The speech from the movie Miracle still kind of fits today even thirty years later. Yeah; I watched the game.
Fast forward till today; leading up to the game we have heard how great the Canadians are and don't get me wrong the Canadians are a good team. The Russians are a good team; the Swedes have a good team as well. Team USA is going down without a fight. I think the thing that makes me happy is the fact that team USA just put four goals past one of the best goalies in the world. Two of the goals were scored by former Wisconsin Badger Brian Rafalski who was a former NHL team mate of Martin Brodeur’s. Maybe Rafalski know’s Marty’s weaknesses? If Brodeur has any?
You have to wonder if the Canadians just thought they were going to win. I must say that the last two minutes of the game were some of the best hockey I have seen in a long time. Former MSU goalie Ryan Miller was a brick wall and nothing short of awesome keeping the American in the game when the Canadians were pressing all over Team USA in the closing minutes. I guess you could say it was Miller Time.
GAME SUMMARY
SCORING
CAN 1 1 1 - 0
USA 2 1 2 - 0
First Period
1. USA, Rafalski (Suter , Langenbrunner) :41
2. CAN, Staal (Seabrook, Toews) 8:53
3. USA, Rafalski (Unassisted) 9:15
Penalties - Getzlaf CAN (interference) 3:41, Pavelski USA (high sticking) 6:07.
Second Period
4. CAN, Heatley (Toews, Weber) 3:32
5. USA, Drury (Ryan, Backes) 16:46
Penalties - Staal CAN (holding) 19:06
Third Period
6. USA, Langenbrunner (Rafalski, Suter) 7:09 (PPG)
7. CAN, Crosby (Nash, Keith) 16:51 (PPG)
8. USA, Kesler (Parise) 19:15 (ENG)
Penalties - Crosby CAN (high-sticking) 1:44, Perry CAN (slashing) 6:05, Kane USA (hooking) 10:49, E. Johnson USA (tripping) 14:56.
SHOTS ON GOAL
CAN 19 12 14 - 45
USA 6 13 3 - 22
Goaltenders (goals-shots against) - CAN: Brodeur (L, 4-22); USA: Miller (W, 3-45).
Power plays (goals-chances) - CAN: 1-4; USA: 1-4.
Parise was +3 for the game.
ReplyDeleteToews was +2.
Cindy Crosby was -3.
Cindy scored the first American goal.
ReplyDeleteThey might as well call Team USA "Team WCHA + Miller" instead. There are so many recent players from the WCHA out there its ridiculous: Parise, Backes, Johnson, Malone, Kessel, Pavelski, Suter, Stastny, etc. Excellent game by Rafalski and Ryan Miller. Miller is the one guy that can change the outcome of the game or the medal round for Team USA. If he makes
ReplyDelete40+ saves for them against a lineup of NHL all-stars, they can beat anyone.
Hopefully, some college defensemen were taking note of Rafalski's play. His slapshots from the point are just off the ice, where they actually have a chance of getting in the net, instead of chest high where there is zero chance of scoring.
ReplyDelete