There's no stopping the runaway freight train that is Hockey Canada. Though a band of Europeans playing together for the first - and likely only - time gave it their best shot.
Canada began the World Cup of Hockey dominating its opponents. Three round-robin games and a semifinal displayed the gap between the host nation and the field, as the Canadians outscored opponents 19-6. It appeared Canada would walk through Team Europe.
That was far from the case.
Game 1
Canada won the opener of the World Cup final, but the pace of the game was such that it was fairly even outside of the final score. Aside from the loss, Europe was pleased with its performance - players called the game their best as a team in the tournament.
"I think we can be better but ultimately we found a way to win," Sidney Crosby said after Canada took a 3-1 decision to open the best-of-three.
Game 2
Europe opened the scoring early Thursday and held the lead for 50:41 - a lifetime when it comes to Canada playing from behind - before Patrice Bergeron tied it on the power play with under three minutes to go in the third period.
With 44 seconds to play and Europe on a power play of its own, Brad Marchand - who else? - scored shorthanded to give Canada a 2-1 lead, another win, and another tournament title.
The victory is Canada's 16th straight in best-on-best competition, dating back to the 2010 Winter Olympics. It wasn't in dominating fashion in Vancouver, but as Canada has shown time and time again, it simply gets the job done, no matter how it needs to be done.
5-on-5
"The perception is that we're miles better than everybody else," Canada head coach Mike Babcock said. "We're deeper, but you can only play five guys at a time. You can say anything you want about the game, but we delivered."
When USA's Zach Parise scored in the final minute of the third period in the gold-medal game in Vancouver to tie the score at 1-1, Canada stayed composed. The team delivered back then, in an unimaginably pressure-packed situation, and it's been delivering since.
"It's not easy, everyone wants to be here playing for Team Canada, there’s a lot of expectations," tournament MVP Crosby said. "To win here and how it all came together, it's pretty exciting."
Babcock may be on to something. Canada has the most talent at its disposal, but when the most extraordinary hockey players in the world are all in the same city for two weeks, it comes down to a little something extra. Canada's legacy is its sheer will to win and how it's implanted in every player who puts on the national jersey.
The Price Factor
When Canada wasn’t at its best, Carey Price was.
Marian Hossa had a great chance to give Europe the lead on a power play late in a 1-1 game. Despite his quick release from the right circle, Price was in position to corral the puck with his chest and keep the game tied to set up another Marchand moment.
"Pricer played a heck of a game, just like he did a few days ago. Sometimes it comes down to goaltending," Jonathan Toews said. "Their goaltender played a hell of a game, too, but Carey was there when we needed him."
Price finished the World Cup with a .957 save percentage in five games. His record representing Canada at the World Juniors, Olympics, and World Cup is a perfect 16-0-0, with five shutouts and a .962 save percentage.
Respect, Europe
Europe deserves full credit for what it achieved.
The team was put together under circumstances that allowed for maximum NHL participation, and after jokes about being it anthem-less and being pounded by Team North America in pre-tournament play, the Europeans got the last laugh as one of the last two teams standing. It was the outsiders who pushed Canada the hardest.
"I'm really, really proud of this team because everybody pretty much thought we would be the laughing joke in this tournament," captain Anze Kopitar said. "The way we came together and played and make it to the finals, I think we gave Canada a pretty good run for it."
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