Breaking Down a Miracle: Part III

Introduction:

This post is a continuation of my series of commentary on the 1980 US Olympic hockey teams, so it is recommended that you read the first post (focusing on the games against Sweden and Czechoslovakia) and the second post (focusing on the highlights of all the pool games as well as interviews with Bill Baker, Herb Brooks, and Rizzo) before proceeding with this one. The American match game against the Norwegians will be the center of this installment, and, in an attempt to avoid redundancies with the notes on the highlights of the Norwegian match, I have striven to emphasize aspects of the game, such as the penalty-happy referee, that the differences in coverage drew my attention to. Hopefully, readers will enjoy this post and will be looking forward to reading about the actual Miracle on Ice in the next post in this series.

Notes on the full U.S. versus Norway Game:

 

• Al Michaels talks about how the US has faced its toughest division opponents (Sweden and Czechoslovakia, respectively), but people fear a let down with the Norwegians, who are regarded as the division’s weakest team.
• Al Michaels observes that its important for the US team of “recent achievers” not to take for granted victories over teams they were seen as about equal to at the start of the Olympics and to continue to play their best to maintain their momentum.
• The Coneheads take the opening faceoff and get in a few shots on goal, which gives Al Michaels a chance to remark on how effective Buzz had been offensively in the previous match against the Czechs.
• Al Michaels just casually mentions Morrow getting a separated shoulder in the last game against the Czechs, and I’m thinking, “Hold on. How do you separate your shoulder without becoming a twitching mound on the ice?” That’s Ken Morrow for you, though. Such a solid defensive player who could separate his shoulder and not miss a beat or a shift, and who could probably have added more hardware to his three Stanley Cup rings and Olympic gold medal if he hadn’t been plagued by injuries in his pro career.
• The camera kind of creepily pans over to Herb Brooks during a lull in the action, and, although I know that he’s probably barking orders at his players, it looks hilariously like he’s talking to himself, which I’m sure the stress of the Olympic tour could do to anyone. We’re also reminded for perhaps the hundredth time that he is the University of Minnestoa coach who spent seven years with the Gophers. Clearly fluff was just as annoying back in 1980 as it is today. Comforting to have proof that some things never change.
• The Americans are on the power play, because the Norwegian captain decided it was an excellent time to be sent to the penalty box for a two minute minor. We don’t see or hear his actual infraction since the cameras were too busy zeroing in on Herb.
• The American power play struggles to gain energy and cohesion, so the Norwegians keep the puck out of their zone via icing, which is legal when a team is shorthanded.
• Mark Johnson gets called for tripping, and as he goes to the penalty box, we get reminded of how he was injured at the end of last game. Are they trying to make me cry? Where the heck did I put my Kleenex? I thought that I wouldn’t need them for this game since none of my babies (Rob McClanahan and Mark Johnson in case you forgot since I last fangirled obnoxiously over them) got hurt, but here are the commentators ready to remind me of every scratch they’ve ever suffered. Not fair.
• For some reason unbeknownst to me, the commentators insist on referring to a four-on-four as a “five aside,” which sounds like a side dish you can order with ketchup at a grill. I’ve never heard that terminology before, and I had to remember to count the goalie for each team before I could figure out what they were chattering on about. I’m still going to use for purposes of this blog the phrase four-on-four, so I don’t confuse myself. I just wanted to broaden my audience’s hockey vocabulary.
• Ramsey, falling to the ice, gets in a shot on the Norwegian goal, but it is blocked wide. Too bad. It would have been awesome to see a defenseman score during a four-on-four.
• Morrow does a great job manning his post and sticking to the opposing player like glue along the boards behind the net.
• Strobel glides in a circle around the Norwegian net, and passes smoothly to Ramsey, whose shot it caught by the Norwegian goaltender. Why are none of your shots going in, Rammer? It’s making me sad, though not nearly as sad as the fact that you played for Scotty Bowman all those years and never got a Stanley Cup.
• The Norwegian captain is back, so the US will have to penalty kill for a couple of seconds.
• The Norwegian goaltender gives up quite a few sloppy rebounds.
• Buzz and a Norwegian player get tangled up near the net, and there’s a whistle.
• The camera, for not real reason, zooms in on Herb again. This time he is chewing on his knuckle. Guess he wanted a knuckle sandwich.
• These commentators are kind of annoying. Every two seconds, they remind us that Mark Johnson is still in the penalty box. Here’s a novel idea: just inform us when he gets out, and spend the rest of the time announcing what’s going on in the game. I’m  a big Mark Johnson fan, but I really don’t need to hear about him being in the penalty box every two seconds. That’s not very exciting, thanks.
• Another penalty called against Norway for interference. This ref is pretty strict, but at least he seems equally stringent for both sides.
• Norway scores on a shot from the point deflected off Jim Craig. Technically, it was a defensive lapse for the US, but I’ve seen much worse from the 2013 NJ Devils, so I’m not even going to really comment on the defensive breakdown except to acknowledge that, yeah, it happened.
• Mark Johnson is out of the box, but Verchota immediately is sent to fill it (Phil fills it, get it? Very punny, I know) for elbowing. I don’t really like this ref, even though he is fair. I am as big a proponent of clean hockey as it’s possible to be (my favorite players are always clean, skill guys), but this ref calls way too much, resulting in a choppy game where no real momentum is gained for either side. It’s not that exciting to watch, and with all these stoppage of plays to announce penalties, this could end up being the only game in hockey history that lasts five hours without going into a single overtime. This guy needs to chill with calling people for everything but breathing.
• Four-on-four could be the dominant playing pattern for this game with this ref, though.
• It’s ten minutes into the game, and the commentators are already ripping into the Americans about letting people down. Um, there are like fifty minutes of play left. Relax. The US is getting some scoring opportunities. It’s not as if Norway is skating loops around them, and the only Norwegian goal was on a power play, not at even strength.
• Ramsey does a good job containing Norway at the blue line.
• A Norwegian player is called for highsticking Ramsey against the boards, so the US has a man advantage in a four-on-three. (Verchota is still in timeout for elbowing.)
• The commentators also don’t like the refs style, saying that players prefer when teams are skating at even strength for the most part, because when everything anyone ever does is called, a lot of unusual line combinations are thrown out on the ice with sometimes less than stellar results.
• One of the Norway players is back, so we have a four-on-four, but the commentators are so confused by all the penalties that they mistakenly say each team will have five skaters instead of four.
• Verchota is free, so the US now has five skaters to the Norwegian four.
• Christoff gets in some sweet skating and stickhandling.
• Glove save by Jim. Cool to watch.
• Ramsey gets in a beautiful rush on the Norwegian goal. He doesn’t score, but he again shows how dynamic a defenseman he is. The more I see of this kid, the more I love him.
• Buzz comes in with a breakaway, and I get so excited thinking he is going to score that I nearly spill my tea all over my laptop, but the Norwegian goaltender ruins the party with a nice save.
• Buzz gets a penalty for charging a Norwegian into the boards. Another penalty. Ho-hum. The penalty kill units for each team are certainly getting a workout this game.
• The commentators speculate as the camera pans over to Herb again that he’ll have some heated words for his team in the locker room. That’s probably the closest thing to a sure bet that exists in hokey. I mean, if you saw the movie Miracle you know how he skated those guys after tying with the Norwegians. Happy memories galore for the Americans, yes.
• Morrow legally ices the puck to kill some time in the penalty.
• Bill Baker shows his stickhandling skills and sends the puck into the Norwegian zone.
• Buzz is back.
• Wells takes the faceoff. Hello, Wellsy. Good to see you.
• Broten and Christoff get into a scrabble along the boards. Seeing Neal the puppy get physical reminds me of his famed fight with the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, so if anyone tries to tell you that the Miracle boys aren’t goo, point out that Neal Broten took on Wayne Gretzky. That will say all that needs to be said.
• Pav takes the opening faceoff for the second period, and we get the camera zooming in on his adorable features.
• A Norwegian is sent to the penalty box for tripping. Big surprise there, since this ref adheres to the school of thought that the penalty box should never be empty.
• Rizzo scores off a deflection fifteen seconds into this power play, so, basically, just as Rizzo rallied the troops in the game against the Czechs, he does the same in the match against the Norwegians. Not bad for a guy famous for one winning goal against the Soviets.
• Wells and Verchota are quite interesting to watch. They have some good passing and aren’t afraid to get physical along the boards.
• Verchota fires a shot on goal but the puck fails to find the back of the net.
• There’s a scuffle near the near, and, shockingly, the ref, accessing no penalties, does not take advantage of this marvelous opportunity to give everyone on ice five minute roughing penalties. How uncharacteristic. I hope his body has not been taken over by aliens.
• Al Michaels described Pav as incredibly small but extremely quick and a good stickhandler. Seems as apt as description of this unconventional forward as any out there.
• Mark Johnson scores off a beautiful pass from Rob McClanahan, who was trapped along the boards. Nice way for the US to take the lead. Gosh, I love these two in case the whole world doesn’t realize that by now.
• Ouch, Bah is hooked into the boards by Norwegian, but a penalty is accessed for the Norwegian, and I actually support the ref’s decision here. Perhaps he is getting more competent as the game progresses.
• Pav has a smooth assist on a rapid fire goal from Silky. This ends in a lovely hug fest for our Miracle boys. Hockey doesn’t get much cuter than this, folks.
• After a brief spat along the boards, a Norwegian is penalized for slashing, and Strobel is sent to the penalty box for holding, so we’ll have a four-on-four for about the umpteenth time this game. Strobel hangs his head in the box when the camera flashes over him, and I want to travel back in time just to give him a reassuring hug.
• Strobel and the Norwegian are back.
• Nice save by Jim. He drops and covers the puck very well.
• There are two seconds left in the second period, so Herb pulls Jim to put in an extra man for the faceoff at the Swedish end, because even if the Norwegians win the faceoff, the puck will not cross the American goal line before time expires in the period.
• The Americans win the faceoff and fire in a shot on goal that does not go in.
• Rizzo gets into a scrabble with a Norwegian after time is called, but the refs pull them apart before any damage can be done to either player.
• Norway begins the third period in style with a hook that sends Rob McClanahan into the boards and onto the ice. The two minute penalty is given, and I wonder if the Norwegian coach forgot to mention to his team that hockey is won by getting the most goals, not penalties. Anyway, this early power play opportunity is déjà vu of the one that opened the second period with Rizzo’s goal.
• Wells scores off his own rebound, and his wild glee at scoring makes my heart soar. He deserves more moments like this in his life, that’s for sure.
• Bill Baker gets a two minute penalty for tripping.
• Norway really lacks cohesion on this penalty, and the Americans are very effective with killing the penalty by keeping the puck in the Norwegian end of the rink.
• Johnson, McClanahan, and Strobel have some good passing and shots on goal, but sadly none of them go in.
• Ken Morrow fires a slapshot that finds the back of the net. This gives the US a bang of a finish rather than a whimper.
• McClanahan skates the puck down the ice and has a neat drop pass to Christoff before Norway takes the puck again.
• Verchota gets in a nice shot on goal.
• Suter  gets into a fight with a Norwegian, and they both get double minors.
• Bill Baker gets an interference penalty, but the US wins like two seconds later anyway. Kind of anticlimactic ending except for all the Miracle boys hugging on the ice afterward.

