BRATISLAVA, May 10 (Reuters) - The ice hockey rivalry between Canada and Russia will play out another chapter this week at the world ice hockey championship in a do-or-die game Canadian captain Rick Nash said will be filled with emotion.
Russia will play Canada in the quarter-finals on Thursday in the Slovak capital of Bratislava to extend a rivalry that was born in the Cold War.
"We get special emotions any time you play Russia, whether it is your first time or if you have had history with them," Nash, who plays for the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets, told reporters on Tuesday. "There's so much history behind Canada-Russia that any time you play, and no matter what happened in the past, it's going to be big."
Nash is no stranger to the rivalry as he was in the lineup and scored when Canada crushed the Russians 7-3 at last year's Vancouver Olympics before going on to capture the gold medal.
"You just got to be smart and make sure you're going to use that energy in a right way," said John Tavares, who leads Canada with six goals at this year's tournament.
"They are a highly-skilled team, a lot of firepower, and we have to make sure that we will be prepared for that energy and score goals."
The Russians will be led by Washington Capitals sniper Alexander Ovechkin, New Jersey Devils Ilya Kovalchuk as well as a handful of players form the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
"I think that after you play against them, you learn to respect the KHL players," said Canada coach Ken Hitchcock. "You really respect those guys, because they care deeply about success of their team and you can see it in their play."
When asked about Ovechkin's and Kovalchuk's scoreless performance in Slovakia so far, he just brushed that off.
"I don't care. Now it starts, they are playing at half speed, they will play on full speed on Thursday don't worry about that," said Hitchcock.
The elimination games will begin on Wednesday with title defending Czech Republic facing the United States, while Sweden will face Germany. Finland plays Norway in Thursday's other quarter-final.
Russia will play Canada in the quarter-finals on Thursday in the Slovak capital of Bratislava to extend a rivalry that was born in the Cold War.
"We get special emotions any time you play Russia, whether it is your first time or if you have had history with them," Nash, who plays for the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets, told reporters on Tuesday. "There's so much history behind Canada-Russia that any time you play, and no matter what happened in the past, it's going to be big."
Nash is no stranger to the rivalry as he was in the lineup and scored when Canada crushed the Russians 7-3 at last year's Vancouver Olympics before going on to capture the gold medal.
"You just got to be smart and make sure you're going to use that energy in a right way," said John Tavares, who leads Canada with six goals at this year's tournament.
"They are a highly-skilled team, a lot of firepower, and we have to make sure that we will be prepared for that energy and score goals."
The Russians will be led by Washington Capitals sniper Alexander Ovechkin, New Jersey Devils Ilya Kovalchuk as well as a handful of players form the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
"I think that after you play against them, you learn to respect the KHL players," said Canada coach Ken Hitchcock. "You really respect those guys, because they care deeply about success of their team and you can see it in their play."
When asked about Ovechkin's and Kovalchuk's scoreless performance in Slovakia so far, he just brushed that off.
"I don't care. Now it starts, they are playing at half speed, they will play on full speed on Thursday don't worry about that," said Hitchcock.
The elimination games will begin on Wednesday with title defending Czech Republic facing the United States, while Sweden will face Germany. Finland plays Norway in Thursday's other quarter-final.
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