A few thoughts two-thirds of the way through Rivalry Day in Winter Olympic hockey…
Intensity
I have watched hockey all my life, and never have I seen an entire period played with the emotion shared by both the Americans and Canadians in the first period Sunday night. In fact, the first 20 minutes reminded me of the opening round of “The War” between Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns in 1985.
The two squads delivered an opening period of preliminary round action with a fire usually reserved for the final minutes of a gold medal or decisive Stanley Cup game. That the pace and intensity didn’t waver for the full 20 minutes was mesmerizing.
The teams did more than bestow upon us some tremendous hockey, though. They reinforced two points:
1) The Americans are no ...
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Article written by Mike Lieberman
Rivalry Day: Pressure, Hate, and Too Much Talent
Posted: 22nd February 2010 by Mike Lieberman in NHLComments Off on Rivalry Day: Pressure, Hate, and Too Much Talent