Team USA was afforded a silver medal after a thrilling tournament in Vancouver. The red, white and blue skaters were clipped by Canada in overtime, 3-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby collected the game-winning goal in overtime for the host country. The closing ceremonies of the 2010 game followed shortly after Crosby beat Ryan Miller at 7:40 in the sudden death overtime. The 22 year old Stanley Cup winner hadn’t scored a point in more than three games, but was a mammoth factor in Sunday’s gold medal game.
The young Americans exceeded expectations at the Olympics. It was a monumental task for the USA to beat Canada twice in the one tournament. Ron Wilson’s American team was the youngest of any Olympic squad and really the surprise story of the games. Goalie Miller was awarded the tournament MVP and the team was 60 minutes from earning their first gold medal since the miracle in Lake Placid. Canada completed a remarkable renaissance of their own. After dropping a preliminary round game to the USA, 5-3, the Canadians surged to the final and capped it off by defeating an undefeated team. The Canadians had to win four games in six days. Sunday, they carried a 2-0 lead eight minutes into the second period. Blackhawks forward, Jonathan Toews, notched the first goal for Canada in the first period. Toews wristed in a rebound off Mike Richards’ shot at 12:50 to put the Canadians on board. Corey Perry followed with a snap past Miller at 7:13 of the second. Perry pounced on the puck intended for the USA’s Ryan Getzlaf. Canada outshot the Americans 10-8 in the opening frame and sustained little pressure through the first two periods.
Patrick Kane bolted toward the goal and flicked a low angle shot past Canada’s Roberto Luongo to trim the USA deficit to one in the third period. Ryan Kesler fed Kane the perfectly placed pass at 12:37 that made it a one goal game. The 21 year old Kane was stellar on defense after solving Luongo. He backchecked Crosby on a loose breakaway in the third period before the game’s eventual hero could fire a shot. The Canadians attacked hard and rattled shots off the post in the third period. The Americans remained aggressive and Miller continued to turn away shots. The Sabres netminder made 33 stops Sunday. Wilson pulled his goalie with 90 seconds to go in regulation. The frantic final minute featured an empty USA goal. Kane whirled a shot from behind Canada’s net that deflected off America’s captain, Jamie Langenbrenner. Forward, Zach Parise jumped on the rebound and found the net with 24 second remaining to tie the game at 2-2.
It seemed like team USA was headed to an outcome similar to 1980’s miracle over Russia. Canada has other things in mind as they outshot the Americans 7-4 in the extra session. Jarome Iginla tipped the puck to Crosby from the corner. The Penguins’ star hit a low and hard shot past Miller to set off a gold medal hockey celebration in Canada. The Olympic champions evaded and held off a fierce and vibrant team USA. They allowed a 2-0 lead vanish but withstood a determined American team. Luongo did not outplay Miller, but the Canadian backstop still made 34 saves and went 5-0 in the tournament. Sunday’s hockey gold was the eighth in Olympic history for team Canada.
Parting Points: Thank you Spartans for beating Purdue. Now, OSU has a shot at the Big 10 title with a victory Tuesday.
Monday tune- A truly American song- Blink 182’s “All the Small Things”
Speaking of small things--Happy St. David’s Day, Canada! (“do the little things”)
Showing posts with label USA hockey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA hockey. Show all posts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday Take-Twos (Hockey Happenings)
Team USA skated past a fundamentally-sound Swiss team to remain undefeated at the Vancouver games. The Americans outshot Switzerland 44-19 on route to a 2-0 win. Twenty-five year old New Jersey Devil, Zach Parise, scored both goals to help the USA advance to the semifinals. The top seeded Americans are 4-0 at the 2010 Olympics and two victories away from a gold medal. Team USA plays Finland on Friday.
Swiss backstop, Jonas Hiller, denied the USA with 42 saves. The left-handed Anaheim goalie allowed a goal in the third period off a Parise power play wrist shot to break the scoreless tie. The top-line forward sealed the game with his second goal, an empty-netter with eleven seconds remaining in regulation. The taut quarterfinal battle was a nerve-wracking and frustrating one for the Americans. Hiller smothered all U.S. attempts in the first two periods. Hiller dealt with shots, blasts and rebounds as the youthful US was unable to crack through with a goal. A team USA goal was disallowed because it came .1 second after the second period whistle. Parise finally solved Hiller’s brilliance by catching the talented netminder off balance. Ryan Miller, the American goalie from the Buffalo Sabres, was equally impressive. Miller made 19 saves in the stirring contest. Miller recorded the first American shutout in the Olympics since 2002.
