In one of the best Olympic finals in recent memory, Team Canada won the coveted gold medal in a thrilling overtime finish. Fans in Vancouver weren’t in their seats for much of this one, as both teams turned in fantastic performances Team USA nearly set the stage for one of the biggest wins in their history, as Zach Parise tied the game with 24 seconds left, but Sidney Crosby cemented his place in Olympic history with the gamewinner in overtime.
Ryan Miller was solid in net for the Americans yet again, stopping 36 of 39 Canadian shots, and got a little bit of help from the iron, as Canada hit two posts early in the 3rd that might have changed the way this one turned out. Jonathan Toews put the Canadians on the board first, banging in a rebound off a terrific effort from Mike Richards. Corey Perry gave Canada a 2-0 lead early in the 2nd, finishing off a nice rush from Ryan Getzlaf after the Canadians turned in a great penalty-killing performance with Eric Staal in the box.
The US got a little bit of luck from their hard work shortly after, however, as Ryan Kesler drove the net and tipped a wrist shot from Pat Kane just enough to get it through Roberto Luongo, who made 34 saves on the night. As the 3rd period drew to an end, the Americans pulled out all the stops, getting loads of offensive pressure in the closing minutes. Their hard work paid off, as Zach Parise snuck behind both Shea Weber and Scott Niedermayer to bang home a loose puck and send an already thrilling game to an even better finish.
With 4 skaters on both sides, and a shootout looming if neither side could score in the 20 minutes of extra time, both the Americans and the Canadians had a couple of chances to end this one. Luongo was called on to make 4 saves, while Miller made 6 before Crosby gathered a pass from Jarome Iginla and ripped a low shot that beat Miller five-hole, sending him, his teammatesand an entire nation into euphoria.
Canada’s win gave them 14 gold medals at the Winter Olympics, setting a new record for gold medals won by a country at a single winter Games. The only one that matters to Canadians is this one, and the fact that Crosby was the one that gave his country the championship they wanted will only serve to add to the already strong legacy of the young star’s career.