Men's Hockey: USA Defeats Canada

What a thrilling hockey game!

Team USA defeated Canada, 5-3.

Ryan Miller was incredible.

VANCOUVER -- Youth dominates this American national team, but it found its identity for the 2010 Olympics in the three former Olympians it brought back for another shot at gold.

Sunday night, it was those three wily veterans -- defenseman Brian Rafalski, winger Jamie Langenbrunner and center Chris Drury -- and goaltender Ryan Miller (who many believe should have played at the 2006 Olympics) -- that navigated the Americans through their most difficult test to date, a winner-take-all Group A finale against the host Canadians.

When the final buzzer sounded on a raucous 60 minutes of the marquee game of Showdown Sunday -- the Russians beat the Czechs in the afternoon and the Swedes played the Finns in the nightcap -- the young and brash Americans had silenced not only the capacity CHP crowd, but an entire nation with a gritty 5-3 win that featured two goals by Rafalski, single strikes from both Langenbrunner and Drury and 42 saves from Miller.

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The U.S. hadn't beaten Canada in the Olympics in 50 years.

What was really bizarre was that NBC elected not to carry any of the game during its prime time coverage until just seconds remained in the 3rd period.

Bob Costas broke in abruptly and breathlessly announced that they were going to join the game. Too little, too late. The audience was treated to all of 35 SECONDS of play.

Later, Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth were talking about what a huge game it was, how it was so highly anticipated.

So why didn't NBC show more of the game live on its network coverage?

That was a major blunder on NBC's part.

But that makes the victory no less sweet.

Congratulations, Team USA!