The 2010 Winter Olympics are over, and they ended in grand fashion. A few days after the Canadian women defeated the American women 2-0 to capture gold, the men took to the ice to battle for their gold medal on Sunday afternoon.
The United States were undefeated going into the game, and had already beaten Canada 5-3 a week earlier, while Canada had looked hot and cold in their past few games. The action got started with a first period Canadian goal by Jonathan Toews, and then continued with another goal for Canada by Corey Perry. The United States, trailing for the first time in the tournament, began to claw back with a goal of their own from Ryan Kesler.
Then things got interesting.
Canada looked to have the game in hand as the clock ticked towards the end. Just as the fans were getting to their feet to celebrate a win, Team USA's Zach Parise scored with 25 seconds left in the game, deflating Canadian fans, and giving the United States new life. In the end, however, Canada captured the gold medal as Sidney Crosby scored the game winning goal in overtime. Despite the loss, USA goaltender Ryan Miller was named the Most Valuable Player in the Olympic Hockey tournament, a well earned accolade for all the hard work he did getting USA to the finals. The game definitely lived up to the hype that surrounded it.
In the bronze medal game, Finland beat Slovakia to earn the third place finish. Both teams had looked good throughout the tournament, and Slovakia was a shot away from forcing overtime in their semi-final game against Canada. Finland, meanwhile, was simply blown out by the USA, but got a sense of redemption with the bronze medal win.
The focus now shifts towards the stretch drive of the hockey season, and the looming trade deadline.
Chris Chelios is making a return to the NHL, having agreed to terms with the Atlanta Thrashers. The 48 year old defenseman is not likely to put up many points, but he should provide some grit and a veteran presence at the blue line, something a young Thrashers team could definitely use if they hope to sneak into the playoffs.
The Detroit Red Wings began their mission to right their ship on Monday night as they defeated Colorado by a score of 3-2. With their stars healthy, the team will hope to cling onto their eighth place standing in the tightly contested Western conference. To do so, they will need continued success from Jimmy Howard, as well as more offense from their now healthy forwards. If the Red Wings miss the playoffs this year, it will be the first time since 1989-1990 that they were not playing in the post-season.
It won't be easy though, with only ten points separating the eighth and fourteenth places, a hot streak by any of the seven teams could change the face of the West.
In the East there are a few teams hoping to make some late season noise, as well. The Atlanta Thrashers are hoping to make a run and squeeze into the Eastern conference playoffs, even without their franchise leader in most offensive categories Ilya Kovalchuk on board. The New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning both sit one point out of eighth, and with the way both teams were playing before the Olympic break, they should make things interesting in these final few months.
As for the trade deadline, there probably won’t be any more big deals like the ones before the Olympic break, but with many teams looking to shore up their third and fourth lines, many players could still be on the move. The Toronto Maple Leafs have promised more deals will be made, with players like Alexei Ponikarovsky and Tomas Kaberle being thrown around in rumors. And with contenders looking to shore up their third and fourth lines, teams like Edmonton, the New York Islanders, and Carolina could be definite sellers in the next few days. With so many teams in the playoff hunt, anything is bound to happen.
- Mark McLean - RotoKingdom Staff Writer