International Hockey

VANCOUVER — It certainly did not come easy, but the United States opened up the 2010 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament this afternoon with a 3-1 victory over Switzerland at Canada Place.

Like I said in the pregame, the Swiss are not just a pushover of a team but rather a squad that will do its best to outskate you and outwork you. At times in this game they did just that, but at other times the U.S. had clear control of the tempo, especially in the second period.

At the end of the day, no one asks how, but they ask who, and on the opening day of men’s hockey it was Team USA capturing three points in the standings.

Forward Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks, who had a marvelous rookie season in the National Hockey League last year, opened the scoring for America with a slick wrister that beat Switzerland netminder Jonas Hiller.

That goal came in the first period and was the only one in the first 20. Rangers representatives Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury also hooked up for some great scoring chances, but Hiller shut the door.

The second stanza was when Team USA began to dominate, outshooting Switzerland by a 16-6 margin in the period. Two goals came out of those 16 shots, one by David Backes on a strong move to the net and the other off a rebound by the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan Malone. U.S. goaltender Ryan Miller had a fairly easy period in net, as you would imagine.

Speaking of Miller, he did allow one goal, but other than that he was fairly solid in net for the United States. Granted he did not face all that many shots (15, to be exact), he played well enough to allow the U.S. to focus on the offensive end, where the big scorers did not seem totally ready to play this afternoon.

Drury only played 9:55 in this game, but when he was put out on the ice he skated well and created chances. The same could be said of Callahan, who had 10:02 of ice time and one shot on goal in that span. Obviously Drury and Callahan are not the main guys on this club like they may be on the Blueshirts, so do not expect them to be seeing the ice a whole lot.

Lastly, Rangers prospect Andres Ambuhl, who plays with the Hartford Wolf Pack, was probably the best Swiss player in today’s tilt. He had 15:13 of ice time.

For me, it is now off to Canada Place to see the Canadians take on the Norwegians in what promises to be a lopsided outing. Sidney Crosby and his hometown boys have the clear advantage over Norway just by looking at the two teams on paper. While I expect Norway to play hard, Team Canada should put a tally in the win column rather easily.

Roberto Luongo will get the start in goal for the Canadians, meaning Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Brodeur will sit this one out.

I will hopefully be calling into Blueshirt Banter Radio in between periods of that game, so check in there if you want to hear about my experience here in Vancouver so far. Otherwise, I will have another post up later tonight/tomorrow after the Canada game and possibly the Russia-Latvia game, which I also plan on attending.

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In-game updates of Canada vs. Norway are available at www.twitter.com/RangersTribune.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky tried to get the Games off to a good start, though the lighting of the Olympic flame wasn't without some technical difficulties. Still, it was The Great One and in case you didn't know, hockey is to Canada what sex is to Tiger Woods.

Speaking of hockey, check out Jocelyne Lamoureux's goal against China from Sunday when you get a chance.

Foolish rules requiring goalies to remove non-sponsor slogans and logos notwithstanding, there was actual US hockey going on this afternoon in a game won by the Americans.

The Olympic tournament finally began at 2 p.m. CST and Bobby Ryan got Team USA its first goal of the Olympics in their game against Switzerland. They added two more goals in the second period as they took a commanding 3-0 lead on their way to victory over the Swiss.

David Backes and Ryan Malone scored the second and third goals of the game as the USA peppered 22 shots in the first two periods at Jonas Hiller.

While Team USA may do well flying under the radar of low expectations, they need to avoid the tendency to overstate the importance of one game, especially against a team that essentially has two full-time NHLers (Jonas Hiller and Mark Streit).

Team USA received its first penalty of the game at 4:49 of the third period as Joe Pavelsky was called for hooking. At 8:23 in the third, Ryan Suter was called for roughing, and about a minute later, Roman Wick put the Swiss on the board.

Meanwhile, the Americans executed their game plan to perfection. They used their youth, speed, and physicality to control the game and Ryan Miller looked sharp.

It does make you excited about the possibilities for what will be a crucial matchup against Canada on Sunday.

With the first game of Olympic men's hockey minutes away, it is time to do a preview of the tournament.

It is important to note that the tournament will have a couple changes this year.

For one, it is being played on an NHL-sized rink, with NHL rules for penalties...you know, a different set of rules for stars, based on the score, how much time is left in the game, and the whims of each individual referee. (What, that's not a standard, just a practice? Well, we can hope it won't apply to the Olympics, then, but to me, the judging there has always been subjective for all competitions.)

For another, there will be three groups instead of two, and thus only three preliminary games, not five. Instead of taking the top four teams in each group to the medal round, the top four teams overall will receive a bye into the quarterfinals of the medal round, while the other eight teams will have a play-in game.

To me this favours teams at the bottom and the top: The four teams that earn a bye can rest up, and even bad teams can get a medal by simply being hot for two games.

Being a Sharks writer, I will focus this preview on the teams that feature Sharks players, which happens to be all but one of the medal-contending teams plus Germany. Since I have already given away that I do not believe the nation of my maternal grandmother has a chance, I will start there.

