The World Cup of Hockey Ended in the Worst Way Possible
It wasn't quite as bad as Sidney Crosby's overtime game winner against the American's in Vancouver to win Olympic gold in 2010, but it was a close second.
After leading the heavily favored Canadians 1-0 since the 13:34 mark in the first period, it looked like Team Europe would be able to eek out the win and send the gold medal series to decisive game 3. But, in a turn of events too cheesy and cliche for a Disney movie, Patrice Bergeron equalized the game at 1 with a power play goal with just under 3 minutes to play in the third. Disappointed but not disheartened, Europe's prospects of pulling off the upset were given a boost when Drew Doughty took a high-sticking penalty with 1:50 left in the game - handing the Europeans a power play for the remainder of regulation. For the first 40 seconds of the power play, Team Europe controlled the puck in the Canadian end with smooth cycling and movement before Carey Price stuffed Marian Hossa on the doorstep with 1:09 to play in the game. The Canadians won the the ensuing face off and Jonathan Toews rushed the puck up the ice on a 2 on 2. As the Blackhawks captain reached the top of the right circle, he cut across the zone and laid a beautiful backhand pass behind him into the high slot for a trailing Brad Marchand, who glided uncontested to the hash marks and uncorked a missile past European keeper Jaroslav Halak for the 2-1 lead, and eventual game winner, with 43 seconds left in the game....
...Brad fucking Marchand scored the short handed game-winner, with less than a minute to go, to win the World Cup of Hockey for Team Canada. Let that sink in for a minute. Brad Marchand is the last person in THE WORLD I'd want to score that goal, even Sidney Crosby would have made it easier to stomach. Marchand is essentially a rat with skates on - the type of pest who picks a fight and then fades into the periphery while his goon friends clean up his mess. A little punk shithead who nags and hooks and throws cheap shots when the refs not looking. The kind of person who you hate just because of his face.
It was tough enough that Crosby and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup this year, but now I'm left to grapple with the fact that Canada not only won the World Cup, but it was Marchand who scored the tournament winning goal...short handed. Talk about kicking a guy when he's down. I'm starting to believe that there is no god.
Please enjoy this video of Brad Marchand getting obliterated by PK Subban as a small consolation for what transpired in Toronto:
