Annoying Fans

On Tuesday night I went to the Leafs game with my buddy Mako. The Leafs ended up losing the game to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 but that isn't important. What is important is how badly I wanted to punch every fan sitting around us in the face. Never before have I been surrounded by so many fan stereotypes at once.

To our right was the boyfriend/girlfriend combo where the guy was trying to explain the rules of hockey to his girl even though he doesn't know them. This particular combo was made extra annoying because they always came back from intermission late and forced us to stand up and miss parts of the game so they could get by. I have no problem with this in baseball but at a hockey game where a goal can be scored in 2 seconds I don't like missing the action.

At one point his girlfriend asked him why the ref blew the whistle (it was because of an icing call) and he explained, "the teams needed to change lines." Come on man. If you don't know the rules don't just make them up like that. Had his girlfriend been hot I may have called him out in front of her but I didn't wanna salt his game.

To our left was the always present father/son combo that gets way too excited over the smallest events in the game and speak only in superlatives such as "that was the greatest save ever!" This was the kids first Leaf game and needless to say he was pumped. He was constantly pointing things out inside the arena to his dad that were clearly obvious to anyone with a set of eyes. He also was fond of pointing out where every event inside the arena that was on the Jumbotron during intermission was taking place.

He did have the best line of the night however when he asked his dad, "how come the banners stop at 67?" That one made me laugh.

In front of us was the family of 3 with a husband/wife/son combo. The father of this particular group was a massive douche that had a few too many beers and ended the night by throwing food at another guy in our section and then giving him shit when the guy gave him a dirty look. Not kidding this. This man started throwing popcorn at his wife and kid and missed a few times and hit this random stranger in the face and when the guy gave him a dirty look the father gave him this look like 'what the fuck is your problem?'

This guy was a real douche and got drunker as the game went on and started throwing out terrible chirps in a failed attempt to be funny.

Right behind us was the always present female fan that knows nothing about the sport. Her job for the evening was yelling, "SHOOT!" every time a Leaf player touched the puck while on the powerplay. Needless to say I wanted to kick her in ovaries.

I have never hated a fan at a sporting event more than I hated this woman. Granted the Leafs are notorious for passing too much on their powerplay but she would yell it EVERYTIME someone touched the puck. Not just sometimes but everytime. Obviously she was tremendously disappointed when the Leafs didn't score on the powerplay and felt that if only they had taken her advice they would have won the game.

This woman almost ruined my night and also confirmed why I hate going to sporting events with women.

In front of us and to the right was the pair of old timers who felt the need to chirp everyone and everything they could with such lame burns as, "you guys should try baseball" or "Wilson couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag." More gems like that.

Don't know why these guys couldn't have stuck with classic staples like, "you suck" or "get off your knees ref you're blowing the game." If you are going to be the one guy from your section that is labeled "the chirper" you need to bring your A game and most importantly you need to make the people in your section laugh. If you throw out 3 chirps and don't get 1 laugh then you it is a sign you need to shut up.

Lastly there was the pair of teenagers who cheered everything. They were cheering when the semi-hot chick came out to sing the national anthems. They yelled during the national anthem. They cheered when the puck dropped, when Raptors head coach Jay Triano was introduced, every hit, every save, every shot, when the kiss cam came up and when Curtis Joseph was introduced.

Sidenote: When they introduced Joseph the place went crazy. At first I was confused but then it all made sense. I was at a Toronto Maple Leafs game so of course the fans would go crazy for mediocrity.

Joseph played for the Leafs for 4 seasons. He went to the playoffs in all 4 of those seasons but he never won anything. No Stanley Cups and no Vezina trophies. He was a good/really good goalie at best and yet he gets cheered like he was Johnny Bower.

I am all for showing the guy respect but it really speaks to the current state of the Leafs franchise when they cheer a guy for 4 minutes straight just because he played 4 seasons for them and got them to the playoffs.

