I guess our goaltending still sucks. Should have beat Canada earlier. Losing in the QF is pretty bad. The forwards were definitely legit, though.

Posted by kevin from boston on 01/02/09 at 06:57 PM ET

I also have to say its amazing how much Canadians hate/fear the USA in hockey. I’m sure they are delighted by this fluke upset. It just means Canada can cakewalk over somebody 10-1 and make them all feel superior. Fact is the USA excels in ALL sports. Canada definitely doesn’t........

Posted by kevin from boston on 01/02/09 at 07:06 PM ET

I think they also imagine the US public cares, because it makes them that much more smug. It’s obvious the US public does not.

Posted by Mojo Tooth on 01/02/09 at 07:11 PM ET

Complex much, kevin?

It’s a rivalry and one of the best in hockey. I was hoping for a US-Canada gold medal matchup but it wasn’t to be.

I don’t take any pleasure in seeing the US go down to Slovakia.

But congrats to the Slovaks on the upset. It will be as far as their cinderella run goes though.

Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 01/02/09 at 07:42 PM ET

The one place the Detroit Red Wings do not excell is drafting goalies… and Ken Holland WAS a goalie.

Jimmy Howard has been mediocre in the AHL, and now McCollum is mediocre in the WJC.

Hopefully Larson will turn out to be a good one.

Posted by w2j2 on 01/02/09 at 08:20 PM ET

The odd thing is, I read somewhere that the two goaltenders have played against each other before because they are in the same league - and the US goaltender has been playing very well and the Slovak goaltender has been playing very poorly.

Strange little fact.  Pressure difference for a couple of youngsters, maybe?  No doubt the expectations were very different for the two teams, and that can really play on the mind in one-game scenarios.

I don’t see Canada fearing the US, really - but it is undeniable that Canada cares about the competition whereas most of the US doesn’t.  I don’t get the appeal at all myself - but I also don’t make it a habit of watching the Little League World Series, high school games, or college football or baseball.  Obviously I’m not the target audience as watching kids compete really doesn’t hold my interest.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 01/02/09 at 09:53 PM ET

@Baroque, they’re young men, not kids as ol’ Pierre will attest

Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 01/02/09 at 10:18 PM ET

I’m old enough to be their mom.

They’re kids. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 01/02/09 at 11:31 PM ET

McCollum’s a good kid and a very, very good goaltender.  His performance doesn’t exist in a vacuum here.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 01/03/09 at 01:48 AM ET

I was shocked and, honestly, a bit disappointed to see the Americans go down.  That’s not to say I wouldn’t relish another game against Russia or even Sweden after last year’s classic final, but after a game that was much closer than the score suggested on Wednesday (5-4 until the final minute; if not for Tokarski’s late save in the second, it’s 5-5 going into the third and truly anyone’s game), I wanted a rematch, dammit.  That was a fun game to watch.

It’s like, I hate the Flames, but back in ‘06, when there was a chance for a BoA in the second round, I wanted them to beat Anaheim to make it happen, even though I figured we’d probably lose, because while the Flames owned the Oilers in the regular season, it’s a rivalry, and the playoffs are all about rivalries.  I want to see those rivalries happen as often as possible, because that’s when the game is at its best.  I wanted the US to make the finals, because I felt it would be a great rivalry game, and it’s a shame we’ll have to wait until next year for the opportunity.

Posted by Doogie2K from Calgary on 01/03/09 at 02:01 AM ET

Reasons for failure in Ottawa:

1) Coaching: All due respect to Rolston, but he is not experienced enough to be coaching at this level. Every year Canada has top NHL level coaching, we choose college and junior coaches that are not experienced at this level of expectation and intensity.

2) Defense: This team with all of its defensive stars, killed this team. The huge number of turnovers committed in every game prevented this team from having any real chance of winning. This is how you lose when you out shoot the Slovaks by huge numbers. Don’t fall for the illusion a hot goalie won this game. We gave up 5 goals that is why we lost this game. The inability to do a simple break out was the total undoing of this team. That comes down to coaching, strategy and execution. We should be looking at elite level coaching for this team, not in house development coaches for a major tournament. For Pete’s sake Pat Quinn coached Canada’s national midget team.

3) Goaltending: While McCollum was adequate he by no means was in the top tier of goalies in this tournament and he was not going to be able to save the day when our defense gave up the puck. This is a major failing of development within the US today. Canada, Sweden, Russia and Finland all excel at producing international elite and star level NHL goaltending, that the US is unable to duplicate. We need a whole new goaltending strategy at the national level to start to develop and compete. We should look at Finland first for developing systems and training. 10 Years ago Finland had atrocious goaltending and now per capita they out produce every country at the elite level.

4) Mentality: We have to dump this perpetual 1980 underdog mentality that pervades US Hockey. We are not an underdog any longer! We have to recognize that Canada is now our arch enemy and losing to them is unacceptable. The Women understand this, the men need to figure it out. We don’t have a killer instinct when it comes to international hockey. We skate well, pass pretty well and look real good against weak teams, but when we get punched in the mouth. Such as when Van Riemsdyk got belted in the Canada game, the team folded like a house of cards. Canada pounded the heck out of the US, because they were worried they didn’t have the skill to compete. Where was our big hitting and checking? It was non-existent, this again comes back to coaching, and also mind set. We have to stop thinking it is just OK to compete and be recognized for talent and if we win that is great. We need to start expecting to win, and when we don’t, there should be consequences.

Posted by Tero from Tacoma on 01/03/09 at 12:19 PM ET