Team USA vs Team Canada for gold

They couldn't have written this story any better if they'd tried.

It was the perfect matchup. Team USA, underdogs written off early in the tournament because they were too young. They had only three guys on the roster who had been in the Olympics before. Sure, they were NHLers, but most of them were under 25 years of age. What did they know about Olympic hockey?

Against Team Canada, the host team, the fathers of hockey. A roster packed with talent, NHL captains, winners of Olympics past. Not to mention, this was a team that had been completely embarrassed in their loss to Team USA during the preliminaries. They were angry, seeking revenge, hungry for the young Americans.

Yours truly was sadly at work during this game, but my phone buzzed constantly with texts from hockey friends and non-hockey friends alike. Even people not ordinarily fans of the sport during the NHL season had fallen in love with the hopes and dreams of these Olympic players.

They wanted to know how this one would turn out.

I was able to watch a good portion of the game with divided attention as I worked. The forechecking and backchecking pressure of the Americans was evident. The hunger and physicality of the Canadians was relentless. Each of these boys played the game of his life, and delivered some of the finest hockey I've ever seen.

Corey Perry would net one goal out of four SOG in this monumental game. Ryan Getzlaf would take an assist.

Despite falling behind for the first time in their Olympic run, the Americans didn't fall apart. They kept their focus, kept their composure, and kept coming. They closed the gap to one goal, and then a miracle.

With less than 30 seconds left in regulation, Zach Parise would deliver a simple strike in the crease that left a puck in the net behind Roberto Luongo.

Yours truly couldn't help but scream. My phone erupted in delight as well. The Americans had pushed the game into overtime! The gold would take more than 60 minutes to be won. How could anyone deny the drive and heart of Team USA?

Seven minutes of sudden death overtime would finally award the gold medal to Team Canada.

I can never stand to see the dejected faces of the losing team, and especially not when they're MY team. Sure, I was elated for our Canadian Ducks, but Team USA represented my country. I watched the medal ceremony with mixed emotions. Not being able to be completely happy for the beaming faces of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Captain Scott Niedermayer, I was distracted by the misery of the loss etched onto the faces of my boy Bobby Ryan, Captain Jamie Langenbrunner, and especially MVP Ryan Miller.

To them, I want to say that I am so very proud of their effort. Nobody, hockey experts and casualists alike, would have ever guessed that Team USA would compete for gold, that these young boys would slaughter Team Finland in a 6-1 landslide, that they would completely humiliate these very Canadians with a 5-3 trouncing. Team USA has absolutely nothing to be sorry for. They went above and beyond all expectations. They captured the hearts of a nation and the attention of the world.

What you've done for the sport of hockey, is beyond words. There will be so many new fans watching as you return to your respective NHL teams to complete your season. And for all of us old fans, including yours truly, you gave us the opportunity time and time again to say, "This, this is why I LOVE hockey!"

Celebratory congratulations to Getzy, Pears, Scotty, and Team Canada! But heartfelt thank yous to Bobby, Ryan Whitney, and Team USA! Along with the pride felt for the valiant efforts of Jonas Hiller and Luca Sbisa with Team Switzerland, and Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu with Team Finland, I am so very proud of all of our Olympic Ducks.

Seven Ducks will return home with Olympic medals, that's the most of any NHL team (San Jose comes in second with five). There's no way a team with such talented individuals can't put together a successful playoff run.

So how about it, boys? Let's go get Stanley!

Vancouver Olympics 2010 men's hockey in pictures

Since yours truly couldn't attend any of the Olympic action in person to get great pictures (wouldn't that be the day!), the next best thing I can do is share the great shots taken by others. Here's a collection of my hockey favorites over the past two weeks... (my apologies that some of the larger pics don't quite fit)

Bobby celebrating his first Olympic goal against Swiss game #1

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Finland beats Belarus

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Teemu in the Finland vs Germany prelim game

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Winner Team USA, loser Team Canada prelim

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images North America

Scotty, Getzy, and Perry celebrate after a goal against Slovakia

Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images North America

Bobby in Swiss #2 game

Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images North America

Bobby and Hiller in Swiss #2 game

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Hiller's crazy puck juggle from game Swiss/USA game #2. Puck would eventually go in behind Hiller, but not until after the horn

Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images North America

Luca Sbisa defending Kessel in game Swiss/USA #2

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Bobby and Hiller, final handshake, Swiss #2 game

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Goalie to goalie, Hiller and Miller after Swiss #2 game

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Corey Perry getting one past Naby in Canada vs Russia

