2010 Winter Olympics: USA Upsets Canadians, Wins Group A

The American men's hockey team did not come to the Olympics with many expectations.

On a team filled with young players, some questioned where the more talented veteran players were.

GM Brian Burke said, "I don't want the best players. I want to play specific roles."

Hmm, does that sound familiar?

On the day before the 30th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice," this team had plenty in common with Herb Brooks' boys from 1980. Brooks had famously said before the Lake Placid Games, when faced with similar skepticism as Burke, "I don't want the best players. I want the right ones."

This, though, is no group of rough college boys. This is a very talented young team mixed with veteran leadership, and both those elements mixed together are writing the latest underdog chapter in US hockey.

At Canada Hockey Place and all points near, the emotion and energy were overflowing for the home nation. It was the Americans, however, that stole the important early momentum.

A face-off in the Canadian end was won by Sidney Crosby, but the Americans would fight for the puck.

Eventually Jamie Langenbrunner would dig it off the boards, and it ended up on the stick of Brian Rafalski by way of Ryan Suter. Rafalski was all the way on the blue line but sent it hard and on net. The puck found its way through a screen in front and snuck by Martin Brodeur to give the US a 1-0 lead just 41 seconds in.

The quick goal took the air out of the Canadian crowd, but not their team—quite the opposite in fact. Canada would statistically dominate the period and appeared to be in control of the game, and at the 8:53 mark would finally get something to show for it. Brent Seabrook wristed a shot from the point, and Eric Staal coolly redirected it past Ryan Miller.

This would turn out to be the strategy for both teams—put the puck on net and see what happens—but the theme of the night was quite simply Brian Rafalski.

Canada, in control and now tied, seemed to be where they belonged after the Staal goal.

In stepped Rafalski (Detroit blue liner turned true American hero).

Twenty-three seconds after they tied the game, the Canadians made a big mistake.

Rafalski (who else?) started a break, and Zach Parise dumped the puck in, but for some reason Canadian goalie and true national hero Martin Brodeur decided to knock it out of the air with his stick, Wimbledon backhand style.

The puck only made it to the slot, where Rafalski awaited, and on this night, for this player, there was no doubt about what would happen. He slid it in for his second goal to give the US a 2-1 advantage and regain the momentum.

Things calmed down for the final 10 minutes of the period, but that was not to last. The Canadians would come out in the second with a no holds barred attack, spending long stretches in the American zone blasting away at US goaltender Ryan Miller.

3:32 in, it paid off as several shots from point blank sent Miller sliding until Dany Heatley stuffed a rebound into the back of the net.

Once again the Canadians were tied and seemed poised to take over, as their constant barrage on the American net continued, but Miller turned everything away.

The US would even the play and start firing at Brodeur toward the halfway point of the period and would end up with a goal similar to Heatley's.

A shot from—wait for it—Rafalski would create a free for all in front of the Canadian net, and Chris Drury buried it to give the Americans a 3-2 lead at the 16:51 mark of the second.

That would be the score until the clock read 12:09 to play, when Langenbrunner blasted the puck past Brodeur from the point on the power play. His goal gave the US a two-goal cushion and put them on the defensive.

Canada pushed hard, and with 3:19 to play, Sidney Crosby would tip in a power play goal and give hope to the host nation.  But Miller would make one more incredible save, his 42nd of the night, and Ryan Kesler finished it off with one of the nicer empty netters you will see.

Five different Americans had at least one point in the game, eight for the Canadians. Brodeur made 18 saves to Miller's astounding 42.

The Canadians will have to play an extra game to move into the medal round, while the American extra will come in the form of days off and possibly the top seed.

Brian Burke could not have drawn this up better. The young kids have played fast, and the guys he brought in to fill those roles are filling the net with goals. Three players had multiple points in the game: Langenbrunner, Suter, and Rafalski.

Playing roles does not have to be for desperate teams, especially if you're playing the role of a new national hero.