These two kids cheered for everything all game and were so pumped. I am all for cheering stuff like big hits, saves and goals but cheering for the kiss cam and every time there is a shot is a little strong.

People like this are one of the main reasons live sporting events can suck. If the people around you are annoying then you aren't going to enjoy the game as much. It's just like a movie. If people are talking the whole time then you can't concentrate on what's happening and you won't enjoy the movie as much.

In hindsight I probably just should have gotten wasted but then again I don't have the money to be paying for beers when they are $14 a cup.

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CB4 Trade Talks

Is it just me, or does it seem like a different Chris Bosh trade rumor pops up on the internet every other day? In the past weeks, the Raptors’ All-Star forward has been talked about being traded in blogs and articles to everywhere from Chicago to Golden State to Houston. The latest rumor has CB4 heading to Tinseltown, where he would apparently be traded to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum.

Imagine this trade goes through. The Lakers would be a lock to win the title as they would start Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Bosh and Gasol with Odom coming off the bench as the 6^th man. That would easily be the best team the NBA has seen in a long time. The Raptors in return would get a legit center who is young and has a tonne of potential. Bynum could be that franchise center the Raptors have been looking for and his presence would allow Bargnani to continue not to play defense and focus solely on his offensive game. That seems like a win-win to me.

The NBA trade deadline is more than a month away, but teams are doing anything but procrastinating. Whether it’s teams trying to shed money to avoid the luxury tax or clear cap room for what could be the biggest free agent summer in NBA history or just make power moves to better their teams in the short run, GMs have been working the phone lines aggressively. Several other high profile players have also been talked about being moved recently: Al Jefferson, Caron Butler, Anthony Randolph, Carlos Boozer, Tracy McGrady, Marcus Camby, Tyrus Thomas and Amar’e Stoudemire, just to name a few.

But despite all those big names on the block, Bosh might be the most appealing out of the bunch. At just 25 years old, Bosh is having his best statistical year of his career averaging 23.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg and shooting 52.2 percent from the field (of course, being in a contract year has something to do with that). He’s starting to enter his prime and can provide a team with 20-10 stats for at least the next five or six seasons.

While Raptors nation wants to see Bosh stay up north, the reality of the situation is the team has to seriously entertain any offer that comes their way between now and Feb. 18, because there is a chance they could walk away from this situation with absolutely nothing. Since Bosh has not given Toronto a guarantee he will not opt out or he will sign an extension, the team’s front office has been preparing for life after Chris. Last summer, they extended Andrea Bargnani’s deal (who I believe the team views as their future franchise player because whenever you can build a franchise around a 7-footer that averages 16ppg, doesn’t play defense and can’t rebound you gotta do it) and signed Hedo Turkoglu to his own long-term deal (awful move and a contract that will haunt the Raptors for years to come).

With the Raptors hovering at .500 with a 19-20 record (sixth in the East), they’re not having the season they probably envisioned having heading into training camp. Even if they make the playoffs, they will likely not get past the first round. If that’s the case, the possibility that Bosh will seek greener (and warmer) pastures is high. That’s why the Raptors (they have denied shopping him) are probably willing to deal Bosh if the price is right.

The Lakers rumor, that was originally reported by the NY Post, is probably exactly just that, a rumor. With the Lakers’ already having an All-Star power forward in Pau Gasol, I can’t see them trading for Bosh for Bynum- unless they weren’t planning on trying to re-sign CB4 in order to save money. Bosh going to Chicago for possibly a Kirk Hinrich and Thomas or for Joakim Noah and John Salmons, could be a good move for Toronto (if you love getting the poo poo platter in return for a top 15 player). If they get Noah, they would have a strong rebounder to replace Bosh and allow Bargnani and Turkoglu to increase their scoring roles. Would either of these Bulls trades be market value? Not even close. But would they be better than getting nothing? Absolutely.

