International Hockey

Given the United States' performance in Vancouver, there are a couple questions that require some attention and answers:

1.) Are the Americans the new favorites to win gold?

2.) Is Ryan Miller the best goaltender in the world?

After an impressive 2-0 shut out Wednesday against the Swiss, the second question is causing quite the conversation.

Now that the USA (4-0 for the first time) is in the "Final Four" of the Olympic tournament, the former Michigan State Spartan and Hobie Baker Award winner Ryan Miller will get to strut his stuff for the globe to see.

Miller, 29, has been anchoring the NHL's Buffalo Sabres for six years. The 2010 games in Vancouver are his first go in the Olympics, and he's shining brighter than the snow that covers Whistler.

Miller ranks in the top 10 in every pertinent NHL goaltender statistic: seventh in wins with 30, second in goals against with a paltry 2.16 average, second in save percentage (.930), and fifth in shutouts with five. More importantly, he's keeping the state-siders in medal contention.

Impressive numbers, but there's one accolade that Miller is capable of attaining that would cement his name in the "world's best net-minder" conversation: bringing home a gold medal for the first time since the famed "1980 Miracle On Ice."

Early on, the uber-talented, deep, and experienced Canadians were the front-runners to don the gold medal around their necks on the winners' podium in Vancouver. It would appear that the tide is changing, and the No. 2 team (USA) is forging ahead like a speeding locomotive—thanks to the on-loan Sabres gate-keep.

The USA has struggled a bit offensively at times—Miller's breathtaking display between the pipes has kept it competitive. He's given up just five goals in four games, three of which were to Canada.

Without Miller, the United States wouldn't have half a chance to beat a team that boasts such talent as Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Philadelphia's Chris Pronger, and San Jose's Dany Heatley.

Crosby is tied for the most goals in the NHL with Washington's Alex Ovechkin, and "The Kid" would love to put a few pucks past Miller should he be given the chance.

The list of Canadian superstars goes on and on—our neighbors to the north are stacked at every position. 

Are the Americans the new favorite?

Can they beat the juggernaut Canadian Dream Team?

The Americans have already knocked it down once (5-3), but it's likely going to take another round with Goliath to get the job done.

Perhaps Olympic hockey fanatics will have to wait until the gold medal game to have their suspicions satisfied. You can bet your bottom dollar that Miller will have something to say come go-time.

Many people are comparing the USA's 5-3 win over Canada in Olympic Men's Hockey last Sunday to the original "Miracle on Ice" 1980 USA Olympic victory over the USSR. And although last Sunday's game was an exciting upset, it hardly holds up to one of the greatest sports moments in the history of the United States.

Sure, there are several similarities between the two games. The United States pulled off a big upset in both, the Canadians, like the 1980 Russian team, were/are considered favorites to win it all, and the US won by outskating/outworking their opponents, as well as fantastic goaltending.

That is where the similarities end, however.

Here are the reasons that the "Miracle on Ice 2" labels are completely inappropriate, presented in list form:

1) The USA team is made up of professional hockey players, unlike the 1980's team, which was comprised of a bunch of unknown college kids

2) Although Canada is a veritable All-Star team of the NHL's best talent, they haven't played together for as long as the USSR team had, and weren't considered unbeatable

3) The U.S. isn't on the brink of war with Canada (yet).

Tensions had just reached a boiling point between the United States and the USSR when the Lake Placid Olympics took place, as the Soviets were invading Afghanistan at the time—giving the upset a much larger significance.

4) And, most importantly, the United States-Canada game was NOT in a medal round. Unlike the 1980 game, which was in the semifinals (the US would go on to beat Finland for the gold), the "Miracle on Ice 2" was in the preliminary round. That means that Canada can still win a gold medal, and the U.S. might come away empty handed!

So, the comparisons to the Miracle on Ice are a little unfounded, but that is no reason to stop watching these Olympic Hockey games.

The United States looked fantastic against Canada, which goes to show that teamwork is more valuable than talent in the long run.

The U.S. will next face Switzerland, who they beat 3-1 in the prelims, this afternoon at 12:00 in a quarterfinal game.

Canada won their last game against Germany 8-2, so the stage is set for a rematch.

Another win over Canada would be huge, as they consider hockey to be "their game". Imagine a team from Canada coming over and beating our Super Bowl champions at football. That is the type of humiliation that Canadians feel when the U.S. beats their hockey team.

Although the last outing may not have been a Miracle on Ice moment, these Olympic Hockey game are some of the most exciting in recent memory, and if the U.S. can continue winning, we can finally shut up the haters who don't respect American hockey.

Let me say from the outset that I love Canada.  It's a beautiful country with great people.  They also have The Great One, Quebec, and arguably the most stirring national anthem in the world, O Canada—en français, of course.

The North American sports media needs to stop giving Canada more credit for its alleged ice hockey superiority than it deserves, given its play in international competitions. ESPN hockey expert Barry Melrose (a Canadian I like because he coached the Kings during the Gretzky era) provided more excuses for Canada’s loss to the United States on Sunday night than he did credit the American players' win. 

Many so-called experts said that this USA team was not supposed to beat Canada. Some in the major sports media even dared to raise the question of comparisons to the "Miracle on Ice" which I found to be absolutely baseless and ridiculous.  Don’t even go there!

The United States is not some second rate hockey nation. It has a very respectable history when you take into account the diversity, and popularity of other sports in the country while still enjoying our past success in international competitions. This now extends to our win against Canada on its home ice.

