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By Steve Keating
QUEBEC CITY, May 18 (Reuters) - Russia rallied to their
first world championship gold medal since 1993 when Ilya
Kovalchuk's overtime powerplay goal gave them a 5-4 win over
defending champions Canada on Sunday.
Kovalchuk broke free when it mattered to send the contest
into overtime with his first goal of the tournament late in the
third period and then notched the winner 2:42 into overtime.
The goal stunned the capacity crowd at the Quebec Colisee,
watching in disbelief as the Russian team poured off the bench
to mob Kovalchuk.
"During the whole tournament, it doesn't matter who scores
it's all a team effort," Kovalchuk told reporters. "Everyone was
asking when I would score."
The victory capped an unbeaten run through the tournament
for Russia and the title was made all the sweeter as it came
against their fiercest rivals, who were hosting the
championships for the first time.
It was also sweet revenge from a year ago when the Canadian
national anthem was played in Moscow following their gold medal
win over Finland.
The loss was the first by Canada in 18 world championship
games, denying them their bid to become the first hosts to
capture the title since the Soviet Union in 1986.
CLASSIC MATCHUP
Canada and Russia rolled into the title game with unbeaten
records, the two hockey giants providing a classic matchup for
the IIHF's 100th anniversary celebrations.
Strangely, given their long and storied history, it was the
first time since the knockout formula was introduced into the
world championship in 1992 that the two hockey superpowers had
met in a winner-take-all gold medal game.
Not since the 1992 Albertville Olympics had Canada and
Russia faced off in a title game.
"Right now we are champions of the world and it feels
great," said Russia's leading scorer Alexander Ovechkin.
"And it is especially great to win here because this is a
hockey mad-country."
That history added to the electric atmosphere inside the
Quebec Colisee.
The opening period was played at a furious pace, the
Russians scoring on their first shot of the game, Alexander
Semin rifling a feed from Washington Capitals team mate Ovechkin
by Cam Ward.
But Canada settled frayed nerves hitting back for three
goals, including a pair from Brent Burns and another from Chris
Kunitz to take a 3-1 lead into the second.
Burns' first goal, a rocket from just inside the blueline,
was the first surrendered by Russian netminder Evgeni Nabokov in
134 minutes of play after posting back-to-back shutouts in the
quarter-finals and semi-finals.
In the second period, Russia again struck for another early
goal, Semin converting a powerplay for his second of the game.
The hosts quickly cancelled that out, tournament MVP Dany
Heatley providing relief with his 12th of the tournament,
setting the Canadian modern day record for the most goals at a
single world championship to restore a 4-2 cushion heading into
the final period.
Alexei Tereshchenko sparked the Russian rally with his tally
midway through final period before Kovalchuk, who did not play
in the semi-finals because of a one-game suspension, struck the
equaliser.
"We're disappointed in losing but you get a game into
overtime and it's flip a coin," said Canadian coach Ken
Hitchcock.
(Editing by Miles Evans)