If I were Bryan Colangilo I would be looking at Golden State as my main trading partner as they seem pretty serious on trading away Anthony Randolph (why I don’t know). I would also be loaded and doing my best to sleep with every member of the Raptors Dance Pack, but I digress. Most likely, Golden State would have to throw someone else in like a Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry or Andris Biedrins to make it work. The Raptors would be getting a younger (and cheaper) version of Bosh along with possibly a good shooting guard in either Ellis or Curry.

But maybe the most interesting possibility is Bosh heading to his home state of Texas by getting traded to the Rockets. As it was reported on ESPN before the weekend, the Raptors could acquire one of Houston’s top talents like Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza, Aaron Brooks for Bosh. Of course, the kicker is whether McGrady would have to be part of that deal. It would be a great move for Houston, who would instantly become a legitimate contender out West. But at the same time, it seems there’s not enough in the deal to entice Toronto to make that move.

There’s roughly 40 days until Toronto is forced to show their hand. Expect more rumors and more teams involved to surface in the coming days and weeks. And maybe sometime soon, one of these rumors will actually pan out.

As a Raptors fan I have to admit I am liking some of the potential offers out there. Bynum would be a solid pick up as would almost any package from Golden State. As long as Colangelo gets something and doesn't just let Bosh walk into free agency without getting any sort of compensation in return. Nothing pisses me off more then watching teams let their best players walk because they couldn't get a trade done. If it means taking 70 cents on the dollar I am OK with that. Just don't let him walk for nothing and have the Raptors suck for 5-6 years because a deal couldn't get done.

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Recession Hits Hard for Marshawn Lynch

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch is currently in the middle of six-year $18.935 million contract that he signed when he was draft in 2007. But apparently, he needed some extra cash. The Buffalo News reports:

The incident occurred Dec. 7, at the TGI Friday's at McKinley Mall, where the detective sergeant's wife and her girlfriend had stopped before heading home.

Crawford said his wife's girlfriend was approached at the restaurant by another member of the Buffalo Bills, who struck up a conversation with the unmarried woman. At some point, Lynch arrived at the restaurant and joined them.

When the woman's girlfriend stepped away from the table, Crawford said his wife pulled out a $20 bill to pay their check in preparation for leaving.

Lynch, 23, then grabbed the money from her hand.

"He takes the $20 out of her hand, and my wife says "What are you doing?' and Lynch says "Don't worry.' When my wife's girlfriend came back to the table, she told her about it. The girlfriend approached Lynch and said, "Give my friend her money back,' and Lynch threatened her saying "Do you know who I am? There's going to be consequences.'

"At that point, my wife and her girlfriend left," Crawford said.

Crawford, who's quoted numerous times in the report, is the husband of the woman from whom Lynch allegedly stole $20. He's also a Sergeant in the Buffalo police force. So Lynch definitely picked the wrong woman to steal from. Lynch's legal representation declined to comment, although it's been reported that Lynch returned the $20 more than a week after the complaint had been filed.

But lest we let the details muddle the picture, here. This has got to be the most ridiculous crimes in the history of athlete indiscretions. Like, at least get caught doing something really reckless and cool. Stealing $20 from a helpless woman trying to pay her bar tab?

I can’t really dog Lynch too hard here because a few months ago Patrick Kane and his cousin beat up a cab driver for 20 cents. That incident also occurred in Buffalo by the way. There is no way this is a coincidence.

My favourite part of the story though is the location of the event. If you are a millionaire why would you be eating at the TGI Friday’s at a mall? It’s not like I expect him to eat every meal at some 5-star place but a TGI Friday’s at a mall? Does it get more white trash than that?

I also love how his buddy was trying to pick up women at the TGI Friday’s. How did the conversation for this night begin?

Lynch’s Buddy: Man I am starving and wanna creep on girls let’s go out.

Lynch: Sounds like it’s a TGI Friday’s night.

