USA vs Canada (The lost blog)

This blog was found on a laptop approximately 10 feet from a television playing NBC, in the hockey wasteland known as North Carolina. More specifically, MCAS New River. The words you are about to read have not been changed, this is being posted unedited. The owner, nowhere to be found.

"I came in to the game with about 5 minutes left in the first period, USA alread trailing 1-0. I had to go out and get a haircut (damn military regulations.)

2 things happened when I came in. A) We finally won an offensive zone faceoff, according to the TV. B) I do believe I witnessed more shots on goal by USA than by Canada. So with those two things being true, I'm fairly sure that my presence is turning the tides for Team USA.

I'm currently stuck between watching the game down here in the lounge sans internet, or going to my room WITH internet and not watching. I think that if things stay like this (USA trailing) after the second period, I'll go back to my room where my Girl Scout cookies and Monster energy drink await me.

(Completely unrelated: I'm all agog with excitement because my dream came true. Last night, I put up on Twitter that I've been listening to Neverending White Lights all day, and that my lifetime goal was to be acknowledged by @Daniel_Victor [the one man behind the one man project that is Neverending White Lights]. Well, I can scratch that off the list because he tweeted back to me today. I had mentioned that I had played NWL [at the time] 100 times in the past week, and half of it was yesterday alone. He read it and tweeted back to me something along the lines of "That's a lot of listening! That makes me happy." AND, on top of all of that, I was his first tweet today. So from that, this is how the scene played out in my head: He wakes up, all groggy from a long night of recording and mixing the new material slated to be released this year. He steps out of his room and heads back to the studio to begin another day of work on the album. Before he dedicates himself to his work, he decides to log on to Twitter and post an update or two. He logs on and check his mentions. He sees mine in there. It motivates and inspires him, truly lifting his spirits and giving him that extra little push he needed to get going on his work. He then goes ahead and has the best day he's had in a long time, ending up well ahead of schedule, and making a mental note to mention me in his liner notes when the album is finally released.

Yeah, that'll never happen.)

The second period just started.

I have yet to see the dump and chase work effectively for USA. Maybe it's time to change the strategy.
Jerome "He's Intense and Has a Pulse on the Group" Iginla was just left alone out in front from a bad giveaway in the slot. Simple backhander that Miller kicks aside. Maybe he waffleboarded it.
USA penalty kill coming up. This could make or break the game. I don't see this being a repeat of the bronze medal game. A decent lead in this game will win this game.
So far, USA's blocking shots like it's their job. Oh, right, it IS their job. If they want to win.
I'm falling in love with Drury right now. He's been a madman on this PK. I don't know how many shot blocks he's had so far, but an unofficial tally is between 58 and 64.
And now there's a US power play coming up.
Parise trying to get an extra call might have just ruined that rush.
I think USA had better chances on their PK than on thier PP.
And Canada scores again, likely riding the momentum of a good PK.

I'd like to take this opportunity to throw my hat in the ring for @mpetrella's bet regarding this game, also donating 10 dollars for every goal CAN scores if they win to H2H. I'd think that's pretty ballsy considering the score already being 2-0.

Another lame duck power play for USA. It doesn't look like they want this at all.
Is the D-line for this PP really Johnson and Johnson?
The mixture of what seems like American disinterest and Canadian luck is slowing killing my excitement about this game. I don't feel right watching a game that I felt more excited for than it looks like the players were.

Random thought: 50 team hockey tournament, by state. Mixing pros with amateurs. I think that would do wonders for American buzz for hockey.

KANE SCORES! Or was it Livonia Native Ryan Kesler? The replay looks like he got a piece.
USA buzzing now. Someone tapped the team on their collective shoulders and whispered in their collective ears "Pssst... this is for the FUCKING GOLD MEDAL!"
Shut the fuck up, I don't care if it was offsides or not.
"Crosby" count: 2. Surprisingly not 20.
Also, Rafalski looks like the best player out in the red white and blue right now.
Livonia Native Ryan Kesler gets the goal.
I never realized how much of a douche Getslapped was until I started talking with you guys. But he gets the gold medal for douchiness.
According to NBC, Ryan Miller decided to play goalie at age 7, age 8, and age 9. Which is it, really?
Detroit/Colorado plays tomorrow, Babcock and Stastny will be there. I guess Rafi's just gonna stick around in Vancouver and do some shopping. Those post-Olympic sales have really great bargains.
That puck went straight up and straight down. I know how scary that can be as a goalie. not being able to track a puck like that.
Canada pressuring right now. Too much pressure.
2-1 turnover ratio. Not pretty.
Crosby count 4.
Luongo really doesn't look "on" right now. We should be taking advantage of this.
Crosby count 5.
2-1 after 2. At least it's not a shutout like the women's hockey was.

