Canada’s Crosby Clinches Classic Contest
By IronCity
Doc Emrick said it best, “What a tribute to the sport.”
If you are an American Penguin fan like me, it couldn’t have ended much better. Perhaps a 4-3 USA triumph with Canada’s output produced by a Sidney Crosby hat trick would have been ideal. But an overtime loss that left the Americans just shy of a gold medal and established #87 as an even more prominent national/world-wide hero is satisfactory.
It is hard to carry much disdain for Canada. Technically, hockey IS their game. Sure, it would have been wonderful to win a gold medal. We would have felt great for a few days. And then…March Madness. And then…opening day of the major leagues. Then…college and pro football kicks off. This gold medal would have been pushed to the back burner.
Not so for our Northern neighbors. This game was their identity. Many lives are based on this glorious sport. If they had lost today, the sun would not have risen from Vancouver to Montreal in the morning. To you Oh Canada, we tip our hats.
If you are reading this, you most likely watched the game, so no need for a recap. Suffice it to say, I was crushed when Crosby slid home the game winner past a gold-medal worthy Ryan Miller. For the first time, I had to “stomach” a Crosby celebration. I was happy watching him joyously throw his gloves in the air; it was all of his teammates that I didn’t like so much.
Regardless, USA Hockey should be extremely proud of its effort. They firmly built a solid sense of respect around the world for their grit, determination, and power.
Some other thoughts following the Olympic tourney…
- There is zero…0…chance that NHL players won’t play in the next Olympics. All this debate is merely consternation. It is a lock that Crosby will be skating against Ovi and Malkin four years from now in Russia.
- I will go back to hating him tomorrow, but Zach Parise is a fantastic player. After watching a couple interviews, seems like a quality young man as well.
- I have never been impressed in my limited watching of Ryan Getzlaf in NHL action. He, along with Corey Perry, dazzled in this event.
- Brian Rafalski is not washed up. Martin Brodeur is. Just kidding, but it would be hard to say he is still the world’s best goalie after watching Miller and Roberto Luongo.
- Brooks Orpik is a world-class defenseman. He belonged and excelled on this global stage.
- Shea Weber is a beast. His slapshot, as we saw in the final game before the break, is wicked. Ryan Suter is also very good. Nashville is in good hands. Rick Nash is also beastly. Imagine him on Crosby’s wing an entire season. Yikes!
- Just like in Pittsburgh, Crosby can be absent for periods of time, but when it matters most he tends to carry the weight. A flair for the dramatic from the World’s best.
- I was thoroughly disappointed in Team Russia’s heart. Not just Ovechkin and Malkin, but the entire team seemed distant. Team chemistry anyone?
- Jaromir Jagr may return to the NHL next year, I’m sure he’d love to. At least he DID. Until Ovechkin steamrolled him. His double vision may have caused second thoughts.
- Watcing Ryan Malone made me miss him more than I have since he left. It would be nice to have his tenacity back in the black & gold.
- If you didn’t have goosebumps listening to Oh Canada following the medal celebration, check your pulse. You are dead.