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Corey Perry getting one past Bryz in Canada vs Russia

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images North America

Saku celebrating win over Czech Republic with Kipper

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images North America

Bobby and Selanne shaking hands after US beats Finland

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Teemu, Saku, and Team Finland with Bronze (over Slovakia)

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images North America

Teemu with his Bronze

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Captain Koivu with his Bronze and Finland flag

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images North America

Getzy, Scotty, and Pears win the gold

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America

Team USA vs Team Finland Semifinal

Wow... action in the first three minutes of this game! Yours truly is blogging while watching, not always an easy thing to do, especially when the action comes as quickly as it has in the early minutes of the Team USA/Team Finland matchup.

Also known by Duck fans as: "I want to cheer for Team USA but I really want to see Teemu and Saku finally win gold for their last Olympics!"

Only two minutes into the game and Finnish netminder Miikka Kiprusoff makes a HUGE mistake. He comes out of the net to face a rolling puck, but turns it over to Ryan Malone just within the blue line, who slams it home to an empty net.

The Team USA bench bursts into cheers and elation.

The confidence is contagious, and you can practically see those young Americans swell with pride as they realize they might actually have a shot at this. My boy Bobby Ryan, as I suspected, is being used on a checking line along with other big boys David Backes and Ryan Callahan.

This is definitely an aggressive game. You need a big checking line when physicality counts as much as it does today.

I'm in awe watching this game. In the first period alone, it's a USA goal landslide.

Zach Parise...

Erik Johnson...

Patrick Kane... twice...

Paul Stasny...

And that's just within the first 13 minutes of this game. Of course, two Finnish penalties don't help Team Finland's cause.

Those of you watching this live with me, we are witnessing the complete disintegration of an Olympic hockey powerhouse. In a way, it's sad, because we have Ducks on this team too. And knowing this will be the last Olympics for Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, a big part of yours truly wanted to see them finally win Gold.

I don't like faulting the goaltender, but in this case, I think it's hard not to. Kipper should not have started that ball rolling. He's pulled after the 4th USA goal, but the damage may have already been done. Niklas Backstrom takes over the Finland net, allows two more goals before the end of the first, but stops the bleeding at that.

The second period goes without many interuptions at all, and while Team USA has slowed some in their aggressiveness towards the net, they are still backchecking, still forechecking, still playing physically, and trying to stay out of the sin bin.

Team Finland is playing hard, but after being rattled so badly in the first, they can't seem to get many shots to Team USA netminder Ryan Miller.

Miller, by the way, is doing splendidly. Many have him pegged as the MVP for Team USA's effort.

During the third, the Finns come harder, but Miller denies every attempt. With about half the period to go, Miller is changed out for backup goalie Tim Thomas. Yours truly thought this a classy move, as Timmy has gone on record to say it has always been a dream of his to play in the Olympics. At age 35, one would suspect Thomas may not likely return in four years.

Miller is given high-fives and salutes on the bench as he prepares to watch the rest of the game with his mates. Bobby even retrieved a game puck to give to Miller as a token of his incredible 100+ minute Olympic shutout run.

A collective Duck-fan gasp sounded as Bobby was struck point blank by a puck to the left side of the head. He was able to get off the ice, and was shown hunched over on the bench with a bag of ice held against his ear. Luckily, the puck went off the helmet and there was no blood or broken bones.

Hey, we need that boy for our playoff run!

The Finns are rewarded for their efforts with a power play goal against Timmy with about five minutes left in regulation, but that's the only mark they'll make in this semifinal game.

The Americans trounce Finland in a 6-1 landslide and move on to the gold medal game this Sunday. Yours truly is happy... and sad at the same time.


Photo courtesy Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America

Some stats and numbers:
- Bobby spent 8:44 on the ice and had one shot on goal.
- Ryan Whitney spent 11:06 on the ice.
- Teemu had one shot on goal in 13:44 ice time.
- Saku had two shots on goal in 13:36 ice time.

Men's hockey Olympic quarterfinals

Four big big games today, starting off with Team USA vs Team Switzerland (part 2).

Both teams start off with fires lit under them. The commentators are gushing over the energy of team USA, and while I can agree there's definitely energy, it's looking largely unfocused and reckless to me. Probably indicative of the young stars that make up the team, they're going to have to concentrate on connecting some plays and being a team if they hope to bring anything against Jonas Hiller.

The Swiss are also coming on with energy, but their offensive force is not nearly as big as their defense. Ryan Miller is forced to make a handful of good saves, but the Team USA defense has a way of blocking many of those shots before they even reach their intrepid netminder.

