Canada beat U.S. for hockey gold

February 28th, 2010 · 25 Comments

Congratulations to Team Canada for its stirring, pulsating, dramatic 3-2 overtime win over the U.S. to win the Olympic hockey gold. The game winner was scored by Sidney Crosby, who beat the superb Ryan Miller in goal. It was hockey at its best.

I had no real rooting interest, but was glad when the U.S. tied it with 24.4 seconds left in regulation on a goal by Zach Parise. It meant the game would go into OT. I imagine Canadians everywhere went into shock on Parise’s goal.

Despite giving up the game-winner, Miller was clearly the best goalie in the game. If not for Miller, Canada would have won 6-1. In contrast, Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo was shaky and prone to dropping the puck from his glove like a butter-fingered wide receiver. In consecutive games, he almost blew leads of 3-0 (vs. Slovakia) and 2-0 (vs. the U.S.). He was lucky he had the better team in front of him. Miller was named the tournament MVP, deservedly.

This game meant so much to Canada, so I am glad for them. I even got caught up in everyone singing “Oh, Canada” at the medal ceremony. And watching each of the players on both teams get their medals was seeing one hottie after another. In contrast, hockey is clearly a step-child sport in the U.S., so a win would have been nice, but not really that big of a deal nationally (the 1980 “Miracle On Ice” meant something because of the geo-politics of the time).

This will clearly have been the most-watched sporting event in Canadian history and likely the most-watched hockey game ever in the U.S. It was nice that the game matched the hype.

SI’s Luke Winn, sitting the the stands, took this cool shot during the awards ceremony:

By Jim Buzinski

Tags: Hockey

25 responses so far ↓

1 Ted // Feb 28, 2010 at 8:10 pm

“Miller was clearly the best goalie in the game.”

I think the U.S. was the best team in the tournament. This was the only game that was not won in regulation. Canada failed to win in regulation three times, including a regulation loss. You just couldn’t expect them to slip up for a second loss at home, even though Luongo let at least two shots on goal get past him without them crossing the line.

I don’t feel good for a team with its previous gold medal 8 long years ago, when it’s been 30 years for the team they beat.
2 Ted // Feb 28, 2010 at 8:13 pm

If you’re a fan of the favorite winning despite performing below expectations, a neutral fan should be happy with the result.

Anyone else should have been for the young U.S. team, even though most are against anything American because of the geopolitics you mentioned.
3 Andie // Feb 28, 2010 at 8:21 pm

WE LOVE YOU SIDNEY. . . !!!! His name is now spoken in the same breath as the first 2 hockey gods, Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretsky. . .
4 Jim Buzinski // Feb 28, 2010 at 9:12 pm

Funny, that on Tuesday night, it’s Sabres at Penguins. Ryan Miller vs. Sidney Crosby.
5 Dan // Feb 28, 2010 at 9:18 pm

The Vancouver locker room will also be an interesting place. You gotta wonder if there will be much talk between Demitra, Kessler and Luongo..
6 Enigma // Mar 1, 2010 at 1:58 am

I have no shame in saying I had tears in my eyes when Canada received the Gold Medal. When Jacques Rogge stopped and allowed the crowd to cheer for Sidney Crosby as he got his Gold Medal - I had goosebumps.

A phenominal game and one that showcased the best the sport has to offer.

To all of you American Outsports readers, hold your heads high! The US played tremendously well! They earned my respect and I hope they made you proud.
7 DruggyBear // Mar 1, 2010 at 2:11 am

yes indeed, it was an incredible game between 2 equally worthy foes. The sadness I feel is giving way to great pride in our team and the run they made, not to mention Brian Burke for putting all the parts in place.

Congrats to Canada on their hockey victory today and despite the rocky start and weather woes for putting on a stellar Olympic Games!
8 Jimmy // Mar 1, 2010 at 2:29 am

@Ted,

“…despite performing below expectations”

No, I’m good. They met my expectations…
9 Madeleine // Mar 1, 2010 at 3:05 am

Yeah Ted, I’m with Jimmy. I think winning gold met my expectations.
10 Potvin Sucks! // Mar 1, 2010 at 3:40 am

@Ted
Below expectations? What did you expect Crosby and Nash to win the gold in ice dancing too?
Listen I’m a USA fan, and you can throw out all the stats and pats on the back you want, but we lost and that’s it. There’s only one winner in sports, and it doesn’t matter how you got there in the end you’re the champ. It comes down to Canada played better when it really mattered and they won. They deserved the Gold and the praise that comes with it. And it gave me another reason to hate Crosby, not that I needed any more.
11 Chad // Mar 1, 2010 at 3:52 am

I told you Jim we’d win!
12 Charlie Carson // Mar 1, 2010 at 1:20 pm

The odd thing is that I really believe had Canada not won that game the country’s citizens would have been collectively beating themselves up for the next generation — regardless of the “we finally won some gold at home” monkey off their backs two weeks ago. Only U.S. hockey fanatics are going to be thinking about it twice past today.

So now all of North American can move on, content that the Olympics came and went and both countries had success. I’m just sorry I couldn’t have been in Vancouver the past two weeks to enjoy the games.
13 Jim Buzinski // Mar 1, 2010 at 1:28 pm

The hockey rating was huge in the US, 1 of 3 sets tuned to the game:

Sunday’s game drew a higher overnight rating than every World Series game since 2004 (including every game of Yankees/Phillies last year), every NBA Finals telecast since 1998, and every NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four game since at least ‘98.

