Oh no Canada! USA wins 5-3
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
Oh Yes…USA 5, Canada 3!
One night shy of the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, Team USA again took to the ice and came away with a stunning victory against highly-favored opponent. This time, the team wearing the red jerseys who were supposed to win the game was Canada…not the Soviet Union. And it wasn’t played in front of a highly supportive home crowd as was in case in Lake Placid, NY in 1980…this one was in Vancouver, BC.
USA's Jamie Langenbrunner celebrates his third period goal against Canada (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Scott Gardner)
To listen to all the pundits, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Team Canada was stacked…the preliminary rounds were merely a necessary formality to the real games scheduled for the second week of the Olympic games. But something has happened so far on the way to the Canadian’s gold medal coronation…instead of taking all three Group A games in easy fashion, they have actually only won one time in regulation. They took care of Norway 8-0 in the first game, but then required a shootout to defeat the Swiss 3-2.
Now…this.
tsk..tsk…tsk
Now, obviously they can still win the gold…they’ve certainly got the talent. But the highly favored Candians are going to have to play one more game then they had expected to…a play-in game Tuesday. USA get’s to sit and watch as they wound up winning Group A with all 9 possible points, outscoring their opposition 14-5.
Pending the Finland – Sweden game later tonight, they are so far the only team to win all three group games in regulation.
Ya now…I was chatting with my favorite Sabres fans Joyel over at TJ’s Sunday night about Ryan Miller. I told her that every time I watch Buffalo play I come down with a serious case of goalie envy. Of course, for the past week I’ve been able to enjoy watching him perform his magic between the pipes for my team…Team USA!
And on this winning evening, Miller was again the man as he and his American teammates downed the mighty Canadians, turning aside 42 of 45 shots in the win…team USA got away 23. Marty Brodeur stopped 18 of the 22 he faced.
Brian Rafalski scored twice for Team USA, both in the second period. Chris Drury and Jamie Langenbrunner also got one past Brodeur. Ryan Kesler, a Vancouver Canuck, iced it with an empty-netter with 45 seconds remaining in the third period.
“We know we can beat anybody now”, Rafalski said afterwards.
Eric Staal, Dany Heatly and Sidney Crosby scored Canada’s goals.
Belkin to Cough Up $2 Million
In case you missed this, the AJC’s Kristi E. Swartz reported last Friday that Steve Belkin has been ordered by the court to pony up $2 million by Thursday…or he’ll be at rick of losing his stake as part owner of the Thrashers, Hawks and Philips Arena.
According to Belkin’s attorney, he will indeed come up with the money by the date set.
The payment is part of the $25.8 million owed to remain in the partnership according to the courts ruling last year, as Swartz tells us…
To stay in the group as a minority owner, Belkin is required to pay his partners $25.8 million, according to court documents. That represents his 30 percent share of so-called capital or cash calls made during litigation.
Belkin filed his notice to appeal the judge’s decision last fall. At the time, he also asked the judge to stay his decision pending the appeal.
The judge earlier this month asked Belkin to put up $2 million, which he must do by Thursday. This basically buys Belkin time; no action can be taken on the judge’s order if Belkin pays the money.
The case likely won’t be heard at the Maryland Court of Special Appeals in Annapolis until the summer, said attorney Steven Estep, who is representing Atlanta-based owner Michael Gearon and Washington, D.C.-based Spirit part-owners Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz.
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134 comments Add your comment
Tony C.
February 23rd, 2010
10:42 am
Not related to hockey, buuut-whoever said that Team USA Futbol/Soccer gets dominated by the “more talented” Mexico Trico side is off base-sure, for moany many years that may have been true, but last time I checked, the current generation of TeamUSA has definitely had the edge for the past several years. True, it seems like we can’t buy a win in Mexico City, but otherwise the teams are evenly matched skill for skill I’d give Mexico a slight edge in possession play (footwork & tight passing) while USA enjoys the edge in goaltending and size up front.
I was really looking forward to the World Cup this summer-I thought we finally had a squad and a schedule that would get us past the round of 16, but our side has been hit with bad injuries to key players (Dempsey,Onyewu especially), so it doesn’t look as promising as it did after qualifiers.
P.S. TeamUSA plays a friendly vs. up-and-coming CONCACAF member El Salvador tomorrow night @ 1900 on ESPNClassic… I believe our old friend J.P. Delacamera has the call. This is going to let us see what some of the alternates for our injured stars have going for them.
