Canada wins hockey gold

I'll keep this one short and sweet. In epic style, the Canadian men's hockey team captured Olympic Gold in overtime. Sidney Crosby scored the clinching goal winning it for the host nation.

This gold gave Canada 14 for the Vancouver Winter Olympics, setting the all-time record for most gold medals in one Olympic Games by any nation.

The Game was an outstanding battle between American netminder Ryan Miller and Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo.

I'm sure the streets of Vancouver and many cities across Canada will be rocking until the early hours of the morning.

This USA vs Canada game will easily go down as one of the most watched, most talked about, and most memorable sporting moments in history.

I am proud to be Canadian, for our hockey golds, 14 gold medals total, and for the outstanding Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter

Will there be another USA 'Miracle' on ice?

If decisively beating Canada in a heated preliminary round game on enemy soil is any indication, the USA are well positioned for a run at a gold medal.

I wouldn't quite call this a "miracle," but a medal of any colour will be considered a success for the young and feisty USA hockey team. This is no team of bushy haired college boys, but the USA are definitely inexperienced and were picked by many to finish well out of the medals. Now, the USA have almost assured themselves a medal round game.

In my Olympic Hockey Preview I stated that I felt like this could be another "Miracle" team based on the performance of goaltender Ryan Miller.

Against Canada, Miller was a difference maker standing on his head throughout the game, specifically in the decisive last minutes of the third period. Not only did the USA receive clutch goaltending from Ryan Miller, their young and fast forward corps featuring the likes of David Backas, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, and Dustin Brown, was impressive.

Would I call it a "miracle?" No. I would call it a young and talented team coming of age on the world's biggest stage. Is Canada out of it? Not by a long shot, but they've made the road to gold more difficult then it seemed at the start of the Games.

Saying the USA will win Gold, or even medal is a little pre-mature, but this team that is beaming with young stars (and stripes) and have the potential to go wherever goaltender Ryan Miller leads them.

After beating the heavily favoured Team Canada at the Vancouver Olympics, Team USA has officially erased their "miracle" status and replaced it with "Olympic contender."

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter.

Should Martin Brodeur be Canada's starter?

For anyone who watched the Canada-USA hockey game, you'll know there are questions about Martin Brodeur.

Is he still Canada's best goalie? Should his experience keep him in goal for Team Canada? Can he lead Canada to a gold medal?

The answer to each of these questions is no. Not if Canada's preliminary round game against the USA is any indication. Martin Brodeur allowed 3 goals on the first 15 shots. That is a .800 save percentage. That number wouldn't keep you in the net in the NHL, AHL, or a beer league. Canada lost 5-3 after outshooting the USA 45-23.

When he handled the puck (if you can call it that), Brodeur looked terrible and directly caused 2 of the 3 goals. The difference in the game was in fact goaltending, Ryan Miller played great, Martin Brodeur did not.

This is a point in the coaching career of Mike Babcock that will go down in history. Will he make the right decision and play Roberto Luongo the rest of the way, or will he hope the experience and reputation of Brodeur is enough to compensate for his poor play?

If Canada wins the Gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics, or any medal for that matter, you can bet it won't be because of Martin Brodeur. Rather, the team will have to put forward an impressive defensive effort in front of the aging goalie, and score enough goals to balance those he allows.

Please Mike Babcock, find it somewhere in your heart to play Roberto Luongo. He is Canada's goalie and Canada's hope for a gold medal. Let's get behind this hockey fans. We need to put Martin Brodeur out to pasture and let Roberto Luongo lead his team and his country to the Olympic Gold medal they so desperately want.

Let the games begin.

Follow Instant Replay on Twitter