Entry posted by Jason Chen
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Before we begin anything, first, take a deep breath.
Okay, now we're ready to go.
The game came as advertised, although for Canadians everywhere (or for those who may cheer for Canada) the loss was devastating. It's not the gold medal game, not yet, but it might as well have been. With an electric, playoff-like atmosphere, the US fended off a multi-faceted Canadian attack, who were unable to beat Vezina favourite Ryan Miller, who stopped 42 shots in the win, while at the other end of the ice Martin Brodeur allowed 4 of 23. There is simply no question who was the better goalie tonight and in a short tournament like this, goaltending can be the difference between a gold medal finish and a sixth place finish. It's a good thing that Canada has a great insurance policy.
I do believe that Brodeur has played himself out of this tournament. Even though the Swiss and Americans were much tougher opponents than the Norwegians, he didn't come up big in the big game. He played the puck way too much tonight and he is no Marty Turco, that's for sure. Brian Rafalski's goal also came at the expense of Brodeur's puckhanding, as was Chris Drury's goal (more on him later) on a missed poke check. I'm not exactly sure what he's been trying to accomplish with those moves, and most people have been vilifying him already. It's not all on him though - Canada's defense scrambled in their own zone multiple times and a lack of communication seems to be the problem. I'll bet that Luongo gets the start against the Germans on Tuesday and may very well be the man from here on out.
The Canadians didn't play terribly - in fact, I thought for the most part they played quite well, but it left people wondering where the hell did the sudden burst of energy in the last two minutes came from. Okay, the answer is obviously desperation, but where was that all game? The Americans didn't generate a lot of shots, but they did pressure the Canadian defense that looked flustered at times and forced Brodeur to make some tough saves, although I don't think he made the game any easier for himself. The Americans played with more desperation and their jubilant goal celebrations are indicative of that. They executed better than the Canadians tonight.
Speaking of defense, Drew Doughty is an absolute lock for Canada for every Olympics from here on out. Despite fanning on a potential game-tying goal, he looked great on the ice - smooth, calm, and composed. He was the exact opposite of four-time Olympian Chris Pronger, who logged only 14:05 to Doughty's 23:20. Pronger was a lock for everybody's picks for Canada's this year, but you have to wonder if that really was the right decision. Let's face the facts though: Pronger, at 35, is still one of the better defenseman in this league, but his best days are behind him, having last won the Norris ten years ago. His skating, never a strong suit to begin with, has regressed and he was never a particularly intelligent hockey player either. His size was and always will be an asset, but his lack of mobility was completely exploited by the much smaller but faster American forwards. His veteran presence was not felt in this game at all, unlike Scott Niedermayer's. The loss raises questions, but you really have to wonder if Steve Yzerman should've taken Mike Green or Stephane Robidas instead.
It was definitely the kids who had the better night tonight, with a very strong performance from Jonathan Toews and Mike Richards, even though he played less than 13 minutes and finished with a -2. They played with urgency and an extra jump in their game that wasn't seen by the veterans of the team. It again makes you wonder if guys like Steven Stamkos should've made the squad. Ironically, for the younger American squad, it was the veterans that pulled through. It's funny how that works sometimes.
<img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/4b/fullj.64cbaf35c88c44bd8dbb35714c4b03a4/64cbaf35c88c44bd8dbb35714c4b03a4-getty-95657025mw057_ice_hockey_da.jpg"class="imageFloatLeftFramed">I made my picks for USA, there was one player that I couldn't cut no matter how poorly his season was going: Chris Drury. He was even my pick for captain. Captain Clutch, he of the 47 overtime winners, knows how to win. A lot of people wondered why Brian Burke selected the Rangers centre, but it's easy to see why now. Drury has just 10 goals and 22 points this season, but his veteran presence, face-off ability, and tenacious forecheck really set the tone. He's not the most talented player, but through hard work he gets his stuff done. Along with Miller, there are shades of Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig there. You know USA wants to win gold. Badly.
Sometimes I wonder if Canadian hockey players may be just a touch too humble. The Americans generated a lot of scoring chances on individual play, especially Rafalski's goal and some stickhandling clinics put on by Patrick Kane and Bobby Ryan. The best chances for the Canadians came when the big kids, Eric Staal, Rick Nash, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry drove the puck straight to the net. Too often are Canadians looking for that extra pass instead of taking the shot. There were 45 of them tonight, but if takes 45 just to score 3 on Miller, then shoot 65 times. Ability only goes so far, as I'm pretty sure Miller would've liked that Sidney Crosby goal back, before numbers take over. This is going to sound silly, but the Canadians were a little too unselfish with the puck. Everyone parked their egos at the door, but at the same time someone has to step up and say, "I'm gonna be that guy." Joe Sakic was "that guy" in 2002.
Part of the reason a single player hasn't stood out yet may be because Mike Babcock has decided to spread the ice-time around. Only 2 Canadians played less than ten minutes (Brent Seabrook and Patrice Bergeron) compared to the Americans' 4 (Ryan Malone, Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, and Ryan Whitney). On the flip side, only 2 Canadians topped 20 minutes tonight (Doughty and Duncan Keith) while there were 4 for the Americans (Brooks Orpik, Ryan Suter, Jack Johnson, and Rafalski). There's a clear hierarchy on Team USA as to who gets the ice-time and who doesn't, while it's not so clear on Canada because there's such a wealth of talent and versatility. I have a feeling that some Canadian players need more ice-time to find their rhythm and be effective.
The physical game from the much bigger Canadians was there, but not enough. Neither Dustin Brown nor Ryan Callahan are big players (both stand around 5'11"), but when they're on the ice, they're speeding bullets and will hit anything they see. Neither player hit the scoresheet, but they don't need to get score to have their presence felt. Ryan Kesler also helped in that department, including scoring the empty netter on a lazy backcheck by Perry that iced the game.
It was a humbling experience, to say the least, for the Canadians. They didn't make the road any easier for themselves, now having to face Germany before a dangerous Russian squad. Who knows though - maybe the Canadians just planned to do it this way all along.
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