Linkage aqui:
http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2010/02/Bob-Bradley-Names-20-Person-Roster-For-Feb-24-Match-Against-El-Salvador.aspx
Badger Bob
February 23rd, 2010
11:00 am
Canada-Russia game moved to 7:30 EST tomorrow night. US-Switz/Belarus is 3:00 pm.
Too much being made in Canada of the extra game they have to play – with guys like Morrow, Iginla, Bergeron and Richards averaging 10 minutes per game so far, there’s plenty left in the gas tank to play one extra game. A bigger concern – when will all 20 guys play as if there’s a medal on the line and as if the other team will be playing their hearts out? (Ahem, Perry, Pronger, Nedermayer and Brodeur…)
Yung, count me among the Cindy Crotchby haters who have had to lessen their hatred because of his character and play over the past week.
World Be Free
February 23rd, 2010
11:12 am
Tony C-is that a Buffalo-Trico reference?
Smoothie
February 23rd, 2010
11:17 am
Okay, more U.S. players who may have garnered some consideration for an Olympic roster spot:
RJ Umberger, Matt Niskanen, O’Sullivan, Booth (INJ), Ballard, Scuderi, Legwand, Rolston, Mottau, Gionta, Gomez, Okposo, Hal Gill, Dubinsky, van Riemsdyk, Carle, Guerin, Goligoski, Tkachuk, Oshie, Stempniak and Mike Knuble.
I think you’ll see several of these names on the 2014 roster like Niskanen, O’Sully, Booth, Dubinsky, JVR, Goligoski and Oshie along with other youngsters such as John Carlson, Derek Stepan, Peter Mueller, Colin Wilson, Bogosian, Byfuglien, Wheeler, Dubinsky and maybe even Jack Campbell.
GaVaHokie
February 23rd, 2010
11:48 am
I think Booth would have been on the team this year if not for injury.
World Be Free
February 23rd, 2010
12:12 pm
Cormier lost his appeal to be reinstated so he is still out for the year because of his dirty hit.
ESPN referred to Cormier at an “Ex-NJ Devils” prospect. Most of the posters on the ESPN blog asked why not refer to him as a Thrashers prospect. Typical ESPN stupidity.
The Church Lady
February 23rd, 2010
12:16 pm
ESPN referred to Cormier at an “Ex-NJ Devils” prospect
Maybe Cormier is no longer possessed by…hmm…I just wonder, wonder, wonder…who…SATAN.
Don Waddell
February 23rd, 2010
12:48 pm
Church Lady, can you help me, I’m possessed by the AFLAC Duck.
Bob
February 23rd, 2010
1:52 pm
Smoothie, there’s one thing that matters when looking at a GM. Results. Burke built the team the right way. Waddell’s results in the last Olympics speaks for itself.
I concur that he’ll have the Buds turned around in short order. It’s why he’s the best GM in the league and why he was able to make the right picks. For cripes sake, Waddell couldn’t even get it right with Miller and left him off his squad.
Midfield
February 23rd, 2010
2:02 pm
Hainsey as the national team material? I don’t think so.
Smoothie
February 23rd, 2010
2:33 pm
Who the hell said anything about Waddell? It wouldn’t have mattered who the GM was in ‘06. They would’ve picked pretty much the same players that Waddell and company picked. None of the following were options:
E. Johnson, J. Johnson, Kane, Kessel, Ryan, Stastny, Callahan and Quick. Meanwhile, Suter, Brown, Backes, Kesler, Pavelski were barely cutting their teeth in the NHL.
Waddell was certainly naive for picking Robert Esche over Ryan Miller, but Miller only started 13 more games than Biron in Buffalo for the ‘05-’06 season. He had a great year, but prior to that he had only played in 18 games.
Looking back at the stats, Esche had a couple of very solid years for Phlly leading up to the Olympics. Apparently, there weren’t any other American goalies worth a damn besides DiPietro, Esche and Miller. Of course, DiPietro was expected to be the next coming of Mike Richter and hindsight is always 20/20.
World Be Free
February 23rd, 2010
4:18 pm
I think Burke will make the Leafs respectible in the near future. I am not certain how soon he will have them back in the top 4 or 5 spots in the East. His lack of high draft picks, prospects and the salary cap will make it tough for Burke to rebuild quickly. The best he can hope to do is get tough 2-way players and have them overachive in Ron Wilson’s system. Montreal proved this seaons that you cannot rebuild through free agency.
