Today is the 30th anniversary of the 1980 USA men’s hockey team’s “Miracle on Ice” win over the top-ranked then-USSR in Lake Placid that paved their way to beat Finland in the finals and win the gold medal.
So I enjoyed Team USA 2010′s 5-3 win over Canada tonight in Vancouver because I am all for the home team, especially when they play a game so incredibly worth watching, but also because I thought the timing was fairly perfect.
It was clear from the sea of red and white in the stands in the arena tonight that Canada’s powerful national hockey heart was in this game. But Team USA clearly had their collective heads and skill sets in it and Canada actually played some sloppy hockey at crunch time, especially considering the level of talent on their roster. And to give credit where it is most obviously due, USA Goalie Ryan Miller, who has a little day job with the Buffalo Sabres, was a beast who played like he had no intention whatsoever of losing. He made 42 saves to Team Canada goalie (and New Jersey Devil and kind of a big deal in general) Martin Brodeur’s 17, proving once again that it doesn’t matter how many shots you take – it matters how many go in.
Profound insight, yes. I’m sure that’s why you came here.
Much is being made of the relative youth of the U.S. team, although an average age of 25 just doesn’t seem that young to me. Adjectives like “gritty” and “scrappy” and “raw” and “new” are being thrown around in articles and interviews. But sometimes you just play better and that’s how it shakes out.
The NHL Olympics hiatus disrupts the regular season, sure – especially for people like, oh, yeah, me, who has not a single touchstone Washington Capital on Team USA (or Canada, for that matter. Mike Green’s probably all “how ya like me now, EH?”) and dreads a USA/Russia match wherein I will indeed hope that Alex Ovechkin has a bad night. But it is kind of a kick to see national mashups of players who try to beat each other on any given NHL night working together for the win. And quite simply this was great hockey, well played – a fast game without a lot of crazy penalties in a pumped arena. It made me love a game I love even more, and I think if I didn’t already I’d understand why people do.
USA now heads straight from these preliminary games to the quarterfinals, while Canada’s loss means they have to play Germany in a classification game tomorrow to advance. And if they win, which they are likely to do? They play Russia. Meaning? Canada’s Sidney Crosby (and usual Pittsburgh Penguin) vs. the aforementioned Ovechkin. In the Olympics.
I’ll just leave it at that for now.
Well played, Team USA. Really.
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Well put, Laurie. You underestimate your level of profundity. I remember where I was in 1980 and was feeling the vibe. I like that we can root for the same team, if only for a couple of weeks. (Still working on Oliver…he’s all about the Crosby just now.)