Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 5, 2009, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page c1 depots Are open from december 27 to january 20 free Wood chips available while quantities last at All depots in Early january. Bring your own Container. For depot locations Call 986 8888, code 9813 or Contact our customer service Centre by phone at 986 5858 or by email at recycling Winnipeg. Ca water an waste department wow. Winnipeg. Ca Recycle your Christ Astree at one of the nine lets Chip in depots. Sports on to c4 sports record c4 nil Montreal 6 Florida 5 so / Tampa Bay 4 Atlanta 1 / new Jersey 4 Ottawa 3 of / Chicago 5 Calgary 2 / Minnesota 2 Colorado 0 / Anaheim 2 Phoenix 0 / Dallas 3 Vancouver 2 so nil playoffs Baltimore 27 Miami 9 / Philadelphia 26 Minnesota 14 editor Julian Rachey 697 7285 sports free press. My. Ca i Winnipeg repress. Com i classified c5 monday january 5, 2009 eagles soar past Vikings Avi Sapers the Point after / c3 Sundin close to suiting up for canucks / c2 Send news tips and photos to tips free press. My. Ca for breaking news go to Winnipeg repress. Com sports ticker o Ottawa Pat Quinn Calls it the fear Factor a uniquely Canadian dilemma that appears like an unwanted ghost at almost every International hockey event where an entire Snow covered country puts its self identity on the line with a win or dam the saints mentality. Nowhere is that ghost More prevalent than in times such As these when another Gold medal final is imminent and canadians by the millions Hunker Down holding their breath while their Young proxy hold the fragile Pride of a nation in their talented hands. The enemy does not matter really. Could be the russians As it was saturday night. Or the americans As was the Case on new years eve. This time its the swedes but even that gifted collection of nordic youngsters might not scare the teenagers in red As much As this losing and worse ending a Streak of Gold stretching Back to 2005. You have to talk about the situation basically Quinn told the free press. The situation is unchanged. Its there. Theress no magic to this. Somehow players have to be Able to push out whats not important. Thatus not to say that care and love and Hope Isnit important. It is. But youve got to put it where it belongs right now. None of that helps you do your Job right. Somehow we have to find a Way to help them concentrate to help them focus on whats going on the Veteran coach added. Simple mantras often do that. Especially after a bad shift. Youve got to blow those things away. People worry about All the stuff they cant control. You cant control the crowd its going to be there. 50 years Heck this Isnit just about Young men who May or May not need to shave the next morning. Just before guiding team Canada to its first olympic Gold medal in 50 years at the 2002 games in Salt Lake Quinn openly talked about How fear can paralyse the most grizzled of competitors. In 98, Quinn noted referring to the Nagano olympics where Canadian nil stars Wayne Gretzky included finished a disappointing fourth even the coaches reports and the managers reports said that the team played great but they played in fear. That fear got hold of a lot More of those Veteran Guys than these kids. Still if fear of failure can preoccupy the likes of Gretzky Steve Yzerman or Mario Lemieux How can Young men barely old enough to vote Deal with the same incredibly High and unwavering expectations of their countrymen after All team Usa widely expected to Challenge for Gold never even made it to the medal round after a shocking loss to lightly regarded Slovakia. But did anyone in the United states of America really care did they even know even in hockey nations such As Sweden and Finland or the czech Republic and Russia Junior hockey is an afterthought. But in Canada we seem to tie our collective psyche to the unpredictable bounces of a rubber disc being batted around by kids from Regina and Oakville or Moncton. And its not just this tournament but seriously what kind of pressure Are we putting on these kids is it fair does not matter. Its reality. Obviously every time Canada goes into a tournament especially at the world Junior level or the nil they re expected to win said Blair Mackasey the head scout for Canadas Gold medal teams in 2006 and 2007. Theress that fear of failure and letting people Down. Ive seen coaches who dont want any part of these teams because they Mackasey now director of pro scouting for the no los Minnesota wild. If i win its because i was expected to win. But if i lose it May haunt me forever. In fact Mackasey was the assistant coach of the world Junior team that Defeated the swedes to win Gold in the 1995 Jhc in Boston. With 30 seconds left and holding an insurmountable 4 1 Lead Mackasey walked Down the Bench to congratulate head coach Marcel it was like a sigh of Relief Mackasey recalled. Obviously you were Happy to win. But there a snot that elation. It was More like thank gawd. One can Only imagine it was a similar sentiment after Canadas improbable incredible comeback Victory Over the stunned russians in a 6 5 shootout Victory Here on saturday night. The canadians had absolutely no business winning that game. They were dead teenagers skating until miraculously Jordan Eberle found himself alone with the puck in front of the russian goaltender and buried the game tying goal with just 5.4 seconds left on the clock. The grateful Canadas went on to claim Victory in a shootout. Is there any possible rational explanation yes according to team Canada Star John Tavares. We knew what we had to do Tavares calmly submitted to reporters moments later. Thatus the great thing about canadians. We dont quit. Theress nothing else we want but a Gold medal he added. Theress nothing else we came Here for. Thatus not what our country believes were Good enough for. They believe we can compete for the Gold medal every year. Winston Churchill once famously told his countrymen they had nothing to fear but fear itself. Figures. The British never played hockey. Juniors carry weight of world Canada expects pure Gold from its teams every time every place Randy Turner Adrian Wyld / the Canadian press team Canada defence Man Alex Pietrangelo right and teammate Tyler Ennis look pretty Loose in practice sunday. It wont be fun and games tonight though. Every tournament. Look at it As a no win situation said Comeau. Met go w e c to its Canadas High octane attack is. So Edens stingy defence team Canada takes on Sweden in to Days Gold medal match at the world Junior hockey championship in Ottawa. Heres a look at How the two teams match up. Goals for Canada 41, Sweden 26. Goals against Canada 11, Sweden 6. Goals against average Canada 2.14 fourth Sweden 1.20 first. Power play percentage Canada 51.35 first Sweden 25.93 sixth. Penalty killing Canada 81.82 per cent second Sweden 85 per cent first. Penalties Canada 56 minutes seventh Sweden 42 minutes ninth Canadas leading scorers. John Tavares 8 a 6 a 14 pts. Cody Hodgson 3 a 10 a 13 pts. Jordan Eberle 5 a 5 a 10 pts. So Edens leading scorers. Erik Karlsson 2 a 7 a 9 pts. Mikael Backlund 5 a 2 a 7 pts. Andre Petersson 3 a 3 a 6 pts. Game time 6 30 p. M. Ten obviously every time Canada goes into a tournament especially at the world Junior level or the nil they re expected to win. Theress that fear of failure and letting people Down. Its not something you talk about but its there Blair Mackasey head scout for Canadas Gold medal teams in 2006 and 2007 Tom Hanson / the Canadian press so Edens Erik Karlsson Centre plays Rock paper scissors with teammates. The Winner got to shoot first in a breakaway contest. C 1 sports c _ 01_ Jan 05 09. Ind c1 1 / 4/ 09 11 48 05 pm ;