Brendan
February 23rd, 2010
4:21 pm
It is amazing to ponder that … either Canada or Russia will be GONE, just GONE, so very early in the tournament. Coming in, that’s who the pundits had lined up for the Gold Medal game. What a break for everyone else in the field that one of those two juggernauts will be gone, early.
rob
February 23rd, 2010
4:39 pm
Anyone else have their fingers crossed that somehow Belkin will forget and we will lose a tentacle of the octocluster?
Midfield
February 23rd, 2010
4:39 pm
Brendan, it gets better than this. The winner of Canada vs Russia will play either Swedes or the Slovaks, which looks like a much tougher bracket than the one US is facing to me. Of course, there’s never a guarantee of anything in this format. It’s enough for one or two guys to have a bad night and it’s over.
Brendan
February 23rd, 2010
4:56 pm
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if they lose to Germany or Russia, I’ll actually feel bad for Canada not to be on the medal podium during a Games that THEY hosted. That’s kind of sad, really. Canada claims ownership/invention of the game. To host … and not medal … would be terrible for them. I don’t wish them worse than a bronze.
Brendan
February 23rd, 2010
4:57 pm
Midfield, AGREED. I like the U.S. bracket. Things have, seemingly, aligned themselves WELL for the United States. It just shows how HUGE that victory was. Canada could not afford to lose that game in regulation time. And they did.
Brendan
February 23rd, 2010
5:03 pm
Rob, I don’t know what to hope for. If Belkin fails to pay, is he out? Definitively? I’m not sure, but I think the answer is yes. But even if he is out, what does that mean? That they’ll be looking for another investor? Or, that they’ll sell the team. ‘Cuz I want them to sell the team, so long as they toss in 33% of the profits of Philips Arena to the new owners. Without the arena revenue, the Thrashers are a sure money loser.
My wish … is for someone who cares about hockey, who is at the same time HUMBLE, to come to own the Thrashers. In other words, I don’t wish for Oren Koules and Len Barrie, two passionate hockey guys who just didn’t have a clue how to run an NHL franchise, much less a “fantasy” team. In fact, they (Koules and Barrie) treated the Lightning as if it were a fantasy team.
I’m certainly not a fan that demands that my team win the Cup every year, or I won’t support it. But I am a fan that says, “You have to SHOW ME that you’re really TRYING.” And renewing Don Waddell doesn’t exact instill confidence in me … that the owners CARE about the Thrashers.
Tony C.
February 23rd, 2010
5:10 pm
WBF- No sir, unfortunately no Buffalo-reference there. The Mexican Nat’l Team is called “Los Tricos” in reference to the three colors of their flag and accordingly their uniforms (Green/White/Red) Tres Colores -which gets shortened to “Trico”.
I don’t know if anybody else saw the “new” TeamUSA logo from Nike the “Don’t Tread On Me” -it’s pretty bitchin (IMHO) and I wonder if the public at large could get behind this motif for ALL our national teams?
http://shinguardian.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/dtom.jpg
Imagine something similar with a a puck & stick mebbe? Anyway, I like it a lot and wouldn’t mind calling our boys (and girls) “Rattlers” or some such.
Tony C.
February 23rd, 2010
5:17 pm
Maybe on sweaters like these shown here:
http://www.puckdrawn.com/puckdrawn/2009/07/totally_wwii_team_usa.html
Tony C.
February 23rd, 2010
5:20 pm
He also did this for our icebirds:
http://www.puckdrawn.com/puckdrawn/2009/05/totally-80s-atlanta-thrashers-concept-unveiling-.html
Basically, I’d hire this guy to do our 3rd sweaters from here on out…the one we currently have is crap IMHO.
Christy
February 23rd, 2010
5:39 pm
Anyone else see the Swiss/Belarussian Game? Had it turned on here at work and it’s the first time I’ve ever really, truly disliked the idea of a shoot-out. probably because it is a single-elimination round. Just seems wrong somehow to decide it like that after the effort both teams have put in.
anyway, hope the Canada/Germany game is as entertaining as this one has been.
Lee
February 23rd, 2010
6:12 pm
At this point, I am curious to know what my fellow bloggers think about playoff chances for the thrashers.
Archie
February 23rd, 2010
6:38 pm
Ya’ll gotta remember that Ryan Miller was a rookie in 2005-2006, and he only played 48 game that season due to injury. If I remember, he had a broken bone the first half of the year and he didn’t get back into the starting lineup for Buffalo until right before the roster was due to be announced. So it’s not Don Waddell’s fault, it was just bad timing that kept him off the roster in 2006. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, the 2006 team couldn’t score goals. Like the poster mentioned a little while back with all the names that weren’t yet available, the US really had no depth in the player pool. Everyone in USA Hockey was really looking toward 2010 and 2014 for our medal chances.
