New Year's almost wouldn't be New Year's without this game. Thank God for the World Junior Hockey.
This year, again, the 2011-12 World Junior Hockey Championship, if Team Canada is to crown themselves champions of the most exciting level of hockey in the history of the universe, they are going to have to make a trip through Russia. Not literally of course (lol), but tonight, everyone out there has a really good reason to want to ditch work early and start making even more party preparations for tonight (last night). Being a weekly publication, press time restrictions won't allow for results. Last night was scheduled to be the higlight of the WJHC.
Following the Russian's one-goal victory over the Czech Republic late on Monday night, they secured themselves another elimination date with Team Canada. According to TSN, this will be at least the 30th time the two countries have met each other on the ice, Canada supposedly has won 15 times
Christmas and New Year's are always interesting times of the year in the sports world. For some people, especially in the sports world, it marks the start of some good games all over the continent. From bowl games that go into triple overtime outdoor professional hockey games. Beginning on Boxing day is the start of the World Junior Hockey Championship, which decides the top country in the category of U20 hockey. At last look, Team Canada was awaiting the winner of Tuesday's semi final. Russia and the Czech Republic were tied at 1-1 heading into the third.
The gold medal game, which may or may not include the Canadians, goes tomorrow night.
In the NFL, all that Tebowmania stuff that dominated headlines and internet sites for way too long, finally played itself out in the QB's favour. The Denver Broncos lost to Kansas City last Sunday yet they still squeaked into the NFL post season because the Oakland Raiders couldn't beat San Diego. All eyes should be on Louisiana this weekend for two reasons. The second, I'll get to later
The underdog Detroit Lions have made the playoffs for the first time in a million years (Happy New Year's Detroit!!!). The Lions are in New Orleans to take on the Super Bowl champions from two February's ago.
The other reason to be in Louisiana this weekend is the LSU Tigers are gunning for BCS National Championship supremacy. They will tangle with the Alabama Crimson Tide. It probably doesn't even matter which team/school's side you are on, Louisiana would be an awesome place to be this week if football is your thing. The national championships (Allstate BCS national championships) game is scheduled for this Monday night in Lousiana. The game will determine the best US-college, Div I football team in the nation. The last time these two teams met, it turned out to be a defensive spectacle. LSU won 9-6 (for those who don't keep track of stats like this, there was a grand total of zero touchdowns. As it happened (Nov. 5) in Alabama, the two teams went into overtime tied with two FGs each. Monday night (Jan. 9) promises to be better than the Super Bowl.
Shifting to hockey, the rink in Philadelphia was the place to be on Monday afternoon. For several years now, the National Hockey League has celebrated/honoured the roots of the game by hosting a real, live NHL tilt on the 'friendly confines' of an outdoor rink. Just to give the players a glimpse as to what it was like 20+ years ago when they were living in their parents place learning how to skate on the beautiful backyard skating rink. Allthough the coaches for Philadelphia went into this year's game telling everyone that it is more about points in the standings, the nostalgia for this game was awesome. This year's game took place in Philadelphia. The Flyers hosted the New York Rangers. The opening period was scoreless. The Rangers won the game 3-2, they had trailed 2-0 at one point. Happy New Year, New York Rangers, a game like that happens once in a lifetime! Welcome back Claude Giroux, who returned to the Flyers lineup following a concussion.
It wasn't the way they wanted to end one year and start a new one but the New Year's Eve matchup at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg was much better for the home crowd than it was for the 'other' crowd last Saturday.
The 'other' crowd, being the rest of Leafs Nation, watched probably in horror as their team lost to the team that this time last year made Atlanta their home. Now, thanks to Winnipeg's 3-2 win over the Leafs, the Leafs fell out of playoff contention for the first time all season long. What's worse now is that Ron Wilson hasn't won a game since given a contract extension from GM Brian Burke. Toronto's worries went up even higher during that game when the league's third leading scorer Phil Kessel was taken from the game with what was thought to be an ankle injury. He did return to the game before the end of the night.
