So, what about those Miracle on Ice parallels for the US men’s ice hockey team in Beijing…?
According to Eric Blum of Deadspin.com, comparing a preliminary round win against Canada to the greatest Olympic ice hockey upset was ludicrous. In four decades, the sport’s circumstances have changed dramatically, and the stakes of the Olympics and the geopolitical context could not have been different.
Team USA’s 1-0 third-period lead over Slovakia and about a minute and a half of two-man advantage following a delay of game penalty on Slovak goalie Patrik Rybár made it look like a game-worthy of comparison to the Miracle on Ice.
Russia (the Russian Olympic Committee) is also headed to the semifinals after defeating Denmark 3-1 in their quarterfinal clash, should they prevail. Because of the seeding, USA-ROC could only have been a gold medal game, but that was still a major game if the Americans could get there.
Things are heated between the United States and Russia right now, with the Kamila Valieva incident and Vladimir Putin’s massing of soldiers on Russia’s border with Ukraine, both at the Olympics.
Rather of rushing to draw superlative parallels, you should wait until it’s safe to do so. Team USA failed to score a goal at 5-on-3 in the third period, failed to score a second goal to secure a 3-2 shootout victory over Slovakia, and handed up a goal to former Hartford Wolf Pack forward Marek Hrivik. The shootout ended with one goal for Slovakia’s Peter Cehlarik.
Another argument, and one that the United States should examine more, is that you may not be the protagonist in every storey. For the first time since 2010, Slovakia has qualified for the medal round after Hrivik’s last-minute goal and Rybar’s heroics in the goalie department. Unless Zdeno Chara returns to the Slovakian team, it’s impossible for them to win a medal in the sport of ice hockey.
The women’s hockey team of the United States will play Canada tonight if you want to see an American contender for the gold medal.
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