This game is for the gold medal, Jeremy Roenick just declared it’s the biggest hockey game ever. It’s a big game, symbolizing a lot in the hockey world. I am going to break this game down as I watch in what I hope can provide an entertaining and funny recap of this great game. Enjoy.
FIRST PERIOD
3:07 USA’s captain Jamie Langenbrunner gets interviewed saying how his team plans on being in Canada’s face. I love it. Bring the pressure, be physical and win this damn thing.
3:11 They just showed the clips of the 1980 Miracle team. Is it possible to not get chills when watching that? It’s amazing what was going on between the two countries, think about it. Not only were we in war with them (because lets face it if this game was between USA and the fierce trio of Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan today, it just wouldn’t be the same), USSR was supposed to be so much better than the US but we beat them with young talent, and heart. Hmm.. Sounds like what we are trying to do today..
3:14 Mike Millbury on the mic.. hold your breath.. starts talking about football.. no racist stuff yet.. finishes strong says the US will “not stand back”.
3:17 Love the intense Versus hockey commercial where: The kid pretends to be Chara and shoots the slap shot into the dryer machine, people are pushing their friends (one checks his friend into a store window, the other knocks over pop corn on the couch), I love hockey.
3:20 Here we go, Canada wins the first face off… Little disappointed that USA isn’t wearing the white classic Uni’s… that’d make it even more memorable but we are the higher seed, wearing the dark sweaters, trying to create our own memories.
3:22 Canada is playing fast and physical early, putting bodies on bodies and flying around.
3:24 USA gets a nice little push with Parise bouncing one off the back boards.. Luongo hasn’t lost a game in this arena since Jan. 11th.. check, please!
3:26 USA is peppering Luongo, trying to squeeze one in, this game is going to be back and fourth.
3:31 Canada has two shots, the USA has one. Brooks Orpik layin’ the wood, he’s a BC grad. Nash takes a nice shot after a broken stick, Miller is solid in net though.
3:33 Even Neidemeyer trying to be physical. I bet Orr would be better if Neidemeyer can be that good that old.
3:34 After a nice take from Dustin Brown, the US crashes the net. We should have put it home.. Can’t let those opportunities slip alway. Put the biscuit in the basket!
3:36 Nearly 12 minutes into the game.. and no TV time outs. I like it, I love hockey. They just showed the replay of how close the puck was from going in. I know it’s the Olympics, but someone has to deck Luongo to get that puck in the net, if they blow it dead afterwards, so be it, but that puck has to go in.
3:37 Miller is a doing well, the Crosby-Iglinla line is giving him some pressure, he’s handling it well. D needs to lock up..
3:39 Shit. Toews puts it home on a great rebound. The US looked too scattered on D there. Canada has been taking turn around snap-shots all game, it was only a mattter of time. We need to get it going here.
3:42 Bobby Ryan going to the box. This isn’t good, it would have been nice to get the equalizer before the break, now we have to kill a penalty against an explosive Canada team. Great.
3:45 We kill the power-play nice save by Miller on a good backhand from Staal. Time to regroup, get the offense going, and bring more pressure.
3:50 Kesler with a big hit, as I explain to my roommate that no, “you can’t hit them when ever you want” only when they have the puck, or else it’s interference. Hey, that’s what I’m here for, to help. Kesler has been a blast to watch I love watching him play.
3:52 The USA had an opportunity late, but couldn’t close. Things got a little chippy as the buzzer sounded between Orpik/ Johnson vs. the Canadiens. Orpik has looked like he’s been itching to drop the gloves all tournament long.
First Period Analysis
This is going to be tough. Canada’s game plan defensively is to bail so every time we dump the puck and chase, they are already back handling the puck and looking for an outlet at center ice. It’s going to be tough. After seeing the USA get heated after the end of the period, I feel a little optimistic. Not guaranteeing a victory, just saying that they are at least going to come out to play and be more hungry. The USA isn’t intimidated, they are going to be physical. It was a good first period, both goalies did a good job handling the pressure, we just need to focus even more on the offensive end. Pass, shoot, score. Pass, shoot, score! Let’s go boys!
SECOND PERIOD
4:07 Here we go, we need to get a power play or something to get the offense going.
4:08 The chant is “Ca-na-da”… sweet chant
4:10 Stupid high sticking penalty, we can’t do that.. I know we want to be aggressive but come on.
4:14 We survive the penalty kill for the second time, and go on our own power play. Hopefully we can finally set up the offense and get some good scoring opportunities.
4:16 We just got owned on our power play. They swatted everything right away and got rid of the puck. Getzlaf just had an awesome opportunity, Miller trying to be our savior… as Perry just nets his second. Damn it.
4:17 I don’t know. I’m not sure we can do it. We did not show up, there have been spurts of us making little runs, but we can’t make anything happen. I don’t know, it looks like the US will be getting the silver. Wow.
4:20 On the power-play. We need to set it up and not just take one shot, get people around the net and make something happen. Get opportunities. We can’t play in our end on the power-play!
4:23 Power play ends. We had some good opportunities in the second half of it, the first half was ugly. We need to score before the beginning of the third.