Revisiting my 50 team tournament: Can you imagine how much hype that would get? Michigan vs Minnesota, New York vs New Jersey? Team rosters featuring players like Brian Rafalski on defense with Joe Schmoe, South Lyon High School's star defenseman? States like Montana, New Mexico, good luck. Work with what you've got. We never expected you to win, but we expect you to try.

20 minutes left in this game. How will USA come out to start the 3rd? Will they play with the urgency and intensity being in their position requires? Will Canada recognize and adapt to what the US throws at them? If USA ties this up, does that give them the momentum, or does it just infuriate Canada? Who's going to step up and be the hero for either side?

And how pissed will we all be if this goes to a shootout?

I've noticed the US participate in that snowball fight in the Coke commercial. Unless I'm wrong.
You all won't know this, but it's really weird going "Eastern North Carolina". Too many directions.

Canada hits post. Come on.
There it is! "Waffleboarded by Luongo."
Canada hits poat. Come on. (Again.)
Every time I hear "Duncan Keith", I think of Duncan Sheik. You know, the "I am barely breathing, I can't find the air..." guy? No, that's just me? Okay.
There are only 10 Marines watching this game right now. Sad.
USA looks relaxed on the bench. I'm not sure whether I'm okay with that or if I want to see much more intensity out of them.
Crosby count: 6. 7. 8.
USA seems to get getting it back together right now. They're a surging wave. Not quite full strength, but it looks like their building.
I'm starting to get that adrenaline feeling I haven't felt since sometime last June.
Pavelski just ruined that rush with selfishness.
Crosby count: 9. 10. 11.
I don't even know what just kept that out of the net. But that HAS to be a wake up call for USA. They NEED to get their shit together RIGHT NOW if they want a shot at this. Time is NOT their friend.
It looks like it worked. Drury, et. al. just ran rampant on Canada that shift. Peppered Luongo. Good chances.
Rafalski STILL looks like the best player for USA.
Canada standing up at the line now. And with a vicious forecheck, too.
Crosby count: 12. He did next to nothing on that shift, but the camera follows him to the bench. I vomit a little in my mouth.
I don't like Pavelski's style right now. He seems a little to selfish for what the scoreboard says.
6 minutes to go. Ugh.
Raf steps up and nearly is the hero of the world right there.
Crosby count: 13. 14.
The camera scan of the Canadian bench left me thinking "Dick. Dick. Dick. Nash, you're okay. Dick. Dick. Dick."
4 minutes left. Nerves picking up.
Crosby count: 15, as he fucks up the breakaway. "They could not have hand picked a better player to move in on that breakaway." How about one who would have scored?
2:30 to play. Miller pulled soon?
16.
Miller to the bench. USA with about 6 chances, and none of them go. Time out, USA.
Who's NOT on the ice for the biggest part of the game right now? Crosby.
Dump and chase is not working. It never works. Not when you're up against the size of Canada.
SLOW RIDE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, my fucking God. Wow. No words right now. We (the Marines) didn't know it was a goal for about 5 seconds. I think we were disbelieving. And then all 10 of us went nuts. Me, less so because of this computer in my lap.

Okay, I'll explain Slow Ride.
Think about the Foghat song. "Slow ride, take it easy..."
My mother and I, back in the day, would come up with our own nicknames for players. Watching a Wings-Devils game, hearing Parise time and time again, I broke out into a song. "Slow ride, Zach Parise..." And it stuck.

Could this game have gone any better for hockey fans? Or for hockey in general? Everyone wanted a good, competetive game. We're all getting it. Overtime. Sudden death. Next goal wins. Someone's going to be a national hero soon. I hope it's Rafalski. I really, really, do. He's been the best player all Olympics. Or Pavelski. Ha.

Thanks, JR. I just said that someone was going to be a national hero. I said it first, asshole.

Also, side note. The creepy guy who was reading what I was typing while he sat next to me is gone. I wanted to call him out on here and see if he read it and got the hint.
And my ears are still hot from the rush I got from the tying goal.

Gee, thanks, DirecTV for bringing THIS game to us with limited commercial interruption, since you won't bring any other games.

I don't know if I like the 4-4 OT play.
Back and forth so far. Nothing consistant for either team.
Crosby count: 17 and 18.
Quick thoughts: Canada seems tentative, patient. USA seems driven, pulsing.
More back and forth. Quick jabs, both teams feeling each other out. This is about to explode, I think. Expect a flurry one way or the other.
CC: 19
There was the flurry. For Canada.
This is the biggest appeal of hockey for me. Any shot could end it. Any lucky bounce, any ricochet could immortalize one of these players.
Canada playing a frightened defense right now. 3 back, one weak forechecker.
Fuck."

 No one knows why they stopped typing, or where they went. It is a mystery no one may ever be albe answer.