Homage to Canadian Hockey

As a former goalkeeper at the high school level (pickup team on the pond stuff) I would like to congratulate the men's Canadian Olympic hockey team for the brave struggle that they put up in Vancouver last night.  I was inspired by the sight of this fight against long odds.  I guess the young guys were just too much for them.  I wish them better luck against Jamaica or whomever they will play next.  pl

PS  Was it really necessary to close all the bars in downtown Vancouver after the match?

Comments

[The Twisted Genius]

As a former defenseman on my fraternity and Army ROTC team, we probably played on roughly the same level. I was under the impression that the Canadian team was favored to do very well. Congrats to Team USA.

How about Ovechkin's clobbering of Jagr and setting up Malkin's goal. That will be remembered along with "the goal." As far as I'm concerned, Ovi is the greatest sports star among all the teams in the DC area. Go Caps!

[Patrick Lang]

TG

I particularly enjoyed the moment in which Brodeur was so far out of position that he couldn't be seen in the shot of the goal cage and the US scored. pl

[The beaver]

Col.,

Sorry but the Gold medal is still out there :-)
We got a flaky goalie by the name of Brodeur - he didn't do well in 2006 and I wonder why he was still there after the first period where he let 2 goals in.
My hat to the young goalie Miller.

[MRW.]

PS Was it really necessary to close all the bars in downtown Vancouver after the match?

Abso-effing-lutely.

[MRW.]

New York reporter Jimmy Breslin told the story about going into an Irish bar in NYC and asking the bartender why it was dead quiet. Every bar customer was hanging his head in his hands, nothing being said. The bartender said, "Quiet?! This is the noisiest bar in town!" Breslin said, "Ah c'mon, look at them." The bartender said, "They're all doing mortal combat with their souls."

Young Vancouver hockey fans haven't reached that stage of bar maturity yet. The US Olympic television crew comment constantly on Canadian politeness, which is true when they're sober. It becomes unhinged in a bar when they can all commiserate. History has proven this.

[Adam L Silverman]

Sir,

You just nailed it on the head and tied it into TwistedGeniuses remark about the Canadians being favored: Brodeur, future first ballot hall of famer, isn't backstopping the NJ Devils. As a long time Patrick Roy fan my contention with NJ Devil's fans is always: "yes Brodeur is a great goalie, but there is a difference between him and Roy (and Belfour, Osgood, and others): Brodeur always has the Devils skating in front of him. Lets see him do what he does when he doesn't have a consistently amazing team in front of him year after year. Roy, Belfour, Osgood, Khabibulin, etc often have to carry great teams that aren't playing great or teams that should be great, but aren't playing that way. Brodeur never seems to have that worry in NJ". But he does have to worry about it now. The Canadians have a lot of experience and a lot of great stars, but they're starting to show their age.

[ked]

"Was it really necessary to close all the bars in downtown Vancouver after the match?"

yes, they were likely depleted of supplies during the game. Canadians must learn to do long-range planning.

[Fred]

Alas I only saw the highlights, not being willing to shell out $60/month for cable t.v. lately. It takes more than stars to make a team, which all the coaches should have known. It would have been interesting to hear Don Cherrie's comments though I doubt the CBC loaned him to NBC for the coverage.

[Dan M]

Well, they still have it over us in curling!

Fantastic game, was screaming at the set, the first name of one of the US forwards is "Brooks" and that's not a coincidence.

Dan (ex DIII right wing).

[Jose]

"PS Was it really necessary to close all the bars in downtown Vancouver after the match?" - pl

As someone who was station in Ft Lewis, I can confirm that it was necessary.

Last thing you want to see is bunch of pissed-off, drunk Canuks...lol

[Medicine Man]

If our team were placing as much faith in who was favored as you were, Col Lang, then that was our first mistake.

We will see how things wrap up at the podium.

-MM

[Patrick Lang]

Citizens of Canadia

I keep trying to explain to you all what irony might be. I will keep trying. you are far too literal. Was Sven Ortmann in your armed forces?" pl

[Medicine Man]

I was tweaking your nose, Col Lang. I know you were being a touch sarcastic but the false solemnity of my response just doesn't show in my text.

