It’s a few hours after the most exciting sporting event I’ve ever attended. GM Place was a roiling sea of red and white from the time the puck dropped until the final whistle. After a worrying first ten minutes, Canada settled down, hit everything wearing a red jersey and skated to a shocking and glorious 5-0 victory.
Here’s the game by the numbers:
6 – Luc Bourdon’s number. He was, arguably, Canada’s best defenceman, showing great offensive instincts and a grumpy streak in his own zone. He’s a Canucks prospect–they could sure use him at the moment. He was named to the tournament all-star team.
2 – The number of times Canadian Steve Downie punched a Russian player in the baby-makers without taking a penalty. He, too, was named to the all-star team.
408,000 – The approximate number of spectators to attend games at the tournament–a new record.
98 – Volume level in decibels at which the drunk guy beside me in the concessions line expounded upon the genetic inferiority of the Russian people.
12 – Number of games Canadian coach Brent Sutter has won without a loss.
0 – Number of medals that Sutter wore after the game. He took his off as soon as it was presented–emphasizing, I guess, that the medals are for the players, not the coaches.
17 – Russian superstar Evgeni Malkin’s number. He was unremarkable in the gold medal game, but was by far the best player on the ice in the semi-finals. He’s a special player.
135 – Number of shots that Finnish goaltender saw in his final three games on the way to a bronze medal finish and top goaltender honours. He stopped 129 of them.
1 – Amusing conversation I heard on the way to the game. Two guys are discussing how their buddy is breaking up with his girlfriend:
GUY 1: He’s moving out next week.
GUY 2: Yeah?
GUY 1: I think it worked out pretty well for both of them. She gets everything, and he gets to keep both nuts.
2 – The number of times I’ve referenced testicles in this entry.
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