It also must be mentioned that when confronted by the woman Lynch’s response was “do you know who I am? There’s going to be consequences.” Who does this idiot think he is? He shares time with Fred Jackson and plays for the Buffalo Bills. Outside the guys on the team there are probably only 576 people in America that would recognize this man and some random chick at a TGI Friday’s inside a mall isn’t one of them.

There may be two sides to this story, of course, and we'll have to wait for Lynch to comment. But really, twenty dollars? One more time, just for the hell of it: Lynch's contract is worth $18.975 MILLION.

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Final Grades

I was going to write something about the game last night but I was too upset. I started to write something but it was filled with too many f bombs and spelling mistakes that I just went to bed instead figuring I would wait 24 hours and then write something with a clear head.

Well it is 24 hours later and I am still pissed.

It's not because they didn't win gold it was the way they lost and how they sucked everyone in.

Down 2 goals in the 3rd period with under 3 minutes to go and Canadian Hero aka Hockey Jesus aka Jordan Eberle scores twice to force overtime. Roping everyone across Canada in and making us all believe that another miracle could take place. Then it all came crashing down.

Alex Pietrangelo, who carried the defense, took a shot that was saved and rebounded right to the Americans so they had numbers going the other way. John Carlson ended up taking the shot and we all know what happened.

Stomach punch.

I would have preferred they got destroyed 8-0 rather than having them lose like that. It made the whole thing that much harder to deal with.

Going into the World Juniors everyone was talking about how this team wasn't everything it could have been. So many guys could have been there but weren't because they were contributing to their NHL teams. I personally didn't have faith in the team but after the 5-4 win on New Years Eve I was hooked. I thought there was no way we could lose the gold medal game. Not after we had broken their spirits on New Years with that win.

So like everyone else I hopped on the bandwagon and was making guarantees and calling anyone who questioned the talent of the team an idiot. Now all I can do is make excuses for why we lost and try and rationalize it. I won't play the 'too many NHLers didn't come' card because I feel like the team we sent should have been able to win.

In the end it came down to lack of execution and a tonne of players not showing up. So I am going to go through the roster one by one and give each player a grade and either explain my frustration with them or my praise for them.

Here are the final grades for the gold medal game:

Jordan Eberle - A+

Could he have played any better? No. he played the perfect game last night and did everything within his power to make his team win. Not only did he score 2 clutch goals and cement himself as the Hockey Jesus but he also played great defense and was money on the penalty kill.

There are not enough words to fully credit this kid for his play. The ultimate silver lining of the whole game was for Edmonton Oiler fans getting to see the future of their team in action.

Eberle for Prime Minister

Alex Pietrangelo - A

When Travis Hamonic went down with a shoulder injury during the Switzerland game everyone knew that Petro would have to shoulder the responsibility for Canada's defense. Last night he played an amazing game and showed tonnes of heart and desire.

The penalty he took at the end of the 1st was a soft call and unwarranted and even though he was on the ice for the eventual game winning goal I don't blame him. He didn't get back on defense because he played 98% of the 3rd period and was no doubt gassed beyond measure. The injuries really hurt Canada and it showed with Petro's fatigue.

Don't forget he got an assist on Eberle's first goal and also made tape to tape passes all night. He is a great player and should be proud for the game he played last night.

Jake Allen - F

Where do I begin with this choke artist? That butcher job he threw down on the dump in which led to the 4th goal was one of the worst plays I have ever seen. His inability to stop anything high glove side is inexcusable. He needs to make a public apology to Canada for that performance last night and he should not have been awarded a silver medal.

Needless to say he was the best American player on the ice last night.

Taylor Hall - B

Going into the tournament there was so much hype about this kid. People were saying he was as good as Stamkos and Tavares and is the next Crosby. I didn't see it. Yes he had 1 goal and 2 assists but if you actually watched the game you know he didn't play great. Too much individual stuff and not enough passing. He needed to stick with the gameplan instead of trying to deke around everyone. Was not impressed.

