Teemu Selanne led the attack against Russia with two points and scored the game winner. In Moscow, Aho, an 18-year-old tournament rookie, was the man of the hour. He and Patrik Laine, the possible number one overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, both played for the World Junior champs in Helsinki in January. Selanne passed the torch of greatness to two of the best 18 year old players in the free world.
Canada struck for the first two goals against USA, on goals by Brendan Gallagher and Brad Marchand.
Team USA began the second with a power play that carried over from the first, and they didn’t waste time getting back in the game. Auston Matthews ripped a slapshot over Talbot’s glove to make it 2-1, but the USA.
Less than three minutes later, USA tied the game when David Warsofsky wired a shot to the top corner over Talbot’s shoulder, and then at 8:25 they took the lead.
Dylan Larkin made a great pass to Tyler Motte who beat Talbot
Derrick Brassard tied the game for Canada.
Ryan Ellis scored the eventual game winning goal just 94 seconds into the third period.
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If Team USA finds a way to defeat the host Russians to win the bronze in Moscow, it will signify the best stretch of IIHF World Championships tournament that the USA has experienced in 64 years.
Jack Eichel and Team USA won bronze at Prague in 2015. The Americans also won bronze in 2013.
A third bronze medal victory would be the best run since 1949-52 when USA earned two silver medals and a bronze medal. The silver in 1952 occurred at the Olympics, which counted as the world championships then.
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Buffalo Sabres forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Samson Reinhart each collected assists in the 4-3 win over Team USA.
ROR now has 2G, 5A and Reinhart no goals and 4 assists in the tournament.
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Jake McCabe has been named one of Team USA's top three players at the tournament.
In my opinion, McCabe has played a tremendous brand of defense at the Worlds for the relatively young and inexperienced Team USA squad.
I'd like to be the person responsible for demanding that McCabe be included on the U-23 "Young Stars" team that will be competing at the World Cup Of Hockey in September in Toronto. The "Young Stars" squad will feature the best youngsters from the USA and Canada, on one uber squad. Yes, Jack Eichel will be there. Yes, Connor McDavid will be there. Yes, Auston Matthews and Dylan Larkin will be there. The "Young Stars" forward group will be sick. However, who else is going to be joining Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, Noah Hanifin, Matthew Dumba, Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Murray on the "Young Stars" blue line?
Why not McCabe?
At 22 year of age, he's big, strong, fearless, fast and smart. He has played an integral role for Team USA's U17, U18, and U20 squads in international play over the years.
McCabe was captain of the Team USA squad that shocked the world by winning the World Junior Championships in 2013.
McCabe was selected 44th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012. McCabe continues to lead by example and has quickly branded himself as a steady, reliable top four NHL D in Buffalo.
Last season his first NHL season, he scored 4 goals and added 10 assists while logging 19:07 minutes TOI on the second D pair with Zach Bogosian per night for the Buffalo Sabres.
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Hudson Fasching played well against Canada.
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The Buffalo Sabres have announced the signing defenseman Brycen Martin to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Martin signing will certainly infuse size, kill, skating, and scoring on Dan Lambert's lineup.
Martin is a left shot D. Tim Murray will be looking to add a left shot QB to the Buffalo lineup either via trade or free agency. Murray will likely use some of his 12 picks in the 2016 NHL Draft to fortify and add right shot depth to the organization depth chart.
Martin (6’2”, 199 lbs., 5/9/1996) tied his career-high totals in goals (6), assists (31) and points (37) in 66 games for the Saskatoon Blades and Everett Silvertips (WHL) during the 2015-16 season. The Calgary, Alberta native finished fifth among Silvertips skaters and paced all Everett defenseman in assists and points during the campaign.
In 277 career WHL games, Martin tallied 131 points (21G, 110A) and 154 PIMs.
Buffalo’s third-round pick (74th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft, Martin also chipped in four points (1+3) and eight penalty minutes in 15 career WHL playoff games.
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