Some interesting moves by Canada for this bronze medal game. Geneviève Lacasse, who had the win against Russia in the preliminary round, gets the start with Emerance Maschmeyer backing up. Blayre Turnbull sits after the hit in yesterday’s game and they have er... slotted defender Laura Fortino in on the fourth line? Fortino’s mobile and all but... Frankly if we’re making a defender a forward, I’d take Renata Fast, who is not nearly as good defensively as Fortino. Meanwhile, Nadezhda Morozova gets the net for Russia.

First period

Canada looks a little tentative to start.

A few shots on Morozova, and then icing for the Russians.

A hard point shot from Brigette Lacquette rebounds high and looks to be heading over Morozova but stays out.

First shot on Lacasse comes with four minutes gone, and she’s square to it.

Russia tries to follow it up, but Canada carries it out.

Another close call for Morozova, but her defenders actually have her back for once.

Natalie Spooner is the first to score, grabbing the puck to go for a skate around the net and tuck the puck past Morozova’s pads on the wraparound. 1-0 Canada. Rebecca Johnston and Renata Fast got assists, but that one was all Spooner.

Valeria Pavlova tries a shot on Lacasse as she’s driven wide by Lacquette.

Backhand shot by Diana Kanayeva right on Lacasse, and then a skater crashes into the goalie.

The Russians are getting more offensive zone time than I’d like.

Erin Ambrose comes in and puts a shot on Morozova, who makes the save.

Russia’s creating traffic in front of their net. I’m not sure it’s a more coherent defensive strategy than “block things”, but it’s working for the moment. It’s not getting them a lot of shots though.

Jamie Lee Rattray grabs the puck in the neutral zone and sends a wicked shot in on net but Morozova is there.

Sarah Nurse muscles her way into the offensive zone and around the net under pressure. She feeds a pass to Jaime Bourbonnais, who leans into the shot and gets her first goal at Worlds to make it 2-0 Canada.

Kanayeva sits for a bodycheck, and Canada’s on the power play. The best chance comes when Johnston feeds Nurse. The Russians come in on a shorthanded 2 on 1, but miss the pass. Spooner carries it back and just misses the net.

Bourbonnais just misses her second, ringing a shot off the post. Jocelyne Larocque hits an official with the next shot. Whoops.

Shots are 10 to 3 in the first. I’d like to see the shot attempts though, I’m sure there are some very bruised players in the Russian dressing room right now.

Second period

The period starts with a clogged neutral zone, neither team gaining the zone. Russia breaks through first but without a shot on net. Canada starts to carry the puck out, but play is whistled for a tripping call on Sarah Nurse.

Canada clears the puck a few times but they’re long dump-ins. Johnston carries the puck in deep but meets resistance in the corner. Spooner comes in but shoots wide. The penalty expires without a shot on goal by Russia.

Stacey takes a hard shot on the fly, but Morozova keeps it out. Canada’s doing a better job at controlling possession.

Fast sends a shot in with Canadians in front of Morozova, but it’s blocked before it gets there and they can’t retrieve the puck.

Fast zooms in from the defensive zone, nearly loses the puck on entry, and shoots a little wide.

Russia tries to clear and only gets the puck just beyond the line. Nurse picks up the puck, brings it in and passes back to Johnston. Johnston doesn’t hesitate, and a second later the puck’s in the net, 3-0 Canada. Spooner gets the secondary assist.

Russia gets called for another penalty. I’m not entirely sure how “getting pinned to the boards by Laura Stacey” translates into delay of game, but Yekaterina Nikolayeva sits for two regardless.

40 seconds in, Rebecca Johnston stops an Alexandra Vafina breakaway with an extremely unsubtle trip and we’re 4 on 4. Ambrose tries a shot. Larocque sends a shot on, but the Canadian in front can’t bury it.

Spooner tries to steal the puck and ends up with a Russian piled on top of her. That kills the Russian power play after one second as Nina Pirogova goes to the box for interference.

Ann-Sophie Bettez fights her way in and ends up on the ice. Russia’s racking up the penalties here. It’s Maria Batalova who puts Russia down a player, and no one is surprised.

Spooner to Lacquette and Russia clears. Brianne Jenner passes to Johnston who can’t beat Morozova. Jenner’s shot is blocked, and the puck comes out of the zone.