 

Road to Rio: Kyla Ross

If there is any member of the Fierce Five whose name is likely to slip people’s minds, it’s Kyla Ross. In London, she took a backseat to her more famous teammates. There was Jordyn Wieber whose crying face after she failed to qualify for the all-around was plastered all over the media. There was Gabby Douglas who soared to the gold in the individual all-around. There was Aly Raisman who remained stable on balance beam to earn a bronze medal and who electrified the country with a dazzling floor routine that garnered her a gold medal in the floor event finals. There was McKayla Maroney and her fall to silver in the vault finals. Then there was Kyla, who performed calmly and quietly for America on the uneven bars and beam during the team finals.

2013, however, has been a year for Kyla to emerge from her shell. At Worlds in Antwerp, she was the Queen of Silver: she earned silver medals in the individual all-around, uneven bars, and beam competition. Her consistency, elegant lines that appeal to international judging panels, and her steady upgrading of the difficulty of her routines have to favorably impress Marta Karolyi. Her silver medal in the all-around shows that she would be a valuable addition to any team, and her silver in uneven bars may do even more to bolster her case for making Rio in 2016.

Kyla’s reliable and smooth bar work was one of the reasons that she was chosen for London 2012, and her performance on bars there certainly did not let her team or Marta down. The fact that Kyla medaled in uneven bars at Worlds will only strengthen Marta’s perception of her as an adept bar worker, which is excellent for her since uneven bars is an apparatus that America as a whole is currently weak on. If Kyla’s bar work remains among the best in the world (and definitely in America) and her all-around skills continue to develop, I can see her joining McKayla as a veteran in Rio. Of course, there is always the lurking menace of injuries and upcoming juniors, but I think that Kyla will stay calm and graceful in the face of such threats. At the very least, she will be in the discussion for Rio.

 

 

Road to Rio: McKayla Maroney

McKayla Maroney’s visage could be the epitome of the two sides of the Olympics: soaring triumph and crashing defeat. After the American women’s gymnastics team clinched the gold medal by a comfortable margin over the Russians, her sky high Amanar complete with perfectly pointed toes and locked legs deluged the Internet. Viewers were cued to appropriate awe by the gaping mouths of the judges in the background. Everyone who knew what a flip was now had astonishing proof that she was the best female vaulter in the world. All she had to do was show up to the vault apparatus finals and perform well enough to receive the gold that practically had her name etched into it already.

Unfortunately for her, this storybook happy ending was not to be. She completed a beautiful Amanar that might not have been as impeccable as her vault during team finals but was still impressive and all but untouchable. For her second vault, she chose, as usual, to complete a Mustafina. Perhaps because her first vault was not as perfect as the one she had done in team finals, she tried to go for a stuck landing instead of taking the minor deduction of a small hop even though with a small hop the gold would still have been all but guaranteed to be hers. As a result of trying to stick her landing, she fell to the mat and ultimately to silver medal position.

Her scowl on the podium has inspired hundreds (or possibly thousands) of memes that normally make up for in hilarity what they lack in originality. Although she has been branded as a poor sport, it is only fair to note that she is on the record as stating that her podium pout was a product of disappointment and anger with her own performance rather than any evidence of dislike for either of the other medalists. She has also explained in interviews that, as she was sliding down to sit on the mat after her second vault in event finals, she was telling herself that she would now have to travel to Rio to get the gold vaulting medal that she had missed in London.

This raises the question of whether she will be able to achieve her dream of going to Rio to claim the Olympic Title that she couldn’t win in London. After all, the American gymnastics program is a deep one, and it is difficult enough for an American girl to make the Olympic team once, nonetheless twice. This is doubly true in the case of a specialist a la McKayla Maroney in London, and triply true of a specialist in an event that isn’t the uneven bars, America’s current weak apparatus.

My personal belief is that McKayla Maroney has an even shot of making the Olympic team in Rio. She is a veteran of America gymnastics: part of the gold medal winning World Championship team in Tokyo (where she also received a gold medal in the vault competition), part of the gold medal winning team in London (where she earned a silver medal in the vault competition), and a member of the World Championship team in Rio where she qualified for floor finals and successfully defended her World Championship gold from Tokyo. Her experience counts with Marta Karolyi, as does her fiercely competitive nature. In her favor is the fact that her vaulting remains spectacular and she is diversifying to become more of an all-around gymnast.

McKayla’s floor exercise displays her skills as a power gymnast, and she competed it very successfully at the Visas in America. She also managed to qualify with her routine to the floor finals at Worlds. That’s pretty impressive, and I anticipate that her floor work will continue to improve throughout this upcoming quad. I also have always found her form on beam and bars quite elegant. Once she upgrades the difficulty of her beam and bars, I think that she has the makings of a very solid all-around gymnast. Basically, I am convinced that McKayla is doing all that she can to maximize her chances on being on the Rio team: remaining dominant on vault and diversifying to become more of an all-arounder rather than a specialist gymnast. As such, I could see her being on the Rio team as a veteran and leader. Obviously, Rio is a long way off, so there could be the threats of injuries or upcoming juniors who will be eligible for the Olympics to contend with, but McKayla is a fighter, so the competition could be great for her.

Breaking Down a Miracle (Part II)

Introduction:

This post is a continuation of my commentary on the discs I recently procured with footage of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team’s games. In particular, this part of the series will focus on the American highlights of the pool games against Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Romania, and West Germany. As I have covered the games against Sweden and Czechoslovakia in more depth in the previous installment of this series, I have tried to make different observations from those I made before—focusing on elements that the differences in Canadian and American broadcasting might have drawn my attention to. Likewise, because I will be covering the full Norway game in more detail in a future post, I have tried to keep my coverage of it brief so as to avoid redundancies in the next portion of this series. In addition to analyzing the pool games, this post will contain commentary on interviews with Bill Baker, Herb Brooks, and Rizzo. It is my hope that this post will provide readers with some Olympic entertainment before we can cheer on our American men in Sochi.

