Faces I’m Excited to See in Sochi: Ryan McDonagh

Why does this post even exist?

After I spent a depressing amount of time on Sunday watching Ryan McDonagh be a pain in the neck (I will not refer to a lower region of the anatomy, because there might be some little squirts who follow this blog one day and rely upon it for their essential knowledge of the sport, and I’d rather their innocence be sullied by some screaming coach they trust, not some random blogger.), to my beloved New Jersey Devils, I decided that I would console myself by pointing out all the ways that this guy’s skills will make me, as an American fan, smile in Sochi.

I will also, of course, be beaming from ear to ear and cheering like a resident of a rubber room if USA hockey accidentally leaves McDonagh behind in Sochi after the Olympics are over, and he has to become a member of the KHL again instead of a perpetual thorn in the Devils’ side.  Let me daydream about McDonagh abandoned in Sochi, and while you do, imagine how useful a guy who can do this to Travis Zajac will be to the US men’s Olympic hockey team. By the way, Travis Zajac would be a third-line center on any other team in the NHL except the Devils, but on the Devils he is our first-line center, and I don’t blame him for that, because it’s not his fault that he’s the best we have, since our general manager is a senile coot who can’t devise a roster with depth in the modern NHL. Ah, well, enough about the problems plaguing the Devils. I’m just kidding, of course, since there can never be enough written about the woes of the Devils, but, as this post was supposed to be about Ryan McDonagh in Sochi, I’ll get back on topic by answering the burning question of who Ryan McDonagh is anyhow.

Who is this Ryan McDonagh dude, anyway?

As those of you with the reading comprehension skills of a goldfish might have guessed from the previous paragraphs, Ryan McDonagh is a member of the blue-shirted archrivals of the Devils: the New York Rangers. Ryan McDonagh’s role in that terrible organization is to be a beast on defense. A twenty-four-year-old from the hockey hotbed of St. Paul, Minnesota, McDonagh’s path to the Rangers was rather convoluted. In the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, he was taken twelfth overall by the Montreal Canadiens, but he chose to play for the University of Wisconsin in the WCHA for three seasons before turning pro. During that time, in June of 2009, his rights were traded from the Canadiens to the Rangers, so it was with the Rangers that he signed an entry level contract in July of 2010. For the beginning of the 2010 season, he played with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, but, in January of 2011, he was promoted to the Rangers squad. On January 20^th, he earned his first career point on an assist to Brandon Prust, and, on April 9^th  he scored his first NHL goal (which happened to be a game winning one, too—what an overachiever) against the New Jersey Devils and made my heart weep over him for the first but certainly not the last time.  Now you have a little insight into why this guy might be the bane of my existence when wearing a Rangers uniform, but should be a joy to me when he puts on his USA jersey.

 

What good will he be to the USA in Sochi?

I expect McDonagh along with Suter (although I don’t think we’ll see them paired together much unless we’re trying to preserve a lead during the last minutes of a game, because it’s better to spread out their talents, and scoring against one of them at a time would be a difficult enough task for most teams) to be the anchors of our defense in Sochi. He is nearly impossible to score against, and he is a monster on the penalty kill. Also, he has been known to get some scoring done during powerplays and to score the occasional game winner in overtime. McDonagh is a reliable defenseman who could be plugged into almost any situation in any game and perform well. I anticipate USA coaches taking full advantage of that in Sochi.

Why might some not be so excited to see him don the red, white, and blue?

Most hockey fans that I know are pleased that he is on the roster and considered him a lock from the training camp onward. I suppose that the only two objections I’ve heard leveled against him are either personal with Devils fans complaining about him going to Sochi because they hate all Rangers or about point production. McDonagh isn’t capable of tallying the same impressive number of assists or goals in a season as an offensive defenseman like Cam Fowler, but he can score and assist when such opportunities present themselves, and I think that he would make a wonderful stay-at-home counterpart to a roving offensive defenseman during the Olympics.

Why should we trust this guy? What experience does he have, anyway?

Apart from his seasons with the Rangers and at the University of Wisconsin, McDonagh played in the KHL during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, giving him valuable experience with the Russian style of play that could be useful during the Olympics. On the international stage, he also represented Team USA at the 2007 World Under 18 Championships, contributing three assists in seven games toward the team’s silver medal finish. At the 2009 World Junior Championships, he produced three assists in six games for Team USA. Most recently, at the 2011 World Championships, he gave an assist in seven games. McDonagh has never been to an Olympics, but he is no stranger to international ice, and, in that way, the rink at Sochi should feel like home to him.

Has he ever won anything, or is he just some perennial loser?

McDonagh may have the bad taste to be a Ranger, but he is not a perennial loser. In addition to the silver medal he won at the 2007 World Under 18 Championships, he was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 2008 and to the WCHA Second All-Star Team in 2010. Way back in high school, he also led Cretin-Derham Hall (say that five times fast and watch your tongue get tied in a knot) to its first state hockey championship, which was such a big deal to the Minnesota folks that he was given the 2007 Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award, which is offered annually to the top senior high school hockey player in the state. I guess all these accolades prove that this guy can be successful on an individual and team level, so we should be excited to see what he can do for the US hockey team in Sochi.

Is there anything especially cute about him that would give anyone an extra incentive to cheer over him?  

The obvious answer, of course, is no, there is nothing remotely cute about Ryan McDonagh, because he is a Ranger, and everyone knows that Rangers are practically contractually forbidden to do anything adorable ever. However, in the process of researching for this blog, I found an article from the Mounds View Youth Hockey Association that talked about how they hoped Ryan would come home from the Olympics with a gold medal just like Rob McClanahan (who also used to play for the Mounds View Youth Hockey Association), so props to Ryan for brightening my life with an unexpected dose of Rob McClanahan, and no pressure at all to be brilliant in Sochi. I can join the Mounds View Youth Hockey Association in wishing that Ryan gets a gold medal, but I kind of want him to get lost in Sochi and decide to play in the KHL until the next Olympics…

Road to Rio: Norah Flatley

Although Norah Flatley is a junior, it is worthwhile for gymnastic fans to monitor the American juniors, since a majority of the Rio Olympic team will probably emerge from those ranks. Norah’s birthday gives her the disadvantage of not becoming a senior until 2016, so that fact alone complicates her journey to Rio. However, if Norah continues to compete with the difficulty and skill that she showed at the Secret Classic and the P&G Championships, I can easily envision her making the Rio squad even if it is in a similar capacity to Kyla Ross: expected to compete in the team all-around but not necessarily the individual all-around. Even if Norah doesn’t get a chance (which I hope she does) to compete in the individual all-around in Rio, I could see her having the opportunity to medal on beam, and possibly working toward the 2020 Olympics, as Kyla is now, to have another shot at the all-around medal.