Germany

This team has a distinctly Shark-flavour: Of eight players with NHL experience, five started their careers with the San Jose Sharks, including current netminder and Sharks backup Thomas Greiss.

Greiss has shown promise in limited action in net for the Sharks, and will go into this tournament auditioning for more playing time down the stretch. He will have to play exceptionally for this team to even make the medal round. The team's best forward, Marco Sturm, and best defenceman, Christian Ehrhoff will need to play exceptionally as well.

However, none of those players is a bonafide first line/pair/starting goalie in the NHL, and no one else on this team is better than fourth line/third pair.

There are seven other teams that are quite superior to Germany (Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic and United States), as well as a comparable team in Switzerland.

Germany's only real chance at a medal is to get a favourable matchup in the play-in round (they could legitimately earn a final-eight spot). If they can get hot for two of three games—the quarterfinal and either the semifinal they could earn silver or bronze medal.

If they earn a medal at all, it will be a remarkable achievement.

United States

This team has a lot of speed, but is very young. The defense is diverse enough and offers scoring ability from the point, but the forwards feature few true scorers and the team overall has too few marquee players.

The Sharks Joe Pavelski should play a major role as a scoring line center and penalty killer, and his faceoff prowess will help Team USA keep better teams' scoring chances down.

However, the team's success relies on its one major strength, goaltending. With 2009 Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas as a backup (2010 Vezina front-runner Ryan Miller will start), Team USA is second to Canada in net.

If Team USA's speed can keep Miller from being overwhelmed, he can keep them in games. They will need to play as much as possible at even strength, as they cannot match the scoring ability of Canada, Russia, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.

This plays to the strengths of coach Ron Wilson's disciplined style. A key play by one of the few stars or a gritty goal by one of the many role-players will give Team USA victories.

Contrary to some hyperbole being bantied about, this team is nowhere near the underdog the Miracle on Ice team was—Team USA should make the quarterfinals and maybe even the semifinals—but any medal here is an accomplishment.

Team Sweden

With all the talk of Canada and Russia in this Olympics, people are overlooking a very good Swedish team that, by the way, is the defending gold medal team. They have all the pieces: world-class goaltending in Henrik Lundqvist, a fantastic blueline headed by perrenial Norris Trophy winner Niklas Lidstrom, and a stable of forwards led by the home ice Sedin brothers and Henrik Zetterberg.

At the beginning of the season, one would have supposed that goaltending would be this team's biggest asset. However, with Lundqvist not having one of his better seasons in New York, they have only the third or fourth best netminding in the tournament—not a weakness, but this is not what will carry them to a medal.

Instead, they will turn to the blueline, the only one better than Team Canada's. The Detroit Nicks (Kronwall and Lidstrom) combine with underrated Mattias Ohlund and up-and-coming Tobias Enstrom to give Sweden three fantastic two-way defensemen and make them absolutely deadly on the power play.

Add in great defenders such as the Sharks Douglas Murray, the most physical player in the league (if you get a chance to see him play, you can note that the majority of times someone tried to check him it is they who go to the ice), Johnny Oduya, and Henrik Tallinder and teams will struggle to score on Sweden.

Only Sweden and Canada have enough forwards, including the greatest Swedish player ever, Peter Forsberg, to put three lines out that can score. This unit can really take advantage of the blueline's offensive skills with the man-advantage.

Clearly better than any NHL team, the Swede failure to win a medal would be a horrible disappointment. They are serious gold medal contenders.

Russia

This team is getting a lot of hype, and with good reason. A lot of people are looking for someone else to pick besides host Canada, and Russia is the most logical alternative, having great goaltending and some of the best scorers in the world.

So let's start with their "Achilles' Heel," the blueline.

With Andrei Markov apparently able to go, the team has two great power play quarterbacks (Sergei Gonchar being the other), plus Fedor Tyutin, Denis Grebeshkov, Anton Volchenkov, and Dmitry Kalinin. These players aren't much of a weakness, but  teams know they do not excel in their own end.

So, how does Russia combat the scoring chances they will yield?

The first way is through incredible goaltending. Team Russia is right up there with the United States and Canada in net: Ilya Bryzgalov would start for any of these three teams right now with the season he is having, but Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov is the chief rival of Ryan Miller for the Vezina right now.

Russia will need to cash in on games of their own in order to combat the scoring chances they give up. The blueline is exceptional offensively, and that is nothing compared to having the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Pavel Datsyuk shooting from the slot.

This unit may lack the depth of Canada and Sweden, but is better at the top and will be deadly with a man-advantage.

With this kind of talent, anything less than a medal is a major disappointment, and the goal of this team is clearly the gold.

In the international game, skill outweighs defense, so their troubles in their own end will be minimized.

Canada

The gold medal favourites for a reason, you will note above that every time a team had a strength they were listed as comparable or even with Canada. Canada, Russia, and the United States have the best goaltending; Sweden has a narrow edge over Canada on the blueline; Russia and Sweden were compared to Canada among the forward lines.