The National Hockey League is only viable because of the support it receives from American hockey fans with 24 of 30 franchises based in the United States.

Even taking into account Canada's smaller population, the fact that hockey is the winter national sport of Canada while the sport struggles to compete in an ultra-competitive landscape in the United States leads me to believe the breakdown should be more like 20 teams in the United States, and 10 in Canada. That just tells you the kind of support Americans have given to the sport.

The Canadians are a very humble and kind people that have an admittedly overbearing, sometimes arrogant, but friendly neighbor in the United States.  Smaller countries like Canada want to be able take pride in something, and be able to say they are the best in the world. Ice hockey would be one of those things for Canada.  The modern game has its foundations in Montreal where the first organized game was played in 1875.  It was quickly adopted in Europe and the United States prior to the end of the 19th century.

Overview of International Ice Hockey Competition History

Canada won six of the first seven Olympic gold medals in ice hockey, and won 12 World Championships from 1930 to 1952 thus dominating the sport internationally in the first half of the 20th century. It has been Canada’s most popular sport, but the same cannot be said of the United States where football, basketball, and baseball compete for national attention. The same goes in Europe where all sports have played second fiddle to soccer.  So, it's no surprise that Canada was initially dominant in a sport they founded early on thus forming the idea that they were indeed superior in ice hockey.

However, that changed during the second half of the 20th century.  After World War II ended, the Soviet Union started to play ice hockey and it amazingly took less than a decade for them to achieve international success, beating Canada during the 1954 World Championships final—the beginning of modern international ice hockey.  The Soviets went on to dominate international play by winning seven Olympic gold medals from 1956 to 1988 (one more as the Unified Team in 1992), and 22 World Championships from 1954 to 1990.  The only thing that could stop Soviet hockey were politics which dismantled the team in 1991.

During the initial period of Soviet ice hockey supremacy, the Canadians complained that the competitions were not fair because they could not use professional players to counter the Soviet hockey machine.  The World Championships were restricted to amateurs until 1977, and the Olympics did not open up its competitions to professionals until 1988.  The Soviet players were employees of the state so many worked and played for the famed Central Red Army. However, they were paid nominally as normal employees when they played hockey. The Soviet players did not pretend that hockey was just a recreational activity, and they were not getting professional level salaries that the Canadian were receiving by playing in the National Hockey League. 

Furthermore, if Canadian players felt so strongly about playing for their country, who stopped them from getting normal jobs in the Canadian government while maintaining their amateur statuses?  I am sure the Government of Canada could have worked out something for them, but they obviously wouldn't have been able to justify paying NHL salaries. So, the Canadian complaints were indeed disingenuous and based more on a bruised hockey ego and inferiority complex resulting from the Soviet hockey domination. 

Also keep in mind that other respectable hockey teams were developing: Sweden, Finland, Czechoslovakia (now Czech and Slovakia, separately, but imagine if they were still together...wow) and the United States.  Finland, Czech, Slovakia and Sweden’s combined populations are less than Canada’s, yet they can more than hold their own in ice hockey despite looming is soccer's big shadow.

Canada wanted to prove to itself that it was still superior to the world in ice hockey by organizing a series with the Soviet Union that would allow for full strength competition to take place during the NHL off season between the two hockey giants.  The 1972 Summit Series had the first four games played in Canada, and the latter four in the Soviet Union.  The Canadian media and fans thought they would smash the Soviets eight games to zero (not sure if the Canadian players actually believed that deep down, but they probably had to pretend they believed the same).

Instead, the Canadians barely won the series four games to three with one tie, and had the myth of their hockey superiority shattered.  The series was marred by Canada's Bobby Clarke intentional slashing of Soviet star Valeri Kharlamov's ankle which was fractured as a result during the sixth game of the series.

Up until that point, Kharlamov was the star of the series and the Canadians could not stop him but for their dirty tactics.  Kharlamov was not able to play the seventh game and was ineffective for the eighth and final  game due to his injury.  Canada won those last three games and the series as a result.  

Thirty years later Canadian star Paul Henderson called Clarke's dirty play "the lowpoint of the series".  It was clear to the hockey world that Clarke intentionally took out the Soviet star just to win the series.  A sad statement on sportsmanship that Canada could not beat the Soviets fair and square so they looked for another means to do so.

The Summit Series was played again in 1974 under the same format which the Soviet Union won four games to one with three ties, but you will hear almost nothing about this series from Canadians.

Subsequently, the Canadians arranged for an international hockey tournament during the NHL off season so that their top players could compete in meaningful hockey competitions.  The Soviet Union along with other strong hockey nations including the Czechoslovakia, Finland, Sweden, and the United States agreed to participate. 

La Coupe du Canada was played five times in Canada on NHL sized rinks under NHL rules and incredibly, the Soviets were able to win the 1981 competition in spite of having the deck stacked against them each time.  The Soviets barely lost in 1987—two games to one—when all three games ended with a score of 6-5 including Game 3 where the Soviets blew a 3-0 lead.

The NHL twice arranged for an exhibition series between the Soviets and NHL All-Stars.  Both series were played on NHL rinks with NHL rules. The 1979 Challenge Cup consisted of three games played in Madison Square Garden, and the Soviets won the series two games to one.  The NHL All-Stars consisted of all Canadian players with three Swedish exceptions.  Rendez-vous ’87 consisted of two games held in Quebec City which were split between the two sides.  The NHL All-Star roster was two-thirds Canadian.