Norah is simply a beast on beam. Her difficulty is incredible for any level, and her routines typically seem very fluid. When she is on the beam, she never looks flustered. Even when she falters, she remains calm and finds a way to save the maneuver as much as possible. This poise on an apparatus that challenges a gymnast’s nerves to an insane degree coupled with her difficulty and her mostly fluid execution explains why she won the junior beam title with ease at the Secret Classic and finished second among the juniors in the beam competition at the P&G Championships.

Apart from being amazing on beam, Norah is developing very promisingly as an all-around gymnast. Her ranking in the all-around junior competition at the P&G Championships was sufficiently high enough for her to be named a member of the 2013-2014 Junior National Team, and her performance on each apparatus was solid. Her vault showed good height, energy, and form. Her bar routine was not breathtaking but there wasn’t room for a ton of form deductions and her difficulty score is there. Like Shawn and Gabby (Olympians who trained under Norah’s coach, Liang Chow), she could probably be slated to compete on bars in the team competition, because her performance would be reliable and reasonably high in terms of what Americans can produce on bars. On floor, her tumbling was exciting, although she will want to clean up some of her landings, and her choreography is interesting.

Throughout all these events, Norah maintained the same serenity that she displayed on beam, demonstrating the cool as a cucumber personality and competitive consistency that was part of the reason that Kyla Ross made the 2012 London Olympic team. Norah’s calm competency in competition will definitely be a point in her favor with Marta Karolyil, who controls so much of American gymnastics, and Marta seems to have already formed a favorable impression of young Norah. When asked at the P&G Championships which juniors fans might see in Rio, Marta mentioned “that little girl from Chow’s,” so it sounds like Marta has her eye on Norah and so should American gymnastic fans.

Stadium Series Shame: Why Pete DeBoer Should Have Been Gone Yesterday

Should Pete DeBoer be fired? Perhaps no question is more controversial among Devils fans, but, after the team’s latest debacle against the Rangers in Yankee Stadium, I have to make it clear that my opinion, at this point, is a resounding yes, even if the firing takes the form of not being asked back for a renewed contract at the end of this season. Typically, I’m not the one to blame a coach for all a team’s woes, but Pete has done nothing to convince me that he is capable of getting the most (whatever that may be) out of this team. In fact, his knack at watching hopelessly as his team consistently blows leads and his stubborn aversion to using more than one tactic (which he mistakenly thinks is a whole system) has done just the opposite. At this point, I’ll still be screaming for Pete to lose his job during the off-season even if the team makes the playoffs, since there is a snowball’s chance in the ninth circle of hell we’d be capable of going anywhere in them, but if he gets the team to the playoffs, I will at least not be calling for his head on a platter like Salome begged for John the Baptist’s.

I believe that when a team blows as many leads as the New Jersey Devils do, it’s time to consider that the team could win at least some of these games if the coach were better at devising strategies to maintain leads, and that if the team is capable of scoring enough goals to gain leads, they are capable of scoring enough goals to win as long as the coach understands that different tactics should be used when a team is up by a goal (or more) and when a team is down by a goal (or more). This, in my opinion, is especially true when the strength of Pete DeBoer’s “system” is one of the arguments his supporters use most often in his defense. I am convinced that if his “system” is so wonderful, it would have different contingency plans for various common game situations (such as having a lead or being down by a goal or more) and would change based on those circumstances. One tactic does not make an entire system, in essence, and that is what Pete has: one tactic that relies on a chip-and-chase, north-south style of play so much that he encourages his defensemen to pinch the puck even when we have the lead.

Let me repeat that last part of his strategy so the tactical genius can overwhelm everyone, or at least my sarcasm will: He encourages his defensemen to pinch the puck even when we have a 3-1 lead as we did against the Rangers at one time in the game. That is so comically moronic that it defies explication, but, to attempt explication, hockey teams that have the lead shouldn’t pinch the puck on every clearing opportunity that comes near the point. Instead, a team with a lead (especially a multiple goal lead) should adopt a more conservative, defensive posture, and wait for the mistake the other team that has to play more aggressively will almost inevitably make when trying to press their offense. It’s just like how, in football, teams that are trying to kill the clock don’t go throwing the ball around all over the place desperately striving to generate offense. What makes Pete’s insistence on his defensemen pinching the puck even more ridiculous is the that the pinches often go awry with the defensemen in question getting caught and burned since most of Pete’s favorite defensive players tend to skate at the speed of molasses.

Of course, in the game against the Rangers, the piss-poor pinches of the Devils defensemen resulted in a ton of odd man rushes. That’s what happens when a team that is terrible at pinching the puck insists on doing it even when the team has the lead. After the Rangers managed to tie the game and then take the lead (thanks, in part, to the Devils’ skill at giving up odd man rushes), they, naturally, did what any team with the lead should do: clamp down on it, play defensively, and try to prevent the other team from scoring. That meant that the Devils were limited to a measly five shots on goal throughout the third period and spent about half their time chasing down odd-man rushes. Pete was outcoached to a ludicrous degree that brought shame to the whole organization, and he should be forced to watch games of the 2003 New Jersey Devils to learn how a defense should play when it has the lead.

This post doesn’t begin to scratch the tip of the iceberg of all Pete’s incompetent coaching decisions throughout this season and last, but it does cover some of his more egregious ones from yesterday. Please remember that this wasn’t an off-night for Pete. He coaches in this boneheaded, blundering fashion all the time. Even during the Devils’ 2012 Stanley Cup run, his team had a tendency to blow multiple goal leads and was allergic to winning in regulation or even double overtime, although with Parise and Kovalchuck that team won about ninety-percent of its shootouts, so that wasn’t as crippling as it is for the 2014 Devils.

I just really hope that this joker’s time in New Jersey is at an end after this season. The fact that his team made it to the Stanley Cup Finals once and hasn’t made it to the playoffs since should not make his position secure, because Larry Robinson, who had more hockey genius in his pinky finger than Pete will ever have in his brain, was fired when his team (which was in a playoff spot) had been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice (winning once) in the past two years. I, for one, put far less trust in Pete’s coaching than I did in Larry Robinson’s. If there is any justice in the universe, Pete, who insists on playing Bryce Salvador, a number sixth defenseman as if he were a number two defenseman, will be standing on the coach’s unemployment line during the summer.

Faces I’m Excited to See in Sochi: Cam Fowler

Why Does This Post Even Exist?

Since there has been much complaining among American hockey fans since the Olympic roster for the men’s hockey team was announced, I have decided to combat the negative vibes by composing a series of posts dedicated to Team USA players whom I’m particularly excited to see in Sochi. Some of the players I choose will be veterans with Olympic experience; others will be making the trip to the Olympics for the first time. Some of the players will be those whose appearance on the roster was greeted with almost universal approval and acclaim by American hockey nuts; others will be those whose inclusion sparked arched eyebrows at best and hostile comments at worse. For the first post in this series, I chose to focus on Cam Fowler, since he tends to fall in the second category in both the previous two sentences, and I honestly don’t know why he has so many detractors after his magnificent play so far this season and his exponential growth as a defenseman ever since he set foot on NHL ice at the age of eighteen.

