TORONTO _ Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has two Olympic gold medals and three Stanley Cup championships he will always cherish.
But there is one memory on the international stage that Toews tried to bury before it came to the forefront of his mind Friday _ a loss to Russia in the 2008 world championships in Canada.
"I remember the celebration. That was not fun to watch, especially on home ice," Toews said. "It was just a couple unfortunate bounces. ... That was a pretty good team. It was almost a great preview of what our Olympic team (would) look like (in 2010), so it's tough to lose that one. But at the same time, it was a good learning experience."
Toews recalled the memory because Russia and Canada will renew their rivalry Saturday in the semifinals of the World Cup of Hockey. The two haven't had a prime showdown since the quarterfinals of the 2010 Olympics.
Saturday's game will pit Toews and goaltender Corey Crawford against Hawks teammates Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov. In another salivating matchup for hockey fans, it also pits the Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin against the Penguins' Sidney Crosby.
Toews leads the tournament with three goals, and he expects some of his teammates to break out beginning Saturday. Even though Canada is the favorite, the Canadians aren't assuming they will waltz to a title.
"Everyone wants to talk as if we're just cakewalking through every game. I wouldn't say that's necessarily the case," Toews said. "Even if you're up in games, you're never comfortable. You're never feeling like you have it in the bag, and we don't want to go forward thinking we're too good, either, because that's the first thought that's going to cause a huge problem."
