6-5
January 4, 2009
Historically, Canada and Russia have always brought the best out in each other when it comes to the game of hockey. Both nations have the utmost respect for each other when it comes to the game, and I think it is safe to say that both countries have taught each other valuable lessons on how to play - which has thus created the beautiful game we see today. But there is one very strange fact about these two nations when it comes to big hockey games against each other: many of our classic battles against each other have all ended in 6-5 victories for one team or the other. Case in point: Game 8 of the 1972 Summit Series, Paul Henderson scores with 34 seconds left to give Canada a 6-5 victory in what has arguably become the greatest hockey series ever played. Move ahead 15 years to the 1987 Canada Cup, in what many others have deemed to be the second greatest series ever, all three games in the best-of-three final ended with a 6-5 score, with Canada winning two of those three - everyone remembers Mario Lemieux’s game winning goal! Now, jump ahead to today’s game. With 5 seconds left and looking as though we were all but done, Canada pulls through with a sensationally dramatic goal and then goes on to win in the shootout and ending the game with a final score of 6-5. Now, yes, we have played countless of other games against the Russians and have had many different scores, but it is kinda spooky at how when the really big, meaningful games between Canada and Russia are played the final score always ends up 6-5.