Excluding the NFL, the 17.6 overnight for the game is the second-highest of the year for any sporting event, behind only the Texas/Alabama BCS National Championship Game in January (18.2).
14 Mike // Mar 1, 2010 at 5:17 pm

Awesome game. Sports at its best. The level of interest in the US is a pleasant surprise.

My partner and I live in NY City and decided to watch the game at a local sports bar. The first two places we tried had standing room only at 3 PM on a Sunday afternoon. The only other time that happens all year long is on a good NFL weekend and NFL playoffs.
15 Pat // Mar 1, 2010 at 7:58 pm

Arguably the biggest game and biggest goal in Canada’s long and storied hockey history and 22 year old legend Sid the Kid is now a Canadian hero forever!

Amazing US ratings and of course even bigger ones up here. On average at any given time during the game half of Canada’s population was watching the game. (Average of over 16.6 million viewrs during the course of the game) - and that number does not include those who may have watched on NBC up here. And over 80% of our population watched at least a part of the game - 26.6 million!

Chris Cuthbert’s call of the goal which has replayed thousands of times across the country already will be one we hear over and over and over again throughout our lives.

“Crosby scores! Sidney Crosby! The golden goal! ….. “These Golden Games have their crowning moment.”

And as those words beamed across the country - the country erupted in celebration. Not sure this link works outside Canada - butthis is a link to one of our national newscasts and the first two stories are about the game - the goal - the celebration.
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/ctv-national-news/feb-28/#clip270695
16 Dan // Mar 1, 2010 at 8:11 pm

@ Pat

Canadian watching the game on NBC? That’s a good one. What’s the draw? Their top-rate commentary? The great camera work? (Not that CTV/TSN was terrific here)

And seriously, Ted, winning is winning. It’s not so much a ‘geo-political’ thing, it’s more a ‘Canadians would hate and trash talk any team they faced in the Gold Medal round’ thing underdog or not. I mean honestly, should Canadian hockey fans not cheer for Canada because they are the perennial favorite? To quote what seriously has to be at least the best movie ever made, “it doesn’t matter whether you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning”. You yanks find more things to complain about…

The US played a damn good game. Be proud of that. Could Canada play better? Yes. But, yah know what? They played well enough and it was probably more exciting game because of it. Maybe next time you would like to see the US get steam-rolled just so you can say that every team played up to expectations.
17 Joe Guckin // Mar 2, 2010 at 1:12 am

Using NHL standings procedure (where 2 points for a win, 1 point for losing in OT and shootout), head-to-head the USA was 1-0-1, 3 pts. against Canada and Canada was 1-1-0, 2 pts. vs the USA. Ha! Tarnished gold! ;-)
18 Jimmy // Mar 2, 2010 at 1:56 am

@Joe ~ 30 hours. You had thirty hours and that’s it?!?

Frankly, I expected more…
19 Lex // Mar 2, 2010 at 2:06 am

Dan // Feb 28, 2010 at 9:18 pm

The Vancouver locker room will also be an interesting place. You gotta wonder if there will be much talk between Demitra, Kessler and Luongo..

>>> you can add sami salo as well
20 Hockeymom // Mar 2, 2010 at 2:29 pm

out of all of the olympics we watched, this game was the ONLY time where the commentators spoke OVER gold medal ceremony. I was appalled, my son, who’s been playing hockey since he was 6 years old (he’s now 24) was disgusted. we didn’t even get to hear the US players’ names as they received their medals; the four commentators completely muted them and talked about whatever they were jabbering about. They then editorialized as the gold medals as they were given to each Cdn player. This was an insult to both teams, but especially to the Americans. All of the athletes worked hard and the ceremony is held up as their reward; the commentators should apologize to viewers EVERYWHERE. Can you imagine Foster Hewitt or Dave Hodge doing this? Absolutely not!
21 Jim Buzinski // Mar 2, 2010 at 2:41 pm

“ONLY time where the commentators spoke OVER gold medal ceremony.”

I noticed the same thing and thought it was out of place. The announcers shut up for long stretches of the celebration, then opened their yaps right when the sounds from the arena would have sufficed.
22 david // Mar 3, 2010 at 3:55 am

jim mckay must be turning over in his grave. he would not have done that either. he had class, and style.
i noticed that throughout the oylimpics, us announcers on nbc, cnbc, msnbc etc talked over gold medal ceremonies and bob costas even jabbered away over national anthems that were not the star spangled banner… rude!
23 Hockeymom // Mar 3, 2010 at 10:55 am

we watched the CTV channel most of the time, so we didn’t see a lot of the American coverage. And what about the “ice-level” commentator - I think his last name was McGuire? His comments added NOTHING to what was going on during the game. He was like a dripping tap - you couldn’t shut him off unless you muted him. A total, monotonous distraction. Then there were the comments from the 4 musketeers about “older” athletes, and how the Finnish team needs to get younger athletes. Hello, didn’t they win a medal? Sports isn’t just for the “young” — it’s for everyone. Scott Neidermeyer would agree I’m sure.
24 Jim Buzinski // Mar 3, 2010 at 2:37 pm

“And what about the “ice-level” commentator - I think his last name was McGuire? ”

He was doing CTV. On NBC, it was only 2 announcers and they did a great job, with no ice-side reporter.
25 Joe Guckin // Mar 4, 2010 at 12:05 am

Pierre McGuire did work some Olympic hockey games for NBC, as he is part of their NHL broadcasts. However, his primary job is in Canada so for games involving Team Canada he worked for Canadian TV.