Brandon McMillan - A-

He was asked to play defense and forward and had a great game. He didn't make any glaring mistakes and showed that he is a versatile player that can step up when needed. Don't forget that Jared Cowen who was the 9th overall pick a year ago was healthy and sitting on the bench. McMillan was playing instead of him which shows you how good of a 2 way player he is. If not for Eberle he would have been my MVP.

Brayden Schenn - D

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't this kid the 5th overall pick in the 2009 draft? He was a ghost all tournament and showed me nothing. Makes sense though when you consider that the Leafs wanted to trade up to get him. What's better than 1 duster named Schenn on your team? 2 dusters name Schenn obviously. Had high hopes for this guy but clearly he is riding his last name for all it's worth.

Say what you want about Luke Schenn, and believe me I take as many shots as possible, at least he was solid at the WJC. He and Thomas Hickey were the shutdown pair and did a great job. Brayden was awful and only succeeded against below average opponents.

Marco Scandella and Calvin de Haan - B-

Did a good job joining the rush when needed and played a solid game on defense.

Ryan Ellis - D

Does he realize that the D beside his name on the roster sheet stands for defense? This kid is a poor mans Brian McCabe. He played better last year. This year he was a ghost and mailed in game after game forgetting all the while that his job is to help keep pucks out of the net.

Nazem Kadri - D-

How many chances did this kid have to score like 984? If you watched the game there were countless times the goalie was down and out and Kadri didn't seal the deal. His refusal to pass also hurt the team as he continually tried to dangle around everyone (i realize he had 2 assists but if he passed more he could have had 4). The fact he and Hall were on the same line made no sense considering neither of them are play makers.

Someone teach this kid how to shoot one timers and also that when the goalie is laying on his back and you want to score you raise the puck off the ice. Aside from his shootout goal on New Years, which was unreal, he didn't impress me.

Luke Adam, Jordan Caron, Stefan Della-Rovere - A

These guys all played solid games. They were physical and even added some offensive punch. They provided some spark with the opening goal and played solid 2 way hockey. Della-Rovere didn't take a tonne of stupid penalties like he did last year and Luke Adam showed why he was given a starting roster spot after initially being named the 13th forward. Great game all around for this line.

Jared Cowen - F

He was originally in the starting 6 defensemen. Lost his job there and was forced to sit on the bench. The Travis Hamonic got hurt and the pressure was on him. Luckily for him he didn't have to deal with the pressure as he lost his job to Brandon McMillan, a forward. Rather . play a healthy defenseman who was drafted 9th overall by Ottawa last year, sucks to be them, Canada opted to play a forward on defense. Failure.

Martin Jones - B+

He was put in a tough spot when he came in to relive the abortion that is Jake Allen. He did a solid job throughout the game and made a key save that kept Canada in the game. The goal in overtime was pretty weak and I think he should have had it but had he played the whole game I think Canada wins.

Adam Henrique - C

Non-factor.

Greg Nemisz - C

Nice of him to finally wake the fuck up. This kid was playing on the top line all tournament and wasn't producing at all. His goal in the gold medal game was a huge fluke as a pass intended for Hall bounced off his skate and right on to his stick. DeJardins should never be allowed to coach again for allowing this kid to take away valuable minutes from other players who could have done better on the top line.

Let Eberle play with Hall and Kadri. Get this Nemisz kid out of here. He didn't even get a point in the 16-0 win over Latvia. Should that not have been a sign he sucks?

Patrice Cormier - D

I wonder if he used FedEx or UPS to mail in his performance last night (credit to Jebson). This guy is supposed to be the captain. He is supposed to lead by example. I guess he did in a way as he showed everyone else how not to play. I expected so much more from this kid and he really let me down.

That brings up another point. How was Eberle not the captain? I will never understand this decision.

Gabriel Bourque - C-

Finished with a -2 and dusted it up alongside Schenn.

Colten Teubert - F

He gets an F because he was the defenseman on the ice when Carlson scored to end the game. Yes he was the only one back and yes he did a good job cutting off the passing lane but in the end he will go down as the goat. When people look back at the footage he will be the one laying on his stomach as the puck goes in behind him.

