Game 4 - USA and News Years Eve - Dec. 31, 2013

This is the big day, the game everyone has been waiting for in the round robin.  After breakfast (buffet again), we went to our room to finish off the notes from yesterday, and then were ready to board the bus by 12:00.

Off we went to the Isstadium to watch both games - Czech Republic vs Slovakia and Canada vs USA.  We got our seats in the end zone again for the first game.  We expected the Czechs to win the game, and shortly into the first period, it didn't look like they would disappoint.  We stuck around for the first period and part of the 2nd, and then decided to go to The Fan Zone to watch the Sweden-Russia game on the big screens.  TSN has a feed into there, and we got the game announced by Dave Ranforf, but not the commercials.

That game started half an hour after the Czech game, so we got most of the 2nd and all of the 3rd periods.  It turned out to be a pretty exciting game, after being 2-0 for Sweden when we arrived.  It appeared that the Russians finally woke up in the 3rd, and decided they did have a chance.  A lot of back and forth, and a lot of good scoring chances, after the Russians scored their goal.  The Swedes scored into an empty net to put that game away, and go through the round robin, with 4 wins.

Welcome to the Game

Then, is was get ready for the Canada-USA game.  We headed to our regular spots, but were worried that someone would have purchased the seats where we had set up shop.  The crowd got bigger and bigger, and the empty seats where we were sitting got fewer and fewer.  I'm sure that lots of people decided to sit there, even though they didn't have tickets for that area, the same as us.

It got a little tense when a group of young men came into the same area as us, started stripping down to their shorts and bare chests.  They each had a letter on

Fans in front of us.

their chest, which in all, spelled out CANADA.  They were hooping and hollering, and got the attention of the TSN camera a number of times, even before the game started.  Then the folks who owned those seats came, and this group moved up to 2 rows, right in front of us.  We moved down a bit, because it looked like these guys would be standing up and acting silly, during the game.

When Team Canada came onto the ice to start the game, the crowd went crazy, cheering, singing, dancing, and just making noise.  Then, 3 other guys in long, black wigs came in to sit/stand right in front of us.  They were really silly, and throughout the game got more and more drunk.  We probably should have stayed behind the first group because they at least sat down when the play started, and only got up to dance and shout during the breaks.  However, because we were in the last row, we could stand up to see whenever these guys stood up - a lot.

What an exciting game!  We were worried about the outcome because the US had looked so strong against the other teams in the pool.  Canada played them very well, handing out big checks, and generally stopping the American breakout, much of the time.  What a great game plan for us.  We were fast, big, and hard on their players, and the crowd cheered every hit, good shot, good save, and good play.

Oh Canada

After giving up the first goal on a power play in the 2nd, we tied it up on a power play before the end of the period.  Then in the 3rd, we got 2 goals (right in front of us) that were the result of hard work, in close, in the "dirty areas".  Wow, was it loud.

The boys played really well, killing most of the penalties we took (not too many), and just being really tough on the puck.  It was fun to watch.  Things got a little tense when the US scored with just over 2 minutes to go, but the team played lights out for the rest of the game, winning face offs, getting control of the puck, and stopping whatever shots the Americans got on goal to pull off the win.

A pretty emotional end when the flag was raised, and the crowd (mostly Canadians) sang our anthem.

Then it was off to our secret location for the New Years Eve party.  We found out it was at Luftkastellet, one of the places we had visited on our tour of Malmo.  It was a huge convention centre, where we received a fancy dinner (prime rib), and a dance (a band from London, Ontario).  Even though it was far past our usual bed time, we had a good time and thoroughly enjoyed the party.

Just before midnight, our hosts (Rita of Destiny Tours) came on stage to let us know that the fireworks would be starting soon, and we could go outside to see them.  Then the buses would start arriving to shuttle people back to their hotels, when they were ready to leave.

The fireworks of Malmo are spectacular.  Luftkastellet is on the beach, looking over the bridge to Denmark, and all around we can see the lights of Malmo.  Fireworks were being set off at every point in the city, and they went on for at least half an hour.  Very spectacular.

We boarded the first bus, and it left about 12:15 with a standing room crowd (all us "old" folks who aren't usually awake at that time).  We got back to the hotel about 12:45, and were in bed just after 1:00.

Happy New Year