A losing effort: Team Canada captain Joe Thornton scored the tying goal in regulation time, but couldn't pot one in the shootout en route to a shocking 3-2 loss in the much-ballyhooed Quebec-Canada simulation matchup. (Elsa/Getty Images)

It’s been hyped almost as much as the recent Liberal leadership convention. No, not how Belinda Stronach looks as a brunette, but which hockey team is better – a squad of Canadian-born players or Québec-born players.

The debate snaked its way back into our consciousness after well-known constitutional lawyer Guy Bertrand again pitched for a Québec team at the world hockey championship in 2008, a proposal that ignited a firestorm of controversy, particularly on CBC.ca. Your hundreds of responses to our recent Your View on the subject prompted Sports Online to examine which “nation” is actually the better hockey nation.

With a little help from our trusty Xbox 360 and NHL 2K7, we ran a simulated game between Team Canada and Team Québec. Which squad would come out on top?

Scoring Summary

1st Period
NO SCORING
Penalties:
CAN – B. Shanahan, interference, 18:41

2nd Period
1. QUE – J. Pominville (F. Beauchemin, M. Ribeiro), 10:53
Penalties:
CAN – C. Pronger, interference, 0:36
CAN – P. Kariya, interference, 14:36
CAN – C. Pronger, interference, 14:36

3rd Period
2. CAN - D. Heatley (J. Thornton) 2:03
3. QUE – D. Briere (A. Tanguay) 9:38
4. CAN- J. Thornton (unassisted) 15:00
Penalties:
CAN – J. Sakic, roughing, 3:48
CAN – S. Souray, interference, 16:14
CAN – S. Niedermayer, interference, 19:38

Overtime
NO SCORING
Penalties:
None

Goalies:
CAN – M. Turco, 65 minutes, 29/31 saves, 2 goals against, 1.85 GAA
QUE – M. Brodeur, 64:20 minutes, 31/33 saves, 2 goals against, 1.87 GAA

Game Story:

Briere, Brodeur lift Quebec to national glory

Led by forward Daniel Briere and an outstanding goaltending performance by Martin Brodeur, Québec edged Canada 3-2 in a marathon sim shootout Wednesday at GM Place in Vancouver.

In front of a pro-Canadian crowd, the newly formed Québec squad donned their spanking-new royal blue jerseys with white accents on the sleeves and sides and used their speed and finesse to unsettle the heavy-footed Canadians for their first victory as a “nation.”

Each squad went through 12 shooters before a winner was declared. Québec’s 12th shooter, Ottawa Senators forward Antoine Vermette, put the blue and white on top after beating Canadian goaltender Marty Turco on the blocker side, leaving the game up to Canada’s final shooter, defenceman Rob Blake.

But Blake’s wrist shot couldn’t beat Martin Brodeur’s cat-like glove. As the New Jersey Devils netminder snagged the puck, his teammates skated down the ice and swarmed him, while the Canadians hung their heads on the player’s bench.

It was a thrilling end to the contest, which Canada was heavily favoured to win.

Briere led the way for Québec, scoring a goal and drawing four penalties in the game, while Brodeur finished with 31 saves. Jason Pominville had the other Québec goal in regulation, while team captain Vincent Lecavalier and Pierre-Marc Bouchard had the goals in the shootout.

Joe Thornton, who wore the "C" for the Canadian squad, scored the tying goal in the third and added an assist. Thornton’s linemate Dany Heatley also scored for Canada, while Turco sparkled in a losing cause, making 29 saves.

Paul Kariya and Jason Spezza were the only Canadians to beat Brodeur in the shootout.

The game was scoreless for more than 30 minutes until Pominville put Québec ahead 1-0 at 10:53 of the second. Francois Beauchemin started off a rush behind the goal and found Mike Ribeiro streaking up the right side. Ribeiro beat his check and laid a soft pass in front to Pominville, who was trailing the play. The Buffalo Sabres winger wired a slap shot by a helpless Turco for the lead.

Canada didn’t get on the scoreboard until the third period, but carried its share of momentum into the final frame after killing off a pivotal 5-on-3 near the end of the second. Briere drew not one, but two interference penalties on the same play, putting Paul Kariya and Chris Pronger in the box.

Turco was a wall in goal, however, frustrating Lecavalier twice in front and kicking away a dangerous point shot by Patrice Brisebois off a faceoff.

Québec’s speed proved to be a huge problem for the Canadian team. Les bleu et blanc kept the majority of the possession, cycling the puck well in the Canadian zone. The Canucks tried to slow the blue and white down, but in turn ended up taking undisciplined penalties. Six of their seven infractions were for interference.

Veteran Joe Sakic was overheard talking to penalized Brendan Shanahan in the opening period, telling him “we need to be more disciplined.” Sakic didn’t heed his own advice in the third period, however, when he took a roughing penalty against former Colorado teammate Alex Tanguay.

Fortunately for the Canadians, Québec went 0-for-7 with the man advantage. Québec managed to stay out of the penalty box all night.

Heatley put Canada on the scoreboard with the goal of the game 2:03 into the third period. He took a pass from Thornton down low near the right corner, streaked past two Québec players, stick-handled in front of Brodeur and roofed the puck top shelf on the glove side.

Québec bounced back with Briere’s goal just over seven minutes later and appeared to be carrying the momentum, especially after Simon Gagne’s huge open-ice hit on Spezza, but Thornton quashed their momentum with his unassisted marker with five minutes left in regulation.

The San Jose Sharks star hopped on a bouncing puck, skated past Québec defenceman Philippe Boucher of the Dallas Stars and beat Brodeur to tie the game and send the GM Place fans into a frenzy.

Despite the scoring outbreak in the third, this was very much a goaltender’s duel between Brodeur and Turco, former Canadian Olympic teammates.

While Brodeur was busy robbing Jarome Iginla, Eric Staal and Ryan Smyth, Turco was thwarting the likes of Briere, Lecavalier and power forward Steve Bernier of the San Jose Sharks.