Slovakia vs Norway

Nor-Vak Musings and In-Game Scribbles

My English is as good as yours, I just write these in a stream-of-consciousness mode that I insist excuses me from small things like rules of grammar or general etiquette. Let’s call it conversational English, hopped up on beans. You know what kind of beans (no, Carl Mellesmoen, not the magic ones).

Slovakia versus Norway (Preliminary Round – Qualifier)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Missed the game? Musings and In-Game Scribbles are typed during the game then edited and posted. Usually the RDS telecast of the game. Musings take about 20 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, less waiting than for a looping highlight and good with morning coffee.

Olympic Dawg (watching)

Five minutes to the game. And I’m watching figure skating. This is not by choice. This is RDS’ choice. Only during the Olympics does figure skating pre-empt hockey. I’m just sayin’. Remember the “Heidi Game”?

I’m just sayin’.

Of course, at no other time can I sit in my living room and not have to justify to passing neighbours why some muscular, attractive woman is flailing, sweating and lunging about in sequins on my television screen.

Welcome to the very silky, very egalitarian Industrial Games.

Winner of the Slovakia game goes on to the next round. Loser is done. Norway has some players I like … and as I glance at the roster while typing, I am flummoxed yet again. I don’t think I have the correct keypad.

I’m doomed.

PER-ÅGE SKRØDER.
JONAS HOLØS
PÅL GROTNES

These are some of the Norwegian names.

This is another reason to hope that Slovakia makes it. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m just a lot faster with Budaj, Hossa and Gaborik.

Fine. Go Norway.

It’s twelve-oh-one and no game. Just a bottled-condiment homogenous series of commercials.

There will be no joining in progress. We are live and I am well.

Your goalies tonight are Jaroslav Halak and I wonder if sugar causes déjà vu. The other goalie is PÅL GROTNES. (Full caps because I am directly copying and pasting from the NHL site. The accents are included, thank-you very much).

First Period

Pierre Houde and Benoit Brunet are doing the game. We are underway.

Slovakia wins the faceoff and Chara handles the puck at his blue line. He sends it down the left side. Norway moves it back and they get a pass to the slot.

Their outfits are rather 1982. And the white helmets remind me of the white Concordes helmets that were worn by Montreal’s CFL team around that time. They went to white in 1983.

Slovakia’s Marian Gaborik bursts in across the blue. He is taken down by Jonas Holos and that prevents a good shot. It should have been called. Crease take-down. Houde says it was right at the limit. He is being generous.

Norwegian icing stops play.

The white helmets look bad. Very pee wee.

Norway is forechecking with one and a half players.

Zednik moves out for Slovakia. Richard Zednik, yes.

Another whistle and we will have a faceoff to Halak’s left. Zednik is back on the bench.

Bartecko line is on for Slovakia.

Just under three minutes elapsed. Chara pairing remains on the ice.

Norway works behind Halak. Two guys under the end line and the third guy is right between the circles at the hash marks. Very aggressive. But they have to be. They are the underdog.

I like it.

Slovakia’s firepower is evidenced as they are able to ice a third line (or at least that is the order they ice them to start this period) that includes Pavol Demitra. Slovak names include Handzus, Kopecky, Palffy, Satan and Stumpel. Some are a bit older but they are better than some expected (uh, like me).

The action is sharp. Norway is the aggressor but Slovakia is playing with good tempo, as well. And by aggression, I mean a level of urgency.

Slovakia gets their best control now. Down low. Back to the blue line. Shot. Wide.

Norway retrieves. Zednik is forechecking. Puck slides out of the Slovak zone.

Bartecko is down. Oh my god.

It’s bad. It’s so bad. I’ve never seen something like this.

There’s a lot of blood. Trainers are out.

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen is the guilty party. Houde is wondering if it’s accidental.

We saw a guy hit. Then he was flat on the ice like a snowman. He had a zombie look in his eyes. Then he lifted his head and there was too much blood.

I see the replay and the player’s helmet flew off right before his head hit the ice. It’s very bad.

I don’t know if I should be writing. We see it one more time. Elbow to the face. What do we have to wait for?

For another player to die? All of you fight and violence people are wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Don’t even bother.

Medical staff have been working hard since the hit. About half of each team is out on the ice and close. Halak is watching from the crease.

We see a replay and are shown the Slovak bench’s reaction to the hit.