Canada’s convincing and commanding 7-3 romping of rival Russia advances the host country to the semifinal round in men’s hockey. The world champion superpower Russians were dominated from start to finish in their quarterfinal contest with Canada. Ryan Getzlaf scored with two and a half minutes into the game to lift the Canadians to a 1-0 lead. The Russians notched their first goal off Roberto Luongo after Canada built a 3-0 advantage in the first. Canada’s Dan Boyle scored a goal and had two assists against his Anaheim teammate, goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Dimitri Kalinin sliced the Canadian lead to 3-1 with Russia’s first goal. Luongo replaced New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur after Canada fell to the Americans.
The Russians didn’t get many chances to fire shots because of the tight Canadian defense. The focused Canucks took advantage of Nabokov’s terrible goaltending. They increased their edge to 4-1 before the second period began before staging a four-goal win. Canada’s Brandon Morrow attacked the San Jose goalie for a soft goal to end the second period. Ilya Bryzgalov replaced Nabokov after Corey Perry and Shea Weber accounted for two more Canadian goals, for a 6-1 lead. Maxim Afinogenov responded with a Russian goal to pull his team within four of tying the score. Canada reestablished the five goal benefit on Perry’s second goal of the game. Sergei Gonchar slapped a shot past Luongo from the point to make it a 7-3 final. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were merely non-factors for their teams in the quarterfinal contest. Neither player had a point during the 10 goal affair. Luongo recorded 25 goals as the Canadians bounced back from a dismal defeat. The Russians were eliminated with the loss, and Canada goes on to face Slovakia. If both the USA and Canada advance on Friday, a rematch will be in order.
Parting Points: How does Pitt lose to Notre Dame without Luke Harangody?
Evan Turner rescues Ohio State by saving their bacon against Penn State. Gotta love #21.
Swiss backstop, Jonas Hiller, denied the USA with 42 saves. The left-handed Anaheim goalie allowed a goal in the third period off a Parise power play wrist shot to break the scoreless tie. The top-line forward sealed the game with his second goal, an empty-netter with eleven seconds remaining in regulation. The taut quarterfinal battle was a nerve-wracking and frustrating one for the Americans. Hiller smothered all U.S. attempts in the first two periods. Hiller dealt with shots, blasts and rebounds as the youthful US was unable to crack through with a goal. A team USA goal was disallowed because it came .1 second after the second period whistle. Parise finally solved Hiller’s brilliance by catching the talented netminder off balance. Ryan Miller, the American goalie from the Buffalo Sabres, was equally impressive. Miller made 19 saves in the stirring contest. Miller recorded the first American shutout in the Olympics since 2002.
Canada’s convincing and commanding 7-3 romping of rival Russia advances the host country to the semifinal round in men’s hockey. The world champion superpower Russians were dominated from start to finish in their quarterfinal contest with Canada. Ryan Getzlaf scored with two and a half minutes into the game to lift the Canadians to a 1-0 lead. The Russians notched their first goal off Roberto Luongo after Canada built a 3-0 advantage in the first. Canada’s Dan Boyle scored a goal and had two assists against his Anaheim teammate, goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Dimitri Kalinin sliced the Canadian lead to 3-1 with Russia’s first goal. Luongo replaced New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur after Canada fell to the Americans.
The Russians didn’t get many chances to fire shots because of the tight Canadian defense. The focused Canucks took advantage of Nabokov’s terrible goaltending. They increased their edge to 4-1 before the second period began before staging a four-goal win. Canada’s Brandon Morrow attacked the San Jose goalie for a soft goal to end the second period. Ilya Bryzgalov replaced Nabokov after Corey Perry and Shea Weber accounted for two more Canadian goals, for a 6-1 lead. Maxim Afinogenov responded with a Russian goal to pull his team within four of tying the score. Canada reestablished the five goal benefit on Perry’s second goal of the game. Sergei Gonchar slapped a shot past Luongo from the point to make it a 7-3 final. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were merely non-factors for their teams in the quarterfinal contest. Neither player had a point during the 10 goal affair. Luongo recorded 25 goals as the Canadians bounced back from a dismal defeat. The Russians were eliminated with the loss, and Canada goes on to face Slovakia. If both the USA and Canada advance on Friday, a rematch will be in order.
Parting Points: How does Pitt lose to Notre Dame without Luke Harangody?
Evan Turner rescues Ohio State by saving their bacon against Penn State. Gotta love #21.
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