Highlights of Sweden Game:

• The American broadcaster opens with a commentary on how some people love the modern architectural style of the new hockey arena in Lake Placid while others are disenchanted with it. The broadcaster refuses to take a stance on the issue (providing a decent example of a lack of bias in media), stating only that this is a free country.
• Coverage switches over to Al Michaels in the hockey arena, where he will provide the highlights of the Swedish game to the American audience.
• Al explains that the twelve hockey teams competing in the tournament are divided into two divisions: blue and red. The US along with Sweden and Czechoslovakia are in the blue division, while the Soviet Union, the gold medal favorites, are in the red.
• We are offered an update on hockey in the red division, where as of the second intermission, the Soviet Union team is hammering the Japanese thirteen to zero. Almost makes that pre-Olympic blowout in Madison Square Garden seem like an even match-up by comparison.
• We are also told that Poland is leading Finland 5-4, which, according to Al, is a bit of a surprise. Presumably, Finland recovers from this shock, seeing as Finland made it to the medal round, while Poland did not.
• In the blue division, the Czechs swept the Norwegians 11-0, and Canada thrashed the Netherlands 10:1. According to Al, there are no surprises in either of those scores.
• The West Germans in the blue division had a tough opener, Al relates, losing to Romania 6:4.
• Ken Dryden, the specialist who was part of that Montreal Canadian dynasty and who has six Stanley Cup rings to his name, emphasizes how important it is for the Americans to do well in the game against the Swedes since only two teams from each division advance to the medal rounds, and the Czechs are widely expected to fill one of those slots.
• Bill Baker is being a defensive star in the first period against the Swedes.
• Jim Craig gets in a good save a couple of minutes into the first period.
• Pav skates around quickly, being an excellent two-way player, and stealing possession of the puck from the Swedes.
• Buzz Schneider gets the puck in the net, but the goal is disallowed because a whistle for off-sides had been blown but nobody heard it because of the noise of the crowd. Perhaps the refs should invest in fog horns since the crowds are only going to get larger and louder where the Americans are concerned.
• Nice to see Morrow skate down the ice and get a shot on goal.
• Silk takes a pass and just fires it high into the Swedish net before I can blink with about half a minute left in the second period. He totally earned the chance to skip on his skates and wave his hands in the air in exultation. What a fierce, determined competitor.
• I love the pile-up hug and helmet rubbing that follows Silky’s scoring. My Miracle boys are all super supportive of one another’s brilliance, and it fills my soul with the sound of angels singing.
• Nice poke check to gain possession of the puck, Mac. You may be injured but you still know how to take that puck.
• Bill, your goal never gets less incredible to watch. That’s really the highest complaint a goal can get.
• The American team rolling around on the ice in a group hug is adorable and priceless. Seeing this is like getting a direct injection of pure bliss.
• I really can’t handle the bench shots of OC and Mac. Mac hobbling around makes me want to weep my heart out for him, but OC in his hilarious red suspenders makes me want to laugh my head off at his clothing selection. Somebody help me before I drive myself insane or lose a vital organ.
• I’m amused that the commentator felt the need to clarify for the audience that it’s traditional for teams to line up and shake hands are the end of an Olympic hockey game. Isn’t that customary for most sports? Is anyone really not going to be able to guess why the teams are shaking hands?

Bill Baker Post-Sweden Interview:

• My heart strings are quivering in delight at the sight of Bill’s shy smile at the idea of a parade being thrown on Lake Placid’s Main Street in his honor. He better get used to parades, though, because, in a couple of days, this whole team is going to hit celebrity status. I know because I saw it in my tea leaves.
• When asked how the team is feeling, Bill replies that they are happy with the tie and that they are pleased they were able to improve their performance after the first period. His Minnesota accent is making me coo, and I want to hear more of it. This world is in desperate need of more Bill Baker interviews.
• When questioned about how the team needs to prepare for the following game against the Czechs, Bill responds that the Americans will need to be playing at their best from the start and that if they do that they will hopefully be able to skate with the Czechs and compete with them effectively. Intelligent answers like this are why he was Captain of the Gophers, I suppose.
• As the interview ends, Bill just looks so discomfited at being described as the hero of the night that I just have to giggle. Then he just keeps glancing around to check if the cameras are off his face yet. What a riot. I love this guy.

Highlights on the Czech Game:

• The American broadcaster elaborates on the network’s rationale for not giving the final results of the hockey games until the end of the highlights. He claims that viewers should be able to feel some of the suspense of the event by having to wait until the end of the highlight reel to discover the result. That’s a great philosophy, but I think more excitement would be generated if entire games were shown. As it is, the game against the Czechs, which many American players define as the team’s best, was only captured in full by Canadian channels. Thank God for the Canadian love affair with hockey or else most of the Miracle boys’ magnificent feats would be lost to history.
• The highlights of this game are basically just goals, so check out my last post for reminders of who scored in what spectacular way.
• Whenever Bill touches the puck, looks like he might touch the puck, or is just chilling on the bench with his buddies when the camera flashes over to him, he gets called a hero for his goal against the Swedes. Yeah, he definitely needs to get accustomed to that whole hero worship thing.

