In the main event of “Super Sunday” for Olympic hockey, the U.S. stunned their favored hosts Canada 5–3 to win Group A, earning a bye to the quarterfinals.
U.S. goalie Ryan Miller was the star of the game while U.S. defenseman Brian Rafalski, the oldest player on the team at 36, scored two goals and added one assist.
Miller has been the best goalie in the NHL this season. If the Vezina Trophy was to be awarded today, he’d win it. Miller was simply incredible on Sunday and he outplayed his counterpart Martin Brodeur in the Canadian goal.
Miller was quick to credit his teammates. “It was the most intense I played. I was happy the boys got a few big blocks.”
“Five goals against Canada. I thought that was just a great effort by our guys. They did a great job responding to everything. When things happened, we responded. We didn’t get nervous or anxious.”
Miller was under an onslaught by Canada and wound up making 42 saves.
“Everything was stacked against us but we came out on top. It was for these young players to know that we can beat any team in this tournament and obviously it sets the bar very high for us going into the quarterfinals,” said Rafalski.
“We just played solid and Ryan Miller played outstanding for us. They put a lot of pressure on us at the end but we were able to weather through it.”
The U.S. wore their vintage white 1960 jerseys to commemorate their Olympic gold medal won at Squaw Valley, Calif. Monday Feb. 22 is actually the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice where the U.S. won Olympic gold at Lake Placid with a historic victory over the Soviet Union.
Early Jump
Less than a minute into the game, Rafalski gave the U.S. the lead as his point shot deflected off Sidney Crosby and past Brodeur.
Canada tied it up when the Chicago Blackhawks duo of Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook assisted on Eric Staal’s goal. Seabrook floated a puck at Miller’s net that Staal deflected just shy of the nine-minute mark.
Brodeur was guilty of some sloppy puck handling in the first period. Ordinarily, puck handling is one of his many strengths as a goalie.
Brodeur decided to swat a puck out of mid-air as if he was playing baseball. But Rafalski was playing center field. He picked up the puck, walked in, and fired a low shot past Brodeur 22 seconds after Canada had tied up the game.
