USA thru to medal round in hockey

My original comment on all this was about how goaltending is the name of the game and I stand by that. When one goalie outplays the other by a wide margin and gets the win people will always comment on it, or quailfy it I guess. Basically it was a one goal difference, the 5th goal you got was an empty net one and maybe the nicest I've ever seen. Until then there was quite a flurry in your end so it was far from a ho hum we won by 2 goals kind of game. I'm a Canucks fan so I was happy to see Kessler get that goal, he's turned into quite a player.

I was shocked to see the poor effort by the Russians, they're goaltending certainly didn't help their cause. I was expecting a close game but we beat them in all areas without them putting up any fight. While winning is always what you want, a closer game is far more exciting.

I fully expect the US, should we meet in the final and I hope we do, to play a far more inspired game than the Russians did. The last game was truly a great game to watch and I'm sure every player on the US team knows they'll have to play far better than they did in the last one if they expect to win. If Luongo keeps playing well Miller will have to be even better than he has been and that's a tall order.

With the exception of maybe a helmet rule and no-touch icing - and the no fighting - maybe, just maybe the NHL will learn a thing or two about good hockey. These Olympic games have been phenominal - just so exciting. Get all those damn ticky-tack penaty calls out of the NHL game and let them play the way hockey is supposed to be played. I seriously can't remember the last time I've watched hockey that was this inspired and exciting.

BTW - I was thoroughly disappointed in the Russians - disappointed, not surprised. as I said in a previous post, those Eastern European players are notorious for being egotistical, and self-serving (at least to me they are - as it relates to hockey). I was expecting a war.