Herb Brooks Post-Czech Game Interview:

• Herb smiles when he is congratulated by the interviewers on the results of the Czech game. It is reassuring to know that his face can handle this expression without cracking. He is a man, after all, and not a monument.
• Herb admits that he, like everyone else, was surprised by his team’s performance in the game against the Czechs, but he states that his team did realize in practice that they had to use their youth as an asset, not a liability, and he sensed they were going to have a good game against the Czechs.
• Herb emphasizes that a drubbing a la the one the Soviets gave the US team in Madison Square Garden doesn’t permanently damage a quality athlete’s mindset and points out that the defeat helped his team avoid some of the pitfalls of overconfidence.
• Herb praises Christian’s work in the goal that was ultimately credited to Verchota and reminds everybody that Christian is a center converted to defense.
• Herb states that the US team, after pulling an upset over the Czechs, must remain grounded and defeat the teams (West Germany, Romania, and Norway) that they are expected to triumph over. He believes that those victories will be an even bigger test of his boys’ characters than the Czech game.
• In talking about Mark Johnson’s injury, Herb describes Mark as the guy who makes the team go every day in practice. Gosh, I love when Herb fanboys over his players.

Highlights of Norway Game:

• A nice shot from Christian was deflected in by Rizzo. Lovely teamwork. A good power play goal that should give the US some positive momentum and ties the game.
• Good to see Wells take a faceoff.
• Verchota’s shot on goal is followed by a scuffle near the Norwegian net. Players fall to the ice, but nothing worse happens as the refs break up the fray.
• A beautiful joint play by Mark Johnson and Rob McClanahan allows the US to take the lead. Trapped along the boards, Rob passes the puck to Mark, who is right in front of the net and fires the puck into the goal before I can take another breath. The chemistry between these two is phenomenal and just has me in awe. I’m probably going to be hyperventilating into a paper bag by the time this highlight reel is over.
• Some smooth circling moves by Morrow back on the defensive side of things.
• Ouch, that Norwegian player hooked Bah Harrington into the boards. Good thing Bah is all right, and it was sweet of Bill to come over to check on him. Glad the ref gave the Norwegian player a hooking penalty. Obviously, the ref is more competent than the one in the Czech game who missed the blatant cheapshot on Mark Johnson.
• Pav is a game-changer. When he gets the puck, he can go swiftly and smoothly pass it to someone like Silky, who can slip that puck into the net again.
• Geez, what is with Norway and hooking? They just hooked Rob McClanahan, too. Did they go to the dirty hockey school taught by the Czechs or what?
• Wonderful to see Mark Wells score, and then to watch him get buried in a hug by his teammates. His post-Olympic life was so rough that it’s a comfort to know that he had some amazing Olympic memories to reflect upon.
• Morrow gets on the scoreboard with a glorious slapshot. Awesome play. The puck just traveled so slowly that the Norwegian goaltender made the deadly mistake of believing it would be deflected when it wasn’t. Awkward for that goaltender but great for Kenny Morrow.
• A fight between Suter and a Norwegian player results in a penalty for both sides, so we’ll have a four-on-four situation.
• Interference is called against Bill Baker, who just looks really annoyed at himself for getting the penalty. Don’t worry, Billy, you’ll always be the hero against Sweden.
• This is all academic, though, since the six remaining seconds in the game pass without incident, and the Miracle boys climb out of their bench victorious for a group hug.

Interview with Rizzo Post-Norway Game:

• Rizzo just has this massive grin on his face from the second the interview starts. What a gregarious fellow.
• Rizzo is a sweetie, talking about how the team pulled together over the last six months and always believed in one another’s talents. He says the team is sitting at a good spot with two wins and a tie. Basically, he feels that the only way things will go awry is if the team lets them fall apart, and he’s confident the team isn’t going to permit things to unravel.
• Rizzo describing the atmosphere in the locker room during the Czech game is absolutely precious. He explains how the team believed from the outset that they had a chance at beating anyone who wasn’t the Soviets. After the game was tied at the end of the first period, he relates how the team buoyed themselves up with assurances that the Czechs weren’t that good and that they could outskate the Czechs, which meant that they could defeat the Czechs. Then, once they took the lead, they knew they just had to hold onto it, and it would be the Czechs who had to catch up to them.

Highlights of Romania Game:

• Pav sets Buzz up for a beautiful goal that puts the US on the scoreboard and allows the team to pull ahead for an early lead.
• Eric Strobel fights hard to get a second goal for the US. Nice to see him being all determined.
• Morrow gets in some solid checking.
• Christoff leads a charge down the ice but no real scoring opportunities come of it.
• Right off the faceoff, the puck is passed back to Buzz, who sends it flying into the Romanian net. Picture perfect play practically made for the highlight reels.
• Christoff gets the puck, does a neat twirl, and sends the puck careening into the Romanian net.
• Neal Broten gets a sweet goal, skating right up to the net and firing the puck wide of the goalie.
• With like a minute left, Rob scores a goal that bears an uncanny resemblance to Neal’s. Guess the Romanian goalie really can’t block that shot at all and will be having nightmares of moves like it for years to come.

 

 

Highlights of West German Game:

• There is a fight along the boards that results in both Christian and Mark Johnson being sent off for a penalty. This physical style is apparently a distinctly West German mode of playing that annoys a lot of teams.
• In this three on four situation, West Germany scores within seconds. This is tearing at my heart strings.
• Dave Christian sets up Rob McClanahan for a gorgeous backhand goal that he skates up close to put into the right side of the net.
• It’s Air Ramsey as he flies to dodge a check. I love this kid. What a pistol.
• Neal Broten dives to the ice to send the rebound from Strobel’s shot sailing into the Romanian net. Amazing way to tie a game.
• Some confusion about who is taking the faceoff for the US. First, it seems like Mark Johnson will take it. Then it looks like Rob McClanahan will, but he doesn’t either. Finally, Steve Christoff seems like he’s going to take it and actually does. I guess it’s some delaying tactic of Herb’s to break the other team’s momentum.
• Rob McClanahan streaks down the ice to score another beautiful goal.
• The Minnesota boys come out big tonight as Verchota scores as well, tipping in a slapshot from Christian.
• Glorious glove save by Jim Craig.