The World Cup of Hockey was the successor to the Canada Cup and in 1996 the United States beat Canada two games to one in the finals with both victories (games 2 and 3) taking place in Canada.  Canada won the next World Cup in 2004 by beating Finland in the championship game held in Toronto (NHL rink with NHL rules) in front of a hostile Canadian crowd of course.

Nothing could be gleaned from the Canada Cup or the World Cup of Hockey because the competitions had been set up for the Canadians to play in front of their home crowd during all meaningful games, including the championship on the smaller NHL rink using NHL rules when in fact, international competitions are supposed to take place using the International Ice Hockey Federation's larger rink and played under their rules—many of which don't allow for the goon and thug elements of the unnatural Canadian version of hockey that is essentially the NHL.  It is quite a feat that the Soviets and Americans were able to defeat the Canadians given the obviously home cooking of the Canada Cup and World Cup.

We really didn't get to see a fair, full strength international competition until the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics when the NHL finally agreed to release its players and allow them to participate for the first time. By then, the NHL had a large influx of European players (most of whom were more skilled and talented than their Canadian counterparts) thus Canada was not the only country able to field a full strength hockey team, contrary to its popular belief that they were the only country impacted by previous rules prohibiting professionals competing in the Olympics.

The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Russia, and the United States were also able to field full strength teams for those games.  The Czechs won gold in 1998, Canada in 2002, and Sweden in 2006. I'd hardly call that a sign of Canadian hockey superiority.

The United States won the World Under 20 Championships by beating Canada in Canada this year.

And of course there's the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" which probably further damaged Canada’s hockey ego.  One of the biggest stories in the history of international sports happened to involve ice hockey, but did not involve Canada.  The United States, playing with a bunch of college kids, defeated the Soviet Union juggernaut during the round-robin medal round of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.  That team went on to defeat Finland for the country’s second Olympic hockey gold medal (1960 Squaw Valley was the first). 

The United States never made excuses when it came to playing in international competitions.  It acknowledged and respected the strength of Soviet hockey well before 1980. There was arguably no more fearsome and intimidating sight in sports than to see the Soviet hockey team skate onto the ice with “CCCP” emblazoned across those signature red jerseys.

Vancouver 2010

Many of you tuned into these Olympics and thought there was something wrong with your eyes when you saw what appeared to be a small ice hockey rink that resembled the ones you have seen on a daily basis during those grinding, ungraceful, and at times, difficult to watch National Hockey League games.

General Motors Place…excuse me…Canada Hockey Place is the venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey competition. Vancouver claims that it was a business decision to use an existing NHL facility versus renovating the same facility or building an entire new arena to conform to international hockey regulations.  Despite the home ice advantage, it took a cheesy shootout for Canada to beat the Swiss. They are the same team that beat Canada in Torino when they played under the required ice rink regulations of the IIHF.  The pressure's on Canada to win the gold medal in a tournament they rigged for their own success. If they do win, it will not prove they are superior in ice hockey due to the non-conforming rink, but if they lose it might show the opposite.

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) reluctantly agreed to this first time exception for the Olympic Ice Hockey competition which has enabled the Canadians to inject some level of their goon/thug style of hockey into a major international competition.  Sure, the rest of the IIHF rules still apply, but do not have the same effect on a smaller NHL rink which stifles good puck handling and skating skills, or in other words, fundamentals. 

If the good people of Vancouver were concerned about making sound business decisions, they would never have bothered going through all of the expenses and headaches related to hosting these Winter Olympic Games.  They can just ask their friends in Montreal about the 1976 Summer Olympics games whose debt was finally paid off thirty years later in 2006 if the experience was worth the expense, or could the money have been better spent.

What does all this history tell us?

Nothing in the history of modern international ice hockey supports the notion that Canada is far superior in ice hockey to the other respectable hockey playing nations.  If anything, Canada’s lack of desire for playing in full strength international competitions outside North America under IIHF standards has always been suspicious.  The Canadian-influenced NHL is already creating doubts about releasing players for the 2014 Winter Olympics which just happen to be in Sochi, Russia. What a coincidence.

There is no uproar from the Canadian players, media, and fans. Are Sidney Crosby and his fellow Canadians afraid to play against Alexander Ovechkin and his countrymen in their backyard under IIHF standards?

Goaltender Ryan Miller stopped 42 of 45 shots from Canada to allow Team USA to pull off a big win over their Northern-border rivals.

But this was more than an upset, as the ramifications of this victory are felt throughout the tournament...

1. For one, the United States gets a first round bye, allowing them to make it to the quarterfinals without playing another game. The bye is huge too: Team USA's opponent plays today and will have to face our boys in red, white, and blue tomorrow.

2. The top seed also means we will face either Switzerland or Belarus in the quarterfinals, teams that have only a few NHL players between them. Thus, avoiding a major upset, Team USA will play in either the gold or bronze medal game.

3. With the way the rest of the games shook out, we will not have to play more than one of the three medal favourites (Canada, Russia, and Sweden), as they will eliminate one another. Moreover, the only way we face any of them is playing for a medal.

4. One of the two teams that were picked by everyone to win the gold, historically underachieving Canada and horribly overrated Russia (people put too much of a premium on offence considering games for titles are played tight and scoring is low), will not get a medal at all.

