Brent Sutter understands the end of his unbelievable journey is near.
And though he's not about to stray from his customary one-game-at-a-time approach, the head coach of Canada's Super Series squad is definitely going to be soaking everything in during the coming week, including tonight (7 p.m., TSN) at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg as the eight-game series celebrating the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series continues with Game 5.
As of next week, Sutter -- who boasts a perfect 16-0 record as the head coach of three Canadian junior teams -- will shift his focus to the professional ranks as the new bench boss of the New Jersey Devils.
"I know my situation," said Sutter, who also led Canada to perfect records and gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships. "I really enjoyed the four games over in Russia. I know that I have four more games to coach right now in junior hockey, at the highest level and coaching the best players in our country and coaching against the No. 1 rival of us and that's Russia.
"Then I move on. I'm looking forward for New Jersey to get here and focusing on that but right now I have a job to do here and I've kept my focus as best as I can."
As for this series, Sutter says it hasn't been nearly as easy as it looks.
"No, I'm not surprised that we've played as well as we have because the kids bought into it," said Sutter. "We're playing a very good team and they are going to play their best hockey here. They've got a lot of pride too. I don't think people understand how well you have to play to beat them.
"Every game gets bigger and bigger, no matter whether you are up 4-0 or down 4-0. Next game is your biggest game. We want to do well here in these four games and I want these kids to give everything they've got every night and play it like it's the last time they're going to be wearing that (Canadian) jersey."
Russian head coach Sergei Nemchinov refused to point fingers when asked if his goalies needed to come up with more big saves.
"To win games, we need everybody to be better," said Nemchinov. "Not only the goaltender, the defencemen or forwards. To beat this team, we have to be very disciplined and eliminate the mistakes we've been making."
REALLY SPECIAL: Special teams have been key to Canada jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the series.
Canada has successfully killed off the last 32 penalties in the series and has given up just one goal in 35 chances during the series.
"Our penalty kill has been outstanding and we've killed off some huge 5-on-3's," said Sutter. "The kids have adjusted to each other really quickly and became a team really quickly. It says a lot about them. They've accepted the structure and the discipline of how we want to play as a team."
On the flipside, Canada is 6-for-36 with the man advantage through the first four games.
NEXT UP: Sutter plans to stick with his strategy of rotating goalies and that means that Jonathan Bernier will be between the pipes tonight for the Red and White.
Bernier, a first round (11th overall) pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, is the brother of sometime Manitoba Moose forward Marc-Andre Bernier and can't wait to play in the MTS Centre.
"It's exciting to be playing in Canada and I'm going to try to do my best," said Jonathan Bernier, who played in Canada's 6-2 win in Game 2.
HEAD COUNT: As of last night, more than 12,500 tickets had been sold for tonight's game with more than 13,000 fans expected to attend.
