winter olympics

U.S. stuns Canada 5-3 in men's ice hockey

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Brodeur looked like a beached whale trying to shimmy back to the surf. Time to put Luongo in.

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Hardly a stunning result considering Canada came off a shootout win over the Swiss and hasn't really looked that good in any of their games including the 8-0 win over Norway. This is just the wake up call that was needed.

Germany is going to be in a world of pain. And then the Russians before we get revenge on the U.S.

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I don't understand why they would even call this an upset. Canada and US team are all NHL players. If they weren't playing for their country, most of the time, you couldn't tell if they were American or Canadian unless it was one of the Quebecois or the bigger names like Crosbym Iginla etc.

I am Canadian and I can't stand how we always have to depend on the hockey team to win gold. I have spent very little time watching hockey. Go Kevin Martin!! :) (curling if you must know)

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With players coming together to form their national teams literally days before the tournament starts and the fact that each team is loaded with NHL talent...."expecting to coast through to the medal round" is utterly ridiculous. That's just media BS. If any of these teams gel and play as a unit....they are the team to beat. Canada only rarely lives up to it's potential in the olympics.

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I'm sure the US would have preferred to save this win for a medal game. Beating Canada twice would be very difficult...

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I believe losing was a good thing for Canada. They always need more games to start working as a team.

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Anything can happen in hockey! Go Canada!!

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Oh Canada ! Forget "Owning the podium"- try protecting your home ice advantage ! 5-3 USA over Canada ? In hostile territory no less- what a magnificent win for the Americans. Canada must now go through Russia to advance to the serious medal game. What a great game it was too- the US simply dominated- faster, stronger, better skaters ! Even the ref couldn't help- what a sorry tripping call against the Americans at the 5:04 mark- let's hope that doesn't happen again ! All in all, dancing in the streets of hockey town USA- Canada ? Nothing short of a national disaster- call in the mounties, team Canada got worked !

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outplayed on home ice by the Americans,

Wha? Not what I saw, It was the Ryan Miller show tonight. If it wasn't for him this game wouldn't be close. Miller kept them in it and they were able to capitalize on Brodeur's dumb mistakes and Canada's penalty trouble in the 3rd period. Plus, Americans dominated on the face off circle at least :) that's hockey for you.

No way this comes close to the Miracle on Ice or 1996 World Cup. If they make it to the medal round than maybe, but if they are eliminated in quarters then it's all for not. Just bragging rights until Sochi 2014.

Drew Doughty is a stud though.

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its not really hostile territory...its Canucks home ice which means everyone on the US team plays there a couple times a year

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OK- let the sillyness begin;

"Wha? Not what I saw, It was the Ryan Miller show tonight. If it wasn't for him this game wouldn't be close."

And exactly how many goals did Ryan Miller score ?

"No way this comes close to the Miracle on Ice or 1996 World Cup."

I agree- no "Miracle on Ice" but Jim Craig (The US goalie at the time) was in the house !

"Just bragging rights"- Yes indeed ! And for many Americans this is enough. Canada had this game circled on their calendar for months. They paraded out Wayne Gretzky to give his predictions- and subsequently insult the Americans. Canada has openly declared they will win the gold ! Well, not if you keep playing like you did tonight ! Giving up 5 goals to one of the youngest teams in the tourney is criminal ! Just wait till you see Ovechkin- he'll knock you on your duff, skate circles around you, and then fire a wrister into the upper "V" ! Can't wait ! But lets not get ahead of ourselves- lets savor this huge victory over a bitter rival ! USA-USA-USA !

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Branded....did we watch the same game? It was Miller time.. and a couple deflections off Canadian players on Brodeur who never really showed up to play. That's about it. Shots on goal..45-23 see that? Hey, that's the nature of the game...but "worked"..nah.

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Wha? Not what I saw, It was the Ryan Miller show tonight. If it wasn't for him this game wouldn't be close.

Oh come on now... What about those classic New Jersey Devil teams that won without heavy shots on goal?? Just because you got more shots doesn't mean you dominated the game...

Anyway, I haven't seen the game yet, so I don't really know...

Isn't hockey the national sport in Canada? In the US it's the #4 professional sport...

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bpoint- trys to insinuate that I didn't watch the game;

"Branded....did we watch the same game?"

From start to finish I did ! Wouldn't have missed it for the world- especially after the US scored in the first minute of play !

"Brodeur who never really showed up to play."