Breaking Down a Miracle (Part I)

Introduction:

The Winter Olympics is in the air again, and as the torch races toward Sochi, there is only one thing for hockey fans to think about: Olympic hockey. This blog post is not about which Americans I think will make the roster (though I will eat my brother’s sweaty shoulder pads if Zach Parise and Patrick Kane aren’t locks) or whether Jonathan Quick will be sufficiently recovered from his groin injury to be in net for the USA. You can find loads of other pieces speculating about those topics, but this post (and the others in this series) is going to be unique. Why is that, you say? Why, thanks for asking. It’s going to be all about one of America’s past Olympic hockey glories. That’s right. I just purchased (as a combo belated Birthday present and early Christmas gift) a lovely set of discs of full games and highlights of the 1980 US Hockey Team, so I’ll be providing commentary on the Miracle on Ice and all the footage that I have leading up to it. This post will focus on the opening match against Sweden as well as the second game against the Czechs.

The format for all these posts will basically be random bullet point musings because these Miracle boys make me lose too many brain cells to organize my thoughts coherently, but I hope you’ll feel involved in the excitement via this series of posts. Please pardon the tense issues owing to extreme euphoria and call me out if my obnoxious fangirling over my personal favorites (Rob McClanahan and Mark Johnson) begins to detract from my observations about the rest of the team. I don’t want to sound like I’m ESPN covering the Blackhawks, focusing on Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to the degree that an outsider might never guess that the Blackhawks actually have more than two players.

Sweden Game Notes:

 