The type of blood was dark and sticky. It fell in a way that reminded me of bitumen. Crude oil sticky. Molasses.

Sorry.

All I can do is shake my head and hope for the best.

The coaches have to stay focused on the game.

He is strapped in now. The crowd cheers. Brunet says that he is conscious.

His helmet flew right off, and his head cracked back. Hard. A person could be killed instantly or worse from that sort of impact. Yeah, there’s worse.

Arena staff is out in their aqua outfits and cleaning the blood.

What a terrible occurrence. Lubos Bartecko. Farjestad player (Swedish Elite League, I believe).

Brunet talks about getting this out of the mind.

Brunet says the best thing for Slovakia would be to score on the power-play. In terms of revenge. He said you can’t blame the entire team for the gesture of one player.

We resume.

I’m pin-pringle and ring-finger sweat.

Five minute penalty.

Suddenly this isn’t just a hockey game. It’s irrelevant. Yet it’s more meaningful.

Handzus scores.

The former Flyer. No smiles.

Shot from the left circle. Wrister. Rebound escaped Grotnes. Brunet says he thinks Grotnes believed he had it. It dropped out beside his right pad (he was on his knees) and the puck was popped in the net very quickly.

Slovakia 1, Norway 0

Even if his helmet had stayed on, the force of his head snapping back would have taken him out. Concussed him.

I can’t forget it.

I’ll spend the next twenty years trying. I don’t recommend finding it online.

Because it’s a major penalty, the man-advantage continues.

Houde mentions Halak’s save percentage. Brunet adds that Halak has only allowed four goals in the tournament so far (three games played).

Palffy is in alone. His stick is almost in the middle of the ice. Shoots. Grotnes makes a monster’s save. Not a monster save. But a monster’s save, yes.

Big red boot.

Slovakia keeps the puck in and works the perimeter.

The save was point blank.

Zednik gets a chance on the sequence. Whistle.

Slovakia wins the faceoff. Perimeter passing. Chara shoots.

More passing. And another mountain shot from Chara.

Even more passing.

Puck is in and out of the net. It’s so quick that nobody notices for two full seconds.

Demitra shot from about forty feet out and Gaborik deflected it in from the side of the net. Very nice. If Gaborik doesn’t touch it, the puck goes wide right. And I think Demitra did it on purpose.

Slovakia 2, Norway 0

Demitra sits on the bench toweling off and with an “I told you so and I’m not surprised” expression on his face.

Still about a minute in the power-play.

Halak retrieves a puck in the corner and leaves it for a rushing defenceman.

Norway has not lost any starch and they interrupt an entry attempt near their blue line. I say it because they are not skating in any sort of slumped way. They have put the moment behind them. And the two Slovakian goals have accomplished the same for the favourites.

Commercial. Even dark, small people in little warm huts far, far away love Olympics. Well, then.

We resume with a faceoff to Halak’s left.

Norway is able to jump on it.

They are small and fiery. Cinammon burst.

Great between-the-legs made-for-TV backhand attempt by Norway’s Mats Zuccarello Aasen. From the slot.

Zednik exits with the puck down the left side. Some guy with a 42 on his jersey catches up to him, shoulders him and then leaves him to the defensive. Number forty-two is not accounted for on the NHL site’s Norway roster.

I guess nobody is gambling on this game.

Sorry, Gary.

Jozef Stumpel wins the faceoff for Slovakia and sends it backward for a one-timer from Gaborik. Wide.

Hossa hasn’t shown anything yet and I’m surprised. He was dominant in the game I saw a few days ago against Russia. Maybe he’s pacing himself. After all, if Slovakia wins tonight, they have to play again tomorrow against a much tougher opponent.

Not that Norway isn’t tough. Well, they don’t take dumb penalties. Until tonight, of course.

They have the only short-handed goal in the tournament thus far. Unless one was scored earlier today.

The action goes to the oval. Slovakia is pacing themselves and hoping to make it out of this period with a lead while Norway is fixed on an upset.

Their intensity and two-man forecheck continue. Just under four minutes left in the first period.

Gaborik emerges with a mid-slot chance.

He is always close to the net and flitting. He’s like a dragonfly with a wasp disposition.

Expenses break.

We return to see Chara talking on the bench. Houde says that he is demanding of others and himself. I’ve grown to respect Zdeno Chara quite a bit over the years. I really didn’t like him early on. You know. He’s huge. Fear of the huge. All that.

