My heart is still beating beyond at a rapid pace. Pounding actually.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what Ryan Miller feels like right now, and I only watched the game. He pretty much stood on his head, said to his teammates, “I will win this for us.” And he did, stopping impossible shots without as much as milliseconds to react and get into place.
He was on autopilot at that point. Completely in the zone. Wide open looks for Canada thwarted by the limbs and extremities of Miller.
In one of the greatest hockey games I have ever seen, the United States outlasted…. No, out played and hustled Canada down the stretch.
Don’t believe me? Ask Ryan Kesler and Cory Perry. Perry seemingly had possession of the puck in his own zone with a yawning net, Kesler refused to be denied his shot to seal the victory, and with a diving poke check, earned his team a memorable victory.
The night started with a Brian Rafalski goal, 41 seconds into the contest.
While the goal was answered less than 6 minutes later by Eric Staal, Rafalski would again put the US out front with a goal that seemed to have its own eyes, finding the smallest of holes to fit through and into the back of the net.
An unease, tense and almost worried silence filled the crowd of Canada Pacific Collesum going into the intermission.
Brodeur’s gaffes, clearly cost his team, but none were ever as prevalent as his blunder late in the 2nd period as he failed to poke check a loose puck in front of the net. Bobby Ryan chipped the puck over the sprawling Brodeur’s stick where it landed near Chris Drury, who in his best game wearing Red White and Blue [yes, I’m including the Rangers], found the back of the net to put the Americans ahead for good.
In the third, on a power play, Rafalski again would factor in on a goal. This time with a blistering slap shot from the point that tipped off Jaime Langenbrunner’s stick on its way through Brodeur for the 4-2 lead.
While Sidney Crosby’s goal with under 5 minutes remaining in regulation only added to the dramatics of tonight, Kesler’s efforts combined with Zach Parise’s to chip the puck ahead to begin the play and the outstanding, if not mythical, effort of Ryan Miller helped carried the USA hockey program into a new status.
Since the sport began, the Canadians have had a superiority complex over their neighbors to the south.
Tonight, the US went to their neighbor’s house, played their game, dominated when it mattered the most, then, they skated off the ice having won against their cocky rivals for the first time in Olympic competition in 50 years.
But this wasn’t the first time the US has emerged victorious against Canada in recent history.
For the third time in just over a month, the United States Hockey teams have gotten the best of their Canadian counterparts. First, winning the Under 17 World Championships, then the World Junior Championships, and finally, tonight, completing an undefeated group play by beating Canada.
This game didn’t mean immediate respect for just the USA as a team, but more importantly on Ryan Miller as an individual.
Jeff Marek of Hockey Night in Canada tweeted, “Miller just solidified his Vezina resume.” While it is true that the Olympics are not typically factored in the Vezina consideration voting, people will take note of him putting the US on his back and giving them a sense of confidence that they will be able to endure the relentless Canadian attack.
He did it while out-dueling another Vezina winner in Brodeur, who definitely took major steps back tonight. He more than likely played himself right out of the lineup with his performance in the past 2 Canadian Games, and I would be shocked, as would a lot of other people, if Roberto Luongo does not take to the pipes for Canada’s next game against Germany.
Mike Eruzione said he was pround of the heart-filled effort tonight and as a whole. I think the entire 1980 Olympic team would be proud of this squad because they are proving if you play as a team, you’ll be even a team stacked with all-stars. And I wonder if the late Herb Brooks may have even been either smiling or even helping the puck find the holes in the Canadain defense and goaltender.
But as for tonight, Facebook and Twitter have both exploded with posts of praise for the United States and, more specifically, for Ryan Miller.
Which leads me to wonder, had NBC not booted the game to its cable affiliates and kept it on their main channel, had more non-hockey fans become instant fans of the sport thanks to one of the greatest hockey games ever played?
Congrats to the United States, congrats to Ryan Miller for proving he is approaching god-like status in the eyes and hearts of USA Hockey fans, congrats to Brian Rafalski for being a go to scorer from the defensive position, congrats to Ryan Kelser for his all heart play to seal the win, and lastly, congrats to Joe Thornton for thinking this was a playoff game and completely failing to show up.
Tonight, I think the entire country believes in Miller-cles.
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