The penalty expires, and there’s a moment of hilarity as Jill Saulnier’s cage has locked up with the cage of her Russian opponent.

Russia comes in offside. Canada gets another brace of chances. Russia keeps trying for entries and not making much of them. Alevtina Shtaryova loses the puck in their latest attempt.

Renata Fast is slowed down by a bit of a hook by Yelena Dergachyova, and Russia ends the period on the penalty kill. Canada has a bit of trouble setting up—their passes aren’t connecting. Saulnier carries the puck in eventually. A shot by Ambrose ends up in the netting.

Morozova falls on the puck as the buzzer sounds.

Canada could have been sharper in that period but they end up with a goal and no shots from Russia, which isn’t a bad result for a period.

Third period

Rod just said that next year will be “lit”, and I want to die.

First shot on Lacasse since the first, and she turns it aside without difficulty.

Renata Fast comes roaring in chasing the puck with a Russian player right on top of her. Morozova makes the mistake of charging out of her crease to poke the puck away and leaves the door wide open for Loren Gabel who doesn’t miss the tap-in and it’s 4-0 Canada.

Russia’s still trying but Canada’s running the show by now.

Bourbonnais gets a great feed and just misses her shot.

Laura Stacey hangs on to the puck under pressure for an impressive amount of time while there’s a delayed penalty call on the Russians. Finally Ambrose takes a shot, Morozova makes the save, and Canada goes on the power play once more. Nikolayeva sits for a check.

Canada’s cycling the puck, but their passes aren’t always connecting so they’re having to keep retrieving the puck instead of shooting. They’re still beating the Russians to the puck most of the time but this could be better.

That said, another point shot from Ambrose, a redirect by a Russian skater, a redirect by Rattray, and Canada looks to have scored again. The goal is reviewed, apparently for whether it was kicked in but it’s judged good and Canada’s up 5-0. Mélodie Daoust gets an assist for her lovely setup to Ambrose.

Canada’s barely back in the Russian zone when Jenner draws another penalty. Morozova is called for a trip that probably wouldn’t have happened if Jenner hadn’t been skating through the crease. Morozova wasn’t even paying attention to where her stick was.

Lacquette fires, and Morozova makes a glove save. It’s a better power play this time, but it looks like we’ve lost Fortino, who had to crawl off the ice. There was no whistle, but it looks like she’s hurt (there was a question of had she lost her blade but when she gets back to the bench that doesn’t look like the case). Looking back it seems like a Russian defender fell on her, and her leg bent in unfortunate ways.

We’re in the last half of the period and there’s a bit of a sense that both teams are running out the clock.

Johnston tries a backhand from just above the goal line, but Morozova was tracking her all the way.

One of either Spooner or Nurse goes down along the boards, and Batalova’s in the box again. Johnston starts the power play with a shot attempt that’s blocked and Canada’s re-setting. Saulnier’s set up by Daoust but doesn’t get the whole shot... low power or not, I think she hit one of her own teammates.

Erin Ambrose makes it 6-0 on the power play, coming in to retrieve a loose puck and chipping it top corner. Assists to Rattray and Lacquette.

Loren Gabel gets a breakaway on a smart feed by Bettez and puts a gorgeous shot past Morozova. 7-0, assist to Larocque.

Russia puts Anna Prugova in as somewhat of a mercy to Morozova with under 5 minutes left in the game.

Some zone time by Russia is answered with a shot from Spooner.

2:57 left and Lacasse almost loses a puck but puts her hand down behind to keep the shutout alive.

Things are getting physical on both sides, but the refs are done for this game.

Sarah Nurse fires into Prugova’s pads with less than a minute left. She continues to try and get another shot and Pirogova responds with a hit from behind into the boards. One last power play for Canada but they mostly skate it around.

There are Canadian fans on their feet, but the celebration on the ice is very low key. Laura Fortino stays on the bench for most of the postgame ceremony, looking very much in pain.

Alexandra Vafina is named player of the game for Russia and Natalie Spooner is player of the game for Canada.

Marie-Philip Poulin and Shannon Szabados go through the Russian line shaking hands after receiving their medals.

A lot of questions for Hockey Canada to answer after this one, but hardcore fans of Team Canada have been waiting for a change for a long time. The silver at Pyeongchang might have kick-started something. Where do we go now?

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