At least I’m admitting it. I should get a small chocolate reward.

Just over three minutes.

Hossa hasn’t been on the ice much.

Kopecky is on.

Bastiansen line is on for Norway.

Two long passes either way. Some digging inside the Norway produces a chase and fall.

Now Hossa is on. He enters down the left. He’s digging and driving. Most hustle from him tonight. Brakes. Big spray again. He must do that on purpose. Loses the disc.

Norway is off the other way. This time they retain it. Aasen passes standing still from the circle. It squiggles back to him in the same spot. This time he shoots. And scores.

Horn goes. Some old music is piped in.

Slovakia 2, Norway 1

Mats Trygg is called within seconds of the ensuing faceoff.

He shakes his head briefly in the penalty box looking like a thin Steve Shutt. And he towels his face.

Zednik scores, baby.

I’m not pro Slo. I’m pro Rick. My favourite Hab of the last ten years. Yeah, it’s true.

Montreal 3, Norway 1

Oh, you know what I mean.

Zednik stays on the ice. The pass was the deal on that goal, though. A hard-work and swivel pass from Stumpel. Quick. To the slot. Pretty. Slammed in quick. Dirty.

Norway is playing even harder.

Norwegian defenceman Jonas Holos follows a backcheck assignment and slams a Slovak into the glass in the corner. Hard. We hear it. Good hit. Clean.

Time runs out five seconds later.

Norway has a chance. A good one.

First Intermission
Slovakia 3, Norway 1

The first segment of the intermission is wasted on Team Canada navel-gazing. All the talk is of hitting and hustling. If we just dig deep.

Talent counts. And we are about seventh in that department. I’m sure I could dig down deep if I were put in net for Montreal. I’d dig down really deep.

Et le but!

Et le but!

Et le but!

More commercials.

Get the chalkboard out. I want to know what happened. And we should be getting updates on the injury.

Slow motion rotating mannequin shot of a female athlete is next. I have it on mute so I can’t tell if it’s a commercial or more Cana-Bill stuff.

It’s more of what I don’t want. Non-game highlights. Do we really need to be shown this stuff? We have channel changers.

I won’t mention the sport. It’s irrelevant what the sport is. The fact is, Joel Bouchard, Francois Gagnon and les Boys aren’t educating us.

I remember going to a funeral once and someone decided that this occasion would be the right place, the right time, to hold my hand for the first time and for an inappropriately long time. She exploited the situation. Oh, it’s so sad, isn’t it? Yes. It was. So stop holding my hand.

Olympic performance tears don’t move me. Tears for the wrong reasons.

I feel sorry for any home-crowd athlete.

There is absolutely nothing given to us. I expect more from RDS.

Second Period
Slovakia 3, Norway 1

Early rush by Norway. Halak has to play stomach snowman and he covers the puck.

Buddy should have strapped his helmet on tighter. I’m not playing blame the victim but that was part of the problem.

Slovakia swoops in on the right side. Two-on-two becomes a dangerous chance. Grotnes smothers it.

He stops a light shot from the high slot moments later.

Hossa line is on. Demitra is on with him. Marcel is on this line as well. Marian Hossa’s little brother. Doesn’t it suck when you get the weaker brother?

Best to have both, I imagine. Unless one of them is named Keith.

Andrej Sekera has it in the neutral zone for Slovakia. He sends it to the blue line. Puck leaves the ice surface.

Faceoff to Grotnes’ left.

Norway wins it.

Lars Erik Spets chases the disk down the left side and into the corner for Norway. He bumps Meszaros on the way and continues chasing. Meszaros sent it along its way.

Norway is chirping and challenging.

There is only one NHLer on the Norwegian team. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. The offending player.

They haven’t mentioned anything.

Grotnes gloves a medium distance shot. Medium danger.

Faceoff. Zednik handles the puck briefly to Grotnes’ right. Now he delivers a big hit behind the net. Norway exits nonetheless.

Puck is in the corner to Halak’s right. Slovaks have it and are playing a brisk game of keepaway. Left. And right. And back to the left again and out.

Norway retrieves the puck and sends a puck down for a line change.

Little buzzle passes, three drops of blood are insects of blue. The Norwegians are nettlesome.

They are haranguing on the boards. Shoveling. Colliding.

Then Hossa takes a guy down. Big Hossa. Better Hossa. Flattens a red jersey. I find myself thinking of the Red Cross instead of the Concordes. Kid is ok.