Let's take a look at today's playoff qualification games...

Switzerland-Belarus

The Belorussians played very well against a superior Germany squad to earn the one matchup in this round they had a chance to take, as they are about even with Switzerland in skating talent. However, unless Jonas Hiller plays poorly in net for the Swiss—and he already had a bad game in the preliminary rounds, so another is not likely—they are overmatched in the most important position in all of sports.

Switzerland 3, Belarus 1

Canada-Germany

There is no way the Canadians are going to blow this. They have three times the NHL talent (and better talent at that) and too much at stake. Overlooking Switzerland in the preliminary round already cost them one point and a first round bye, and they will play with urgency the rest of the tournament.

Canada 6, Germany 0

Czech Republic-Latvia

The Czechs would be wise to rest Tomas Vokoun, because this may be almost as good as a bye. Latvia is one of two teams that have no chance to beat any medal contenders, as they have virtually no NHL talent. The Czechs can get what amounts to a long and hard practice and play their third- and fourth-line talent (which includes some non-NHL players) so their stars have enough gas tomorrow.

Czech Republic 5, Latvia 0

Slovakia-Norway

Norway is big and physical and can skate, but they have no skill. They are facing one of the more physical defences in the Olympics and a team whose NHL talent goes beyond two scoring lines and includes some solid goaltending.

Slovakia 5, Norway 1

Shark Watch

Team USA

Joe Pavelski has been solid, with two assists in the three games, logging significant penalty kill time.

Team Sweden

Douglas Murray has been his usual physical presence in limited playing time, averaging just over 12 minutes per game.

Team Russia

Evgeni Nabokov has done well in net, with a 2.00 goals against average in his two starts—both wins.

Team Canada

While the Joe Thornton-Patrick Marleau-Dany Heatley line has been arguably Canada's best, Jumbo is doing his usual big-game disappearing act. He has only one assist in three games; Heatley has four goals and Marleau a goal and an assist. Dan Boyle has two assists and is plus-two while logging significant ice time.

Team Germany

Thomas Greiss did very well in his first start, holding the high-powered Swedes to two goals in a 2-0 loss. However, in his other start against the lesser Belarus squad, he (and his defence) let Germany down in a 5-3 loss, costing them a chance at a winnable game to advance to the quarterfinals.

I originally wrote this article for Shark Infested Blogger .

As the U.S. celebrates the 30th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice,” it becomes clear that 1980 was a different time.

Those who were six years old at the time are 36 years old now. Those who were 36 years old at the time probably don’t want to tell you how old they are now. The Cold War was on and someone else was at war in Afghanistan.

U.S. Olympic hockey was played by unknown amateurs and the Soviets seemed unbeatable.

But on Feb. 22 in Lake Placid, NY, coach Herb Brooks’s team of U.S. college kids, mostly from Minnesota and Massachusetts, upset the heavily-favored CCCP 4-3 in the Olympic semifinal before beating Finland for the gold medal. The Soviet game has since been considered one of the most memorable events in the history of American sports.

Coming into the game, the Soviets hadn’t lost in international play since 1960. Earlier that February at Madison Square Garden, they blew out Team USA 10-3 in an exhibition game. But according to team captain and forward Mike Eruzione, the U.S. team was not afraid.

“If you think you’re going to lose, you probably are,” he said. “We knew it was going to be difficult. We knew we had to play a perfect game. But we knew we had chance. Our level of confidence was high. We couldn’t wait to play.”

Outside of the team, though, optimism wasn’t so present.

“The Soviets had a professional team,” Al Michaels, the game’s play-by-play announcer, said. “That was their job. Nobody had left the country to play professionally elsewhere. Nobody gave them a battle. They would beat a team 4-1, but it would look like 12-0.”

After trailing the Soviets 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, Eruzione scored the go-ahead U.S. goal with 10 minutes to play in the third period after Mark Johnson tied the game only a couple minutes earlier.

Michaels remembers calling the final minutes with color commentator Ken Dryden amongst a raucous, pro-American crowd.

“The wooden platform we were standing on was shaking,” he said. “The arena was nothing but a wall of sound. In the last 10 minutes, I was like a horse going down the track. I had blinders on. The only thing I can remember saying to myself was ‘Stay with it. Stay with it.’”

For Eruzione, they were the longest 10 minutes of his life. He joked that he came off after his next shift and the clock read 9:59. “What’s taking so long,” he thought to himself.

The U.S. team would hang on to win, giving way to Michaels’s famous call as time expired: “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”

While the game against the USSR is the one that’s most remembered, the gold medal would not have been won without a quality performance against Finland.

“If we had lost to Finland, people would have still been proud, but as a team we would have been very upset” said Eruzione, who thinks most people look at 1980 as if Team USA played only the Soviet game. “We didn’t go to win one game. We went to win the ultimate prize. [The Finland game] was the biggest game of our lives.”

Michaels said the gold medal game is not talked about enough.

“People would have said ‘So what happened here? You beat the Soviets and you lost to Finland?’ It wouldn’t have been a documentary, it wouldn’t be a movie. We wouldn’t be doing the 30th anniversary.”

But we are doing the 30th anniversary. And the team’s legacy is all over these Games.

Michaels is doing NBC daytime coverage. Eruzione was in Vancouver last week. Goalie Jim Craig is making rounds currently and Johnson is answering press conference questions about 1980 as the coach of the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team.