This may seem harsh but I feel its fair. Plus he didn't play well the rest of the game either. Petro was the other defenseman on the ice when the game winning goal was scored but as I explained earlier he is being given a free pass by me.

Brandon Kozun - B

He came within 2 inches (aka the length of Draper's penis) from scoring when he hit the corssbar in the 3rd period. His speed was causing problems for the American defense all night and he did a good job back checking.

I don't understand how Canada lost this game. They had a team with all the talent in the world and you would think that scoring 2 goals within 3 minutes and forcing overtime would be enough to break the Americans and gain enough momentum to win.

I am still in shock and even 24 hours later I am still pissed. That is a game we should have won but we gave it away. Now I am not going to sit here and make excuses. Yes if we had brought all the NHL guys we would have dominated but we didn't so people need to stop playing that card. The fact is that a number of players didn't show up. They didn't want it badly enough and they didn't show the heart needed to be a champion.

Also people are saying things like, "a silver medal is still something to be proud of." Ask Jordan Eberle is he is "proud" of his silver medal. He may say yes to the camera but you know that he is pissed because he gave 100% and expected everyone else to do the same.

In Canada we expect to win gold at the World Juniors, and with good cause. We have the best team year in and year out and we won 5 gold medals in a row to prove that. 2nd place isn't good enough when you are the best. In Canada we should not be happy for settling with 2nd place. We should be pissed we lost.

You know who would be happy if they came 2nd? Switzerland. Is Canada on the same level as Switzerland? 2nd place isn't good enough for me and I am sure it isn't good enough for the players either.

I probably won't get over this loss for a long time and having to see highlights of the game pisses me off even more. Canada lost that game more than the US won it.

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WJC Final Is Dream Match Up

Canada vs USA for the gold medal in the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship. It is a dream match up and should be an amazing hockey game.

So many factors come into play when discussing the outcome of this game:

Are the Americans Mentally Recovered?

The game between the USA and Canada on New Years Eve was an instant classic. USA had a 4-2 lead in the 3rd period and ending up blowing the lead and losing in a shootout.

The Americans had to be demoralized after that and I for one thought they would lose their next game and get bounced out of the tournament. Instead they responded by knocking of Sweden and earning their spot in the gold medal game to try and exact some revenge.

Have the Americans fully recovered or will they blow it again under the crazy amount of pressure that is now on them?

Has Canada Corrected Their Mistakes?

In the last game between these two teams Canada's defense was exposed all night and they gave up a tonne of breakaways.

Ryan Ellis and Alex Petroangelo looked lost and outclassed most of the night as they made poor passes and were often caught pinching in the offensive zone which lead to all the breakaways. Petro made up for his mistakes with his sick shorthanded goal to tie the game in the 3rd but still.

If not for Jake Allen the score very well might have been 10-4. He mad a tonne of big saves and bailed out the defense all night.

One of the biggest problems the Canadians faced was when we were on the powerplay. Our defensemen kept getting caught out of position as Petro usually plays the slot on the powerplay but the USA was shutting that down forcing him to drop lower in the zone. This lead to a lot of the problems and so Canada was forced to change the strategy for their powerplay.

Can the defense step it up and not make the same mistakes as before?

How Much Will the Injury to Travis Hamonic Hurt Canada?

Hamonic was hurt during the final minutes of the 6-1 win over Switzerland when he was driven into the boards from behind by Jeffrey Fluglister aka Captain C*ck Sucker. I knew immediately that he was done for good when I saw the hit cause it looked like he hit his collarbone right in that sweet spot.

Hamonic has been a beast so far this WJC and has been one of the best defensemen for Canada hands down. He plays on the powerplay and penalty kill and he is a true shut down defender. Now that he is injured Jared Cowan will take his place. Cowan is a much more physical and slower defender than Hamonic and he may not be able to match the pace set by a fast American team. He also hasn't played much which is never good.

