New Years Eve: My roommate and I set up two TVs to watch both the Vancouver Canucks and Canada’s World Junior Team rally to win their New Years’ Eve matchups, drinks are poured, goals are celebrated and the rest is history.

When we first sat down to watch the Canada vs. USA World Junior game and Vancouver Canucks vs. St. Louis Blues game, my roommate and I decided it would be a good idea to throw a drinking game into the mix of our pre-party entertainment, so six Canucks and six Canadians later, we both had drafted our one day, one game fantasy hockey team, destined to make our opponents drink – A lot. Game over.

Long story short, Team Canada’s epic comeback victory over the United States and the Canucks overtime win over the St. Louis Blues combined became one of the best days of hockey I’ve ever watched, setting the tone for an unreal night on the town.

I’ll do my best to recap the excitement, and set up another epic double header on Tuesday.

Rick Rypien started off the festivities with a beat down of his own on Thursday, Rypien went to work on Cam Janssen in a fight that had everything, including a bit of controversy. Rypien jumped into the fight with both feet launching himself at Janssen and proceeded to throw huge rights and lefts at Janssen, which left Janssen with a bloody and bruised face that was simply described as “the legend of Rick Rypien” by John Shorthouse.

Rypien was given a match penalty for having his hand taped up, which is indeed against NHL rules. However I can’t believe the tape job was put on for specific fighting purposes, since it wasn’t over any knuckles and was below the thumb. I don’t want to get into more arguments over the legality of tape, MMA type fighting styles and other nonsense, Rypien can take on anyone tape or no tape, that’s all I care about.

After the big fight, the Canucks left a lot on the ice, allowing the blues to take a 3-1 lead into the third period, could it be another disappointing effort against the Blues?

Meanwhile, Canada was also toying with my emotions, allowing two shorthanded goals in the second period to the Americans and giving up an early third period goal to go down two goals. With ten minutes left in the World Junior tilt, and third period just about to start in St. Louis, both of my teams were down by two and looking for heroics, they would deliver.

Five minutes into the first period, Mikael “#$@# themselves” Samuelsson scored to bring the Canucks within striking distance, down one. Thanks to glorious digital PVR, Jordan Eberle who is no stranger to heroics; had some of his own in store. Eberle brought Canada within a goal with ten minutes remaining, and the comeback was on.

Down a goal in both games, my year could have started out as a heartbreaker, or a glorious opening ceremony to a year full of epic hockey games, thank Gordie the latter prevailed.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, hockey is no exception, and revenge on the ice is always cold and always satisfying. Down a goal and shorthanded because of two American short-handed goals, Alex Pietrangelo’s shorthanded goal at 15:45 is up there for me as one of the most clutch Canadian World Junior moments ever, and there was still time left on the clock.  Tie game, Canada 4 – USA 4.

Minutes later, the professional’s also proved to me they can still pull off the comeback, Henrik Sedin’s shot from his brother Daniel at 18:04 saved the Canucks from another deflating loss to the Blues, and gave us a chance in overtime.

Two TV’s, two games, two overtime periods, two roommates ringing in the new year in style.

The Canada vs. USA Overtime started, and I was on the edge of my seat for all ten minutes, trying to somehow cheer on the Canadians to victory from the other side of my TV set. No dice. Overtime left me without a winner, and another epic shootout with the Americans was to come.

Meanwhile in the NHL, the Canucks seemed to be driven to end the game the way it is meant to, with a real goal. After the Canucks drew a double minor for high sticking in overtime, Christian Ehrhoff took the game into his own hands and ripped a slapshot past Chris Mason, solidifying a full comeback from the Canucks, an especially impressive victory considering the amount of heat the Canucks have been taking lately for a lack of determination late in games, even if it was just to get the “loser” point. The Canucks and Canadians both seemed driven to avoid that “loser” point and win both games; I love the heart in both these teams.

Canada and the USA are no strangers to World Junior shootouts, the epic 2007 battle between the Americans and Canadians was a huge moment for Hockey Canada, Carey Price and of course, Jonathan Toews. Due to the interesting shootout rules in the IIHF, after three shots a shooter can take as many shootout attempts as he likes, and why not? When you have someone as clutch as Jonathan Toews on your bench, you let him shoot all night.

In the 2010 edition of the Canada vs. USA rivalry, almost every shooter was ready to clutch up for his team and bury in the shootout. Eberle, Kristo, Kadri, Morin, and Kozun all gave the goalies no chance, scoring for their teams to leave the game on the stick of Jordan Schroeder.
Note: I love Jordan Schroeder as a Canucks draft pick, and as a skilled hockey player. Once he puts on that USA jersey, he no longer exists to me.

As he skated down the ice, I just had the feeling it had to happen; Jake Allen had to stop him. The same feeling I had when Jonathan Toews kept skating out to shoot in 2007, it was the same script, and I can’t get enough of it.

Schroeder skated in and fired five hole on Canada’s Jake Allen, but Allen was quick to shut the door and stop Schroeder and the Americans from taking a trip to the semi-finals. From then on, it was a celebration all across Canada, anywhere there is a hometown player on that Canadian team had a party in his honour, I’m sure of it.

A relatively simple game against the Swiss, and a sneaky early morning Canucks game against Dallas later, and another huge day of hockey is ahead of us. The Vancouver Canucks face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7PM and Team Canada takes on Team USA again for Gold at the World Juniors at 5PM.

The Vancouver Canucks invite Columbus into GM place fresh off the heels of learning Kevin Bieksa may be out 3-4 months with several lacerations in his ankle. Ryan Johnson will also still be out after fracturing his foot; he has missed the last five games.

The more devastating injury is to Travis Hamonic, part of the shutdown pairing for Team Canada. He was hit into the boards late into the Canadian semi-final against the Swiss, ending his tournament. Alex Pietrangelo will replace Hamonic on the shutdown pairing and the struggling Jared Cowen will attempt to bounce back from a poor game against the Americans tomorrow night.

It’s going to be another exciting night tomorrow, with two games to watch the PVR will be working overtime in order to cover both games. I’m torn whose gear I should wear tomorrow, but I think the red and white maple leaf will be on my chest around campus.

Enjoy the games tomorrow.