Canada wins World Cup of Hockey in stunning third-period rally

TORONTO – Brad Marchand’s short-handed goal with 44 seconds remaining in Game 2 of the World Cup of Hockey final gave Canada the tournament championship, the result of a stunning third-period rally against Team Europe on Thursday night.

The host team finished the tournament 6-0, overcoming the toughest opponent they faced and the tightest game they played in the two-week NHL event.

Carey Price made 32 saves. Sidney Crosby was named tournament MVP, as its leading scorer.

In Game 1 of the World Cup of Hockey final, Canada showed how it could win ugly. In Game 2, they nearly showed they could lose that way, too, playing a disjointed and sloppy game.

Until the last three minutes, that is.

With Europe leading 1-0, captain Anze Kopitar was called for holding 16:25, a questionable call. After building pressure in the Europe zone, defenseman Brent Burns fired a shot from the blue line that center Patrice Bergeron deflected home from the slot for his fourth goal of the tournament.

Canada had never trailed in the third period in any of their games.

With the score now tied, defenseman Drew Doughty went to the box for a high-sticking call, and Europe had its own shot on the power play. One shot in particular: Marian Hossa’s rifle blast that nearly beat Price, but he made the save.

And then it was time for Marchand’s shorthanded heroics, and the World Cup was Canada’s.

Jonathan Toews entered the zone on an odd-man rush with Jay Bouwmeester. Suddenly, Marchand rushed in as the trailer, finding space between four Europe players to take a backhand pass from Toews and fire the puck past Jaroslav Halak (32 saves).

Then, 44 seconds later, Canada flooded the ice for a wild celebration.

Zdeno Chara got Team Europe on the board first with his second goal of the tournament.

Andrej Sekera skated into the zone and had Tobias Rieder going to the net with Drew Doughty. Canada’s Ryan Getzlaf slid over and attempted to help on defense, but that allowed Chara to slip in down the wing. Sekera slid a pretty pass across the zone, and Chara snapped the puck over the glove of Carey Price to the far top corner for the 1-0 lead at 6:26.

The Canadians caught a break later in the period on a breakaway from Marian Hossa, as Brent Burns was called for a hook rather than Hossa receiving a penalty shot. It was close.

Europe outshot Canada 12-8.

The second period was plagued with close calls and mistakes from both sides. Europe whiffed on some chances, including Jannik Hansen flubbing a breakaway. But none were more egregious than this shot by John Tavares directly into the iron:

Yikes.

Canada entered intermission down 1-0, and getting outshot 27-21.

The third period saw more of the same: Europe bending but not breaking, Canada pushing but not connecting, Halak making a series of tough saves.

But then Anze Kopitar was whistled for holding and Canada had the power play it needed.

In the end, the World Cup of Hockey ended the only way it could have: With drama, with a challenge to the host nation but, in the end, with the Canadian flag raised the rafters as the anthem played.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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