In net, they can turn to, Martin Broduer, arguably the greatest goaltender of all-time, or his perennial Vezina runner-up Roberto Luongo.

On the blueline, they have former Norris Trophy winners in Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger and arguably the best pair in the league right now in Chicago teammates Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Not to mention All-Star Sharks blueliner Dan Boyle.

This depth of marquee players is why people are saying that, "Canada needs the gold medal, everyone else wants it." With the game on home ice and the talent so deep that the "Burger line" (as in Jumbo-Heated-Patty) from San Jose is actually currently the third line, anything less than a gold medal is a failure for this team.

(Mark my words: Thornton-Marleau-Heatley will get the most playing time as one line because it is the best line in the world. I know the shining star of the game Sydney Crosby has to go first, but Getzlaf-Perry-Staal second? C'mon!)

The only Achilles heel for this team is that Canada has been known to fold under pressure in the past. In the Turin Olympics four years ago, the team did not even play for the bronze, finishing seventh. In Nagano (1998), they lost the gold medal game. In fact, Canada has won only one gold medal in my lifetime, in Salt Lake City in 2002.

However, the game being played on an NHL rink aids them greatly—the biggest problem once NHL players were allowed in was adjusting to the international game. Thus, for even Russia or Sweden to beat them would take a major upset.

My final standings:

1. Canada has too many weapons not to win gold, even if I really wanted to pick someone else
   
2. I see Sweden as being more well-rounded than Russia and taking silver
3. Russia will bring home the bronze
4. The United States, in a mild upset, will advance to the bronze medal game but not be able to win it
5. Finland is a serious contender for a medal, with the necessary goaltending and deep forwards to compete with anyone
6. Watch out for the Czech Republic, who many people are overlooking despite great skaters and a good goalie in Tomas Vokoun
7. There is a significant drop-off from the Czech Republic to their rival Slovakia, but this is still an NHL-playoff level team
8. Team Germany will sneak into the quarterfinals as Greiss shows himself to be a legitimate NHL starting goalie
9. Switzerland needs too much from Jonas Hiller to make it into the quarterfinals
10. The Kostitsyn brothers give Belarus one legitimate scoring line, and that is more than the teams below them can say
11. Latvia has two NHL defenders they can put on the ice to slow down opposition scoring
12. Norway has no true NHL-level talent to work with and will have high scoring deficits from both the United States and Canada in the preliminary round

For those of you that follow me on a regular basis in the NHL section this will be a repeat performance for this article. That said, I felt this was an important piece for any fan of Canada's Men's hockey team to read, thus, the re-posting....

Every four years, Canadian hockey fans wait impatiently for the announcement of Canada’s hockey roster. In the end, regardless of the names on the back of the sweaters, the expectation is always the same—a gold medal.

Historically, Canada has fared well at the Olympics, but they are hardly the unbeatable force that many hockey fans label them to be.

Canada’s hockey teams have a proud Olympic history, one which has seen Canada bring home two bronze medals (1956, 1968), four silver medals (1936, 1960, 1992, 1994), and seven gold medals (1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1948, 1952, 2002).

A little quick math tells us that Canada has earned 13 medals in total. That means Canada failed to medal (never mind bring home the gold) on 10 occasions.

What it all means is this: Regardless of expectations, Canada is no “lock” to win the gold, or a medal of any color, for that matter. With that in mind, what should Canadian hockey fans be expecting from this group of NHL players turned Olympians?

First, let’s take a look at Canada’s roster:

Forwards: Patrice Bergeron, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Dany Heatley, Jarome Iginla, Patrick Marleau, Brenden Morrow, Rick Nash, Mike Richards, Corey Perry, Eric Staal, Joe Thronton, Jonathan Toews

Defense: Dan Boyle, Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Brent Seabrook, Shea Weber

Goaltenders: Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury

Up front, Canada will ice one of the most intimidating rosters of all-time.

Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, and Jarome Iginla are expected to lead Canada offensively, with Mike Richards, Brenden Morrow, and any of Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry taking on the task of shutting down Canada’s opponents.

Patrice Bergeron—who recently sustained a hand injury—and Jonathan Toews can play in all situations, solidifying their spot on this team, which underlines their value in a short tournament such as the Olympics.

The strength in Canada’s forwards lies with their abilities to play in all areas of the game and in any conceivable situation. Staal, Richards, Getzlaf, and Perry can easily move up to the first or second lines in a pinch. Likewise, Nash, Iginla, Thornton, and Crosby can be played on the third line and even kill penalties if need be.

Canada has the luxury of icing an offensive lineup that boasts scoring prowess, physical play, grit, skill, speed, and leadership. On the surface, there are no weaknesses—Canada will ice a very balanced attack—which should serve them well at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Canada struggled to score goals at the 2006 Olympic games in Turin, scoring just 15 times in six games, finishing seventh overall. Canada scored 22 goals in six games during their gold medal effort in 2002 in Salt Lake City.

