I’ve never understood the need to go shopping the day after Christmas. Boxing Day is normally the day when a lot of stuff, including boxes, finds its way into the waste bins and bins, but the idea of going out to get more stuff after receiving gifts the day before doesn’t make sense to me. I would hope there isn’t a bigger turnover than Rome considering how big that city is, but there are clearly people enjoying the rush to get that deal that my brain just doesn’t understand. I thought it was funny when it was suggested that a bigger TV might be needed during a Boxing Day sale with all the hockey happening this weekend, because even that seems ridiculous when it comes to the season of giving we’ve just experienced. Of course, if you’re one of those people who needs some Boxing Day shopping, I wish you the best, but I’m sitting at home all day watching international hockey!The opening match of the Spegler Cup between HC Fribourg-Gottéron and HC Sparta Praha was a solid start to the tournament as Fribourg-Gottéron started its title defense with a 5-2 victory. Goalkeeper Rito Berra was sharp, while Attilio Biasca was the surprise star of the match with a pair of goals in the 38th minute to give Fribourg-Gottéron a 2-0 lead. Biasca has scored nine goals in 29 games this season, so seeing him step up is a good sign for the Dragons. It was already 4-0 before Prague found a goal from Pavel Kousal with ten minutes to play, but Fribourg-Gottéron earned three points in the 5-2 win.
The first match at the IIHF World Junior Championship was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be, as Sweden and Slovakia met at the Grand Casino Arena (that’s a terrible name by the way). A scoreless first period in which Slovakia started slowly and looked better as the period progressed led to the second period in which Anton Frondell put the Swedes up 1-0 before Victor Eklund made it 2-0 on the power play. With five seconds left to play in the middle frame, Slovakia would get on the board when Tomas Pobezal scored on the power play to send it into the third period with Sweden at 2-1!
It looked like the unlikely would happen when Slovakia tied the game at 10:55 when Tobias Tomik scored, but Sweden would score with 3:57 to play when Ivar Stenberg found rope to put the Swedes at 3-2, and that’s how this match would end. To be honest, Slovakia deserved a better fate than zero points in this match after hanging with the Swedes, who on paper should have won this match handily, but that’s why the games are played. Slovakia showed that teams that are up for the challenge have a chance in this tournament!
The Spengler Cup version of Team Canada took the ice this afternoon against the US Collegiate Selects, and I don’t think anyone knew what to expect from the college students. I fully admit I was wrong watching this team because they impressed me despite not scoring enough today. Canada scored three times in 6:41 of the second period to take a 3-0 lead in this match, but everything after the midway point of this match felt like the US Collegiate Selects team was in control of the match as they looked dominant at times.
I fully admit that I was wrong that this American team could not generate enough offense against the professional players, because after Jack Musa made it 3-2 with only ten minutes to play, it was exciting every time the American team came off the ice. Once they got into the game, their players were flying, attacking quickly and purposefully, making good passes and decisions and defending as tenaciously as any other team in the tournament. Canada would win this match 3-2, but no one should sleep on this American Collegiate Selects team as they are just as deep and talented as the other five teams in the tournament. And tomorrow they play Davos.
Team USA is currently competing against Germany in the World Junior Championship and Team Canada has a big challenge ahead in the Czech Republic, so I’ll be watching those games. I didn’t watch the match between Finland and Denmark, which Finland won 6-2, but it looked like the Finns were in control in that match. I had invested in the Canadian Spengler Cup match at the time, so my loyalty to the flag won out over a Nordic hockey battle. Sorry, Finns and Danes.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as Andy Williams told us, as hockey is apparently on TV for over 12 hours a day! Enjoy the Spengler Cup and the IIHF World Junior Championship, folks!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#Avoiding #shopping #centers