Given the hoopla surrounding the previous USA-Canada match-up, I, like many fans, looked forward to another exceptional game and some great Olympic hockey. I was not disappointed. It almost made up for missing the first game.
Canada must have been completely surprised and humiliated by the 5-3 beating they took in the preliminaries, because after a tentative start, they came on like gangbusters; taking control and shooting well.
After Canada hammered at US goalie Ryan Miller for a while, Johnathan Toews scored the 1st goal for Canada. During this tournament, the first team to score has been the one to win, so it didn’t look good for the US. In the second period, Corey Perry broke free and caught the US defense looking, scoring another for Canada.
The US finally got one in with 7 minutes left in the 2nd. Ryan Kesler got the deflection past Canada’s goalie, Roberto Luongo.
I was watching the game with a friend (he’s not a huge hockey fan) and at 3 minutes to go in the third period he commented it was pretty much over. I replied that three minutes was a lot for hockey; anything can happen. I made a good call on that one. The US bore down on Canada, ruthlessly pressing to gain an advantage. Then, with only 24 seconds to go Zach Parise got an opportunity and shot around Luongo to tie it up and put the game into sudden-death overtime.
With the four-on-four instead of the full team it seemed like the play was slower again, each team carefully searching for an opening, curbing the previous aggression. The fevered press by the USA that got the last goal was replaced with a focus on defense. Canada attempted more shots, and closer in. The US attempts were further away and less frequent.
The incredible game ended when Canadian star Sidney Crosby slipped the puck through Miller’s legs scoring for the win. The Canadian crowd went wild, the celebration beginning. Ryan Miller fell forward on the ice, hopes for gold crushed.
Though I would have preferred to see Team USA bring home the gold, it was a great game; exciting to watch, interesting to talk about. I’m glad I was able to catch this one.