Goals are at a premium at the Olympics. With that in mind, if Canada is to be successful in 2010, the forwards will have to find the back of the net on a regular basis—especially if Canada plans on beating the likes of Russia and Sweden, two teams that are poised to score at will.

On paper, Canada’s top six forwards are as good as any other country's. The trick is converting that perceived strength into results. Canada’s position of biggest strength comes in the form of their bottom six forwards, which, in my opinion, are the best in the world.

Final Thoughts

Canada’s special teams will be very strong—especially the power play. Scoring will be tough to come by, but Canada should emerge as one of the strongest offensive teams. Defensively, Canada’s forwards should provide the biggest challenge for opposing countries—keeping them at bay and winning the battles in the corners.

Ranking The Forwards

Overall offensive rank—Second (Russia first)    
Overall defensive rank—First

Canada’s defense boasts a unique combination of skill, toughness, and speed. Veterans Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer are expected to be the main cogs in Canada’s last line of defense, while youngsters Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook should inject a measure of energy.

Dan Boyle and Shea Weber cannot be overlooked. Weber is one of the game's best hitters, while Boyle brings a tremendous amount of offense to the fold.

Much like Canada’s offense, Canada’s defense is a position of strength. While each defenseman brings certain intangibles to the team, there is not much to choose between any of the seven—an argument can be made for all seven to be dressed on any given night.

Once again, Canada’s depth is a huge advantage and, in my opinion, gives Canada the edge as the best defensive corps in the world.

Pronger, Weber, Seabrook, and Keith (sometimes Niedermayer) should be given the duty of shutting down the opposition—both five-on-five and on the penalty kill—with Niedermayer, Doughty, and Boyle chipping in offensively, especially on the power play.

Final Thoughts

Canada’s defense will perform at a high level in all areas of the game. The added offense from the back end will be a difference-maker on most nights. Given Canada’s offensive troubles in the past, their defense will have to be excellent—failure to keep the likes of Russia and Sweden at bay may very well cost Canada a chance at the gold medal.

Ranking The Defenses

Overall defensive rank—First

Overall offensive rank—First

Canada’s goaltending is also a position of strength. Martin Brodeur—arguably the best goaltender in NHL history—is expected to get the nod as Canada’s starter. His cool demeanor, tremendous reflexes, competitive spirit, and uncanny ability to seemingly always be in position put Brodeur head and shoulders above any other goaltender in the world.

Sweden’s Henrik Lundqvist, Finland's Miikka Kiprusoff, Team USA’s Ryan Miller, and Russia’s Evgeni Nabokov are all excellent goaltenders. That said, at the end of the day I suspect most hockey fans would take Brodeur in net in a one-game playoff, which is why I feel Brodeur is still the game's best.

Canada boasts two well-rounded backups in Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury. Luongo is widely regarded as one of the games premier back-stoppers and is more than capable of stepping up if Brodeur should falter. Fluery, who back stopped the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2008-09, is an easy going goaltender who lacks ego, making him the perfect teammate and another candidate to lead Canada if Brodeur falters.

It’s tough to predict which goaltender will be the best at the Olympics. Miller has been hot all season long, while Nabokov has been exceptional for the San Jose Sharks. Mental toughness will be a huge factor, as will experience.

For that reason, I have to give the nod to Brodeur, making him my pick as the Olympics' best goalie.

Final Thoughts

We can argue the merits of Lundqvist’s gold medal effort with Sweden in 2006 and the strength of the team in front of him, but when you look at the total package—abilities, experience, mental toughness, past accomplishments, and strength of team defense in front of him (including the forwards)—Brodeur gets the nod, hands down.

Further, if any of Lundqvist, Kipprusoff, Nabokov, or Miller goes down there is likely to be a noticeable difference in quality if their countries need to call on their second or third string goalies—once again, Canada’s depth is a factor when considering the tournament's best.

Ranking The Goaltenders

Overall goaltending rank—First

Canada’s depth at every conceivable position is what puts this country's hockey team above all others. Russia will bring a great offensive lineup (maybe the best ever), but they lack defense. Sweden will bring a more balanced attack, but their roster is not as impressive as Canada’s.

Team USA, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia will all ice decent rosters, but on paper, none of them compare to Canada’s roster, much less Sweden’s or Russia's.

The final piece of the puzzle may be the advantage of playing at home in Vancouver. The Pro-Canadian crowd should give Team Canada a boost, especially in those tough close games.

Capturing a gold medal in 2010 will be no easy task, but Canada has all the tools to make it happen and, for that reason, Canada remains the favorite to win it all at the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver.

Prediction—GOLD MEDAL

The world was in a state of turmoil. The Cold War was at epic heights between the Soviet Union and the United States.

America was secretly funding the Afghan rebels to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan.

There was no love loss between the two countries whether it was world affairs or on the ice.

The 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York was not just an international athletic competition, but a showing of superpower muscle.

And a band of collegiate hockey players from the Midwest and New England were David trying to take down the Soviet Goliath.

Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Dave Silk, and Jack O’Callahan grew up playing hockey on rinks in the Boston area.

Jack O’ Callahan hailed from Charlestown, Mass.

Jim Craig called North Easton home.

Mike Eruzione grew up in Winthrop.

Dave Silk was raised in Scituate.

These four sons from the Bay State all attended Boston University, one of the country’s collegiate hockey powerhouses which was coached by the now legendary Jack Parker.

O’Callahan attended BU from ’75-’79, where he became a leader on the Terriers team. The young defensemen was selected as team captain during his junior year and helped lead Boston University to a National Championship in ’77-’78.  O’Callahan played on a high level by adding six assists. He was named tournament MVP.

O’Callahan also excelled off the ice by being named student-athlete of the year in 1978. He was the type of player that Team USA was looking for, well rounded and a leader.

Goaltender Jim Craig, was also part of the 1978 NCAA championship team along with O’Callahan. He was an All-American goalie for BU between the pipes. In three seasons at BU, Craig posted a 29-4-2 record with a 3.65 GAA.

Forward Dave Silk made an immediate impact as a young player, being one of only ten underclassmen to make the team. As a freshman, he scored 35 goals breaking a ten year old team record and was named New England rookie of the year. He was also teammates with Craig and O’Callahan on the 1978 National championship team.

These three players were leaders and winners. They all excelled at their positions and knew how to play as a team.

And they won as a team.

Olympic coach, Herb Brooks didn’t want the best players, he wanted the right players.

O’ Callahan, Silk, and Craig were the right players.

Mike Eruzione’s journey started a bit earlier than the other three. Eruzione attended Boston University from 1973-1977 where he averaged 20 goals (92 career goals) and served as team captain during his senior year. His defense was also recognized, as he was voted a four time outstanding defensive forward.

After graduation, he joined the Toledo Goaldiggers of the International Hockey League and helped lead the team to a Turner Cup Championship in his first season.

After his second year in Toledo, Eruzione was chosen for the US Olympic Men’s Hockey team.  At the age of 25, he was an elder statesman compared to many of the collegiate players who were still attending school. However, his age and experience helped mold him into a leader and later team captain of Team USA.

Olympic Coach Herb Brooks believed in Eruzione’s skills, winning attitude, and leadership when no one else gave him a shot.

Eruzione was the definition of a captain.

The four Massachusetts natives were mixed in with the top players from New England and the Midwest. A lot of these players faced each other in collegiate play and didn’t, let’s just say didn’t have warm and fuzzy feelings towards one another.

There were rivalries and maybe slight hatred amongst some of the players.

However, Herb Brooks had those players turn their grudges and disdain for another into respect and brotherhood.

All of the players on the 1980 Olympic hockey team knew they had an uphill battle, especially against the juggernaut Soviet Union squad.

The US squad met the USSR in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden prior to the opening to the Olympics. The Soviets throttled the young Americans, 10-3.

Jack O’Callahan would suffer an injury that threatened his participation in the Olympics. He was devastated, but Brooks kept him on the roster with the hopes that O’Callahan would return.

Brooks owed him the chance.

The US team would band together with ties against Sweden and an upset 7-3 victory over Czechoslovakia led by backstop Jim Craig’s play. The Czech team was considered to be the second best team behind the Soviets.

Team USA would then win their next three games with relative ease over Norway, Romania and West Germany to advance to the medal round.

The USA men’s hockey team was a galvanized squad and ready to take on the professional Soviet players.

Not many gave this band of collegiate brothers a chance against the powerful hammer and sickle of the U.S.S.R.

Dave Anderson of the New York Times said , "Unless the ice melts, or unless the United States team or another team performs a miracle, as did the American squad in 1960, the Russians are expected to easily win the Olympic gold medal for the sixth time in the last seven tournaments."

While the Soviet coach rested his players, Brooks continued to put his skaters through grueling drills.  He knew his team had to outskate, outscore, and outwit their opponents.

Nothing was taken for granted.

Brooks and his players knew what they had to do to have a chance.

This game was not just a game but a defining moment in American history.

Good versus Evil.

Democracy versus Communism.

Amateurs versus Professionals.

The Cold War was going to get ice cold.

Charlestown’s Jack O’Callahan made his return to the ice after sustaining an injury against this same Soviet team in New York City.

Craig, Eruzione, Silk, and the rest of the United States team were full strength and ready to challenge the Evil Empire.

O’Callahan was throwing his body around, Silk was skating with passion, Craig was repelling Soviet attack after attack (39 saves on 42 shots), and Captain Mike Eruzione kept his team focused.

The United States kept clawing back and tied up the game 3-3, on a Mark Johnson tally (second of the game).  With 10 minutes remaining, Eruzione scored on a play set up by Mark Pavelich and John Harrington. The image of Mike Eruzione high stepping in celebration then being engulfed by his teammates has been forever etched in American sports history.

It proved to be the game winner as the youthful, underdog Americans upset the battle tested Soviets to advance to the gold medal game.

