Spin your records, it’s Miller time!

Team USA beats Canada 5-3 in a heart-pounding, nerve-wracking, edge-of-your-seat battle that lived up to its billing. Or did he?

Oh, Canada, who were supposed to be the favorites in this tournament, edged out Switzerland with a shootout win and then gave an L to the Americans, who are the big underdogs.

But you should never underestimate the heart of an American! Period. Through the 1980 Olympics, this is way beyond a 1980 Olympics team. Yes, this is a young American team, but all of these American players are professionals who are in the NHL. I’m far from surprised that this team won this game and especially when you have a goalie named Ryan Miller who stopped 42 of 45 Canadian shots.

The NHL Americans, not the collage kids, got on the board just forty-one seconds after a Brian Rafalski goal deflected off a Canadian skid.

Eric Staal would tie the game at one with a small deflection that Brent Seabrook would push into the American goal that would tie the game at one.

But Rafalski would strike again with an ill-advised punt by Marty Broduer, who threw a baseball hit to the puck that Rafalski intercepted and buried to give the American team a 2-1 lead. That would be the fourth consecutive goal scored by Rafalski for the US of A scoring the last two goals against Norway and then the first two against these Canadians.

Canada would get even in the second on a clear miss attempt by the USA and Canada’s leading scorer in Olympics would make them pay as all eyes of the Americans were on the puck left alone in front of Dany Heatly. while beating him at home and leveling the score. .

The New York Rangers captain would give Team USA their goal lead again with pressure in the face of Canada’s goal that left Broduer spinning and Dury pounced on a rebound and lobbed one into the empty net which led to a 3-2 American lead. the last session.

The Americans who would start the third on a power play due to a late Canada penalty late in the second were unable to connect on that power play, but would do so on their fourth power play attempt and third in a row that the team captain from the USA, Jamie Langenbrunner. would redirect from, yes, Brian Rafalski’s slap shot from the spot for a 5-3 USA lead.

Canada would see its own Power Play opportunities and the Canadian poster boy, Sidney Crosby,
make it a one-goal game with time running out and Canada would keep pressing from then on to try and get the tie.

As Canada would bring out Marty Marty for the additional spiker, the US would punt the puck and a heart-of-the-game play would be made by Ryan Kesler, a native of Livonia, Michigan, who would dive for a puck with a Canadian defender in front of him. shooting into the empty net that would go past the goal area for a 5-3 Team USA lead and eventual victory.

What a great hockey game was shown tonight in a playoff game like atmosphere between the two rivals.

US Hockey wins the Group A division and proceeds to the quarterfinals. All I have to say is WOW, but not a 1980’s wow!