Die Schweizer Nationalmannschaft gehörte zu den beeindruckenden Überraschungen bei der Eishockey WM in Moskau und St. Petersburg. Unter anderem siegten die Eidgenossen gegen die einstmals übermächtige russische Sbornaja. Klaus Zaugg, der Schweizer Kult-Journalist, erklärt, wie dies geschehen konnte

Has the perfect hockey game ever been played?
I think the Swiss played the perfect game against the Russians. Their 3-2 win is the biggest upset in the history of the World Championships since Polen beat the Russians 6-4 in 1976 in the opening game.

Why was it possible?
Because the Russians had the superstars, the big money and their fans in the stands. But the Swiss had a team. And they ware to able to skate with the Russians. They danced with them on the edge of a Swiss army knife.

In the good old days, the Russians were so fast they could not even see the Swiss players in the rear view mirror when they cruised through the international tournaments.
Now, they can see the Swiss players in the passing lane and they can't always keep up. Goalie Reto Pavoni, who turned away all shots from Pavel Bure Wednesday night, joked: "I dont think Bure is really faster than Felix Hollenstein."

Hollenstein, now 34, is a former national team player and the captain of Pavoni's club team, Kloten. The secret of Swiss hockey is skating. The new generation of players learned how to skate and they have no more respect when they play the big names of international hockey. Most of them played more than 100 games with five different junior national teams against the Czechs, Russians, Swedes and Finns. They know they can win.

When you talk to an NHL scout and you tell him something about a small, fast-skating Swiss player with soft hands and great hockey sense, he is not interested. But when you tell them you've got a candidate for the Roberto Duran Award with stone hands, no hockey sense and no speed but lots of size, he will write the name in his notebook and start thinking about a first round draft pick.

The junior program in Switzerland with less than 5000 juniors produces players who are dancing with the Russian bear. The junior programs in Canada with more than 50,000 players can't do that. Because in their view, size and toughness is all and speed is nothing.

But in tomorrow's world of international hockey, only speed kills.