Against the Americans ? Surely you jest ! Next excuse ?

Face the facts- this was supposed to be lambs to the slaughter, hockey night in Canada (ok at 4:30 in the afternoon west coast time), Canadas biggest, boldest statement against a young inexperienced American squad. And look what happened ! The stands were just chock full of some of the sourest mugs I've seen in years. No disrespect mind you but Canada counted this chicken before the egg hatched ! I'll be doing backflips if the USA takes the Gold !

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Branded...What are you on about? It was never a "supposed to be a lambs to the slaughter". Point me to where anyone was silly enough to say that. The US team is as stacked as any other. There were many predicting a US/Canada final including some of the team Canada higher management.

Sour mugs?? Well, DUH!! If I just spent $1000 for my family to watch a game of a lifetime and the host team lost....umm, ya.

Look, Enjoy the victory...we were "worked"...rolls eyes.

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@BPoint:

With players coming together to form their national teams literally days before the tournament starts

This is certainly true but considering that the Canadian team have Thornton, Marleau and Heatly who have been playing on the same line with San Jose most of the season and that being one of the most productive lines in the NHL they should have a distinct advantage if they kept those three together along with defenseman Boyle who also plays with the Sharks.

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Oh come on now... What about those classic New Jersey Devil teams that won without heavy shots on goal?? Just because you got more shots doesn't mean you dominated the game...

True, but the game has changed a lot since then. Scoring averages were low in the late 90's and the trap was king with all that obstruction bullcrap going down. Brodeur made the saves that mattered when opponents were able to break through Stevens and Niedermayer.

Look, I'm not saying Canada got screwed out of a win or anything. Far from it. I just think the article is wrong in saying the States were the better team throughout the whole game. Canada dominated play, but couldn't solve Ryan Miller, which allowed USA to capitalize on their chances with Brodeur's mistakes and Canada's penalty trouble in the third period.

Hell, Jack Johmson after the game mentioned that Miller was the reason they won tonight.

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Look, I'm not saying Canada got screwed out of a win or anything.

Well enough!! Sounds like it was a real good game, anyway. I hope to catch the replay tonight...

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No disrespect mind you but Canada counted this chicken before the egg hatched ! I'll be doing backflips if the USA takes the Gold !

Yeah well no disrespect to you either but will you be here if the Americans don't get to the gold medal game or lose to Canada?

The stands were just chock full of some of the sourest mugs I've seen in years.

And how did the stands look in Salt Lake after the gold medal game in 02?

Canada had this game circled on their calendar for months.

Well considering the pools weren't finalized until a couple months ago, or was it last month?... I doubt we Canadians had this circled on our calendar so far in advance. If anything it's Feb 28th.

"Brodeur who never really showed up to play." Against the Americans ? Surely you jest ! Next excuse ?

Not an excuse. Brodeur hasn't shown up to play in this tournament. I would argue he's on the team for sentimental reasons. We tend to do that. How else would you explain Pronger on the team?

Oh come on now... What about those classic New Jersey Devil teams that won without heavy shots on goal?? Just because you got more shots doesn't mean you dominated the game...

Sorry but that's the point. Devils won on the strength of Brodeur in net and making the most of the opportunities they were given. Canada didn't. And Brodeur hasn't looked or played like the Brodeur of old. But when you have almost double the shots as your opponent then yeah, I think it's fair to say you dominated.

Just wait till you see Ovechkin- he'll knock you on your duff, skate circles around you, and then fire a wrister into the upper "V" !

Geez really? Wow! That's frightening. I could only imagine what he would do to Team U.S.A. if they face off.

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I wish I could have watched the game. Looks like it was an intense one. As for the US winning, it shouldn't really be a huge surprise; they outplayed the Canadians in this game, and TOTAL props to their goalie, without whom Canada probably would have won. Good job, US.

I also agree with those who say that this could be the wake up call the Canadian team needs to get its act together.

Branded: Try not to exaggerate too much. The US team DID out-skate Team Canada, but it wasn't as one-sided as you make it out to be at all. Canada clearly out-shot the US team, but thanks to your goalie's wicked performance that just wasn't enough. Anyway, not over yet. As for all the 'enemy territory' garbage, do you really feel that threatened by your neighbours to the North? :)

It's going to be fun to see where this goes.

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Well enough!! Sounds like it was a real good game, anyway. I hope to catch the replay tonight...

