Anyone else want a rubber match?

This was probably one of the most exciting hockey games I have ever seen, despite being upset with the finish. If you didn't know, Canada beat Team U.S.A 3-2 when Sidney Crosby scored 7 minutes and 40 seconds into O.T. The goal came from Jerome Iginla who was being pushed to the ice when he slid the puck past an out stretched Brian Rafalski. Sid then rifled it through the legs of the U.S. goaltender, Ryan Miller.

The game started off looking as if Canada would run away with the gold after going up 2-0 early in the second period. Canada started things off in the first period with a US turnover just to the left of Ryan Miller. There was a shot and then a rebound which landed right on the stick of the Chicago Blackhawks captain, Jonathan Toews, who shot just over the pad of an out stretched Miller; virtually a wide open net. Canada's Corey Perry then scored yet another rebound goal 6 minutes and 46 seconds into the second period, one second after Eric Staal stepped out of the penalty box.

But with 7 minutes and 16 seconds left to go in the period Ryan Kessler deflected a Patrick Kane shot past Roberto Luongo. The intensity of the game ratcheted up exponentially after the Kessler goal, energizing Team U.S.A. Also shifting momentum to the U.S. was when Canada missed a great chance to put a so called, "Wayne Larrivee dagger" in the U.S. back when Dan Boyle’s brilliant pass sent Eric Staal in alone with 53 seconds left in the period, but Stahl’s shot went high and wide. The shots were nearly even, with Canada holding a 25-23 advantage after two.

The third period started with Canada hitting back to back pipes, keeping Team USA in the game. The rest of the period would be a stand off between Miller and Luongo shutting down shot after shot. With two minutes to go Sidney Crosby grabbed a US turnover and shot the other way on a clear breakaway, only to have an amazing effort of a backchecking Patrick Kane to catch up to him and lodge the puck from Crosby's stick. Just 30 seconds later Team U.S.A pulled Miller and sent on an extra attacker. With 24 seconds left in regulation Kane picked up the puck just to left of Luongo and fired a turnaround shot on goal when New Jersey Devil's forward Zach Parise put in the rebound to tie the game!

Canada would go into the locker room with their heads down while Team U.S.A was on cloud 9. Kane would say after the game, I thought it was over, I thought we were going to win for sure, we had all the momentum. This game would be decided with a 20 minute overtime period and then a shootout if the game remained tied.

Sidney Crosby would then go on to score 7 minutes and 40 seconds into O.T. The goal came from Jerome Iginla who was being pushed to the ice when he slid the puck past Brian Rafalski. Sid then rifled it through the legs of the U.S. goaltender, Ryan Miller. Canada out shot the U.S 7-4 in Overtime and it proved costly. Both goaltenders played amazing and it was a shame that one of them had to lose.

Side note: Interesting to me was that throughout OT I hoped that it would turn out like the World Junior Gold Medal game when Team U.S.A beat Canada 6-5 in overtime on Canadian soil, right after Canada tied it up with just over a minute to play. Guess we'll just have to wait 4 years for some more Olympic hockey action...