4:24 Wow. Players are starting to get chippy as people are crashing the net. We saw it during the power-play, and now Canda just crashed the net after they nearly squeaked in another goal.
4:26 The announcers are talking about our focus, our intensity. We do need to find something to build off of, which would be a goal. Come on let us get one and it’s a new game!
4:27 That is exactly what we needed to do! It looks like Kesler got a piece of Kane’s wrist s
hot. We need t
o send bodies and make Luongo nervous. It’s a new game.
hot. We need t
o send bodies and make Luongo nervous. It’s a new game.
4:29 Nice opportunity for Parise. Tried to go five-hole, had a tough angle and nothing to really do there. Nice chance, we just need to keep getting them.
4:32 Just making a bold statement when the opportunity was there to present itself.. Canada is supposed to be “hockey country”.. If this game was played in the USA, the crowd would be way more intimidating, way louder, and way more wreckless. Just sayin’.
4:36 USA is playing some real hockey crashing the net and getting scoring opportunities. Canada just had one of their own Staal just had a crazy pop-up back hand, luckily Miller could get it.
4:37 Thornton’s spin-around back hand right there was the most athletic moment he has displayed since 1997. Nice job, Jumbo Joe!
4:40 An exciting end to the period. Kesler’s goal was huge for the US because it gives us some light. We need to start using our speed more, as we did late in the period. Use their aggressive fore-checking to our advantage to start getting some more breaks.
Second Period Analysis
We are OK. We have a shot here people. We need to just keep pressuring Luongo, keep peppering him with shots and things will work out. Most of Canada’s opportunities that period were on long passes and odd man rushes, which is a good sign. As long as Miller continues to play out of his mind, like he has all tournament long, the USA could have their second ‘Miracle’ on our hands.
THIRD PERIOD
5:04 Sorry for the delay, things happen. As the clock ticks and USA’s chances dwindle.. I nervously watch the Canada team cycle through our zone.
5:07 Nash is so good. He is in the upper-echelant of the NHL. He just had a nice quick snap-shot and Miller made the mistake of playing the puck out, luckily it worked out OK.
5:09 Jumbo Joe kicked out of a face-off. Eassyyy buddy.
5:11 Nice little stretch for the USA. Had some nice opportunities, but need to get traffic out front of the net. As they show the replay of Miller’s amazing run, it can’t be stressed enough how amazing he has been throughout this Olympics.
5:13 USA is creating opportunities. Looked like we just had a nice opportunity but there was an offside called as Kane took it into the net.
5:17 With five minutes to play the USA is throwing everything they can on net. Sticks are being broken, bodies are being tossed, the USA is putting forward it’s best effort to tie this game.
5:18 Need to crash the net hard, this is our last final push before we have to pull Miller. We need opportunities, and need to keep crashing the net to try to create second and third opportunities.
5:22 Crosby just missed a break-away opportunity. In what seemed like would put the final nail in the coffin for USA, Miller makes the save.
5:23 Late call blows the USA’s rush. Face-off coming for the high stick call. Icing call, face-off will be taken in the Canada zone.
5:24 USA wants this. Miller goes to the net giving the USA another skater, USA has probably its best opportunity of the game and just cannot score the goal.
5:25 USA calls a time-out to draw up a play, this is huge. Getzlaf-Kesler, Canada clears it. 1 minute to play.
5:26 Face-off in Canada’s zone after the puck is knocked into the stands. Canada calls a time-out to give the USA another opportunity.
5:27 Ravelski is going to take it, it’s a scrum in the corner. Canada clears it but Refalski can play it.
5:28 I can’t even explain what just transpired in my dorm room. Scarce chants of “USA” flowing through the Vancouver crowd.
Third Period Analysis
Zach Parise. Wow. What a goal. That was exactly what the USA has needed to do all game, stay out in front of the net and put home the golden opportunities your granted with. Parise did just that, putting the USA in over-time. I can’t believe this. Do you believe in a 2010 miracle? Maybe. Let’s go.
Over-Time
This is huge. The USA is trying to win its first Gold Medal in hockey since 1980. That win was significant, this one would be huge. To beat Canada in Canada with rosters full of NHL players, some young and some old, would be a monumental thing for USA hockey.
5:45 You could cut the tension with a steak knife. This is sudden-death over-time against Canada. Long pass just misses the USA captain.
5:48 Canada is dominating the puck in our zone. It’s pretty scary when they have so many scorers who could end this.
5:51 Sorry for the lack of posts, I’m watching, and like many of you, I am praying Miller can continue this because he is getting peppered.
5:53 And just like that, it’s over. Wow.
You can’t say enough about the USA and Ryan Miller. We pushed them into Over-time, but couldn’t get it done. Now we have to watch the Canadians celebrate what could have been something so special. Sidney Crosby. Damn. Miller deserves the MVP of the tournament, he played his heart out. USA wanted this so bad. Hockey is back. I don’t know what to say, I just got punched in the gut by Canada. The only thing I will say is I hope Cherry, Melrose, and all the other Canada hockey lobbyists recognize the fight this USA team put up.
One Love.
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