Rink Rocking New Year's

Red Scare in Ufa... Thunder Dome in the Urals

Russians and North Americans play a sport by the same name, hockey, but our rivals to the east appear to be playing a different game when motivated, a game in which incredibly fast and strong wingmen are launched like aircraft by passes down the boards for breathtaking flights. The Russian game is built on technical skills: gifted stickhandling and passing to set up premier scoring chances for fleet attackers. Their skaters sprint down the ice in a style not taught in North America; when you see superstar Nail Yakupov in full flight, it is as if he is running on ice.  Russian hockey is artful, often played at blinding speeds, and on this New Year's eve, it was breathtaking.

11 times zones east of North America, nestled in the foothills of the Ural Mountains, is an oil and snow-covered traffic jam of a town that speaks two languages, neither of them English.  8200 passionate hockey fans chose to revel in a packed Ufa Arena on New Year's eve, to watch hockey's historic superpowers, Canada and Russia, collide in a game for the ages.  As the teams took the ice for the opening pomp and circumstance, the love affair between Mother Russia and their national team was so pronounced that it induced goose flesh among the western journalists in press row.  New Year's is the most celebrated holiday in Russia, and the fans were in a celebratory, raucous mood. The women were dressed in sequins and silk, the men in red jerseys and gold stitching. Drink was flowing, passions ran high, steep arena sightlines had fans on top of the action; it was fever pitch in a closed arena.

The in-game game atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever experienced: a relentless surf of human energy, pounding crescendos of thunder after each scoring chance.  There was no need for artificial noise or computer generated entertainment.  Neutral ice regrouping by the supremely skilled Russian masters was accompanied by a guttural human cry that you could feel under your seat:

"Ross - SEE - Ya"  

The red-clad hosts sent waves of offense towards the cat-like Canadian goalie Malcolm Subban. His fluid reflexes stopped half a dozen point blank shots that kept ratcheting up the tension.  You could feel an explosion coming,  the energy growth was unsustainable, something had to give.  To steal a line from Funk legend Parliament, a Russian goal would "Tear the Roof off the Sucker."

As is not uncommon with hormone-popping teenage athletes playing contact sports, someone crossed the line. Man-child Valeri Nichushkin, the supremely talented 17 year old whose performance against the Americans three days prior thrust him into the conversation as a potential first pick overall in June's NHL draft, railed Canada's Tyler Wotherspoon from behind face-first into the dasher boards.  The 5 minute penalty and game misconduct swung all the momentum back to Canada, resulting in 2 decisive power play goals and deflated a balloon that was pumped to dangerous levels. It was now just another well-played hockey game between two medal contenders.

But for the first 12 minutes of this contest, it was a Nascar race driven at breakneck speed down the wall, complemented by insane stick skills, fierce puck battles and glorious goaltending.  The Russians generated 23 shots on goal, (10 is a desired total) even though they were stuck in their own end for a quarter of the period trying to kill Nichushkin's 5 minute major penalty.

The first period was an exhibition no one in press row had seen before, palpable energy affecting us all.  Russia's loss allows them to play one more game than Canada who earned the bye into the semifinals.  In all likelihood these Russian masters will be waiting in the finals to take on the winner of a Canada-U. S. semi. Either of those options will be an opportunity to see a potential 60 minute Russian swarm. Buckle up.