U.S. stuns Canada with Olympic hockey win

[Zeppo]

U.S. stuns Canada with Olympic hockey win

The Americans didn’t believe in miracles. They just believed.

And they pulled off the biggest Olympic hockey upset since the Miracle on Ice, stunning Canada 5-3 on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals of an already mixed-up tournament.

Brian Rafalski scored two goals, Ryan Miller held off a flurry of shots and the Americans quieted a raucous, pro-Canada crowd that came to cheer its dream team, only to see it upstaged by a bunch of unproven kids.

One day short of the 30th anniversary of the country’s greatest hockey victory—the unfathomable win over the Soviet Union in Lake Placid—these underrated Americans were faster, more disciplined and more determined than Canada’s collection of all-stars.

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[Mosiah]

...only to see it upstaged by a bunch of unproven kids.

They always need to throw that in. Even when they took the college basketball players to the Olympics, somehow they tried to make it seem like they were usng some U-16 team, when the NCAA is the second best b-ball league in the world!

[Bruce]

Where Does This Idiot Get His Info From?

First, I am ****************ed because NBC relegated the broadcast of the game to MSNBC, which I do not recieve. No wonder why NBC expects to lose $200 million on the Winter Olympics.

Second, the USA squad is no bunch of "unproven kids". They play in the same National Hockey League as the Canadians.

In hockey, a hot goaltender can literally steal a game, a playoff series, or a tournament such as the Olympics. Six teams: Canada, USA, Finland, Sweden, Russia, and the Czech Republic, have NHL goalies good enough to steal a game.

[Mosiah]

thanks, bruce!

by the way, is this the worst covered winter olympics in years?

[Bruce]

I wouldn't say "worst covered." I would say "packed with the most fluff".

The RCMP is a fine organization, but who wants to look inside their basic training academy?

[Bruce]

First Round Elimination Pairings

All 12 teams made the playoffs. I thought the previous version of the International Hockey League was bad.

The official Vancover Olympics Website doesnt have the exact pairings with dates and times.

(1) USA, (2) Sweden, (3) Russia and (4) Finland, bye.

(5) Czech Republic vs. (12) Latvia
(6) Canada vs (11) Germany
(7) Slovakia vs. (10) Norway
(8) Switzerland vs. (9) Belarus

This is where things get serious. Win or go home. One bad shift, one bad bounce of the puck, or a stupid penalty could cost a medal.

I do not expect to see any upsets in the first round. However, I do expect to see Canada back in the final four and possibly playing for a gold medal. The top six teams are so close, anything can happen, but Canada is the home team.

[Hortical]

So it looks like this is likely Russia vs Canada in the semis, USA vs Swiss etc?

[Bruce]

If the favorites win, then you are correct. In my opinion, USA, Canada, Russia, and Sweden are so close in talent, any one of them could win the gold medal.

To use horse track terminology, Finland and Czech Republic are dark horses, and the others are "also rans".

[Willi]

True words Bruce.

Also, until a team is out...then it aint over!

[OJ]

Canada is playing tight. A function of playing at home with a load of expectations.

[Bruce]

The "favorites" have won all three games played until now.

Canada 8, Germany 2

Switzerland 3, Belarus 2 (shootout)

Czech Republic 5, Latvia 2

Slovakia vs. Norway, later

[Dunny]

Canada's favourite son Sidney Crosby enabled the ice hockey team to put the crowning finish on the host nation's Winter Olympic campaign with the sudden death overtime winning goal that secured a 3-2 victory over the USA.
It was their 14th gold medal of the Games and makes them the most successful host nation in history.

After a final weekend of action in Vancouver and Whistler had brought gold in the men's curling, three in short track speed skating and another in snowboarding, Canada also got to salute the one victory that meant most to the hockey-mad hosts and fittingly the winner came from Crosby.

Just a few hours before the closing ceremony at nearby BC Place, Canada Hockey Place had erupted into noisy celebration as goals from Jonathan Toews in the first period and Corey Perry in the second put the home side in front in a tight encounter against the American underdogs.