There is no official celebration scheduled in Vancouver. (Why would there be just one day after that U.S.-Canada hockey game?) But the anniversary is sure to draw coverage on NBC, be featured in sports sections across the U.S., and prompt many “where you were when you saw it” conversations.

Rightly so when you consider that Michaels, now one of sports’ most respected commentators, refers to the game as his “calling card.”

“People always ask me, ‘Is that number one for you?’” he said. “That’s not the question. The question is, ‘What’s number two?’”

The 1980 U.S Olympic hockey team still pulled off the greatest upset in the history of international competition.

Some 30 years to the day a bunch of 20-something college kids from small American towns shocked the world and beat a veteran Russian team at the Lake Placid Games, the U.S. beat heavily favored Canada 5-3 Sunday night in the in the Vancouver Games.

However, it was no "miracle." Not even a minor one.

While the Canadians featured an NHL all-star team with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash, Martin Brodeur, Jarome Iginla, and Chris Pronger, the Americans, although young, were accomplished players in their own right.

The 1980 team had virtually no professional or international Olympic experience heading into the winter event.

They were relatively unknowns compared to their Russian counterparts who whipped the best the NHL had to offer in exhibition games earlier that year. The Soviets also won five of the previous six Olympics. For the untested Americans to best Russia could not have been imagined at that time.

The 2010 team had a roster of first-round draft picks, a few all-stars, and Stanley Cup winners. These are professional hockey players, not amateurs. These men are accustomed to playing with and against the best competition in the world on a regular basis. 

Chris Drury, who scored on a rebound against Canada, is participating in his third Winter Olympics and has won a Stanley Cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. Brian Rafalski, who leads the United States in goals in the tournament, has played in the last two Stanley Cup Finals with the Detroit Red Wings.

Jamie Langenbrunner, captain of the Americans, has won championships with the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils. The youngest member of the American squad, Patrick Kane, 21, won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL's Rookie of the Year, and played in the 2009 NHL All-Star Game. Goaltender Ryan Miller posted a .931 save percentage and recorded five shutouts for the Buffalo Sabers this season.

Mike Eruzione, Mark Johnson, and Jim Craig were still learning how to play hockey to some degree. They were still honing their craft. The current players are far more advanced in both knowledge and skill compared to the players who suited up 30 years ago.

I know the U.S. had not beaten Canada in the Olympics since 1960, but to even compare the game to Russia-USA three decades ago does a disservice to the word miracle.

The Soviet and American teams were natural rivals due to the decades old Cold War. In addition, then President Jimmy Carter was at the time considering a U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, to be held in Moscow, in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Democracy vs. Soviet Republic beliefs was the order of the day when the two countries squared off on the ice.

There has never been a Cold War or major political unrest between Canada and the United States. That backdrop just did not exist in Vancouver.

Sunday's contest was a compelling and entertaining spectacle. That's all. Not a miracle. Not even close.

The preliminary round of Men’s Olympic Hockey has completed, and with it comes a brand new batch of exciting games in what could easily be deemed the most competitive medal race in history. With each team having played three-game stanzas within a selected group, the focus now turns to a win-or-go-home mentality over the next seven days.

In the end, only one team will emerge with the gold medal for their country. So with that in mind, we key in on the preliminary all-stars that have thrived in the Olympic setting as well as some of the bigger busts on the Vancouver stage.

Goalies: The Best

Henrik Lundqvist, SWE (2-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.00 Save Percentage, 2 Shutouts)

King Henrik dazzled in his rookie campaign en route to a gold medal for in Torino in 2006.  To say that he has picked up where he left off would be a brash understatement. Hank is the only starting goalie in the tournament that has yet to relinquish a goal (not including Roberto Luongo, technically Canada’s backup), and factually speaking, he hasn’t even been tested to the nth degree yet.

With a few days to rest, Lundqvist’s next real test will more than likely be his own New York Rangers teammate Marian Gaborik and Team Slovakia, the very same team that upended Russia in a shootout last week.

Jaroslav Halak, SLV (2-1, 1.33 GAA, .951 Save Percentage, 1 Shutout)

Speaking of Slovakia, no player could receive more credit for his efforts in the Round Robin than net minder Halak, who is making a strong case for Montreal to get the ball rolling on his immediate future and expiring contract. Halak’s work has easily been the most highlight-ridden, featuring excellent saves against the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Evgeni Malkin during an eight round shootout.

If Slovakia wishes to keep their dark horse hopes alive, Halak will likely have to carry the team on his back while perennial goal scorers Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa get their groove back. 

Ryan Miller, USA (3-0, 1.66 GAA, .929 Save Percentage)

And then, there’s the current hero for the United States, Ryan Miller. Miller’s outstanding individual performance against Team Canada on Sunday helped eclipse two invisible showings in which he faced a combined total of 26 shots.

But against Canada’s best, Miller played an inspired 60 minutes that tripled his productivity and kept him as the only goalie to win three straight to star the tournament. All indication is clear sailing for the U.S. into the semifinals, securing them a shot at a Bronze medal at worst. 

Goalies: The Worst

Martin Brodeur, CAN (1-1, 3.00 GAA, .866 Save Percentage)

Few fans are left supporting Martin Brodeur following the U.S. upset of Canada on Sunday. Brodeur’s uninspired effort relinquished soft goals, far too many rebounds, and, in essence, victory itself. Whether or not Marty is shaking off his own cobwebs has yet to be seen, but given the singular shutout performance of Roberto Luongo against Norway, now may be the time to pull the old bait and switch.