Hehe, it was. Tournament has been great so far!

Branded: Haha, you are right about Ovie being a beast, but I think that can also be his downfall. He sometimes tries to do too much on his own and it can lead to turnovers and odd man rushes. Still a fantastic player, nonetheless! Certainly helps when you have him on a fantasy hockey team :D.

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Seattle and Vancouver are kind of like sibling cities so I find myself routing for both the US and Canada in most competitions and Japan as well since this is home now.

I would love to see either team win. But it would be very cool to see the US take gold in hockey.

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Go RUSSIA!!!

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America rocks

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The North American teams (?) are a bunch of ALL STARS with very little TEAM to be seen. This is especially true early in tournaments. The Swiss have recreated the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team strategy by presenting a bunch of guys who play together.

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stands up and struts

uh-HUH! uh-HUH! You know it! uh-HUH!

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Somebody bring back that glowing puck, otherwise it just looks like a bunch of guys skating around jousting with curved sticks.

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USA! USA! USA! USA!

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Watched most of the game, and congratulations to the USA for their win and great effort. But not to take anything away from them, as a Canadian I have seen this movie too many times. Players selected to play on the basis of past performance and reputation, and players selected to fill a "role", who are then not up to speed at the top level. It has happened many times over the years, and each time the Canadian management says "we won't make the same mistakes again", and then they do.

Neidermeyer, Thornton, Pronger, Bergeron, and Brodeur should not be on the Olympic team, for either of the reasons above. Brodeur has had a great career,but has benefited from playing on a team with a defensive philosophy all his career. He was badly outplayed by Miller, and at his age now is simply not the best goalie available. And Pronger is useless, he has personally been the cause of a goal in each of the last two games. You just can't make those kind of selection mistakes at this level, against players as good as the USA and those on the other teams.

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Congrats to the Americans. Come on Canada, should've played Luongo instead of Brodeur! In the preceding game, did you see that awesome hit Ovechkin gave to Jagr?!

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Call it what you will, but this US team beating the Canadian team was an upset plain and simple. Don't believe the media? Then just ask the gamblers...

http://sports.bodog.com/sports-betting/olympic-hockey.jsp

http://www.vegassports-odds.com/201002212113/2010-winter-olympics/headlines/ice-hockey-canada-is-betting-odds-favorite-vs-united-states

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The Canadians must be pissed.

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The best hockey games are always with the Yanks or the Ruskies. This game is no exception. Didn't care for the results, but I wasn't bored, both teams played like the game should be played. Congrats to the US team, hope you lose the next time our teams meet.

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One of the best games I've seen in quite awhile. I'm betting that ice hockey picked up some new fans after that one.

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Is this the darkest day in Canada's history?

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Is this the darkest day in Canada's history?

Getting beat by a good team is not a dark day, not a happy one either.

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The only solution now for the Canadians is to drag Wayne "God" Gretzky back out of retirement to conjure up some miracle goals they need to get that Gold Medal! I for one (as an Aussie) will be rooting for the Canucks!

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Much simpler solution than bringing back Gretzky is to glue Pronger to the bench, and change goalies. I'm not a fan of the butterfly style of goalkeeping, but if you're not going to play that style you'd better not let the puck go through your legs. Not twice in the same game.

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Being an American I am happy we won. I would much prefer some of my fellow compatriots here to be a bit more toned down. One game does not an Olympics make, and if Team USA went to Vancouver to only beat Team Canada then that is short sighted.

As my high school baseball coach used to tell us: One play, one inning, one game at a time fellas.

Canada played well, and anyone who doubts that is either just being obtuse or sarcastic. The US played a bit better, but those shots by Canada proved two things: One, Canada plays intense. Two, the US had a damn fine gk.

I prefer to look at this as a situation where two giants of hockey met and the better team won, but Canada sure had many chances to exploit US mistakes if they had reacted quickly enough. Good job by both teams. As a youngster in Chicago in 1980 I dreamed of playing hockey in the Olympics but chose science. My childish heart was with both teams today.

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ptolemy

I agree with pretty much everything you've said but I don't blame the others here for being excited about their US hockey team beating the Canadians for the first time in 50 years. Pretty symbolic I'd say.