Put it this way. Hiller faced 42 shots as opposed to Miller's 19.

My boy Bobby Ryan only got eight and a half minutes of ice time, but he managed three shots on goal and some nice YouTube-able plays. Hiller played a phenomenal game. He definitely helped his team fight to the end.

There were no goals through two periods of play. Not until Zach Parise got one by Hiller did the momentum swing, and Team USA gave that extra push. Parise potted an empty netter with less than a minute left in regulation.

Team USA moves on to the quarterfinals.

By the way, I'd forgotten to mention that Bobby is also writing an Olympic blog (along with Hiller and Ryan Whitney). You can read his thoughts here.

Next up, the heavily commercialized game of Team Canada vs Team Russia. Sid vs Ovie... again.

Elimination rounds

Two games to keep an eye on today, although one SHOULD be a no-brainer.

First up, Team Switzerland vs Team Belarus. The winner of this game will go on to play Team USA in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Yours truly was not able to watch this game (the job that pays the bills interfered), but it was my understanding that Jonas Hiller could have been much sharper between the pipes than he actually was.

In the end, it wouldn't matter. The Swiss squeezed out Belarus in a shootout, winning 3-2.

It'll be Hiller vs Bobby Ryan part two.

The next game on the Canada Place schedule was Team Canada vs Team Germany. After Canada's loss in regulation to USA on Sunday, you can bet the pressure was on to deliver against Germany. Shouldn't be a problem, right?

Martin Brodeur lost his opportunity to netmind, and Roberto Luongo would be the one in goal today. Team Canada redeemed themselves today, positively shredding Germany with a 8-2 win.

Our boys Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry looked good out there, despite neither recording any points. Getzy had one shot on goal, Perry had four. Captain Scott Niedermayer would net a goal.

If anyone is keeping count, as of today, I believe all of our hometown heroes have multiple Olypmic points to their names, with the exception of Hiller (obviously) and Ryan Whitney. I'll do a breakdown in the next post.

Team Canada will go on to play Team Russia in Wednesday's quarterfinals. Looks like another Sid vs. Ovie matchup!

Lots of hockey to be watched. Unfortunately, the television schedule has left much to be desired. The Team USA vs Team Switzerland quarterfinal will be aired on NBC at 3pm Pacific Time, but there's only a 2-hour time slot dedicated to it. Will they cut the game short??? How horrible!

The Team Canada vs Team Russia quarterfinal is scheduled to start at 4pm on CNBC. So of course, there's overlap... which makes it all but impossible for yours truly to record via VCR.

Following later in the day, Team Finland vs Team Czech.

I suppose I'll be refreshing the Olympic web page again and again.

Super-rink Sunday

Forget the Superbowl, today is hockey's day.

There were three big games today, but I'll focus on the last two because those feature Duck players. Yes, I'm biased, but it's my blog and I can do whatever I want.

Yours truly attended a watch party for the big Team USA vs Team Canada game this afternoon. The location was my favorite local sports bar, Oggi's in Tustin. The atmosphere was pure electricity, as tons of hockey fans came out to cheer on their country of choice.

With Ducks on both Team USA and Team Canada, it felt a little like a win-win situation for yours truly. However, I'm known to be a sucker for underdogs (heck, I'm a Phoenix Coyotes fan for crying out loud), and my boy Bobby Ryan make the decision easy. Team USA all the way, baby.

In between the pipes, Team USA would stay with Ryan Miller. For Team Canada, Martin Brodeur would get the nod.

The game started off wonderfully with an early goal for Team USA courtesy Brian Rafalski. Further energized, Team USA went on to have a great first period. They played with confidence and speed, and the forecheck was incredibly effective. Team Canada could not even set up in the offensive zone.

Team Canada did get on the board before the first half of the period expired, with a goal by Eric Staal. But it was answered less than a minute later by a second goal from Rafalski.

Unbelievable game for Rafalski.

The holes in the defense had been addressed, it seemed, and they weren't as glaring in Team USA's game tonight. The defensemen were better distributed along the blue line, turnovers were better controlled, and I think Canada only got away with one odd-man rush the entire game.

The second period, for Team USA, looked a little more like a typical Anaheim Ducks' second period. The boys looked a bit slow, a bit caught back on their heels. Dany Heatley would take advantage and score for Canada, tying the game up 2-2.

