Sidney wins the Games
01-03-10
Superstar Sidney Crosby scored the winner in overtime as Canada won the Olympic title Sunday, beating the United States 3-2 to become the first host nation to capture men's ice hockey gold in 30 years.
Crosby got the winning goal 7:40 into the overtime period, taking a pass from Jarome Iginla and sliding a shot under the pads of US goaltender Ryan Miller.
Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry had earlier given Canada a 2-0 lead before the US fought back, equalising with just 24 seconds left in regulation time.
Roberto Luongo was superb in goal, making 34 stops for Canada who became the first host to win an Olympic final since the US triumphed at Lake Placid in 1980.
Ryan Kesler and Zac Parise scored for the US who suffered their first loss of the tournament after five straight wins.
Canada had a 2-1 lead in the third and looked headed for victory but US clawed its way back with Parise scoring his dramatic late leveller to send the final into sudden-death overtime.
Over 10 million Canadians watched the game on TV while, inside the arena, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was joined by Hollywood actors Vince Vaughn, Michael J Fox and William Shatner as well as singers Michael Buble and Neil Young.
Crowds began forming outside the Canada Hockey Place arena four hours before the highly-anticiplated showdown between the two best teams in the tournament.
The game lived up to its billing as the teams traded chances throughout, and both goalies Luongo and Miller had to be at the top of their games.
It was a battle between Canada's potent scoring attack and the American defence anchored by Miller.
Forward Toews opened the scoring with just over seven minutes left in the first period beating Miller after picking up a rebound.
Mike Richards stole the puck from defenceman Brian Rafalski at the side of the US goal and took the first shot but it bounced right to Toews. It was the first goal of the tournament for Toews to go with seven assists.
Forward Perry picked up a loose puck and wristed it past Miller in the second period to make it 2-0 for Canada.
Ryan Getzlaf started the play by carrying the puck into the US zone. He tried to backhand a pass to Patrick Marleau but it hit a skate and Perry picked it up and easily beat Miller.
Kessler scored on a tip in just over four minutes later to cut the Canadians lead to one goal. Luongo got a piece of it but not enough as it trickled in to make it 2-1, setting the stage for Parise's game tieing goal.
Finland beat Slovakia for the bronze on Saturday.
AFP
Related Content
Did you know?
Tell your friends