I actually think you're being mild, given how obnoxious many of my countrymen would be at this moment had we won that game.

[diochoa]

Yes they must close the bars in Vancity. Vancouver is doing its best to be just like Toronto or shall I say TDot.
Oh the horror

[Grimgrin]

Col Lang: We produced a singer who was able to change the usage of the word ironic in popular lingo, using a song called "Ironic", that contained no actual examples of irony. Suggesting we are both a supremely ironic people and utterly incapable of recognizing irony. I believe you have a long hard battle ahead of you.

As for closing the bars, the last thing the city wanted was a riot in the middle of the olympics.

[s nadh]

With that Canadian blood of yours one would've thought that you'd know irony and hockey up here don't really mesh. The Bruins were smart to trade Thornton. He can't play when it matters and his line was supposed to score; the team as a whole has under-performed. Perhaps Luongo in means different. Kudos to the US team - we might meet again. As for my liver, it'll be 17 years and counting since the Habs did anything.

[Patrick Lang]

snabh

Perhaps the greatest irony is to seem to expect comprehension.

Have some Crown Royal, you'll feel better. (irony) pl

[Medicine Man]

I'd like to second Grimgrin's observation: given the examples used in the lyrics, the name of that song should have been "Unfortunate".

[greg0]

Maybe I'd have bought cable if we had a good curling team...

[William R. Cumming]

Is it double elmin?

Herb Brooks rest in peace as I think 1960 will not be repeated.

[fasteddies]

S nadh,

In the 2008 playoffs, the Habs fans rioted after the team finished their first series against the eighth seeded team. It Doesn't seem take too much to spark off the fun zone up there anymore, or at least, a lot less than the Rocket Richard Riot of '55. I love it, It's one of my former home towns.

[Bobby Murray]

I missed the game, I read about it. Michigan is well represented so we have an extra incentive to pull for our boys. (6 Michiganders)
There is still a lot of hockey to play, and I don't believe Canada has played their best hockey yet. However I was thrilled about the victory. "Sticks down, heads' up and finish your checks boys." I love the sport but I have had to seriously pull back to get things done during the long season. And while it's tough being a Red Wings fan this year,(Can you say fair weather?) I was thrilled about Brian Rafalski's goals and Ryan Miller's net minding. Thank you for the thread Pat.

[The beaver]

It Doesn't seem take too much to spark off the fun zone up there anymore, or at least, a lot less than the Rocket Richard Riot of '55

I would assume that you don't know the real reason(s) behind that 1955's riot or otherwise you wouldn't have mixed it with frustration for not "winning"

[Paul]

Well, there really is no need to bring Don Cherry to the Olympic proceedings - NBC's analysts (Roenick and Millbury) are goons of the first order. The coach of the Canadian team was under the impression that beating teams over the head would result in victory.

The NHL establishes an ice sheet size of 85 x 200 as its standard because it favors body checking over speed, skating and passing. And that sells tickets to a blood-thirsty public. Watching hockey at the NHL level is akin to yo-yo with all the dump and running. The rink size and NHL style of play are the two ingredients that support Canada's self-proclaimed hockey supremacy. Unfortunately, the American team suffers from the same delusion.

If Canada or the USA each played one hundred games on an international sized surface against comparable competition, they would lose eight out of ten because they lack the speed, skating and passing skills the European teams possess. Checking and head-banging is more difficult (some say impossible) on the larger surface.

A Euro team will get the gold.

[Charles I]

Irony!!?? What can you creepy old war mongers teach us about irony!?? We're too drunk!

Seriously, Brodeur sucked, we took too many stupid penaties. In all other aspects, the US was outplayed. Battle, war, medal, it ain't over yet.

Grego and ked. I'm as cheap, cheaper than you, don't have cable though I could easily afford it. However, for $60, if you live within say 50 km of a major urban center, you can likely buy an antenna that will receive 10-40 digital television signals broadcast over the airwaves for free. Many of them will be in HD. You'll need an HDTV ready tv, or a converter box for your old crt television.

Up here it was sold via a site called www.saveandreplay.com. I urge you to check it out.