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Way too much finger pointing at Brodeur here ! 2 of the American goals were off deflections and one off a screen- I don't believe any other goalie would have stopped those three shots, and the fifth goal was an empty netter. Which leaves Brodeur getting scorched once ! On the other end- Miller was great- not awesome ! He really made only one spectacular save, from point blank off Nash in the closing minutes. Otherwise, one deflection and two soft goals was all Canada could muster. The third Canadian goal in particular was weak- Miller got caught cheating to the inside expecting the puc to cross the goal mouth I guess.

So enough of the goalies- they really weren't the decisive factors in my book. That goes to the US offense and their sheer determination and hustle. Highlighted by the last empty net goal where Kesler just out hustled the Canadian defense and slapped the puck from behind the defensman- that should have never happened !

As for the pro American stance here- good on ya ! The US has not beaten Canada in mens hockey since Squa Valley- the 1960S ! Canada has won 6 straight and they have rubbed the American noses in it at every ocassion. Now it's our turn- "How sweet it is" ! It will be even better when the US women oust Canada for the sweep !

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I love it when the US beat Canada in their own turf and beating the Canadians on their own National sport.

Americans made the mistake in 2006 then they had too many fossils playing and very few young players. I guess this time they made the right selection for team USA.

Unlike basketball, ice hockey is unpredictable in the Olympics. Anyone can win, since Canada, USA, Czechs, Russians, Sweden and Finland are all using NHL players. Thats what makes Olympic hockey interesting, because anyone can win. It's not like the Cold War when we all knew that the Soviets will win, except for some fluke once in a while like Miracle on Ice.

Sometimes the reporters are a bunch of idiots, especially when they tried to compare the US 2002 team to the 1980 Miracle on Ice. 2002 are using NHL players so it's not much of a miracle. 1980 was the US college teams playing Soviet professionals. Complete different story. It's a stupid comparison.

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"The only solution now for the Canadians is to drag Wayne "God" Gretzky back out of retirement to conjure up some miracle goals they need to get that Gold Medal!"

I think the Czechs did that with Jagr- who ended up getting crushed by Ovechkin leading directly to a goal by Russia- talk about salt in the wound !

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It's no secret that the Czechs and the Russians don't like each other. Jagr wears 68 as a reminder of what the Soviets did to the Czechs.

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US' win put the Top 3 gold favorites all on their other side of the draw (Canada, Russia, Sweden). If the US makes it to the final, it'll have to face only one of them. Canada-Russia was expected to be a gold medal game but now just a quarterfinal.

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"US' win put the Top 3 gold favorites all on their other side of the draw (Canada, Russia, Sweden). If the US makes it to the final, it'll have to face only one of them."

Which is why the US/Canada game was so important for team Canada ! They now have an uphill battle to the gold medal game. The worst thing that could happen for them- is if the US falters along the way and doesn't get the chance to see Canada in the final- where I do believe they will both meet again. But just imagine the size of that albatross around their necks for the next 4 years, after getting absolutely worked on their home ice to a bunch of kids, if they don't get a shot at redemption. Personally I have no qualms about an all North American final- like in the women's tournement- Go USA !

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10 million Canadians watched this game making it the most watched TV program in Canadian history ! Team USA couldn't have picked a better night or venue to unleash it's fury- I'm still numb all over !

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Though I am an American and I am proud of our guys, the prelims don't mean a thing: its the medal roudn that has all the meanng. The USA can beat Canada 10 times outta' 10, but if Canada beats the USA for a medal, that is where it matters....

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Well Blue Tiger- you need not worry !

"the prelims don't mean a thing: its the medal roudn that has all the meanng."

The Americans have ousted Finland 6-1 and will play in the Gold medal game- so they are least guaranteed a silver ! Absolutely thrilling to watch this young team of virtual nobodys not only whoop Canada on their home ice in the Olympics in the prelims, but also make it all the way to the final game ! Lets hope Canada can live up to their end of the bargain and take out Slovakia later tonight. Another USA Canada final is what we're all waiting for !

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It's kind of cool since the Nagano games when NHL players are allowed to participate in the Olympic games.

Unlike basketball, in Ice Hockey, anyone could win. Yeah, Canada might have the best players, but they're not guaranteed. Canada, USA, Czech, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Slovakia all have NHL players. Anyone could win. Russia is nowhere near the teams they had when they dominated the Olympics, since they were professionals playing together for 10-20 years. This Russian team is from several different NHL or Russian League teams. They have the same disadvantage as all the other teams. If the Soviets were still playing in the old system they probably still be the favorites.

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Way to go, Canada and USA. Great gold medal game!

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