USA, Stastny Take Home Silver

Hello fellow Avs fans,

Feels like I haven’t blogged in a month! I enjoyed that Olympic break, and I’m sure many of our players enjoyed the break as well!

This tournament offered some of the most exciting hockey you’ll find outside of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The final, one that was highly unlikely, and one that I dreamed would come true, was a veritable All-Star game – with PASSION! It was easily one of the most exciting games I’ve seen all year, and one that lived up to all expectations. Zach Parise’s goal was clutch for USA with only 24 seconds left in the period, but the hero of the day was NHL golden boy Sidney Crosby, who, in his first Olympics, put the weight of the dreams of an entire nation on his back and scored the overtime winner for Canada. That’s two golds for Canada, and two silvers for America (Men’s and Women’s).

The king of this Olympic tournament though was USA goaltender Ryan Miller, who was named the Tournament MVP in a losing effort. It was honestly one of the most impressive performances by a goaltender I’ve ever seen. Fans in Buffalo really have something special there.

Look at that mug. Silver ain't bad, Stastny. Now on to the Stanley Cup!

Paul Stastny, the #1 center for the Americans, brought his style of play to the Olympics that’s characterized by a strong two-way game and elite passing skills. Though he didn’t get on the scoresheet as much as he probably wouldn’t have wanted, he did chip in offensively with 1 goal and 2 assists, and there’s no doubt his strong playmaking abilities and defensive efforts were a big reason for the Americans’ success.

Now the Avs can look forward to the stretch run, starting with the despicable Detroit Red Wings tomorrow. It is also Valeri Kamensky Night, who was personally one of my favorites of the Old Regime.