• The coverage is Canadian. We get to hear a lot of long Northern u’s in those classy Canadian cadences. We also are treated to an interview with one of the Canadian amateur hockey players who apparently scored a hat trick (three goals in a game for those of you who haven’t learned the handshake and the lingo of the hockey nut yet) during one match against the Dutch prior to the Olympics. The Canadian media had high hopes that this number 19 would be a star but he was probably outshone by the Americans in Lake Placid. Tough luck for our brothers to the North, eh?
• The Canadian player, Ken Barry, does have some neat insights into the Olympic tournament. He does a good job reminding viewers that seeding for the medal round and tie-breaking for giving out medals was based on goals scored and goals allowed. That did end up being important for the US later on, since the US was seeded second in its division going into the medal round because of the goal differential with Sweden. Some hockey scholars have suggested that the Miracle on Ice might not have happened (blasphemy, I know) if the US had played the Soviet Union second, as the Soviets would have gone into the gold medal game with all guns blazing no matter what. We’ll leave that debate to our hockey fanatics and just admire the articulate Canadian player. Hockey players consistently give the best interviews, don’t they? They’re just so humble and smart.
• Ken is a cute young Canadian, talking about his travels with his team and his sacrifices leading up to the Olympics.
• Good job by the Canadian media, reminding everybody that the game against Sweden took place before Opening Ceremonies because the hockey teams had to face off against everyone in their division before they could move onto the medal round. This bit of trivia is only really important to me because Rob McClanahan ended up having to miss Opening Ceremonies to treat his injury from the Sweden game.
• The Canadian broadcaster pointed out that Sweden had just returned to the international hockey scene for the first time since the 1960’s, but that the Swedes had placed third in the World Championships. Spoiler alert: the Swedes would also go on to place third in the Olympics.
• Love this Canadian broadcaster. He talks about the Americans wanting to repeat the gold medal performance of 1960 in Squaw Valley. You are right, random Canadian broadcaster, the Miracle boys did want gold. Thank you for focusing on them from the beginning and preserving some of this stuff for posterity since the American media didn’t fall in love with these boys fast enough.
• Jim Craig patrolling the crease. It’s nice when goalies send out that “don’t mess with me” vibe.
• Ken Morrow does a wonderful job breaking up a Sweden play and passing the puck up ice to Eric Strobel. What a defensive rock. No wonder he was such a success with that Islander dynasty that gave Herb’s Rangers a headache.
• Eric Strobel’s skating really was so fast and smooth. I know he was a streaky player who wasn’t exactly “on” during this tournament, but he was still so graceful and gorgeous to watch. No surprise Herb regarded him as the best pure skater he had ever seen. Eric got in some sweet stickhandling too.
• Buzz Schneider is a riot, firing that shot even though the whistle to signal off sides had already been blown. Nobody on this team ever gives up, obviously.
• Neal Broten is a little offensive firecracker. He could really skate up the ice and put the pressure on, getting his own rebound and coming back for another shot. He didn’t score but it definitely wasn’t for lack of trying. The puck was practically in the net when the Swedish goaltender covered it with his glove, and Neal was working so hard he ended up falling to the ice. That’s dedication right there.
• Picture perfect skate save by Jim Craig and some solid checking by Bill Baker. Beautiful defensive work all around here.
• Ramsey was very clever, setting up the breakaway that allowed the US to tie the Swedes late in the second period. Not exactly a shocker that he went on to seventeen successful NHL seasons and was a popular assistant coach for the Minnesota Wilds until 2010 when he resigned to spend more time with his family.
• Mark Johnson and Dave Silk had great chemistry whizzing down the ice together, and their raised fists after Silky scores are too adorable to be believed. I love seeing hockey players rejoice when someone on their line scores. Silky was such a clutch performer, and that’s why, after the first game against Sweden, he was basically promoted to the first line to play with Johnson and McClanahan. (Not that Herb was really rigid about deploying his lines. He liked to mix up his combinations, but as much as he had a “first” line during the Olympics, Silky was on it.)
• The American pile-up hug after Silky scores is precious. That’s what the 2013 Devils should do every time they win a face-off to get some much needed chemistry flowing.
• The slow motion replay shows the beauty of Mark’s assist. What a playmaker. He makes everything look so simple and smooth.
• The Canadian broadcaster does a good job reminding the audience that the US needed to get at least a point (meaning a tie) in order to place themselves in a solid position for the medal round. Just a little hint about the importance of Bill Baker’s tying goal for the ultimate success of the 1980 US Hockey Team.
• Mark Johnson is just all over the ice in the third period. Amazing that he never got tired even with all the ice time Herb gave him. What a gem.
• Awesome to see Mark battling along the boards. He may be small, but he is fearless. A little tiger.
• Morrow just inspires so much faith with how he stays deep to protect his goal. He doesn’t do anything flashy, but he gets the puck and moves it up to Neal this time.
• Ramsey does a nice job clearing his end, too.
• Pav is fascinating to watch. He speeds up the ice and creates so many opportunities, and he doesn’t give up on his plays. He keeps going along the boards if he has to.
• Bill Baker was quite an asset in this game. He got in a lot of action in terms of passes and shots from center ice, but he also could skate back quickly to touch the puck so an icing could be called against the other team.
• Mark Wells got in a nice shot. Glad to see him in on the action.
• Wells gets some more excitement with a little scuffle along the boards against a Swede.
• The Americans are turning up the heat, and the Swedes try to cool it by icing the puck. American fans boo this blatant delaying tactic, and we see, for perhaps the third time, the camera panning in on the same random American fan with a flag. Is he the only American fan in the arena or what?