Sports Illustrated said of Team USA’s win over the Soviet Union;

“It may just be the single most indelible moment in all of U.S. sports history. One that sent an entire nation into frenzy.”

The US hockey team would beat Finland, after coming from behind yet again, 4-2 to complete the “Miracle On Ice.”

The image of Jim Craig wrapped in the Stars and Strips is timeless. It helped rally the nation as did the Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima during World War Two.

As team captain Mike Eruzione was on the podium to accept his gold medal, he waved over his whole team to join him. They played as team, won as team, and were going to be awarded their gold medals as a team. It was just another incredible moment that would bring tears to any American’s eyes.

The miracle men from Massachusetts all went on to other things in their lives, but nothing would outweigh what they did in the tiny little village of Lake Placid.

The sport of hockey reached epic heights of popularity after their gold medal performance in the Winter Games.

The United States was now perceived as hockey powers like Canada, Sweden, and the Soviet Union.

Their achievements as a team, not as individuals, have proven to be an inspiration thirty years later.

The young Americans proved that against all odds you can still achieve your goals.

And exceed them.

 

Check out Joe’s Site: Boston Sports Then And Now

The United States men's hockey team isn't the only group of icers hoping to make some noise in Vancouver: the women are a solid group, too.

In a sport dominated by Finland and Canada, the American women are quickly becoming one of the world's dominate forces on the rink.

Led by four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero, the USA women are an incredibly deep and talented unit. The 30-year-old defenseman knows the game, she's coached and played it her whole life. Ruggiero is the driving force behind Team USA's aspirations of striking gold in Vancouver.

The American women are seeking their first gold medal in over a decade. They took home the world's top honors at the 1998 Nagano games, won silver in Salt Lake City in 2002, and garnished the bronze in Turino's 2006 games.

On the offensive side, 31-year-old Jenny Potter will be lighting the lamp on a regular basis. Potter netted a hat-trick against an underpowered and inexperienced China squad on Sunday's opening match.

Team Finland, Canada, and Russia are amongst the world's elite and will present a higher level of competition for the state-siders.

Canada is coming off an 18-0 drubbing of Slovakia, much like the Americans' 12-1 trouncing of the Chinese on Valentines Day. The Canadians are another team steeped in experience, but they also tout some of the best young female hockey talent available.

Hailey Irwin (21), Meghan Agosta (23), and Sarah Vaillancourt (24) anchor a youthful unit for our northern neighbors.

Canada's female elite won gold in Turino and Salt Lake, with a silver medal in Nagano. Hockey Canada's multiple gold medals in international competition make its women's team the bunch to beat.

With the bar set high by the world's best, the less experienced will be schooled in the early rounds. Either way you look at it, the Canadians and Americans are truly the gold medal's front-runners.

With all the talk about the U.S., Canadian, and Russian squads, you might be surprised to find there are nine other teams in the 2010 Olympic men’s hockey tournament.

That’s just fine with the Czech Republic. They’ve made a habit of thriving as the underdog. In 1998, they beat a highly favored Russian team to win gold in Nagano. They surprised the world in 2006, earning a bronze medal in Torino.

The Czech’s strength, by far, is their skill at forward: two lines that boast the likes of Thomas Plekanec, Milan Michalek, David Krejci, Martin Havlat, Patrik Elias, and Jaromir Jagr. Lines featuring those names will give any country’s defense headaches.

Coach Vladimir Ruzicka has two options concerning his top six forwards: Put them together to form two extremely potent scoring lines, or break them up and spread out the offensive threats to keep the opposition guessing. The combination of playmaking ability and scoring touch these six forwards provide needs to carry this team if the Czechs hope to reach the medal rounds.

Goaltending is solid as well. Thomas Vokoun backstopped the team to the bronze medal in 2006, and has the most Olympic experience in net.

Expected backup Ondrej Pavelec has turned in a good season in Atlanta thus far, but probably won’t see much time outside of a blowout or freak injury to Vokoun.

Goaltender Jakub Stepanek is an unknown entity. He hasn’t had the benefit of facing elite forwards on a nightly basis as Vokoun and Pavelec have in the NHL. He likely won’t see any actual game time, but should that freak injury occur, he may be called upon.

The primary concern for the Czech team is on the blue line. While they have plenty of offensively talented players (Tomas Kaberle, Pavel Kubina, and Marek Zidlicky), the presence of a bonafide shut down D-man just isn’t there.

Defending the front of the net won’t be a problem. Zidlicky, Kubina, Roman Polak and Jan Hejda all go over 6’3” and 225 pounds. Even Tomas Holmstrom would have issues staying in front of Vokoun with those defenders on his back.  

Where the Czechs might run into problems is trying to defend teams on the fly. Fellow Group B member Russia is boasting a lineup with names like Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, and Malkin—not exactly the kind of players that sit in front of the net and screen a goaltender. The Czechs might have problems keeping the Russian forwards in front of them.

Not that Vokoun isn’t used to a heavy workload. He’s faced an average of 33 shots per game in Florida this season, all while keeping a tidy 2.35 goals against average.