Who is this Cam Fowler dude, anyway?

Cam Fowler is a twenty-two year-old defenseman for the Anaheim Ducks. Though the USA Hockey roster lists his hometown as Farmington Hills, Michigan, it should be noted that, while Fowler was raised in Michigan rooting for the Detroit Red Wings, he was born in Windsor, Ontario, and, thus, possesses dual citizenship. Despite the fact that he is also a Canadian citizen, Cam Fowler has always chosen to represent the United States at both the junior and senior international level.

Although he was projected by most experts to be taken within the first five picks of the 2010 NHL Entry draft, he rather inexplicably fell until he was selected twelfth overall (still in the first round) by the Anaheim Ducks. Before draft day, his skating speed and style as an offensive defenseman drew comparisons to Scott Niedermayer, and the comparisons were destined to never end there, because, as fate would dictate, it was Scott Niedermayer who handed him the Ducks jersey when he was drafted. Cam Fowler would also spend his rookie season living with the Niedermayer family, and, since Niedermayer has begun working with the Ducks as an assistant defense coach, Niedermayer has been mentoring Cam, whose game, particularly on the defensive side of things, has improved incredibly.

Scott Niedermayer was able, as a result of being coached by the defense-first Jacques Lemaire, to become one of the few offensive defenseman whose defense never suffered because of what he did beyond the blue line, and I am convinced that his guidance can help Cam follow in those illustrious skate paths. I am never the type to put extra weight on a player’s shoulders by saying they will be the next so-and-so, but I do believe that if Cam Fowler can become even half the defenseman that Scott Niedermayer was, USA Hockey will be glad to have him around for years to come.

 What good will he be to the USA in Sochi?

Cam Fowler is a swift, smooth skater. He is able to use that to his advantage on the smaller sheets of the NHL, but on the larger rinks of international ice, his speed and smoothness will be a huge asset to the Americans. He will also be capable of generating offense from the blue-line, as his rookie regular season total of forty-four points (eleven goals and thirty-three assists) proved from the moment he set skate on NHL ice. You can watch him score his first NHL goal here.

He is frequently deployed by the Anaheim Ducks on both their penalty kill and power play units, which are often ranked as among the most successful in the NHL, so I’m confident that if the US coaching staff placed him on either of the specialty units, he would not let his country down. You can watch him score a powerplay goal in the playoffs here and a game-winning overtime goal here.

Even better, he seems to have a disposition as cool as the ice he skates on: he tends to remain poised in even the most stressful situations and plays with a maturity beyond his years. That means he isn’t likely to crumble under Olympic pressure or have defensive breakdowns that result in sloppy goals. In a nutshell, Cam will be a quick defenseman who can help with our point production in Sochi, and I hope the fact that the coaches advocated for him to have a place on the roster indicates that he will have a chance to really prove his worth on the Olympic ice.

Why might some not be so excited to see him don the red, white, and blue?

The black smear on Cam’s NHL career up until this season has been the defensive aspect of his game, but, this year, he has improved his positioning skills immensely, a fact that is reflected in his much better plus-minus stat this season. In Cam’s defense, it should also be noted that, while his plus-minus stats during his rookie and sophomore years in the NHL tended to bear a chilling resemblance to the January temperatures in Alaska, this was often a function of the fact that he was not being sheltered as many rookie defensemen are, but rather was being sent out to play against many team’s elite forwards. Since Cam has devoted himself to improving his defensive game, it is unfair to stigmatize him for the poor plus-minus stats he bore throughout his early time in the league. Cam Fowler will never be the bang-them-against-the-boards breed of defenseman, but he will compensate for that with his speed, his stickhandling, and his positioning. A physical style isn’t even necessarily the best for the international ice, so the fact that Cam relies on his other skills to get his defensive job done shouldn’t be used as an excuse to keep him home.

Why should we trust this guy? What experience does he have, anyway?

Besides from his experience with the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL, Cam has played for a pro Swedish team during the abbreviated shutout season of 2012-2013 before returning to the NHL when the shutout issue was finally resolved, the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) prior to being drafted by the Anaheim Ducks, and with the US National Development team for two years before that.

Cam has also represented the United States at the 2011 and 2012 World Championships in which the United States finished 8^th and 7^th, respectively. At the 2011 World Championships, Cam played in seven games and earned three points (one goal and two assists.) At the 2012 World Championships, he played in eight games and had five points (one goal and four assists).  Cam Fowler can be seen assisting on a goal at the 2011 World Championships here. Although Cam has never been to an Olympics, he is no stranger to competing in international tournaments.

Has he ever won anything, or is he just some perennial loser?

Over his hockey career, Cam has demonstrated an ability to thrive on championship teams and to earn individual accolades. During his time with the Windsor Spitfires, his team won the prestigious Memorial Cup, and Cam himself was nominated for the Memorial Cup All-Star team for his impressive performance.

Even more significantly, Cam has been successful when representing the Star and Stripes internationally. In 2008, playing for the United States, he was an important member of the team that earned a silver medal at the Under-17 Hockey Championships, and, in the process, was named to the tournament All-Star team. A year later, he was a major force in the American team that took the gold at the Under-18 World Junior Championships. His contributions were rewarded when he was recognized as the  Best Under-18 Defenseman and was named to the Under-18 All-Star team. In 2010, it was gold again for Cam Fowler and team USA at the World Junior Championships.

Is there anything especially cute about him that would give anybody an extra incentive to cheer over him?

Thanks for asking. Yes, in fact, there is. Apart from his adorable face and amazing hockey abilities, Cam is incredibly polite and down-to-earth. Even as he fell in the 2010 draft, he only had kind words to say about the skills of the other players who were drafted before him (even if they weren’t anticipated to be picked before him), and he was very mature about the whole situation, saying that he would go to whichever organization needed whatever he could offer, so that would be what was best for him and the organization.  Cam being mature and polite at his NHL draft can be found here and here.

Then, when he went to Anaheim for his rookie season, he was absolutely precious in a way that was captured on a YouTube video when he lived with the Niedermayers, playing hockey in the living room with the Niedermayer boys, and explaining to the world that the only foods that he really liked to eat were Cinnamon Toast Crunch and chocolate milk.  Cam being adorable with his host family the Niedermayers can be witnessed here and here.  An interview of Cam gushing about what living with the Niedermayers means to him and his parents, who don’t have to be worried about him getting enough vitamins can be found here.