Edgars Masalskis, LAT (0-3, 6.00 GAA, .850 Save Percentage)

Facing an average of 40 shots through three games can’t be easy. Giving up six goals to Slovakia (who has only scored 9 in the tournament) isn’t either.

Andre Lysenstoen, NOR (0-0, .600 Save Percentage)

In relief of the overworked Pal Grotnes, this Norwegian goalie stumbled out of the gate, allowing four goals on just ten shots as Canada steamrolled Team Norway 8-0 on opening day.

Forwards and Defensemen: The Best

Brian Rafalski, USA (4 Goals, 1 Assist, 5 Points)

The Detroit Red Wings certainly wish Brian Rafalski had this kind of power to take over a game all season. Rafalski’s four-consecutive U.S. goals was an accomplishment in and of itself, but his ability to play the two-way game against the best players in the world has been nothing short of exceptional as well.

For a team that had a lot of scoring questions coming in, to see a defensemen dominating the bracket certainly speaks volumes.

Ryan Suter, USA (0 Goals, 4 Assists, 4 Points)

Looking up and down at Team USA’s defensive corps likely would have singled out Ryan Suter as the weak link. Not so fast, says Suter. In three games, Suter has been an exemplary standout on the blueline that helped spark the United States offense into first place.

Roman Wick, SUI (2 Goals, 2 Assists, 4 Points)

Pretty much the only offense Switzerland has seen in the entire tournament has come from Wick, a 6'0" forward with incredibly fast hands. Though he never played a game in the NHL (drafted in 2004 by the Ottawa Senators), this may be as good a tryout as any for  a team willing to take a flyer on the Swiss National League star.

Dany Heatley, CAN (4 Goals, 1 Assist, 5 Points)

Picking up right where he left off in the regular season, Dany Heatley is one of those players you wish you had on your team.  He swoops in on the scrums in front and buries pucks in the back of the net with general ease.  His speed and intensity are enough to make you cringe if you have to defend it.

Sidney Crosby, CAN (2 Goals, 3 Assists, 5 Points)

As if this wasn’t expected, Sid the Kid shines on the global stage for Team Canada. Having won the Switzerland game on his own (thank you very much IIHF shootout rule committee), Crosby also managed to put the Canadians back in the game, if only briefly, on Sunday.

He’s the most motivated player on the ice and you find yourself holding your breath whenever he touches the puck.

Evgeni Malkin, RUS (3 Goals, 2 Assists, 5 Points)

Sid’s partner in crime in Pittsburgh is having his second Olympic exhibition, and, for a team that hasn’t performed quite to their level yet, Malkin excels. Clutch goals against Latvia and the Czech Republic helped ignite Russia’s offense which has been underwhelming at best, particularly on the Power Play (Malkin has both of Russia’s PP goals).

Alexei Morozov, RUS (2 Goals, 0 Assists, 2 Points)

Of all the KHL stars playing for Mother Russia, none is playing more proficiently than Morozov, an ex-Penguin with a lethal shot and quick release that could make Marian Gaborik blush.  Both of his goals were pivotal to Russia’s current position and with the KHL factor looming ominously over the Russians, a player like Morozov could be key in bridging the gap.

Sergei Kostitsyn, BEL (2 Goals, 3 Assists, 5 Points)

Without his brother Andrei in the picture, it appears as if Sergei Kostitsyn is finally hitting pay dirt, and for Belarus, it couldn’t come at a better time. Sergei’s efforts helped Belarus draw a favorable contest against the Swiss rather than the uphill climbs they’d have had they been without him (Canada, Czech Republic, and Slovakia).

Nicklas Backstrom, SWE (1 Goal, 4 Assists, 5 Points)

The best Swede on the ice (other than King Henrik) has got to be Backstrom, who has stepped out from the Ovechkin shadow in the Olympics to lead the Swedes to the top once again.  Backstrom’s outstanding passes and playmaking ability give Sweden a competitive edge, especially if he decides to shoot the puck more often. 

It seems that Backstrom is involved on every play in which Sweden scores.

Loui Eriksson, SWE (3 Goals, 0 Assists, 3 Points)

This talented youngster emerged from pure obscurity in Dallas last season, and for all intents and purposes, he’s doing it again in the 2010 Olympics.  Eriksson’s production may become an important tool if the Swedish elite plan to repeat with the gold medal.

Tomas Plekanec, CZE (3 Goals, 0 Assists, 3 Points)

Other than a beautiful goal against Evgeni Nabokov on Sunday, Plekanec has been as active has his NHL-teammate Jaroslav Halak in pursuit of attention and recognition. Plekanec surprisingly leads all Czech players in goals scored thus far.

Marek Zidlicky, CZE (0 Goals, 5 Assists, 5 Points)

Much like Ryan Suter of Team USA, Zidlicky has come into his own for the Czech Republic as a catalyst-type defender that possesses some of the best decision-making skills from the point. With no player over five points in the Olympic race, Zidlicky’s assists have come on exactly half of the Czech’s goals.

Jaromir Jagr, CZE (2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points)

Jagr’s impressive play at age 38 has given fans and media a new infatuation with the former superstar in hopes that he will resume his NHL career following his current KHL campaign. Jagr’s expressed interest could have been his highlight of the tournament, had not he been flattened by Alex Ovechkin on Sunday.