The other two teams in the group, Slovakia and Latvia, feature very little top-level NHL talent, and will struggle to get out of the group stage. While they are solidly built, their rosters just don’t measure up when compared to Russia and the Czech Republic. For the Czechs, coming out of group play with a 2-1 record and a first round bye won’t be easy, but should be an attainable goal.

If everything works out as expected (but honestly, when does it ever, really?), the Czechs would run into the US in the quarter finals.

Against teams like Russia and the US, the Czechs’ defense will be under more pressure, and will have to lean on Vokoun more than usual if they hope to get into medal contention.

The Czechs have the kind of lineup that is certainly capable of claiming another medal. Russia, Canada, Sweden: Consider yourself warned. 

The general consensus among most hockey fans leading up to the Men's Hockey Tournament at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics is that the gold medal will be won by one of the three following countries: Canada, Russia, or defending champion Sweden. However, there are three primary reasons for why Team USA can stage an upset reminiscent of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team.

First, the Olympic Tournament is unlike the NHL Playoffs, which has 16 teams play four best-of-seven playoff series over two-plus months. In contrast, the Olympic Tournament is only 12 days long, so a team vying for the gold medal could have only played five games (three preliminary, two tournament) before reaching the winner-take-all gold medal game. At that point, it's a Game Seven—anything could happen.

Second, this will be the first Olympic Tournament played on NHL-sized ice. This gives both Team USA (and Team Canada) a bit of an advantage, as all of their players are used to the smaller ice surface. Rather than a bunch of all-stars, Team USA is made up of players who can play a tough, grind-it-out type of hockey game, where sheer physical strength and a relentless checking game can turn what might have been a 3-2 loss into a 3-2 win. This style of hockey is best played on a smaller ice surface.

Goaltending plays a key part in the success of such a strategy, which brings me to my third point. Team USA will be strong in goal, which is key for any team seeking to win the Gold Medal. In 1998, the Czech Republic Team had little star power up front but had an exceptional goalie in Dominik Hasek, who went on a phenomenal run in leading his team to the gold medal. Team USA has a goaltending trio that is among the best in the world, with Ryan Miller, Tim Thomas, and Jonathan Quick. Their success will be immensely crucial for Team USA to advance to the gold medal game.

Up front, Team USA will need all of their skaters to commit to playing disciplined team defense with an emphasis on a strong and relentless fore-check and back-check. Team USA’s offense should be able to produce enough goals to win any game, provided they commit to playing a strong defensive game. With such a young team, it is hard to project how they will handle the Olympic stage. Luckily for Team USA, nearly all of the media will be pre-occupied in dissecting everything that the home Canadians are doing, which will shift a lot of the focus away from Team USA.

Team USA certainly faces daunting opposition in their quest to win a gold medal. While they have been described as underdogs, they are more than capable of beating any other team in this Tournament. As was mentioned in my previous article, Team Canada, with their all-star lineup and home-ice advantage, is the favorite to win the Tournament. However, a few clutch goals here and many more clutch saves there could place Team USA in the gold medal game. At that point, anything can happen.

While the rest of the hockey world awaits the Olympics, and subsequently the Stanley Cup playoffs, I am convinced that by the fifth day of 2010, the best hockey game of the year has already been played.  And to be honest, I don't know which was more stunning—Team USA's overtime goal in the gold medal game against Canada or the fact that it was nowhere to be seen in our national sports news this morning.

To appreciate the story that unfolded last night in Saskatoon, you need to go back to its prequel.  When the two teams first met in the preliminary round on New Year's Eve, the US gave up a two-goal lead in the third period and held off Canada in overtime, only to lose in the third round of the shootout.  Canada seized the automatic bye into the next round, while the US took the long road through Finland and Sweden, to earn their way back to a rematch.  

With Canada playing at home for what would have been their sixth gold medal in a row, they were the tournament's only undefeated team and undisputed favorite.  But the beauty of watching David take down Goliath wasn't just what the US accomplished but how they accomplished it. 

Most teams approach a game against Canada as though they're simply trying to postpone the inevitable.  Fend off the beast as long as possible and hope that the clock runs out in your favor.  Unlike its predecessors—both on and off the ice—this Team USA program managed to respect their opponent without revering them. 

From the moment the puck dropped, they attacked—controlling the puck into the offensive zone and firing a relentless stream of shots on the goaltender.  No waiting for the perfect scoring opportunity—no hanging back in the neutral zone, just to be safe.  This was all-out, end-to-end hockey, with both teams playing their guts out for a combined 78 shots on goal, in front of 15,000 screaming fans.   

Even as Canada rallied back, scoring two goals at the end of the third period in an eerie déjà vu from the New Year's Eve game, the US team remained unfazed.  In a situation where most teams would have reverted to playing like underdogs, they stuck to their game and went out and played like the best U20-hockey team in the world, much to the chagrin of the six million Canadian viewers and probably 34 Americans.