Also due to the injury to Hamonic there is talk that Brandon McMillan might play some defense if needed. Having a forward play defense is never a good thing and his offense will be missed if that does happen.

The worst thing is that Hamonic won't be able to play in the game in front of the Canadian fans and truly earn that gold medal. He is a great player and was a real contributor so far and its truly sad that he doesn't get to play.

Can Canada's defense hold together without Hamonic. I already talked about how the defense struggled last game and now that Hamonic is out they struggle even more.

Will Canada Win Gold By Playing Only 1 Legit Team?

So far in this WJC Canada has played Switzerland, Latvia, Slovakia and the USA. They didn't have to play Russia or Sweden. This means that they very well might win a gold medal with the USA being the only legit team that they faced.

The USA on the other hand had to play Russia. Obviously it isn't a huge deal but the fact that Canada has faced inferior teams and may still win the tournament is something worth mentioning.

Does it diminish the accomplishment? No of course not but it seems like they have taken the path of least resistance to the gold medal game. If anything it will be exciting to watch them play the USA again because let's face it watching them dump all over Latvia, Slovakia and Switzerland over and over again isn't that fun anymore.

I love watching Canada win but it's nice to see them have to try.

Will Canada Win a Record 6th Gold in a Row?

Since the tournament was first created in 1977 so team has won 6 in a row. Now Canada is 1 game away from breaking that record and making history. All that stands in their way are the Americans.

The accomplishment would not be lost on Canadians who pay more attention to this tournament than any other sporting event. Because while everyone may not watch baseball, football, basketball or even the NHL everyone watches the WJC.

"Any time you get the opportunity to set your name in stone, with the group of guys that we have, it's special" said Eberle to the Winnipeg Free Press.

It would be great to beat the Americans for the 6th gold in a row but to lose to them to end the streak would be a nightmare. "You don't want to lose that game, especially for the history and the legacy we are carrying. We want to be that championship team and we'll do everything to make that happen."

Some Americans players have been saying that it is their destiny to beat the Canadians now that they beat Sweden to make it to the finals. Well we all know what Jordan Eberle says about destiny. Just ask Russia. "With 5 seconds left destiny panics."

Can These Two Teams Create Another Classic?

It seems like every time these two teams meet in the WJC it is an amazing game.

Playing in Ottawa last year, the U.S. raced to a 3-0 lead before John Tavares led a Canadian comeback with a hat-trick and an eventual 7-4 victory. This was hands down the best hockey game I have ever watched. It had everything you could ever watch and needs to be aired once a week on TSN. Seriously why don't they show this game more often?

At the 2007 tournament, Canada and the USA played a dramatic semi-final game that was extended to a seven-round shootout. This is the game where Jonathan Toews became a Canadian hero as he single handedly won the Canadians the gold by scoring 3 times in the shootout. Carey Price was in net but he kept letting in goals so he gets 0 credit.

Then there's that infamous 2004 game which is by far one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life. Facing a Canadian team that featured Marc-Andre Fleury, Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Ryan Getzlaf, and Brent Seabrook, the Americans came back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in third period. With less than six minutes to play, a Patrick O'Sullivan shot bounced off Braydon Coburn's skate and past Fleury, who had come out to play the puck. The goal stood up to give the U.S. their first and only World Junior gold medal in a 4-3 win. I skipped school with 15 other people and we watched the game in my basement. It was dead quiet when that goal went in. Literally no sound. I shiver just thinking about it. The team to not win a gold.

Will I be Able to Contain My Excitement?

Obviously since I wrote this post I was not able to contain my excitement and was forced to write over 1500 words on the game.

7:30pm EST where will you be? I know I will be on my couch with a diet pepsi (not a plug for Pepsi I actually love the stuff and drink at least 1 can everyday without question) in hand and a large pizza with pepperoni, extra cheese and Italian sausage on the table. Life just doesn't get any better.

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