The World Cup of Hockey 2004 - Final

A heart-stopping sixty minutes passed and I was on the edge of my seat for every single one of them.

The Finals of the World Cup took place tonight and I was glad to be able to watch it. Of course I hoped that Canada would win but I'm a worrywart by nature and so there was this niggling in the back of my mind that kept telling me not to get my hopes up.

The first shot on goal by Canada in every period yielded a goal which I thought was very interesting. The only thing that could have been better is if Iginla's helmet had fallen off. We would have scored again if that had happened.

But sloppiness contributed to one of the goals that Finland scored. A second goal by Tuomo Ruutu (a name I very much like) tied it with one minute to go in the second. I was tearing my hair out over this and the entire time I was yelling at the TV, wishing that my voice would have some effect on the game. Of course it didn't but my worries didn't matter.

With five minutes to go I was hoping that this was it but I didn't want to "close the book" on Finland because they'd slipped one goal by us before. Everybody was standing on their feet by then and clapping and cheering. They counted down the final seconds and I cheered when it was over.

But the stress I felt during the game completely disappeared when it was over and I felt a great rush of contentment or at least relief. And I think that this game was very special, if only because this is the last game of hockey that will be seen in a long time due to the impending player lockout.

Quote: "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

~Theodore Roosevelt