Now, I am realistic about the role of hockey in our nation.  And I know that at first glance, the notion of 17 to 19-year-olds playing hockey might rank somewhere on your watch-meter between "Troy vs. Central Michigan" and reruns of Two and a Half Men in Spanish.  But remember—these kids aren't exactly your average teenagers.  In fact, 41 of the 44 players who faced off last night have already been drafted by an NHL franchise and are currently in what could be the waning moments of their collegiate or junior careers.  So, in essence—you're watching hockey's future as they battle for their country with an intensity, emotion, and level of play you won't find anywhere else in hockey or all of professional sports for that matter.

Confidence—sans ego. 

Skill—minus individuality.  

Physical play—without tomahawk chops to the skull.

And you know—not even one Latvian player demanded to be traded to a contender.

While cognizant that I live in a country with more bowl games per capita than should federally be permitted, I can't fault mainstream America for not watching or even knowing that the US played in the gold medal game last night.  I will however, point a giant foam finger at our nation's so-called sports media for completely omitting one of the best moments in USA Hockey from today's headlines.   

The top stories from the sports wire today?  For CNN, it was speculation about whether JaMarcus Russell may have ditched his irrelevant 5-11 team for a trip to Vegas.  For Sports Illustrated, it was Mark Cuban's anger at the NFL for scheduling the Dallas Cowboys game at the same time as the Mavericks.  And for ESPN—it's that former Detroit Lion, Charlie Rogers, was jailed for drinking too much and passing out in a Mexican restaurant.  

I'm not saying that millionaires, sorry Mark—bajillionaires—behaving badly don't make great stories.  But could we at least spare a few lines of text for these kids that represented us with the heart and class that brought 15,000 opposing fans to their feet?  Guys that sang their lungs out to our national anthem and brought the gold medal back to a nation that hadn't even made it to the final game in six years. 

So, do yourself a favor and catch a replay or at least the highlights from this game.  When it comes to hockey at its highest level, there is simply no equivalent to the combination of skill and grit on display at the World Junior Championships.  For many of these players, this is their first and perhaps only chance to play the game on an international stage.  Sure, we're supposed to get that from the Olympics—but if you recall the 1998 Games in Nagano, Team USA didn't exactly make the kind of news stories that made us proud to be American.

But they did, of course, make the headlines.

http://www.5280sports.net

Its time for the Olympics again, this time the city of Vancouver will be their home. Whenever I think of them, I think of that 1980 men’s hockey team that defied all the odds and beat the high powered Soviet Union. The USA team was made up of amateur and collegiate hockey players and they beat the Soviets who were considered by many as the best team in the world. If you ask people what they were doing when the “Miracle on Ice” happened for the most part they can tell you. That victory for the United States is the biggest upset in sports history and is a moment that makes me proud to be an American.

Hockey has since fallen out of favor in the United States but as a passionate hockey fan, I find myself getting excited over the upcoming Olympics. Looking at this year’s roster I started to question why Brian Burke chose some of these guys, hell, I wonder why he was even allowed to choose anyone. In case you haven’t seen the roster for the USA men’s hockey team here it is:

Forwards (13)
David Backes
Dustin Brown
Ryan Callahan
Chris Drury
Patrick Kane
Ryan Kesler
Phil Kessel
Jamie Langenbrunner
Ryan Malone
Zach Parise
Joe Pavelski
Bobby Ryan
Paul Stastny

Defensemen (7)
Erik Johnson
Jack Johnson
Mike Komisarek
Paul Martin
Brooks Orpik
Brian Rafalski
Ryan Suter

Goaltenders (3)
Ryan Miller
Jonathan Quick
Tim Thomas

Brian Burke needs to be in a mental hospital, seriously. There are several head scratchers here.

Ryan Callahan (41gms 9g 10a)- Are you serious? Why is Ryan Callahan on this team? He is a hardworking gritty player but I don’t see why he deserves a roster spot. He is one of the most overrated and inconsistent players in the NHL, not to mention that he has bricks for hands. Player who should take his spot: Dustin Byfuglien

Chris Drury (36gms 5g 9a) I’m sorry but am I in the twilight zone? I must have missed all the games where Chris Drury showed that he wasn’t an inconsistent player who shouldn’t be the captain of the New York Rangers…oh I didn’t?? He may end up being the captain of the USA team. This guy is one of the worst captains the New York Rangers have ever had. I love Drury but come on this is ridiculous. Player who should take his spot: Tim Connolly

Mike Komisarek (34gms 0g 4a) This is the player that in no way deserves to be on the USA hockey team. Brian Burke picked his overpaid and overrated defenseman to anchor a physical defense, the only problem is that Komisarek is a moron. He takes way too many minor penalties. He can hit but I don’t think he plays well enough in his own end and he offers no offensive support whatsoever. Player who should take his place: Ryan Whitney

David Backes: (41gms 9g 12a) It seems as though I’m picking on the players that will mostly be providing grit and time on the penalty kill. I personally like David Backes but I don’t think he deserves a spot on the team. Player who should take his place: T.J Oshie.

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