Palffy is working on the right side. Around the net. Only to lose the puck.

We are in the Slovak ice area. And the puck is back in Norwegian control. And interrupted by Zednik. Il se faufille. Shoots. Stopped. He was in from the right. Goalie’s right.

Gloved. Frozen.

One commercial policy is still the rule. I can’t get a break.

We see a quick shot of Zednik putting his mouthpiece back in. He now has to take the centre’s place in the faceoff circle. Loses it.

Norway moves it out.

Now some speed and slowdom. Norway makes rubber bands of policed vectors. Under. Across. Across again. Fanned on it.

They resume and they create another awkward triangle. Marvellous puck movement. It’s in.

Officials check the goal. Vikingstad. It went off his skate. Brunet and I both think it was accidental.

Goal stands.

Slovakia 3, Norway 2

Brunet says that Slovakia got complacent. He says it’s normal. But he admonishes all of us listeners and the teams involved saying that it should be worked against.

One way is to measure your performance by the process and effort column. Forget about the outcome. If you have the first column taken care of, the second column will be fine.

Chara works it up along the left. It’s too far for Hossa. Norway moves it out. But Hossa is backchecking and has it again.
Marian Hossa is like a big shark. He gets involved when he notices trouble. He will be a factor for the rest of the night.

He enters himself, superseding the motions of his teammates. Shows the speed that a man his size is not supposed to have. Fires. Bad angle. It’s stopped.

Gaborik is on. Vishnovsky pairing is on defence for Slovakia.

Pace rises. Just under ten minutes.

Collision. Stick to the face. Accidental. Refs missed it. Houde didn’t.

No call. Play moves into the red zone. Norway is wearing red.

It was a Norwegian who was hit.

Miroslav Satan and Michael Handzus advance on the right side. Satan is creeping along the figure-eight runes hidden in ancient patterns around the opposition net. He is a dangerous offensive player. Good net sense. Patterns and spaces player.

Hossa line is back on. Marian Hossa is hustling like a hero. A small, quick hero. But he’s huge.

Play is called. Marian Hossa. Hooking.

Pause.

Return.

Hossa is wearing the “A”. Towels his itchy face. Considers his sins.

Norway does the white board thing. Surround their coach.

They win the faceoff. They control In the corner. Pinch. Back down the boards. Having to skate just to stay ahead of the play. But they create two harried chances.

Zednik clears. Is he really fast enough to be on the penalty-kill anymore? Old team, is what I suspect.

Norway resets.

They move it. Vikingstad. Floats up at the circle. Passes. A shot results from the crease. Halak is there. Low. Quick. Like a rubber human. Pyramidal.

Faceoff.

Puck is cleared. Norway sets up for one more sequence.

Penalty ends as a point shot is blocked. Sliding penalty-killer. And I remember the shot off Gorges helmet. Man. Now what about this guy? When?

And as I type that last, Houde gives us an update on the injured Slovak.

Houde says that he has gotten a severe laceration. But nothing more than that. Brunet says it’s very good news. And I’m relieved.

Over five minutes left in the second.

Chara fakes one way and backhands another behind his net. Smooth. Elegant gloves.

Slovakia moves it down now.

Behind and harmlessly through the slot. Then it’s on Gaborik’s stick on the boards. He sends a pass right onto a defender’s stick.

Zednik loses a puck in his zone. Norway begins to move the puck. They retain up top. They are working noticeably harder than Slovakia. Again, Slovakia is hoping to get out of this period.

Satan moves it down. Carries. Keeps. Gets held. It’s called.

Faceoff is in Norway ice. On. Along. As you like it.

Quick clear.

Satan is in through two players shooting as he breaks. Stopped.

Norway clears again.

Hossa is behind the net forechecking and a step behind. Norway clears again. Just over a minute in the penalty.

Norway is playing with an intrepid but almost sinister glide. They are working as hard as your little brother does in the driveway. Every game is the NBA Finals to that kid.

Slovakia is in trouble. But they don’t know it yet.

Penalty is killed without a quality chance.

Handzus is on. Goes through and then drops it. Puck leaves the zone.

It’s not just Slovakia’s fear or reluctance; Norway is closing the gaps. Fast.

Icing.

Marcel Hossa has the “A” on his jersey as well. Brunet mentions that Hossa has 32 goals with Moscow Dynamo. He is underachieving this tournament. No goals yet.