• Dave Christian does some smooth stick work behind the net before clearing the puck from his zone. Not bad at all for a forward turned defenseman.
• Rob McClanahan skates the puck down the ice very nicely, and I won’t think about the pain this probably caused his leg. (Too late, of course, I already thought about it.)
• Rob does a good job passing the puck down the ice to Mark, who fires a beautiful shot that hits the post. Too bad, but this is all just set-up for Bill’s epic goal.
• Rizzo gets a solid shot on goal even if no point comes of it. Just casually observing that he did other stiff besides score the game-winner against the Soviets. Contrary to popular opinion, he wasn’t Captain Deadweight.
• The Americans fall down a whole heck of a lot. Rizzo slips by the boards but gets in a pass while he is on his knees.
• The Soviet ref seems surprisingly unbiased (perhaps he was banished to Siberia after the Olympics), calling a minor penalty for tripping against Sweden with around five minutes left in the third period. Time to see if the US can convert the power play into a goal.
• It’s like Mark Johnson and Dave Christian were playing some sort of puck ping-pong with the way they kept passing it back and forth to one another. Mark was getting I so many shots here. Why did none make it in the net? So excruciating to watch, let me tell you.
• Ramsey is awesome to watch along the boards, and he gets in quite a few slapshots from the blue line. What a dynamic defenseman.
• The Canadian commentator just can’t get Rizzo’s last name right. It’s a box to the ears every time he butchers it. What brought this mispronunciation phenomenon to my attention? Rizzo had a scuffle along the boards with a Swede, so the Canadian broadcaster thought it was a great time to mangle Rizzo’s surname almost beyond auditory recognition.
• The gloves on neither player come off in this altercation but both Rizzo and the Swede get roughing penalties because they trade some punches. Interesting to see what will develop from these penalties.
• Okay, after the camera zooms in on Rizzo doing hockey player things (guzzling water and spitting) in the penalty box, the camera pans over to the American bench, where we get a shot of Robbie McClanahan standing. The backstory behind this is that his leg was injured in the first period, and it hurt him too much to sit down, so he stood up the whole time between shifts. What a tough little soldier. He deserves all the hugs in the world, and I’m going to go through a box of Kleenex before the third period is over. God help me and the rainforest I’m destroying, but just watch that scene in Miracle where Herb goads Mac into playing against the Swedes and you’ll begin to understand the power of my emotions at this moment.
• Bob Suter passes the puck up the ice to the Coneheads, and they get a nice shot on goal. Cool to see Herb going with his unpredictable shock troopers in this situation.
• Sweet to hear the Canadian commentator reminiscing on Buzz’s performance in the 1976 Winter Olympics. The broadcaster apparently remembered a big goal Buzz scored but didn’t feel like elaborating on the details.
• Ramsey got in a good shot when that puck was passed back to him on the face-off. He was quite the offensive defenseman, actually.
• Some nice passing between the Coneheads, but no real scoring opportunities come of it at this time.
• Baker has wonderful stickhandling abilities. Such excellent control of the puck when it is in his possession. I am in awe. Color me impressed.
• Oh gosh, the Canadian broadcaster is so terribly misinformed when he says that Herb Brooks was a part of that 1960 gold medal hockey team. Herb, of course, was the last guy cut from that team, but I guess when life gives you awkward turtles you have to make awkward turtle soup.
• At least the Canadian commentator is right about Dave Christian being the son of one of the 1960 gold medalists. It’s good that there is some truth in fluff.
• Silky got in a nice shot on goal, and the Canadian broadcaster cannot pronounce Verchota. (Did Canada not have any Italians back in 1980?) Maybe he should just go with Phil instead.
• Hilarious shot of Bill Baker just bouncing the puck around on his stick after the whistle was blown on an icing call. Geez, I love these Minnesota boys. How could Herb bear to be mean to them when they are all so adorable?
• The camera moves over to the US bench again, and we see Jack O’Callahan, who had to sit out the game because of a knee injury, on the bench in bright red suspenders. Perhaps he was the one who advised Herb to wear those hideous 70’s style pants to the Soviet game.
• Another shot of Robbie McClanahan limping along behind the bench is breaking my poor heart.
• It’s that same flag-waving fan. Is there nobody else in the audience the camera can find?
• Great glove save by Jimmy. The Canadian commentator loves it, and so do I.
• Pav flew down the ice and got in a wonderful shot. Pity it didn’t find the back of the net.
• Sweden gets a holding penalty. Let’s see what the US makes of this power play opportunity and ignore the riot on the Swedish bench.
• Wow, Ramsey travels from behind his own net to practically go end-to-end with the puck. Who put rockets on his skates?
• Bad luck with those slapshots, Christian, but one day something will come of them in a game against the Soviets.
• Morrow gets called for cross-checking (according to international standards), so we’ll have a power play for Sweden. Ramsey, Baker, and Schneider are all on the penalty kill. They are all skating so quickly and smoothly, and they have a forecheck going. Amazing. Some NHL teams can’t penalty kill like this.
• Morrow is back. Thank God that penalty kill is over. Penalty kills for my side are too intense for me even when I know the outcome.
• Neal is so adorable and focused as he prepares to take his face-off. The camera zooms in on his teddy bear face, and I can’t handle it.
• Great job breaking free of the Swedish forecheck, Christian. You stickhandled so well and went basically end-to-end. Bravo.
• Jim is on the bench, and Herb is pacing. Time for the US to go with six attackers to try to tie the game.
• What a shot, Bill! Way to tie up the game. You changed the whole team’s momentum going into the Czech game, and I’m so proud of you.
• Mark Johnson’s celebratory run after Bill scores is priceless.
• The Miracle boys are so cute as they pile into a hug to rejoice over Bill’s tying goal. Every second I love them more.
• OC celebrating in his ridiculous suspenders is quality entertainment.
• The game is over, and it’s time for some manly helmet pats for the American boys. I love hockey expressions of affection.