Brian Burke could definitely have included more veteran scoring ability and playoff experience to this roster, but he made a distinct effort to get young, hungry talent and two way players with speed. Burke clearly didn’t pick the 13 best scoring forwards and 7 best defensemen. He picked 20 versatile players that give the coaching staff options. Look at Team Canada, they have talent they don’t know what to do with because they can’t find linemates for their top players.
stendec
February 23rd, 2010
7:43 pm
Hi Lee. I believe the Thrashers have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Gone are team cancers Ilya “Stinking On Ice At Olympics” Kovalchoke and monkey puck man Kari Lehtonen. The worthless figure eight counting Russian cost the Thrashers valuable points with his do not give a damn play prior to his long overdue departure to New Jersey. Sori Letemin just has never been worth a damn. New uniform will not improve his worthlessness! Neither have NHL caliber talent. I really like Thrasher chemistry. Guys are forced to play together as a team. Teams win games not individuals. Another poster said they would feel sorry if Canada fails to medal in hockey. Man do I disagree! I would do a jig and I cannot dance a lick! Damn arrogant conceded Yankee bestards. Hope the unbeatable ones are upset tonight. Then get those overrated Russians the Hell out next. Enjoy. Peace. ++STENDEC++
Rawhide
February 23rd, 2010
9:15 pm
Lee – I’ll stick with my original prediction of 88 points and just missing post-season, though I’d love to be proven wrong.
Now…while we enjoy the next couple days of what should be some very exciting Olympic hockey…here is a litte something I’ve just posted about our own Thrashers TV announcer Matt McConnell.
World Be Free
February 23rd, 2010
9:19 pm
Tony C-cool
We Buffalonians think of Trico Products and Mexico; Trico was a huge Buffalo employer for about 80 years, then one day moved their act to Mexico. There is the link.
Archie-I agree with your post, but I think many had already seen enough of Miller to know he was better than what we were trotting out in 2006.
I don’t feel for Canada at all for 2 reasons 1) I still think they can win it all 2) they came in stating they were going to “own the podium”. Talk the talk, then walk the walk.
World Be Free
February 23rd, 2010
9:21 pm
Stendec-you do seem happier now that Kari and Kovy are gone. Another happy post from Stendec.
Lee
February 23rd, 2010
9:28 pm
WBF – I agree! I like the new happy stendec!
Bill and Stendec – I think that if the thrashers REALLY push in March and win the majority of their games, they have a fair chance, that said though, they need to keep playing as a TEAM….now that Ilya Notworthabuck isn’t here, they can’t rely on their “captain”.
stendec
February 23rd, 2010
10:03 pm
Thanks Lee. Was Notworthabuck yours? Well done. Love it! Thanks World. I certainly am. Thrashers are FINALLY a team! So Canada routed an untalented German team 8-2. Yawn. Excuse my total lack of enthusiasm. I could field a group of ice skaters then have a better than average chance of whipping Germany. Germany? Uh huh. I am positively torn between Canada-Russia. Hate arrogant conceded hosts. Hate Ilya “Waste Of Russian Olympic Spot” Kovalchoke and Alexander “Not Great In Shootouts” O even more. Too damn bad one team HAS to advance! Do not believe USA can repeat upset of hosts. Sure as Hell do not want IK to leave Olympics with gold around his worthless Russian neck! Maybe it will be so physical that key players on both sides will be banged up so badly that it will take weeks to recover. Might be edge Americans require! Oh well. GO USA! Please do not let up tomorrow. To be eliminated by Switzerland would be like a 98-year old woman in a skimpy bikini. Bad enough to think about. Even worse to actually SEE! Enjoy the Olympics tonight all you lovable hockey addicts. I will be watching right along with you! Peace. ++STENDEC++
Brendan
February 24th, 2010
12:23 am
Latvia has tied it up! We’re going to overtime, 2-2!! Can you BELIEVE it? C’mon Latvia. One more goal.
What a blow this would be to the Czech Republic, if they lose.
Brendan
February 24th, 2010
12:48 am
Oh well. Congratulations David Krecji, and the Czech Republic, for a 3-2, overtime win.
Lee
February 24th, 2010
7:12 am
Stendec – Yea, that was me, but anywayz….that’s not important, how many goals has ilya scored?
Lee
February 24th, 2010
8:16 pm
I mean in the olympics