Before the end of the period, a pinball play in front of Brodeur's crease would land a third goal for Team USA. Credit to Chris Drury, assists to David Backes and Bobby Ryan. Again, Team USA would take a one-goal lead into the locker room for the intermission.

A series of penalties for Team Canada drove the momentum back in Team USA's favor for the third period. The forecheck reappeared, some of the extra kick returned to Team USA's step. On the last USA power play, Captain Jamie Langenbrunner would give the US a 2-goal lead for the first time in the game.

And then Team USA would take two penalities of its own, allowing a goal in the last five seconds. Sidney Crosby, pulling the game once again down to one goal. It became a veritable shooting gallery around Ryan Miller, with a desparate Canadian team taking every possible shot.

With about a minute left in regulation, Brodeur was pulled for the extra attacker. Zach Parise and Ryan Kesler danced with the puck near the blue line. Kesler took off down the ice, as did his defender Corey Perry. Parise's shot sped past them. When it looked as if Perry had effectively kept Kesler away, the fallen American swung his stick, connected with the puck, and sent it into the far corner of the net.

Empty net goal! And in that moment, Team USA realized what it had done. Kesler was tackled by Parise, Langenbrunner, and Erik Johnson behind the Canada net. On the bench, guys were hugging and slapping each other on the back, smiles stretched wide across their young faces.

There were 45 seconds left in regulation, but Team Canada would fail to bring a tie. Team USA had done it, beating the favorite and creating a situation where either Team Canada or Team Russia would leave Vancouver empty handed.

Miller came up HUGE, especially in the last five of regulation. He would face 45 shots during this game, compared to Brodeur's 23.

A few Duck observations...

Bobby's ice time was considerably increased in this game, I'm happy to say. He played nearly 12 minutes, had two shots on goal and one assist.

Ryan Whitney got the least time on ice of any Team USA player, 5:22, and he was a -1.

This definitely wasn't Corey Perry's game. To add injury to insult, Perry collided at one point with Staal and, while crumpled on the ice, had Chris Pronger fall over them both. Perry left blood on the ice, but there would be no penalties as all of the players involved belonged to the same team! Not Canada's finest moment by far.

Both Perry and Ryan Getzlaf would fail to pen any goals or assists, but each served two penalty minutes and had one and three shots on goal, respectively.

Captain Canada, Scott Niedermayer, has played better games himself. I think Scotty showed some rare frustration, getting himself involved in post-whistle shoving scrums on more than one occasion. He had three shots on goal, was a -1, and saw 17 minutes of ice time (which, incidentally, is a lot less than Scotty is used to playing).

It was an incredible game, and the watch party atmosphere made it even more memorable for yours truly.

The game that followed could have also been a nail-biter. Team Finland and Team Sweden have had a very heated rivalry through many Olympics, including the gold medal game four years ago. Unfortunately, this game failed to meet most expectations.

I don't know what was wrong with Team Finland, but it seemed that nobody showed except for Tuomo Ruutu and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. He was able to stop the bleeding on a 0-3 meltdown by his countrymen, but with no effective attacks on net, Kipper couldn't exactly do anything about the bagel on the scoreboard.

With the preliminary rounds finished, the top four seeds go to USA, Sweden, Russia, and Finland (qualifying round). These four teams don't have to play in Tuesday's elimination rounds as they go straight through to the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The remaining eight teams will play Tuesday, with the top seed playing the bottommost seed, 2nd top playing the 2nd from bottom, etc.

- Czech vs Latvia
- Canada vs Germany
- Slovakia vs Norway
- Switzerland vs Belarus

The winners in these elimination rounds will go on to play the top four seeds on Wednesday. Yours truly will be posting the rest of the men's hockey schedule tomorrow.

Hits and misses, Olympic prelims

Another big day of men's hockey for our Ducks Olympians, today would feature contests between Team USA and Team Norway, Team Canada and Team Switzerland.

In watching USA versus Norway, yours truly has a few notable observations. The offensive lines are looking like they're starting to gel a little bit. Today's game was definitely physical... Team USA's bigger boys weren't afraid to throw their weight around. Passing plays looked cleaner, and the team would benefit with goals.

Defensively, I think we have problems. As long as the puck is in the offensive zone, Team USA looks good. But as soon as they have to defend, there's way too much open ice. Not to mention, I don't think it helps that the defensemen have been joining the offensive rushes. You may get away with that in games against less talented teams, but once you start playing the big guns, you're going to need both D-men holding up that blue line. Without that, turnovers quickly become dangerous odd-man rushes.