Norway misses a point-blank dance and glance chance. It goes high. But as if it may have affected Halak he allows a wrister from twenty feet about three seconds later.

Oy.

Norway 3, Slovakia 3

And that came with 0.1 on the clock.

Oy, yoy, yoy.

Shot was by Anders Bastiansen. He has had some good shifts tonight.

And for the record, Slovakia has 13 NHLers. To Norway’s one. As I had mentioned.

Kovalev: “Like I said.”

Markov was saying that the other day. “Like I said.” I don’t mind. It drove Bergeron batty.

Second Intermission
Slovakia 3, Norway 3

Now we see some skiing. Pffft. How much longer do I have to be polite about it. Skiing is just not for me. Shall we say.

As Paul Stanley said, “You can have Emerson Lake and Palmer”.

Yes, quoting Paul Stanley is not a glowing self-promotional. Neither are moguls and jumps. Ok?

Wanna go?

I wish they would just get to the analysis.

Like I said.

More commercials.

Slovakia is not playing with the level of urgency they had in the Russia game. Halak is a bit off tonight, too. On paper, that shouldn’t be enough for Norway but it’s hockey. And one bounce here and one stick there. One leg. One screen. One lost moment. And forget it.

Just ask any Ranger fan.

Slovakia is just another red, white and blue team that is in a big vat of milk. A very big vat.

With buttery sides.

Crosby commercial. No. It’s an Ovie commercial. No it’s a Gretzky commercial.

I unmute it. It’s an RDS special on the two players.

Oh, I guess Calgary gets their Grey Cup game.

Crosby versus Ovechkin.

Malkin is better.

Calgary Stampeders considered Edmonton Eskimos their rival in the late seventies and the eighties. Edmonton didn’t think of the Stampeders. They were busy winning five Grey Cups in a row.

Canada and Russia is no longer a rivalry. And when all the crying is done the questions won’t last. Just like Turin, the memories will fade allowing the same mistakes to be made again.

We see some gear now. The Team Canada jersey. We should go with a half-leaf look; like the old Canada Cup trophy. But grainier. And more torn-looking.

The current jersey is so farm-pail. Staring at the cider.

Third Period
Slovakia 3, Norway 3

Halak readies himself in his impossible stretch again. I know most, if not all, NHL goalies can do it. It just looks so much more inhuman when Jaro does it. He stays in that position far longer. Or somehow his joints are a bit more, uh, malleable. Unusually malleable.

Ice is clean. Logo is still co-opted. It’s all set. We resume.

Early action is wait and don’t panic. But the fear is there.

And Slovakia is feeling it.

Palffy sends a no-look backhand pass into the corner. Turnover results.

Slovakians are swooping in singly, looking for the big individual play. First bad sign.

Zednik line is on. He chases and loses.

Whistle. Puck misplay.

Grotnes takes a sip of water.

Readies.

Zednik takes another faceoff. He’s not playing centre, is he?

Norway has it along their own boards.

Martin Cibak is forechecking.

Puck leaves the Norway zone. It’s shorter than Norwegian zone. You try it.

Chara takes it back in. Fires. Wide. Whistle.

Slovakia wins the faceoff. To the point. Shot. Rumpled falling. Grotnes reminds me of a professor somehow. Couch, corduroy and reliability.

Grotnes should grow a mustache. In general, that is bad advice but in Grotnes’ case, it is good.

Easy plays ain’t coming. And Slovakia doesn’t know how to solve this.

They didn’t reckon on having to solve the Norwegian ice calculus. They were supposed to be in the lead by now.

Norway’s coach looks more and more as if “my plan is working as I had ordained it. As I had promised you all it would. Ah ha ha ha.”

It’s just his facial expression.

We resume to Halak’s right

Slovakian faces; uncertainty. Norwegian; intensity.

Not good.

Look, I know a lot about this stuff. Minnesota in 1980. Oilers in 1981. Quebec in 1982. Buffalo in 1983. Montreal was favoured in all those series. I still remember the camera shots along the benches. On the ice.

An errant Slovak goal could end it all but I doubt it. They’re stuck with Norway til the bitter end.

The Norwegians are hitting and bringing the pepper. There is little polite about their game. Their blueprint is a red playbook.

Failed entry by Norway’s Marius Holtet on the left side and he holds his hands up to the officials. They show no interest.

Twelve minutes left.

