It was a sad day for the USA hockey team and to be honest after such a big loss I’ve never felt more indifferent. I watched the Gold Medal game with a bunch of hockey buddies and when it ended I was prepared to be exuberant or offset. I was not prepared to be indifferent and I still don’t know whether to cry or wind my watch.
I am a Penguin fan first and then a USA team fan. The Guy who scored the game winner in overtime has lived in the same zip code as me less than 4 miles from my home for the last 4 years. Though he has never invited me over for a beverage or to swim he is still the player that hits closest to home on the team.
It is odd and awesome that Sidney Crosby tonight solidified himself as the greatest player in hockey today and one of the greatest players in history all in one night at such a young age.
Brooks Orpik wasn’t much help with my conundrum on this one : “It’s disappointing, but if we were going to lose,” he said “I’m glad he’s (Crosby) the guy that won it.” Thanks for your help Brooks.
NHL trades should be at an all time none trading deadline day high tomorrow and once Tuesday night rolls around and Crosby faces Miller again on our terms everything wrong in the word hopefully will be righted. Congratulations to all of the Penguins Olympic players.
The game had a ton of intensity. The game had another ton of drama. But… watching Canada play 4 and sometimes 5 players at their own blue line starting in the 3rd period doesn’t make the game play the best ever. That is, unless you like to see slow-down trap hockey. YINZERS did take notice of that didn’t you.
Maybe not.
Maybe you were caught up into the drama too much to notice. There was a lot of sloppy play by both teams. Luongo almost coughed-it-up and isn’t that good of a goalie.
A good game, but not as great play as some you may insist. Especially those who commented about watching New Jersey play. Ken Hitchcock and Jacques Lemaire had their fingerprints all over that 3rd period… from the start of the 3rd period.
What should happen is the entire Canadian Nation and specifically that coaching staff should bow down and then kiss Crosby’s skates… who saved them first with the shootout goal and then closes it out with the OT goal against the USA.
Drama, tension, excitement… absolutely. Best game you ever saw played… not on your life. The Olympics has a ton of talent but it lies on just a few teams. I still think the penguins would have beaten Team USA.
So…I get it now, I fully understand why we should not play the pro’s in the Olympics. It probably only took me 5 minutes to figure it out, maybe you’re still scratching your head. Was this the most exciting hockey of the year, sure, doesn’t take the top game away from the International Junior finals, but I’ll say there were some great games out there. USA beating Canada was more than any of us could have expected in the round robin games, a crushing 12 minute game with the Finn’s (that’s when we quit, right), even a chair clutching, toe curling game against the Swiss who may not have the star power like the rest of these teams.
Then why the sulk? There’s no way we should be okay with this win. A guy living in Pittsburgh scores the goal for the enemy team just doesn’t sit with me. Cheering on Rafalski and Langenbrunner…guys I’m trained to hate, please. If these were the Junior players, we’d be all ticked off at that country we like to call America’s hat…and that’s how it should be. So, was it a great game, yes, am I ticked we lost, yes…but I say look out. With a 2-1 win in the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and a 6-5 overtime win in the 2010 International Junior finals this year, we could be looking at many more close games like this in the future. And you think Malone is the only Team USA prospect that is from Pittsburgh, then take a look at some of these rosters…local kids form Upper St. Clair, Mt Lebanon, Bethel Park and Pine-Richland are all key players on these rosters. Now that’s something to get excited about!
Just call me the Don Cherry of the south. Which, speaking of…can someone tell that guy to get a new tailor, his suits look like crap.
Good solid checks with a lot of speed and the kids showing a major changing in the guard. No fights. No one getting hurt attempting to touch-up an icing and very strong skating. That game transformed what I felt was a rather ordinary Olympics into one of the best hockey games I can remember watching. It doesn’t get much better than that one.
Onto life in the NHL. Shero has to make a major decision concerning Gonchar. Gonchar’s agent is holding the cards and I don’t believe that Shero can sit on this one and let it play out.
There is no doubt that there are very few teams have a player with Gonchar’s offensive and PP ability and yet (a key factor here) most teams have better PP.
This IMO is the major decision playing out for the Pens this week.
I’m looking forward to another Trade Deadline String like you guys had last year. I’m thinking we may have seen the last of Gonchar here. Just a feeling.
Canada now has three stars: Paul Henderson, Mario Lemieux, and now Sidney Crosby. In all seriousness even Crosby looked shocked. He couldn’t have scripted this any better for himself.