Pavol Demitra, SLV (1 Goal, 2 Assists, 3 Points)

So if Jagr is looking for some kind of revenge on the Great 8, perhaps he should look at the play style of Pavol Demitra, who has played the best hockey of his career in the last three games. Demitra totally shelved Ovie after he too was hammered by the Russian stud.

Forwards and Defensemen: The Worst

Joe Thornton, CAN (0 Goals, 1 Assist, 1 Point)

Will Super Joe ever show the ability to play on a big stage?  His one assist ranks amongst the worst performance from any of the eight San Jose Sharks playing in the Olympic Games.

Ilya Kovalchuk, RUS (1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points)

Much like he was when he first jumped to New Jersey, Kovalchuk has been wholly disappointing in this Olympic trial and is a major reason that the Russian Power Play has produced only two goals despite ample opportunity.

The Entire German Offense (Three Goals For, 12 against)

Waited until their third game to begin scoring, at which point they still lost.

Marian Gaborik, SLV (1 Goal, 0 Assists, 1 Point)

Just how bad was that leg laceration? Gaborik’s play indicates that he likely should have skipped the competition altogether before he risks further injury and causes New York Ranger fans to lose all hope on their fledgling season. 

There’s no doubt in my mind that Martin Brodeur is the greatest NHL goalie of all time. His numbers are impeccable, and he’s brought home more hardware then James Cameron’s Avatar.
 
However, put under pressure in last night's game versus the United States in which Canada lost 5-3, Brodeur failed to get the job done, and its not the first time.
 
The 37-year-old, who’s won three Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils (most recently in 2003), has only led his team past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs once since the lockout.
 
Last season with the Devils leading a first round playoff series with the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2, I watched Brodeur allow four goals in back to back games and my jaw dropped as my playoff pool goaltender allowed two goals in the final minute and a half of game seven to lead his favored team to an early trip to the golf course rather then the Eastern Conference semi finals.
 
Just one season before their disappointing loss to the Canes, the Devils with Brodeur between the pipes fell to the fifth seeded New York Rangers in just five games, which meant another first round departure for the Devils. Brodeur wasn’t a huge help, allowing four goals in both games four and five.
 
Now before you exit your browser screen because you think I’m trying to bash the game's greatest goaltender, hear me out because in no way am I trying to say that the Devils playoff misfortunes over the past few seasons have been solely Marty’s fault. Nor was the lost last night. What I’am trying to say is that over the past few seasons, when put under pressure Brodeur has fallen flat on his mask. 
 
Last night's four goals on 22 shots against the United States was just another example. Not to mention that Marty seemed to be more curious if he could swing the puck out of the park on the United States' second goal rather then trying to keep it out of the net. 
 
But now shifting strides as to why Canada lost last night because it was more then Brodeur’s poor batting average.
 
Simply put, United States goaltender Ryan Miller was outstanding. Making 42 saves on 45 shots Miller proved once again why he is a shoo-in for the Vezina Trophy despite having been questioned a little after losing five of his last six starts prior to the Olympic break.
 
Miller’s goaltending and what Catroina Lemay Doan would call gutsy play from the young United States team, who only have three players on their roster above 30 years old, are probably the only reasons why they won considering they were doubled in shots by Canada and played against the home crowd.
 
For Canadian fans, the loss must be frustrating and a sixth place preliminary finish may leave you feeling more then unpleasant, but there are positives to be drawn from the sour loss on Sunday.
 
The 1-1-1-0 finish means the Canadians will have to play Germany on Tuesday and win in order to qualify for the quarterfinals.
 
You have to think head coach Mike Babcock will go with Roberto Luongo in goal the rest of the way and the game against Germany will allow Roberto to shake out any tweaks in his game before entering the elimination round if Canada advances.
 
The Germany game will also give Canada another game to attempt to gel as a team and hopefully give Babcock and the rest of the coaching staff a chance to figure out who to play with Sidney Crosby and Rick Nash.
 
A Canadian win on Tuesday would mean the ever-anticipated Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry would be reignited a bit earlier then expected as the Russians would face Canada in the quarter finals on Wednesday, the winner getting a spot in the semis.
 
Although the game would not have a gold medal presentation at its conclusion, it would have the two most dominant hockey powers and arguably the biggest hockey rivalry of all time (Russia vs. Canada).
 
But I guess we should worry about the Germany game first because for all we know, there could be another Tommy Salo on the horizon.

For more news and analysis on the world of sports visit my blog, The D League.

On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the greatest victory in American sports history , the American mens' hockey team pulled off yet another momentous upset of a tournament favorite, besting the Canadians tonight on their own soil, 5-3.

To many writers, the game's story wrote itself, starting in warmups when the US came out displaying throwback uniforms based on those worn by the 1960 Olympic gold medalists in Squaw Valley. It was a message to the Canadians, who hadn't lost an Olympic matchup to the Americans since 1960.

But this time around, the Yanks' victory, though surprising, was no miracle.

Brian Burke, United States' general manager, created this team with a certain prototype in mind—not unlike how Herb Brooks crafted his 1980 squad. He knew that there wasn't enough talent in the Americans' development camp to grossly overpower star-studded rosters like the Canadians, Russians, or Swedes would have.

But what he did see at that camp this past summer were the pieces to a team that could make sure they could compete with anyone. Even more than that, he saw potential for a roster that on any given night, would outwork even the most talented teams.