Chara sends it up from his blue line. It’s intercepted. Bouncing in a crowd.

Norway’s entry is muffled. Chara retrieves. But the puck is stopped again on the blue line. Finally the Slovaks get it out. It’s deep. Pops out to Zednik on the side. He sends it to the slot. Nothing.

Now it’s on the other side. Quick backhand pass from Vishnovsky from behind the net. To Satan. One-timer. In.

The veterans. And hard work shall win the day.

Slovakia 4, Norway 3

Hossa line is on to replace them.

They resume control. Puck goes to the point. Sekera shoots it off the side of the net.

Slovakia is awake.

They’re yapping on the bench. Or rather Satan and Zednik are ignoring one guy I don’t recognize.

Brunet says that Satan est un marquer naturelle. Natural goal-scorer.

Ten minutes. Behind Halak. Holtet is working it alone. Two Slovaks. Chara is one of them. He gets the puck. Starts a rush. It ends in a dump-in for a line change.

Norway is tricky-dicky getting over the line and they go offside.

Break.

And we’re back.

Brunet discusses the situation. He acknowledges the need to find a balance between caution, taking care of the puck and taking risks and pushing the play.

Halak sends a puck in front of his own net. He didn’t intend it. Luckily, for him, only white jerseys are about.

The next time he handles the puck he is more ginger and stays mostly in his crease.

Norway is forechecking.

Two guys. Behind the net. Hossa is there. And Slovakia’s Milan Jurcina.

He leaves the ice soon afterward and the Slovaks launch another attack.

Gaborik falls in the corner chasing the puck. He’s up but Norway is out.

Next sequence is a Slovak shot from Gaborik on the left side. Quick release. Crest high and it bounces out.

Norwegians exit the puck.

Zednik is in next. His efforts are parried.

Norway is grinding ice. Shot. Slot. Shot. Grubble and hands and knees. Halak. Just gets it. One red body on the ice. Three whites. Those are standing.

Brunet says Halak seems nervous.

Faceoff to his right.

Chara is in front of the cage.

Now he takes it behind.

Starts the rush. Kopecky. Shoots it. It’s called icing.

Vikingstad wins it for the ship Labradors. Red underdogs. Valiant dawgs.

Some action in front of the net after Halak freezes it. It ends quickly. Aggressive stick from a Red Dawg.

The Norwegians have won me over to some degree. They’re rascals but as I get older, rascals are easier to forgive, easier to admire. (Da Leeberals are soft on crahm – Manning accent)

Four minutes.

Action increases in fervour. The flavour is frantic.

Long pass misses everyone and Slovakia is called for icing.

Brunet and Houde analyse some of the key points using the chyron board. Brunet asks where Demitra has gone.

Norway is extending a possession and making it look like a power-play. It looks that way for about six seconds. They lose the puck at the blue line. But they are permitted to regroup.

With just under three minutes left, Slovakia is going to try and hang on.

We see a heated discussion between Norway’s coach and their 39-year old captain. The captain is less heated than the coach. Houde and Brunet are not sure what it’s about.

Whistle.

Chara leaves the ice.

He’ll be on for the final thirty seconds, almost certainly.

Handzus and Vikingstad face off outside the Slovakia blue line. Handzus wins.

Fire-out from behind the Slovak net results in a loss of possession. And Slovakia doesn’t give a hoot at this point. They collapse and wait. One guy in front of the cage and three guys on the boards. Fairly aggressive back check.

Looks like a domino five.

Puck is pushed out. Less than a minute.

Norway can’t get the control they need. Halak exits the net and plays it behind his office. It works.

Norway has to re-enter.

They do.

Twenty-five seconds.

They have it. Goalie is gone. Slot pass. Houde exclaims. No sticks reply.

Five seconds. It’s on the boards. They can’t make anything else happen.

Satan is irritated. There is a small gathering.

Refs get it under control.

Someone is standing, holding a Slovakian flag. He looks like a man who appreciates fine cheese.

Slovakian players congratulate Halak. Halak looks so relieved, I feel sorry for him.

His teammates try and cheer him up.

The two teams shake hands. It’s friendly.

Slovakia 4
Norway 3

HDS Stars: Mats Zuccarello Aasen, Miroslav Satan, Anders Bastiansen
RDS Stars: Not named

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2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
3. Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins
4. Russia vs. Slovakia
5. Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins
6. Your Favourite Canadiens of the Past Five Seasons