Game against Czechoslovakia:

• The Americans are very aggressive from the opening face-off, putting pressure on the Czechs. This is great to see.
• Bill Baker, you are ripping my heart here. You used your body to block that shot, and it hit you right in the chin. I hate to watch you crumble on the ice. My poor baby. If I could go back in time, I would hug you but not chuck you under the chin. The commentator is right, you are the hero of the game against Sweden, and you totally earned that cheer from the crowd when you got up.
• The Canadian broadcaster can’t say Broten’s name right either, but I’ll give him a pass here because Broten isn’t pronounced how it’s spelled.
• Bill Baker is back and playing as tough as ever. What a quality athlete.
• Some nice passing from Mark to Robbie but Robbie’s shot goes wide. Too bad. They’ll have to try again and stop building up my hopes just to dash them. Footage of these games is not easy on my ticker.
• Morrow is very dependable at clearing his own zone. I’m never nervous when he is controlling the puck.
• It would be nice if the Canadian commentator decided on one incorrect way of saying Broten’s name, because this mispronouncing it differently every time gig isn’t working and is more infuriating than one consistent wrong pronounciation would be. Broten does well with the face-off, though.
• Broten has a beautiful pass, and Rizzo has an awesome goal. See, contrary to popular belief, Rizzo has more than one goal in the Olympics. Great work from the American captain here, jumpstarting the US onslaught on the Czechs after the Czechs get the first point of the game.
• A flawless pass from Pav to Buzz ends in a goal, and my heart is filled with sunshine and rainbows. Way to be, guys.
• A whole lot of collisions going on here as the Czechs fold under the US barrage. Strobel gets knocked into the boards, and Ramsey is practically able to skate to the Czech goal before he is knocked down.
• How was that trip on Christoff not called? What a terrible ref. Was he napping to recover from a time change or what?
• That was close, Jimmy! So glad you caught the puck.
• Wow, Rammer way to stay on top of your player even when he is pushing you with his stick. That’s called sacrificing for your team.
• The Czechs scored, and Verchota is in the penalty box for cross-checking. This is tense.
• Christoff almost got a shorthanded goal. This is nail-biting.
• Bill, you are so noble, leaping down to block the puck again with your body. What a hero.
• Verchota is free, and the US killed the very effective Czech power play. So proud of the boys.
• Geez, the Czechs just let Johnson, McClanahan, Baker, and Strobel set up a passing clinic in front of the Czech net. Can’t believe nobody scored.
• Rizzo is right. Delibrately knocking the puck out of play into the audience is a two minute penalty for delaying the game. Whatever they paid this ref was too much.
• Nice, Ramsey. Way to level that Czech.
• Buzz scores again off another Pav pass, and the American bench clears for a group hug. This is pure awesome.
• Pav is an amazing playmaker. He’ll give up a chance at a good shot to set up a great one for a line mate.
• Baker sends a Czech player onto their bench, and I find it oddly amusing.
• Lovely goal off a backhand by Mark Johnson with assists from Mac and Rizzo.
• Dave Christian scores while practically falling into the Czech goalie and net. This is an American rout of the Czechs. It’s incredible.
• Buzz scores another. He really demolishes the Czechs in this game.
• In the process of falling splat on his face, Rob McClanahan fires a shot and scores. Amazing. I don’t know how he managed to hit the puck, nonetheless get it in the net, but what a play and a great pass from Johnson, too. This ends in an adorable team hug, of course.
• What an atrocious ref. Not calling that totally unnecessary check to Mark Johnson who was nowhere near the puck. What a bogus call, and Mark curled up in pain is making me hunt for Kleenex again.
• Suter definitely wants Czech blood after the cheapshot on Mark Johnson. Suter is great for having his teammate’s back like that.
• Ah, the immortal Herb Brooks threat to shove a Koho down number 3’s throat. Vintage Herb on the warpath.
• Beautiful mob hug of Jim Craig to end the rout of the Czechs. The Miracle boys are such perfect babies. I love them all.