THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

Throw the puck at the net.

Because you may get a bounce, or it may just go in.

It would be difficult to convince me that a more beautiful, more complete game of hockey has ever been played, though the way it ended was as devastating in weight as the game itself was important.

Canada invented hockey. The National in NHL refers to the Nation of Canada. They gave us Taylor, Patrick, Orr, Lemieux and Gretzky. We may have 10 times their population, but they watched this game today in as many numbers as we did.

An upstart league in Vancouver, early in the century, for a moment took over the hockey scene, and in so doing revolutionized the game. Cyclone Taylor, or Canada's Ruth, played there, and the Patrick brothers implemented a slew of rule changes, first put into play in Vancouver, that define the sport, including artificial ice, the forward pass, the blue line, and the playoffs.

The US is the obvious natural rival of "the true north strong and free". We are more audacious, we are more powerful in all things not frozen, and we are next door. We also house 24 of the NHL's now 30 teams, and have brought the game some of its greatest moments. In a bizarre, carnival-like league formed in no-mans-land, Houghton, Michigan, the first professional team ever, the Houghton-Portage Lakes, were formed, in the first ever proper hockey arena. Our list of players is far less glitzy. We offer Modano, Roenick, LeClair, Leetch, Chelios and LaFontaine to their Orrs and Gretzkys.

And today, where they offered Crosby, Iginla, Nash, Thornton, Niedermayer, Luongo, Brodeur and Weber, we offered Kesler, Kessel, Kane, Backes, Johnson, Johnson and Miller, and like hell, we played with them for more than 60 minutes.

We could no longer skate under the radar, as was the mantra of Wilson and Burke. That ship sailed around goal #6 vs. Finland. The microscope was on ice, and so was the pressure. And no, we, as Americans, didn't get another gold, but I would dare to say we saw some miracles on ice.

There was a comeback, there were ups and downs, goals, graceful moves, powerful hits, beautiful saves, there was overtime, and there was unprecedented hustle, all from millionaires who were playing for free.

As the second period kicked into gear, the USA was struggling to chip back and forth with the Canadian squad, and then we got a break, a power play. We proceeded to not even take the zone effectively once, and swiftly yield a second goal to them as our failed PP expired. We looked beat, and they looked too good.

And then we fought our way back into it. We threw the puck at the net, like they always say to do, again, and again, and again, and with 24.4 to go, our masked, blockered and gloved hero on the other end now helplessly watching from the bench, we threw the puck into the net, and we had new life. Fans of the Rangers, Islanders, Flyers and Penguins went nuts for a New Jersey Devil, and people who couldn't tell you a Sedin from a Manning hooted and hollered. We stole the moment, we had our mini-miracle, all set-up.

And then? the best player in the world, in the eyes of many, playing for the home and native land of the sport that made him, threw the puck at the net, and he scored.

We watched, objectively, the perfect game, and it is far better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all.

Hockey gained some converts today, I know it, and every American kid old enough to follow a puck now wants in, ready to gear up and take their revenge in 20whenever, and for that, it is a victory for our country for a sport I love.

Congratulations, Canada, now don't look back.