He also was a willing participant in what may be the funniest incident of rookie hazing in the NHL: chauffeuring Teemu Selanne to the Ducks’ opening game in a top hat and one of Teemu’s nine hundred snazzy vehicles. Apparently, Cam turned the corners so sharply that Teemu ended up asking if Cam really was old enough to drive, so it ended up being revenge of the rookie. (Disclaimer: I do not generally approve of hazing in sports, but this seems more like initiating a younger player into the joking of a locker room culture rather than bullying the newbie, so I’m amused by it.) It’s hard not to love a dude when he brings this sort of instant hilarity to a team.

Then, when he discovered by watching the Winter Classic and spotting a kid with his name on the back of the jersey during the Sochi roster announcement, that he was going to the Olympics, he said that it was pure joy for him. What’s not to coo over there?

Pour yourself a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a glass of chocolate milk, then get ready to root for Cam in Sochi if I’ve convinced you that he deserves your love and support.

 

 

Breaking Down a Miracle: Part V

Introduction:

This post (read it and weep) represents the conclusion of my series on the games played by the 1980 US Olympic hockey team and their journey to the gold medal. It, of course, focuses on the match against Finland, as well as the post game interviews with Rizzo, Vice President Mondale, Herb Brooks, Jim Craig, Mark Johnson ( aka my munchkin) and Rob McClanahan ( aka my Eternal Favorite Miracle player whom I only tease because I love). Fair warning: this post contains an unpardonable amount of fangirling over Mark Johnson and Rob McClanahan because I might never get another chance to flail over them so publically. I’ve got to seize the day in that regard.  Still, I’ve compensated for that mushiness by including a great number of snide remarks about the media and President Carter being an idiot on the telephone in particular and as a national leader in general. Hopefully, that creates an interesting blend of the sweet and salty reminiscent of a chocolate-covered pretzel.

Notes on the US versus Finland Game:

• Unlike the Soviet game, the Finland game is actually televised live.
• The broadcaster, proving that Olympic coverage was just as infuriatingly condescending back in 1980 as it is today, tells his audience to go wake up anyone they are afraid might have overslept but who wouldn’t want to miss the game. Sheesh. Does he really think large numbers of Americans are sitting dithering on their sofas, moaning indecisively, “Golly, Jake talked a lot about wanting to see this game, but all I hear from his room is earth-shattering snoring. I won’t wake him, though, unless a random TV broadcaster suggests that’s a wise move”? Get over yourself, buddy. You aren’t that important.
• The broadcaster emphasizes that if the Americans win the game against the Finns, the gold medal is theirs, but if they lose, a variety of outcomes are possible depending on the outcome of the Sweden-Soviet match. The broadcaster doesn’t go into it now, but if the US lost, it would have been possible for them to beat the Soviets but not medal. Insane, you say? Yes, but this is the Olympics, and anything but pigs flying can happen.
• Al Michaels compares the situation to Squaw Valley. According to him, everyone remembers the 1960 team beating the Russians but forgets that the team still had to win another game to take the gold. He says that the current American team is now in the place of, having defeated the Soviets, needing to get a last win for the gold medal.
• Ken Dryden points out that while in Friday’s match against the Soviets the Americans had the freedom of playing as underdogs, against the Finns they have the weight of going in as favorites who are under the responsibility to win.
• There is a ceremonial exchange of gifts between Rizzo and the Finland captain. I never heard of this custom before. I mean, what ceremonial gifts do teams exchange? Deodorant as a hint the other side stinks? That’s all I can think of. Jeez, I feel ignorant and will be going to the penalty box for being a bad fan.
• These commentators define the word negativity. Every chance possible, they put a bad twist on the situation. They spend the first few minutes yammering on about how the US needs a strong start since they haven’t had any in this tournament. I guess the commentators haven’t figured out that this was a third period team. Obviously, strong starts are nice, but this team prefers the final push to the opening rush. That is just how they roll, but it’s worked for them thus far. They haven’t lost yet.
• Gosh, for a second I’m empathizing for the Finns. This game is all or nothing for them. If they lose, no medal. If they win, a chance at bronze. I just feel bad because their country has never medaled in the Olympics before. I just have sympathy for hockey underdogs.
• Ramsey has a slapshot that almost goes in the net but is deflected wide. This game is already doing some damage to my poor heart.
• Rizzo has a dramatic shot on goal that involves him falling to the ice, and I pout because the Finnish goaltender has a good glove save.
• One of the Finns is sent to the penalty box for two minutes for hooking. Let’s see if the US can capitalize on this power play opportunity.
• There is a minute stretch where the commentator utters the phrase “Johnson to McClanahan” about four or five times. Yeah, these two passed to one another a whole heck of a lot.
• Apparently, people misused the word “literally” as egregiously back in 1980 as they do today, because the commentator (wanting to sound like a moron on national television, I suppose) says that the USA chant has literally become part of the building. Um, no, unless the chant has become a wall or the roof, the word you are searching for is “figuratively.” Do not pass go and collect a hundred dollars. Just go straight to jail.
• Okay, there have now been two shots in this period of Mark Johnson and Robbie McClanahan sitting next to one another on the bench. Basically, if this were the NHL they’d be the line mates who actually look for each other on the bench instead of just sitting wherever. (It is, of course, adorable and hilarious when line mates do that.)
• The Finnish goaltender’s glove save is ruining my life right now. I was so convinced that Neal Broten’s shot was going to find the back of the net. I’ll just console myself with the fact that Broten was the first American player to have a 100 point season in the NHL, so clearly some of his shots managed to land in the net based on that evidence.
• On the bench, Broten looks like a dejected puppy. Cheer up, Neal. We all love you.
• There is a fluff piece on Rizzo. He talks about the support his massive Italian family has given him and about how he learned the value of hard work from his father. He also mentions that he primarily sees himself as a captain on a team of captains and who has a lot of heart even if he isn’t the best skater or goal scorer. He’s not even one of my favorites, and he’s still tearing at my frayed heartstrings. I’ll blame it on his Boston accent.
• Ramsey gets a two minute minor penalty for roughing and is not happy about the call.
• Steve Christoff gets a backhanded goal just as Ramsey leaves the penalty box. This team is made of win and perfect timing.
• Buzz Schneider is sent off for slashing. It’s going to be a long two minutes.
• The Finns score again, and the commentators proceed to rip into Christian and Baker for not being close enough to the net more effectively than a school of piranhas.
• Broten skates down the ice for a solid scoring opportunity that sadly does not result in a goal.
• Buzz Schneider, who is back in the action, gets in a strong shot on goal, but it doesn’t find the back of the net. So aggravating.
• A Finnish player gets a penalty for delaying the game by trying to freeze the puck along the boards. Can the Americans pretty please with a cherry on top score during the power play? Thank you in advance, Cosmic Wish Service, if this comes true.
• Silk comes painfully close to scoring. This game is producing real tension in my muscles. I need a massage.
• The power play is over, and there is no scoring on either side.
• Christoff fires a shot that goes through the crease instead of into the net. Bad luck there, pal.
• Jim has an awesome glove save for those keeping track of such flashes of brilliance.
• Verchota scores off a beautiful pass from Christian. The Minnesota boys are showing their value today. Way to be, boys.
• Back on the bench, Verchota gets his helmet stroked by his teammates. All is now right in my universe.
• Rob McClanahan scores a five hole off a gorgeous pass from Mark Johnson, so to continue with our NHL comparisons from last game (because that joke is not a beaten enough dead horse), Rob is a steady player during the regular season (the pool games) who does a vanishing trick during the playoffs (Soviet game), but then remembers that scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal is on his bucket list, so he does that during the Stanley Cup Finals. Then he probably becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and it costs a boatload of cash to re-sign him.
• Seriously, though, this is an excellent moment to watch repeatedly on YouTube to psych yourself up for Sochi. It’s the game winner for the last time the American men’s hockey team won gold, so what’s not to love except for the fact that it was so long ago?
• Mark and Robbie need to be fined for creating too much adorable. When Rob scores, they both throw up their arms in celebration at the same time. Then they hug and bounce around like they can’t contain their excitement. I sympathize. I mean, I can’t contain mine, and I wasn’t even alive when this happened.
• The whole team joins the hug fest, the crowd goes wild, and the camera pans over to Herb as if the network expects him to be impressed but all he does is take a deep breath and glance up at the scoreboard, because this is all just in keeping with his master plan, and the network should have gotten the memo that he wasn’t doing spontaneous displays of positive emotions this game unless someone gets a shorthanded goal.
• The commentary on the replay of Rob McClanahan’s goal provides me with a marvelous opportunity to rant about something in the American coverage that has been bothering me throughout the games but that I’ll bring up now just because I might never have another chance to grind this particular ax, and what a pity that would be. My gripe, in a nutshell, is that, whenever a member of an opposing team scores or has a brilliant maneuver, it is almost always attributed to the foreign player’s talent (and I’m totally fine with that as I always hope that the Olympics promotes international respect through competition), but when a member of the US squad scores or has a breathtaking maneuver, it is almost inevitably credited to luck rather than the player’s skill. This especially irks me when the footage of the goal or move the American in question makes directly contradicts the commentary.
• To apply this logic to Rob’s goal, the commentary essentially asserts that he was lucky with his goal because if the Finnish goaltender had not dropped, it would have been much harder for the puck to go into the net. The problem with this statement is that when you watch the footage of the goal, it is clear that he waits for the goaltender to drop before he fires a shot, and outlasting a goaltender is a valuable skill for a hockey player. Also, Rob plainly has a plan about where he wants the puck to go and how he wishes for it to get there. Then he just manipulates the situation to suit his plan. Therefore, his goal is about as lucky as me not spilling juice all over the counter when I pour it into a cup I took down from the cabinet for the express purpose of filling with juice. I mean, if that glass hadn’t been there, gosh, what a sticky mess I would have, right?
• Before I get rotten tomatoes hurled at my face, I’ll get off my soapbox now, but I just wanted the world to know that the Miracle boys are a lot more talented than the commentators give them credit for, at least in my not so humble opinion.
• Broten is called for hooking, and he slumps so much in the penalty box that you just want to give him candy or something even though that would probably give him a sugar high his teammates would not appreciate. It’s okay, Neal. Everyone loves you. You’re such a sweetie pie and a baby.
• Broten is free. Hooray for the US penalty kill!
• Christian is called for tripping nearly a second after Broten returns from his stint in the penalty box. Guys, why are you torturing me like this? You really don’t need to prove how effective your team’s penalty kill is. I’ll just take your word for it, I promise.
• The teams are at equal strength again. Now I can breathe normally. Please no more penalties for Americans. My heart can’t handle the stress.
• The commentators fanboy over Mark Johnson so now I feel a bit guilty about raking them over the coals about their coverage of everyone else on the team. They compliment him for his all-around play and his subtlety, which makes his myriad contributions to the team easy to overlook. Tell me about it. You can just be reading a hockey thread about the Sochi men’s hockey team roster and get bombarded by a comment about how Mark Johnson is overrated, and you’ll be like, “What are you on? If anything, he is underrated, and how many Olympic gold-medal winning teams have you been a lead scorer on? Jeez, how can you be so wrong on the Internet with all the information you need to not sound like a complete moron a mere Google search away?” Not that I know this overwhelming desire to burn a forum to cinders from personal experience or anything.
• Another shot of the bench with Rob and Mark sitting next to each other. What a surprise. They need to find new bench buddies before I die, and the cause of death is listed as excessive flailing, because I don’t think my family would ever recover from the shame.
• Phil Verchota is called for a two minute roughing penalty that is not earned since he was the one being roughed more than doing the roughing, as far as I could see. I find it interesting that a Czech ref would call an unjustified penalty against the Americans during the final minutes of a game where the Americans have a one goal lead. Is this perhaps vengeance for the US thrashing the Czechs during their second pool game?
• Phil is not a happy camper. He goes to the penalty box, but he makes a point of throwing off his gloves. Rizzo skates over to say something placating, I presume
• The replay of the alleged foul just makes me take Phil’s side all the more, honestly. If the ref was interested in being remotely fair, the Finnish player would at least have received an offsetting penalty for holding.
• Mark Johnson decides now is a perfect time to score shorthanded, so he skates in on the Finnish net to do just that off his own rebound. He raises his hands in the air in jubilation and so does Herb. This kid is pure gold, and he’s got a gold medal to prove it.
• The crowd is ecstatic, and Mark disappears in a massive hug from his teammates.
• Rob dives to the ice to block a shot on goal. So dramatic.
• Phil winks at the camera from the penalty box. Mark’s goal has completely changed his mood, obviously. He may seem like a tough guy, but he still makes me want to hug him. I’m going to marry a hockey player from Minnesota, and, no, that plan is not complicated by the fact that I’m from New Jersey, so don’t you dare suggest that.
• Too much winking in too short a time. The camera flashes over to Mark on the bench, and he smiles, winks, and gives that little nod guys do. I’m going to faint.
• Oh, and it goes without saying, but yet again Rob and Mark are next to each other on the bench. I’m so glad they took some time out of their busy sitting-next-to-each-other schedule to go out and do things like score game-winning and shorthanded goals.
• Phil is back and probably better than ever.
• The crowd takes up a chant of “We’re number one!” Can this happen in Sochi, too, please, hockey gods?
• Broten is too precious to be believed. As the two are next to each other waiting for the final seconds of the game to end, he pats Rob on the head and pulls him into a one-armed embrace under his shoulder. Keep it up, Neal. Robbie deserves all the hugs in the world. This adorableness can be watched here.
• The Americans end with a blitz on the Finnish goal.
• The American bench is a madhouse in the best possible way. The boys are hugging and pounding their sticks against the boards in exhilaration.
• The commentators are finally admitting the Americans have talent, having played on college all-star teams and stuff. It was like pulling teeth but the media got to the truth in the end. I guess they can have a gold star to match the US hockey team’s gold medal. I’m a big supporter of coordinated accessories, after all.
• Al Micheals’ famous call to conclude the game, “This impossible dream comes true!” Woohoo!
• The team piles onto Jim as Herb makes another one of his swift exits. Presumably, he doesn’t want to be beaten to death by the sticks his boys have been banging on the boards.
• The teams exchange the traditional handshakes. No medal for the Finns; gold for the Americans. That’s the final score.
• The classic image of Jim Craig draped in the American flag brings tears to my eyes but I’m going to blame them on the light.