Other than premier talents such as Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, and Paul Stasny, every other forward on the roster was seen as a two-way player. Burke selected players with offensive ability, but made certain that his choices were as responsible defensively as they were gifted with the puck.

Resiliency was another deciding factor in who made the cut. And just 22 seconds after 19,000 fans took a deep breath as their Canadians tied the game at one, that resiliency reared its' head in the form of veteran defenseman Brian Rafalski.

Rafalski has been a rock on the blue line for the Americans thus far, and his two first-period goals helped erase some choppy play by his teammates.

One thing Burke knew he could fall back on was that his goaltenders would be able to erase some of the mistakes a youthful team might make. It's safe to say Ryan Miller didn't disappoint tonight.

Miller stole the show tonight, stopping 42 of the 44 shots he faced, including a number of saves on Canadian snipers from close in.

As resilient as this group has shown itself to be, they remain even more relentless. Ryan Kesler's heroics in beating Corey Perry to a loose puck and swipe it into the awning net personified the hunger the team played with from the opening faceoff.

This year's team represents a changing of the guard for Team USA. A new generation of stars are being born, even quicker than expected. The infusion of youth coupled with extremely low expectations have bred success thus far as the Americans finished the preliminary round as the top seed.

Nobody outside of the Americans' dressing room picked them to win tonight, and they were fine with that. They knew they had the tools in the room to get the job done.

They weren't surprised with the outcome. They expected to win. And now, heading into the knockout round, everyone else will start to as well. Besides, there's nothing miraculous about seeing the top seed win the gold medal anyway.

The American men's hockey team did not come to the Olympics with many expectations.

On a team filled with young players, some questioned where the more talented veteran players were.

GM Brian Burke said, "I don't want the best players. I want to play specific roles."

Hmm, does that sound familiar?

On the day before the 30th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice," this team had plenty in common with Herb Brooks' boys from 1980. Brooks had famously said before the Lake Placid Games, when faced with similar skepticism as Burke, "I don't want the best players. I want the right ones."

This, though, is no group of rough college boys. This is a very talented young team mixed with veteran leadership, and both those elements mixed together are writing the latest underdog chapter in US hockey.

At Canada Hockey Place and all points near, the emotion and energy were overflowing for the home nation. It was the Americans, however, that stole the important early momentum.

A face-off in the Canadian end was won by Sidney Crosby, but the Americans would fight for the puck.

Eventually Jamie Langenbrunner would dig it off the boards, and it ended up on the stick of Brian Rafalski by way of Ryan Suter. Rafalski was all the way on the blue line but sent it hard and on net. The puck found its way through a screen in front and snuck by Martin Brodeur to give the US a 1-0 lead just 41 seconds in.

The quick goal took the air out of the Canadian crowd, but not their team—quite the opposite in fact. Canada would statistically dominate the period and appeared to be in control of the game, and at the 8:53 mark would finally get something to show for it. Brent Seabrook wristed a shot from the point, and Eric Staal coolly redirected it past Ryan Miller.

This would turn out to be the strategy for both teams—put the puck on net and see what happens—but the theme of the night was quite simply Brian Rafalski.

Canada, in control and now tied, seemed to be where they belonged after the Staal goal.

In stepped Rafalski (Detroit blue liner turned true American hero).

Twenty-three seconds after they tied the game, the Canadians made a big mistake.

Rafalski (who else?) started a break, and Zach Parise dumped the puck in, but for some reason Canadian goalie and true national hero Martin Brodeur decided to knock it out of the air with his stick, Wimbledon backhand style.

The puck only made it to the slot, where Rafalski awaited, and on this night, for this player, there was no doubt about what would happen. He slid it in for his second goal to give the US a 2-1 advantage and regain the momentum.

Things calmed down for the final 10 minutes of the period, but that was not to last. The Canadians would come out in the second with a no holds barred attack, spending long stretches in the American zone blasting away at US goaltender Ryan Miller.

3:32 in, it paid off as several shots from point blank sent Miller sliding until Dany Heatley stuffed a rebound into the back of the net.

Once again the Canadians were tied and seemed poised to take over, as their constant barrage on the American net continued, but Miller turned everything away.

The US would even the play and start firing at Brodeur toward the halfway point of the period and would end up with a goal similar to Heatley's.

A shot from—wait for it—Rafalski would create a free for all in front of the Canadian net, and Chris Drury buried it to give the Americans a 3-2 lead at the 16:51 mark of the second.

That would be the score until the clock read 12:09 to play, when Langenbrunner blasted the puck past Brodeur from the point on the power play. His goal gave the US a two-goal cushion and put them on the defensive.

Canada pushed hard, and with 3:19 to play, Sidney Crosby would tip in a power play goal and give hope to the host nation.  But Miller would make one more incredible save, his 42nd of the night, and Ryan Kesler finished it off with one of the nicer empty netters you will see.

Five different Americans had at least one point in the game, eight for the Canadians. Brodeur made 18 saves to Miller's astounding 42.

The Canadians will have to play an extra game to move into the medal round, while the American extra will come in the form of days off and possibly the top seed.

Brian Burke could not have drawn this up better. The young kids have played fast, and the guys he brought in to fill those roles are filling the net with goals. Three players had multiple points in the game: Langenbrunner, Suter, and Rafalski.

Playing roles does not have to be for desperate teams, especially if you're playing the role of a new national hero.