This happened a number of times in today's game, and Ryan Miller did his best against the Norweigan forwards, but you're playing a numbers game. Give them too many good scoring chances, and they will eventually score.

Unfortunately, yours truly isn't feeling too confident about the netminding. I understand Ryan Miller is probably going to be starting for as long as we're winning, or something like that, but I was actually hoping Jonathan Quick would get an opportunity between the pipes. I'm just a tad bit more impressed with Quick's game than Miller's going into the Olympic break.

My boy Bobby Ryan got less than 10 minutes of ice time in today's game... can I ask why?

In any case, Team USA proves good enough to win today's contest, 6-1.

The next men's hockey game on the schedule would pit Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Scott Niedermayer against their fellow teammate, goaltender Jonas Hiller.

What did I say about underestimating Team Switzerland? Hiller and his incredible D would take Team Canada all the way through five minutes of sudden death overtime and into a shootout. Switzerland would fall 2-3 in that shootout.

Hiller had an absolutely phenomenal game, I wish he had been rewarded with a win. He faced 47 shots, stopping 44. And when you figure that it's guys like Sidney Crosby, Jerome Iginla, Ryan Getzlaf, and Dany Heatley firing these shots, Hiller's performance is even more remarkable.

The Swiss play a hard, gritty game. I give them very good chances of taking a win away when they play Norway next.

Honestly, if Team USA had the defensive core and netminding of Team Switzerland, they'd be a force to be reckoned with.

No goals or assists for any of our hometown heroes today.

On a sidenote, who wants to bet Jeremy Roenick will take Mike Milbury out before the end of the tournament?

Team USA vs Team Switzerland

The very first men's hockey Olympic game is a big one: Team USA vs Team Switzerland.

Considered the underdogs against big guns Canada and Russia, Team USA gets to start against a team that shouldn't be underestimated. Team Switzerland will have none other than our Jonas Hiller between the pipes, and we know just how hot Hiller is right now.

Team USA features Buffalo Sabres' Ryan Miller in net. Miller has the second top save percentage in the league, but has been facing some difficulties as of late. Only three guys on Team USA have been here before. Both players from our Anaheim Ducks, Ryan Whitney and my boy Bobby Ryan, are looking at their Olympic debut.

What an amazing feeling it must be to represent your country with so many other talented players that you've only shared ice with as opponents.

It's a little bittersweet that Bobby and Whitney will be taking shots on Hiller, but that's how it goes. Another familiar face on the Swiss team, prospect Luca Sbisa!

In the first period, the teams are looking pretty evenly matched. The Swiss aren't afraid to play rough, laying hard hits and grinding in the corners. Team USA has had less time to play together, while the Swiss have had at least 40 games worth of practice, sans Hiller and Mark Streit who play in the NHL.

Hiller is looking very sharp between the pipes, he's playing a great game. Team USA is putting pucks on him, but he's holding strong.

With only about a minute left in the first, David Backes forces the puck away with an effective forecheck behind the Swiss net. Bobby takes a hit along the boards and the puck squirts to the defender at the blue line who shoots it at Hiller. It's fought off and, as it rolls away from the goal, Bobby catches it in the slot and fires it over Hiller's glove hand.

Like I was saying, bittersweet. But it's Bobby's first Olympic goal and it puts Team USA up 1-0 going into the first intermission.

Play in the second amps up a few notches, becoming much more physical. Backes scores for Team USA. And then Ryan Malone too on the power play. They are tough bids on net and nobody can fault Hiller for them. Everyone is skating better in the second. Team USA gains confidence with those goals, driving hard to the net, connecting passes.

The rest of the second goes goal-less, with the Swiss defense looking strong.

The Swiss offense kicks up in the third. They create some scoring chances for themselves, and Team USA appears to be caught on their heels. Miller is forced to make some big saves. Inevitably, Team Switzerland scores on the power play.

On a sidenote, I gotta say I really do miss Luca Sbisa. Can't wait until he's back up with the Ducks.

As Team USA regains their confidence, Hiller continues to come up big on the saves. You can tell, he's playing an awesome game, with a number of sweeping glove saves that plenty of players on the ice are sure to recognize. Nothing gets by him during the final period. It will be a loss for Team Switzerland, but Hiller had one heck of a game.

Team USA didn't have the most pristine play on the ice, there are definitely some aspects that these guys need to clean up before they take on Team Canada on Sunday. Turnovers are a problem, and the defense needs to really step things up, but for a team of young firecrackers, they can be proud of a win today, 3-1.