Herb, Rizzo, and Mondale Interview:

• Rizzo and Vice President Mondale are next to one another in the locker room.
• Lampley, the interviewer, mentions that Mondale is a Minnesotan like lots of members of the Miracle team. The difference is that the Miracle boys are made of win, and Mondale is made of lose. He could only have beaten the Finns by putting them asleep first with that monotone of his.
• Herb passes through the shot but tries to duck out of the way. Your humility makes you the best and the worst, Herb.
• Asked if the win today is a bigger deal to him than his Soviet goal, Rizzo says yes because if the US hadn’t won today, his goal against the Soviets would have just been another goal. Then he gushes about how proud he is to be a member of this team.
• Asked if he is proud of the three penalties his team killed in the third period, Herb actually makes a joke, quipping that sometimes his team likes to make things harder than they have to be. Then, being all deep, he suggests that maybe the penalties were what his team needed to win and to gather all their determination.
• Vice President Mondale comments in his annoying monotone that watching this team play was amazing, and then he puts Carter on the phone to congratulate Herb.
• Herb waxes poetic about the American way of life being the best for awhile. Anyone who says he wasn’t a bit of an idealist is wrong, lying, or permanently damaged from crack.
• Carter says nobody at the White House could get business done because they were too busy watching the game. I say that Carter’s failure to be productive, as it was chronic, should not be blamed on anyone but himself. Good job trying to pin your laziness on a bunch of college kids, Carter.
• Carter can’t wait to meet the boys at the White House, because he’s probably hoping their ability to be victorious at something will rub off on him. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t, and the country elects Reagan instead.)
• Carter tells Herb to pass on to the boys how proud everyone is of them. Herb is probably internally cringing at all these gooey emotions.
• Carter wants to speak to the captain, so Herb puts Rizzo on the phone.
• Carter basically tells Rizzo to pass along to the team the message he just gave to Herb to give to the boys. Does Carter think Herb is senile or just a liar?
• In response to some other question that I can’t hear properly no matter how many times I rewind this scene, Herb talks about the good Lord working in mysterious ways. Now, of course, we would stone him for mentioning God on national television, but in 1980, that was perfectly acceptable and lovable.
• Lampley forgets the difference between left and right. (Helpful tip: If it’s the hand you place over your heart when you say the Pledge of Allegiance, it’s your right. If it’s the one where the fingers make an uppercase L when you hold them up, it’s your left.) In the end, though, he figures out which side of Herb Jimmy is on and drags the goaltender forward to be interviewed.

Jim Craig Interview:

• Jim’s red shirt has the top two buttons undone, showing some nice bare chest. How many girls back in 1980 do you think fell asleep dreaming of that?
• Jim just has an outpouring of emotion, talking about how amazing his team is in the third period of every game, and how he hopes he was able to keep them going with his performance in goal, since he had such faith in them, and he wants them to have felt the same way about him. My feelings are going to overwhelm me, and we haven’t even gotten to the Mark and Mac interviews. Where did I put the paper bag I set aside to hyperventilate into?
• Jim just unabashedly talks about how he loves all of his teammates. I would replay this moment forever, but then I would never get to see a 1980 Mac interview, so that is not an option, after all.
• When asked if he was worried about his team’s performance after the first period, Jim says he wasn’t because he felt like the boys had time to think and then played their hearts out in the third, getting the gold medal to prove that.

Mark Johnson Interview:

• It’s happening. The reporter is calling Mark out of the crowd of boys to be interviewed. I’m quaking so much that I can’t hold a pen properly to take notes.
• Mark is obviously embarrassed to be singled out for adulation, rubbing his ear and looking down. It’s hard to remember, but this modest creature destroyed Finland’s hope for a medal by driving a nail into their coffin with that shorthanded goal off his own rebound.
• Rizzo pets Mark Johnson on the head as he passes. Adorable overload.
• After basically being asked how it feels to be the star player, Mark launches into this answer about how one player doesn’t make a team, all twenty of them were necessary for the team’s success, and how happy he is for all his teammates. He is so sincere about every word and is essentially a flawless human being here.
• The reporter is just so awkward. He unnecessarily reaches out to grasp Mark’s shoulder for no real reason. Did he cut the class in journalism school about personal space or what?
• Asked about the climate in the locker room after the second period, Mark explains that everyone felt confident that they could win if they put their best effort into it. With every word, a smile just grows across his face, so by the end of his reply, it’s massive and totally dominating his face.
• Lampley congratulates Mark, and then starts looking around for Rob McClanahan behind him, which is kind of hilarious because the only thing behind him really is a wall, and in order to get behind Lampley, Rob would essentially have needed to cut through the middle of the interview in a totally awkward way. I just don’t know why in a packed room the first place to search for a person is the wall…

Rob McClanahan Interview:

• Rob does not materialize from the wall, but he does emerge, looking bashful, from a cluster of teammates, so Lampley will have his chance at being a hotshot investigative reporter.
• Lampley congratulates Rob for scoring the tie-breaking goal, and Rob says thank you and that it feels great.
• Robbie has this angelic grin on his face the whole time, and could he just stop being cute for five seconds so I could have a chance to sing my feelings? The pause button doesn’t even help because it just freezes him in a sweet pose. I am going to die of glee before this interview is over.
• Lampley asks if Rob saw the puck coming out to him in front of the net before he scored. Some journalists are paid to ask the difficult questions; others the easy ones. Lampley was plainly a case of the latter. If Lampley were in the army, his name would be Captain Obvious.
• For those who might have been getting popcorn not only during his goal but during the four or five replays, Rob describes his goal. He explains how he was standing in front of the net, and Mark was standing behind it. Then he and Mark looked at one another for what he claims felt like a few seconds although he admits that it might not actually have been that long. The rest, of course, is history: he slides the puck under the goalie’s legs, and the Miracle boys have their gold medal.
• This moment is one of the high points in my life, because it proves that the director of the movie Miracle was not making stuff up when he had Mark and Mac exchange entire sentences with their eyeballs in that scene where the boys tell Herb that Tim Harrer needs to take a hike. Apparently, Mark and Rob did that sort of thing all the time like the obnoxious line mates they are.
• Lampley asks if at the time before Rob scored with fifteen minutes left in the game whether he felt the team was becoming anxious, which is all the excuse Rob needs to launch into serious hockey analysis mode with a furrowed brow and widening eyes to emphasize important points. Don’t let the quiet Minnesota voice fool you. This dude is intense and would probably love to analyze stuff all day long, because it is a challenge.
• Rob relates how the team told themselves after the second period that all year, especially in this tournament, the third period had been their strongest one, and as long as they kept that in mind, they would be able to play their best hockey.
• Lampley congratulates Rob again and then pulls Rizzo forward for a final word. I want Mac back, but I guess Rizzo is okay, though Bill Baker would be even better, because his post-Sweden interview was awesome.

Rizzo Interview:

• Lampley askes Rizzo if he could have imagined this moment six months ago. Rizzo responds that he couldn’t have, because even though six months ago the team felt they had a shot at a medal, they didn’t believe they had a chance for the gold one. However, he says that after one game against the Russians and one against the Finns where they played with so much pride, they now have the gold medal.
• When asked what point the team started to believe they could take the gold, Rizzo answers after the game against the Czechs. After hammering the Czechs, the team felt they just had to defeat the Soviet union and the gold medal would probably be theirs.
• Rizzo agrees that the crowd was wonderful and supportive of the team, which was great, since the team was hoping to have the crowd behind them.

Breaking Down a Miracle: Part IV

Introduction:

This post is the penultimate one in my series about the 1980 American hockey team, and it will focus on the match against the Soviet Union as well as the post-game interviews with Jim Craig and Rizzo. Since so much has been written about this moment, which was dubbed by Sports Illustrated as the Greatest Sports Moment of the Twentieth Century, it requires no real introduction. For those of you who might be interested in following along, you can watch the full game here  or you can just drink in the highlights here. This is the Miracle on Ice, the triumph of the underdogs that inspired an entire nation and sparked the development of American hockey.  Let’s just travel back in time to that glorious February game…

United States versus Soviet Union:

• The broadcaster relates how Lake Placid was filled with excitement for the USA versus Soviet Union game from the moment he woke up that morning.
• He promises not to spoil the results even though the game was already played because he wants it to be a surprise to anyone who hadn’t heard the results (and presumably had been living under a couple feet of solid bedrock that day).
• He explains the round robin medal format. The teams from each division carry their record against the other team from their respective division. Thus, since Sweden and the US tie their game, they each go into the medal round with one point. Likewise, since the USSR defeated Finland in their match, the USSR will enter the medal round with two points to Finland’s zero.
• Seeding in the case of a tie, as in Sweden and the US, was determined by goal differential. Sweden had a better goal differential and got first seed for their division. That means they played Finland (second seed of the other division) first, while the US played the USSR first.
• Al Michaels tells us that tickets are being exchanged at three times their face value of $67. That’s an expensive ticket right there, folks, though it’s worth it to see a miracle.
• Ken Dryden (who has more Stanley Cup rings than he can fit on one hand, which is just obscene) talks about how for the US team this is a discovery time, because, to use his terminology, it’s one thing to be young and promising, and quite another to be good.
• Mark Johnson takes the opening faceoff against the Soviets, and just before the puck is dropped one of his teammates on the bench shouts, “Go on, Magic!” They actually used those nicknames for one another. I feel as mushy as a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven. Just let me melt here before the game continues.
• Jimmy is tested for the first time and has a good save.
• Eric Strobel gets in a check. Nice to see a skill player get physical from time to time.
• Bill Baker gets the puck out of his own end and skates it quickly up ice with some deft stickhandling.
• Silk scrabbles for the puck along the boards and passes it to Ramsey. I love how tenacious Silky is.
• The Soviets score off a pass from Krutov deflected in by the post.
• Broten explodes into the Soviet zone and passes smoothly to Christoff, who fires a shot on goal that sadly does not find the back of the net.
• Mark Johnson has a cute little maneuver where he skates up the ice and leaps over a Soviet skate, not even really slowing down in the process.
• Morrow has a scrabble along the boards for the puck.
• Jim has another big save.
• The Coneheads strike again. Pav passes to Buzz, who fires a slapshot that finds the back of the net, soaring over Tretiak’s head.
• Buzz and Pav have the best awkward line mate hug behind the Soviet goal to celebrate Buzz putting the US on the scoreboard. The awkwardness is a direct result of the height differential since Pav is only 5’8” tall, and Buzz is one of the few forwards on the team who isn’t a hockey midget. Buzz probably couldn’t give Pav a normal hug without looking like he was trying to strangle Pav. My brother, who is over a foot taller than me, has to do a similar one-armed squeeze with my head only coming up to his shoulder just like Pav’s only comes up to Buzz’s, so I totally sympathize, and find this sweet and hilarious.
• The crowd goes crazy with applause, and Herb takes a moment to release the breath he had probably been holding since the first puck drop and pull up the hideous ’70s style pants he chose to wear to the most important game he ever coached. Good thing he never went for a career in fashion. Ralph Lauren he wasn’t, but then again Ralph Lauren couldn’t coach a miracle, so there you go.
• The commentators remark that Buzz’s slapshot wasn’t the kind of goal you would expect Tretiak to allow. I’ll agree since Tretiak was in completely the wrong position to block the shot, and I would assume that a goalie with multiple Olympic and World gold medals has better positioning skills. I will just say that I think every great goaltender can be forgiven for playing a sloppy game or two. This was one of Tretiak’s but that shouldn’t detract too much from his legacy as one of the best goalies to ever play the sport, and I don’t think it has.
• Jim has a gorgeous glove save. Those are always exciting to watch.
• Rizzo has a shot on the Soviet goal but doesn’t get lucky this time.
• Makarov tallies for the Soviet Union when his shot is deflected into the net off Morrow’s skate. Krutov and Makarov, in their first Olympics, really show how they would go on to dominate all competition in subsequent Olympics and World Championships as two vital components of the KLM line, one of the most feared offensive lines in hockey history. Krutov and Makarov represent the new guard of Soviet players in Lake Placid, and they are incredible forwards.
• Broten is painfully close to scoring but the puck goes through the crease. I’m going to have no nails left to bite by the time this period ends.
• Christian has a slapshot that doesn’t go in and which everyone would think was the last desperate American bid to tie the score before the period is over, but everybody forgot to take Mark Johnson, the loose cannon, into account.
• Mark Johnson skates around the Soviet defenseman and fires the puck into the net with one second remaining in the first period. This just proves that a goal in the last second of play counts the same as a goal in the first second, so no slacking for anyone ever. Talk about a clutch performance. If this Olympic team were an NHL one, Buzz would be the guy who carries the team through the regular season, and Mark would be the one who finds an extra gear to shift to utterly destroy the oppositions in the playoffs.
• Herb has a small celebratory fist pump. He does feel emotions besides anger. It is confirmed on national television.
• The American team has a fest of hugging and helmet patting while the crowd waves flags all over the arena.
• The American players cluster around the ref who confirms that the goal is valid since one second remains in the period. That’s a fortunate thing for the ref, because would anyone really want to say no to those adorable American boys? It would be like drowning puppies.
• The Soviet Union went back to their locker room (probably to be vivisected by Tikhonov), but the ref needs to drop the puck again as one second remains in play.
• Only three Soviet players, Krutov, Makarov, and the backup goaltender Myshkin return to the ice for the faceoff.
• The announcer comments on how incredible it is for the Americas to be tied with the Soviets at two goals apiece when the Soviets thrashed a team of NHL All-Stars a few months ago.
• The game is back, and Myshkin remains in the net for the second period with Tretiak, looking as devastated as goaltenders do when benched, on the sidelines. It is worth noting that one of the most contested (and oft-condemned) moments in hockey coaching history was the benching of Tretiak in this game. Hockey scholars can debate whether the Americans would still have won with Tretiak in the net the whole game, although in Tikhonov’s defense, it seems only fair to note that Tretiak was (by his standards) struggling in the Lake Placide tournament, and Myshkin was an excellent goalie in his own right. He wasn’t some green guy who had never set skate in a crease.
• Bah is sent to the penalty box for a minor holding penalty.
• The commentators compliment the US penalty-killing unit for keeping play out of their zone.
• Maltsev scores on a breakaway at the end of the penalty when the Americans lose control of the puck at center ice.
• Jim falls on the puck behind the net and gets a two-minute penalty for delaying the game, which will be served by Eric Strobel because goalies never serve their own penalties.
• Mark is a beast at clearing the zone repeatedly during this penalty.
• Strobel is back, so that penalty has been successfully killed.
• Jim hits his head on the post when he is knocked over by a Soviet player while making a save and falls to the ice. He actually blacked out during that, so, in the modern NHL, he would have been forced to take a fifteen minute break, but here is allowed to just keep playing.
• There is a four-on-four with Morrow called for cross-checking and a Soviet player for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• There is a fluff piece on Jim Craig. We hear about how his mother died of cancer while Jimmy was in college at BU, and we see how much of a family guy Jimmy is when he talks about what an upstanding man his dad is. Where did I put my Kleenex? I thought I wouldn’t need them until the end of the game.
• Krutov is called for high-sticking and hopefully the Americans will score a power-play goal since it might give the commentators something to do besides criticize the American defense (particularly Rammer).
• Mark Johnson is so clutch. He scores with thirteen seconds left in the power play as the commentators were yammering on about how this was probably the Americans’ last run up the ice in the power play. It’s like this kid can score on command. Every American should love him forever just for these two goals.
• Herb has a larger celebratory fist pump, and the crowd goes wild.
• Mark Johnson disappears in a group hug of head-patting teammates. Can I just go back in time and hug them all?
• Back on the bench, Mark gives the camera a little smile when it flashes on him. My heart is breaking because this munchkin is too precious.
• This Miracle team is such a team of destiny. Just as the commentators are ripping into the Americans again (because it has been over a minute since Mark Johnson last scored) and saying they are relying on Jim Craig to make too many saves (even though the puck is in the Soviet end at the moment), Rizzo takes advantage of the opportunity to score and silence the critics or commentators. He deserves to get lucky since he had some nice shots that didn’t find the back of the net earlier in the game.
• Herb does an even bigger celebratory fist pump that will eventually be immortalized in statue, Rizzo does a run with his stick in the air, and the crowd loses its collective mind.
• Herb manages to swallow a smile as the American team gathers around Rizzo for a group hug and head pat session.
• Buzz and a Soviet player get into a brief scuffle along the boards. Buzz ends up with the Soviet’s stick, and when the Soviet player holds out a hand to get it back, Buzz tosses it on the ice instead. This is a riot. Mild-mannered Buzz has a flash of temper, and I find it about as hilarious as that epic moment when as a Devil Scott Niedermayer (never much of an enforcer) got into a fight with a Ranger, got a Ranger jersey wrapped around his head in the process, and kicked that Ranger jersey sky high in gesture of pure disdain before he went to the penalty box.
• Morrow and the defenseman are simply heroic here, throwing their bodies in front of shots. I bet they had tons of bruises in the shape of a puck afterward, but it’s a price they were willing to pay for a gold medal.
• Herb is an evil genius with delaying tactics. He calls Mark Johnson over to the bench before the faceoff so the ref has to waste time calling Mark back.
• Ramsey gets in some nice defense maneuvers and finally receives a compliment from the commentators who have spent a good part of this game tearing into him for positioning issues.
• A shot of Herb Brooks pacing the bench and reminding his players to “play your game” repeatedly like a mantra.
• The commentators are now praising the Americans for giving a great performance as underdogs. What a dramatic change in tone from a second before Rizzo’s goal. You can see the final minute of the game and hear Al’s eternal call here.
• The commentators suggest that the Soviets will be put in the unusual position of having to pull their goaltender but this never happens because Tikhonov appears to forget that is an option in hockey.
• Jim has a lot of brilliant saves in the last thirty seconds of play.
• The crowd is so loud and excited that you can hear them counting down the remaining seconds. My blood is pounding. I can’t handle this.
• The immortal Al Michaels’ question and answer, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”
• The American boys hug and roll around on the ice. This is too precious to watch.
• The Soviets watch the jubilee with stunned expressions. They aren’t used to losing or to feeling the exhalation the Americans demonstrate when they win.
• The teams do the traditional handshakes.

Post-Game Jim Craig Interview:

• When asked if he could feel the crowd’s emotion down on the ice, Jim says he could feel it throughout the game but especially in the final ten minutes.
• The reporter asks whether Jim felt nationalism had anything to do with the crowd’s emotions. Jim says yes but there were also just a lot of hockey fans in the arena.
• That’s the end of the interview. I was expecting more, but now let’s hear from Rizzo.

Post-Game Rizzo Interview:

• Rizzo talks about how during the second period he tried to give his teammates an opportunity to re-group and the Soviets a chance to lose momentum when he spoke with the ref after the Soviets had been putting a ton of shots on Jim’s net.
• Rizzo reconstructs his game-winning goal: he came on the ice, got a pass from Pav, and used the Soviet defenseman as a screen for his shot in a nutshell.