Canada takes Bronze in sledge hockey finals

In a rematch with Norway, Canada claimed the bronze medal in sledge hockey this afternoon, in a 3-0 score.

Team Canada came back with a vengeance at Shayba Arena after a heartbreaking loss to Team USA on Thursday. They did not allow the Norwegians to dominate the game, even in a scoreless first period.

The game caught fire when forward Brad Bowden scored the first goal 30 seconds into the second period. Canada upped the intensity when Billy Bridges got the second goal during a power play midway through the game. Bridges also scored the final goal during the third period.

Bridges, it should be noted, is the all-time leading point-getter in Canadian sledge hockey.

Canada goal Corbin Watson spent most of the game worry-free, as most of the play occurred near Norway's end of the ice. He finished the game with 10 saves to post the shutout.

Norway's loss today means it is the first time they have failed to medal since sledge hockey was introduced to the Paralympics in 1994. That year it was played in the Norwegian city of Lillehammer.

In other sledge hockey action, the US team won gold in a 1-0 final against the hosts Russia. This makes the US team back-to-back Paralympic champions.

A bittersweet victory to be sure, the Canadian team have no need to feel ashamed. They are a young team with a bright future.

You can watch this game in its entirety below.

Canada's sledge hockey team battles Norway to a 4-0 win

Canada's sledge hockey team roared back to the Shayba Arena this morning to defeat one of their fiercest rivals in a 4-0 game.

Norway was the team who prevented Canada from earning a medal at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver. The Canadian squad stepped their game up defensively today, and managed to keep it scoreless through the first period.

Then, at the top of the second period, Dominic Larocque scored the game's first goal. It's his third of the tournament. Laroque seized the opportunity to score when Norwegian forward Ole Bjarte Austevoll took a penalty.

Adam Dixon, who CBC Sports analyst Rob Snoek nicknamed 'Duck Dynasty' for his long, shaggy beard, scored the other two goals before the end of the third period. (Dixon scored two goals and two assists against Sweden yesterday.)

The most spectacular goal by far was the last one scored by Marc Dorion in the final 22 seconds of the game. It was his first goal of the tournament.

With today's second win, the Canadian team tops the Group A standings, with 6 points. The United States leads Group B.

Canada has Monday off before facing the Czech Republic on Tuesday. The Czechs are currently the second-place team in Group A.