Canada gets back at U.S.

Team Canada is back on track.
Vincent Lecavalier, Joe Sakic, and Brad Richards scored in the second period as Canada downed the United States 3-1 in a World Cup of Hockey exhibition game last night.
The victory avenged a 3-1 loss to the Americans on Monday night in Columbus and was marked by a much-needed rise in energy and physical play by Canada.
“It was a start,” said Canadian winger Jarome Iginla. “We got outcompeted in those areas in the first one.
“They’re all going to be tough games and for us to be successful, we’re going to need to play Canadian hockey—a combination of speed and skill and physical play.
“Tonight, we did more of that. We can still do more, but we’re working the rust off and getting better in that area,” he added.
Chris Drury scored in the third period for the U.S., which outshot Canada 27-21, including 15-6 in the third period with the home side protecting a lead.
“We just made some mistakes, turnovers, that you make in exhibition games,” said U.S. defenceman Brian Leetch. “Halfway through the game, we’d allowed only 12 shots but half of them were 2-on-1s against our goaltender.
“We didn’t feel a letdown. We felt it was just another step for us and we’ll get better.”
Canada, the defending world and Olympic champion, plays its final exhibition game Saturday night against Slovakia in Ottawa. It begins tournament play Tuesday night in Montreal against the U.S.
After a scoreless first period in which U.S. goalie Robert Esche was sharp, Ty Conklin took over in the second frame and was beaten three times.
Lecavalier was on a 2-on-1 with superstar Mario Lemieux during a power play and the Tampa Bay centre beat Conklin with a surprise low shot between the pads at 5:25 of the middle period.
“Even I was thinking I was going to pass—everybody did,” said Lecavalier of the sellout crowd of 18,500 at the Corel Centre. “A lucky bounce, I guess, but it was good to go up 1-0.”
Only 2:20 later, Sakic also elected to shoot on a 2-on-1 and scored through the five-hole. On a power play at 19:30, Richards took a return pass from Lemieux and again beat Conklin between the pads.
Canada was 2-for-4 on the power play and is now 3-for-8 in two games.
Lemieux was impressive in his first action after sitting out Monday night’s game along with his linemates—Tampa Bay’s Richards and Martin St. Louis.
“His hands are unbelievable and his skating is phenomenal,” Lecavalier said of Lemieux. “He’s in great shape.”
“One thing he didn’t have to get going was the brain,” said head coach Pat Quinn. “His skating’s been good and he made some pretty good plays.
“And those two kids that play with him are pretty sharp, too. They must have learned a lot last year in their run to the Stanley Cup because they showed it out there.”
Canada’s Roberto Luongo—victim of all three U.S. goals on Monday—stopped all eight shots he faced in the first half of the game, including a smart glove save on a deflection by Keith Tkachuk.
Jose Theodore took over 10:24 into the second period and was equally solid and much busier, stopping 18 of 19 shots. The two are battling for the back-up job behind No. 1 goalie Martin Brodeur.
“I just wanted to show that I’m in great shape and that I’m ready to go,” said Theodore. “I have some experience with Team Canada.
“It was maybe my only chance to show the coaching staff what I could do and overall, I’m happy with the game.”
After a giveaway in Canada’s end, Drury stopped Aaron Miller’s shot and fired into an open side past the fallen Thoedore at 4:10 of the third period.
Canada turned in a strong defensive game, did a better job of holding off the Americans’ two-man forecheck, and kept pressure on the U.S. defence, which may be a weak area.
“What I liked was that our forwards worked harder getting back to the puck and gave some outlet plays for the defence,” said Quinn. “We didn’t have that the other night.
“And our young kids looked more comfortable. They had looked tight,” he added. “For some of them, this is their first really big opportunity on the international scene.”