Hockey!!!! This being the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series, Canada and Russia are going at it in an 8 game series. Rather than having professionals play this time around (we get enough of that at World Championships, World Cup and Olympics), it will be U-20 players, going at it (a preview of teams in the World Jrs?).

The series gets underway in Russia on Monday. Four games will be played there and then the series will shift to Canada (after the Labour Day weekend) for the other four games. The Russia games will be played in Omsk and Ufa, the Canada games in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Red Deer and Vancouver.

This series should build up a pretty good rivalry between the two teams.

TV Schedule (Canada), team rosters, etc. can be found at:

http://www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/fe...=2464&hubname=

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?

Excellent start to the series. Canada definately needs to be more disciplined. We killed off 14 of 15 short-handed situations (down 2 men twice), while going 0-5 on the power play.

Looks like the refs are switched each game. Today had a Russian crew officiating, Wednesday will be a Canadian crew.

Go Canada!!

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?

Am I the only one watching this series? Some pretty good action. Canada dominated yesterday's game. Fog in the arena must have caused some problems for the players and goalies. The arena is so new, it opened just before Game 1, the a/c isn't up and running. Highlights of yesterday's goals can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRYKq...elated&search=

At first, I thought the third one would be called back for goaltender interference, but figure the rationale was the Russian player spun the Canadian player into the crease. Beauty move, by Perron, to get the puck onto his stick and backhand it into the net.

The series did get more physical in Game 2. Some crushing hits put out by Brandon Sutter (though he did take penalties on a couple of them). Russian players finding it hard to keep up with Canada's forechecking, resorted to tackling/holding players, at times.

The series moves from Ufa to Omsk for games at 8 am EDT Friday, 6 am EDT Saturday (repeats later in the evening). Sportsnet Friday, TSN Saturday. The series then moves to Canada. Games in Winnipeg Tuesday, Saskatoon Wednesday (both games 8pm EDT, TSN), then continuing to Red Deer and Vancouver.

Goals from Game 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLJhr...elated&search=

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?

I'd be watching this if my work schedule didn't conflict. I should get into it by game 3. How'd the first two turn out?

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Quaeso quousque humi defixa tua mens erit? Nonne aspicis, quae in templa veneris?

Game 1: Canada 4 - Russia 2.
Game 2: Canada 3 - Russia 0.

No OT, games can finish in a tie. Only tie-breaker will occur, if the series ends up tied.

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?

Huh. good to know. I will definitely tune in on Friday - as a side not, I see that the games are available online. How do I go about seeing those? I've never tried to before, at least not on the TSN or Sportsnet sites. Anyway, seems like they'll be good games, not full of the stuff I have to put up with when I (occasionally) watch NHL hockey.

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Quaeso quousque humi defixa tua mens erit? Nonne aspicis, quae in templa veneris?

Only time I've watched any broadband coverage was during the America's Cup. It worked by just clicking on the broadband link (at TSN), choosing what to watch and it eventually played in it's own window.

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?

Aha! I was looking for some sort of broadband option on the Sportsnet site. doesn't exist. Thanks.

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Quaeso quousque humi defixa tua mens erit? Nonne aspicis, quae in templa veneris?

I'd watch if it were carried down here in the Deep South.

Heck, I was watching Argos CFL games on a regular basis until the local station dropped those for local high school games.

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LOL! You wouldn't be wanting to watch the Argos right now, it ain't pretty! Mid-point of the season and they have only won two games. They better not lose to the 1-7 Hamilton Ti-Cats on Labour Day.

Another excellent game this morning. Russia played much better, but still lost. Canada swept the games in Russia, with a 4-2 win today. Some hard hits (both clean and not) were thrown. Canada waived some rules,allowing the Russians to replace injured players. Next game is in Winnipeg on Tuesday night. The speculation of sweeping the series has started. Brent Sutter's coaching record of Canada's Jr. Team in International competition, currently stands at 16-0. Many wonder if it will be 20-0, before he moves on to coach the NJ Devils. That, of course, leads to speculation of how long will Sutter remain as coach, before Lamiarillo (sp) decides he can do a better job himself.

I did get a bit of a laugh reading this article, in one of the local papers yesterday.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/251830

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?

Game 5 - Canada wearing replica jersys from the '72 Summit Series. Opening period, sluggish start. Hard hitting. Scoreless. Canada had a two man advantage for a full two minutes and failed to score. Vadim Zhelobnyuk had a number of great saves between the pipes for Russia.

Second period, Canada's first goal was scored on a beauty deke, by Claude Giroux. Midway through the second, score was close 2-1 Canada. It was stretched to 4-1 by the end of the second.

Third period, Canada scored four more goals. They completely outplayed Russia. Final score 8-1. Canada secures a series win, going up 5-0.

Three games left. Tonight in Saskatoon, Friday in Red Deer Alberta, Sunday in Vancouver. The running up of the score last night, could cause this series to take a nasty turn.

Brent Sutter has been a great coach for Canada. Sergei Nemchinov has been MIA, coaching Russia. Biggest difference, Canada plays as a team, Russia plays as individuals.

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?

Watch out for the Brandon express!!

So the Series ended. Game 7 probably the best game of the series. Nastiness broke out in the second period, the Russian refs didn't seem to have full control. A bunch of stick infractions went uncalled. Some like an intentional cross-check to the throat of a Canadian did get called. Canada played it's weakest game, but still managed a 4-4 tie, in Red Deer, Sutter's home rink.

Game 8, last night. More nastiness, Russian players having no control over their sticks, many unintentional and a number of what certainly looked to be intentional high sticks. Mid-third period, a Canadian player went in offside, after the whistle a Russian skates up behind him and blatantly brought his stick up to his face. That did it, a melee ensued. Most were assessed roughing penalties and things calmed down. Russia scored their only goal of the game with a couple of minutes left. Canada won the game handily 6-1 and the series 7-0-1. Brent Sutter ends his coaching of Canadian Jrs with a record of 19-0-1, through 2 World Jrs tournaments (2005, 2006) and this Super Series. Good luck coaching the NJ Devils, Brent!

Most of the Canadian team will likely be back for the World Jrs, some will likely make NHL squads. The Russians, will likely face a shake up both on the team and it's management, before the World Jrs. tournament.

__________________
" The universe is running away
I heard it on the news just the other day
There's this new stuff called dark energy
We can't measure and we can't see..." - from Jimmy Buffett's What if the hokey pokey is all it really is about?