Canada set to clash with U.S. at women's hockey worlds
Team Canada and Team USA have outscored their opposition by a combined 51-1 margin at the world women's hockey championship in Hameenlinna, Finland.
Players on both teams have been anticipating Friday's playoff game and Sunday's championship game between the rivals for most of the tournament.
After dominating the nine-team tournament, Canada and the U.S. are now feeling the heat for the first time.
"We've established we're the two dominant teams in the world and even though tomorrow doesn't mean anything, the tournament really starts for us," American defenceman Angela Ruggiero said Thursday. "The adrenaline will really start to pump when we wake up tomorrow."
The two countries will meet in the world championship final a 12th time on Sunday, with Canada holding a 9-2 record.
But the U.S. is the defending champion and beat Canada in three of four games in 2008.
Canada lost consecutive games to the U.S. at the world championship for the first time last year and the year previous.
The U.S. also won the Four Nations Cup final in a shootout.
The U.S. (3-0) blanked Finland 7-0 on Thursday, a day after Canada (3-0) downed the Finns 8-0. The two teams will meet again Sunday for gold regardless of Friday's outcome.
But the result could set the table for that game.
Canada lost a playoff game 4-2 to the U.S. last year in Harbin, China, to end a 29-game winning streak.
Two days later, the Canadians fell again to the U.S. in the final by a score of 4-3.
"In last year's worlds, when we won that first game in order to get into the gold-medal game, that meant the difference because we had so much confidence going into the final knowing that we beat them two days before," Ruggiero said.
The Finns (2-2) will play for bronze against the winner of Friday's game between Sweden and Russia. Russia defeated Kazakhstan 9-2 on Thursday.
Switzerland edged Japan 3-2 to win the relegation round. China and Japan will be relegated to the world B championship in 2011.
For the first time in this tournament, the Canadians won't have the lion's share of puck possession because the Americans can match their speed and passing skills.
The Canadians whipped the puck around the offensive zone against the Finns with flair and confidence, but the U.S. won't give them as much time and space.
"They're going to play with more pressure and buzzing around the puck and certainly not giving you as much room, so we've basically got to create that space with good puck movement, outworking them and winning the battles," Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser said.
Excited about the challenge
Defenceman Gillian Ferrari was excited about the challenge of protecting her own end against sustained, intense pressure, as she hasn't had much of that yet this tournament.
"This is the kind of game the defensive defenceman loves to play because you kind of get to be rough in the corners and you really have to watch everything out there because they can take advantage of any opportunities that you give them," she said. "No matter how many times you play them, it's still the highlight of the year."
After getting consecutive shutouts from goaltender Kim St. Pierre, Melody Davidson is starting Charline Labonte on Friday.
Labonte saw only five shots in Canada's 13-1 win over China to open the tournament, but the Canadian coach wasn't concerned about rust.
Davidson pointed out that Labonte is coming off winning a Canadian university championship with McGill. Labonte also stopped 21 of 22 shots in one of Canada's pre-tournament games against a Finnish midget men's team.
"She has seen a lot of pucks in the last couple of weeks and in practice," Davidson said.
Defenceman Tessa Bonhomme did not skate Thursday, but Davidson said the Sudbury, Ont., native will play Friday.
Forward Meaghan Mikkelson moved back to defence, where she played last year, for practice.
Canada outshot in losses
In Canada's three losses to the U.S. last year, the team was outshot each time.
The shots were dead even in the lone victory — a preliminary-round game at the Four Nations.
"The puck has got to go to the net," Davidson said. "We definitely can't, all of a sudden, turn into some pretty team where we're going to overpass or look for the perfect opportunity."
Canada came into the world championship having lost to Sweden for the first time at the Four Nations, so they were primed to face the Swedes and soundly beat them 8-0.
Davidson hopes her team can replicate its pre-game demeanour from that contest on Friday against the U.S.
"Not that they didn't come ready to play against Finland, but there was a little different air and they had something to get back from Four Nations," she explained. "I would expect we'll see the same thing against the U.S. tomorrow."
The U.S. is the only team not to give up a goal this tournament.