The following game account written by Jim Matheson is from today's
Edmonton Journal:
 
RUSSIANS BURN CZECHS IN THRILLER
 
        They plugged the fireworks display on the ice after the final
whistle all night long but it was a dud next to the big bang the Russians
and Czechs served up for the fans Tuesday night in Stettler.
        After smoking the Russians 7-0 in a dress rehearsal at Spruce
Grove a week ago, the Czechs got burned 4-3 in the rematch.  The full
house got its money's worth as the two bitter rivals lit it up in a
terrific piece of work, the best game in the World Junior hockey
tournament so far.
        After losing 4-3 to the Yanks in their tournament opener Boxing
Day, the Russians also knew another loss would kill their gold medal
hopes.  They hung on like it was the last lifeboat in the water to move
to 1-1 in the tournament, the same as the Czechs, who blanked the Finns
3-0 on Monday.
        The Czechs poured 21 shots at goalie Yvgeny Tarasov in the last
20 minutes but could get only one by him.  Tarasov's no relation to the
legendary coach Anatoli, but he looked big in the third period as the
Russian Bear who always got more than his fill at the buffet table on his
Canadian visits in the '60s and '70s.
        "Scared at the end?  No.  Excited?  Not so much either.  We just
knew that with two losses to start this tournament it would be very
difficult to win it," said Russian Igor Melyakow, who got the winner on a
power play 30 footer in the third...
        The Czechs, who've lost four key players--Petr Sykora, Tomas
Vlasak, Peter Elias, and defenceman Stan Neckar--for the rest of the
tournament with a terrible run of injuries refused to talk to the media...
        They didn't have to hang their heads although they might be
wondering if they can win anywhere but the Spruce Grove Agrena (3-0 and
17-0 in goals for against in three games there, two exhibition).  They're
0-2 away from their home away from home, with a 3-2 loss to the Yanks in
the final pretournament game.
        They might have still won but their goalie had one of those
amusement ride nights.  He was all thrills and chills.  Big saves and bad
goals.  He looked bad on a blast by Sergei Vychedkevitch...that went
through his legs in the first and gave up two more strange ones in the
second.  Valentin Morozov dribbled one behind him as Nestak was on his
rear end and Sergei Goussev, whose puck skills could best be described as
noisy (he slaps the ice when he rushes the puck), got the other on a shot
that hit the post, then Nestak in the back.
        Jan Hlavac, who looks like he could be a high draft pick this
summer, had two goals---the last an end to end short handed backhand.
        Vaclav Varada, up from the WHL Tacoma Rockets, had the other one
on Tarasov.
        "When we lost to the Czechs before it was after a long flight, we
were very, very tired and not so acclimated to North America.
        "This time we had some time to prepare," said Melyakow.
        "We were fortunate that they also didn't have Sykora.  That is a
big loss for them," admitted Russian coach Igor Dmitriev.
END OF ARTICLE
 
        I'm glad I was able to see what the Czechs could do before their
injuries hit.  The tournament is poorer for them.
 
Arthur Berman  [log in to unmask]
THE MAPLE LEAF FOREVER!!!
GO BU!!!