Champion feeling: Canada celebrate their dramatic overtime defeat of the USA in the men's ice hockey final

Ice cool: Canada's goalkeeper Roberto Luongo milks the applause of a jubilant home crowd

Then came the fightback as USA's Ryan Kesler scored late in the second to bring the score to 2-1 and set up a nailbiting third and final period that saw Canada forced to defend for long spells as the Americans went in search of an equaliser.

They got it with 24 seconds left, through Zach Parise to send the game into sudden-death overtime, only for Crosby to grab the glory seven-and-a-half minutes in.

The USA had been chasing its first men's ice hockey gold medal since the 'Miracle' team of 1980 defeated the Soviet Union en route to a gold-medal victory over Finland at Lake Placid, while the Canadians were looking to repeat their victory over USA in the 2002 final in Salt Lake City.

In their preliminary round encounter, Canada had been put on the back foot early by an American goal after just 40 seconds but the first clear-cut shot of the game came into the fifth minute, Canadian forward Jonathan Toews flashing the puck across the USA goal.

Canada goalkeeper Roberto Luongo was next to come under pressure as Ryan Malone had a chance blocked at the other end but the first goal came at the other end after 12 minutes and 50 seconds when USA keeper Ryan Miller blocked a shot from Mike Richards only for the puck to fall in front of Toews who blasted home from the rebound.

Some US frustration surfaced quickly as Bobby Ryan was sent to the penalty box for two minutes for tripping after up-ending Deny Heatley but the Canadians could not take advantage of the power play and the Americans went in at the end of the first period trailing 1-0.

There was some desperate US defending at start of second after Malone went to the penalty box for high sticking but again Miller and his defencemen held firm during the power play.


Match winner: Sidney Crosby's overtime goal brings home fans to their feet but opposition goalkeepr Ryan Miller (right) to his knees

Eric Staal was the first Canadian to go in soon after, for interference, and this time the Americans could not make their numerical advantage tell. Canada went back to full strength to huge cheers and the home side went straight onto the offensive, Ryan Getzlaf going close.

The momentum stayed with Canada and Getzlaf forced the issue, cutting back from the left for Corey Perry to shoot high into the net past Miller for a 2-0 lead seven minutes into the period.

The stadium scoreboard asked the fans inside Canada Hockey Place to 'Make Some Noise' but there was really no need as they celebrated Perry's fourth goal of the tournament.

Canada continued to pressure their rivals and when Miller, the American hero in the 5-3 preliminary round win, spilled another shot play was halted as they bore down on his goal pushing the net off its anchors.


Carnage: United States were forced to defend desperately at times as Canada heaped presure on the underdogs

The break in play seemed to suit the Americans and soon after, the USA got a goal back as Patrick Kane centred to Ryan Kesler whose shot came off Vancouver team-mate Luongo's body and hit the net.

For the rest of the period it was all Canada as Rick Nash brought a save out of Miller from long-range and then passed to Staal from behind the goal line for another blocked shot to give the USA plenty to think about ahead of the final period.

Inevitably, it was the USA forwards that upped the tempo in the last 20 minutes but Canada defended successfully in numbers and when their defensive line was breached, Luongo made two key saves.

The more the USA pushed, the more the game opened up and Canada's star man Crosby had a chance to finish the game when he broke away with the puck on the red line only to lose his one-on-one duel with Miller.

USA made one last rally for a leveller, taking Miller out of goal for a six-man assault on Luongo's goal with 1:27 left. The gamble worked as Joe Pavelski forced a parry out of Luongo, Kane firing the puck back into the crease from where captain Jamie Langenbrunner pushed it to Zach Parise for the equaliser with just 24 seconds to go.

With 20 minutes of sudden-death overtime ahead and a 15-minute interval, Canada regrouped and came out attacking with Jarome Iginla and Crosby both forcing saves from close range and Nash testing Miller from further out.

Pavelski went close at the other end but back came the Canucks and it was Crosby, fed by Iginla, who grabbed the winner to send Canada into raptures.