Can Team Usa of Hockey Make an Impact at the Olympics?
Author: John Borruso
Author: John Borruso
After the new staple in the NHL, the New Years Day Winter Classic Team USA announced it's line up for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
With 1980 Team USA Gold Members in attendance Team USA GM Brian Burke had his roster finalized and surprised many. Leaving out most of the veterans from USA Olympians past including Mike Modano, Billy Guerin, Keith Tkachuk, Scott Gomez, Brian Rolston and Dougie Weight.
Leaving questions he went with NY Rangers captain Chris Dury for leadership. Stating Dury is a big game player and he deserves the big stage. Although Druy's last two seasons have not been up to par he might of been able to choose a better choice from the group above.
Billy Guerin might of been a better choice having the best season of the USA vets. Scoring 12 goals and 16 assists in 41 games while defending his Stanley Cup from a season ago. Guerin could of completed this team in every way. Even though Dury is a great penalty killer and a great face-off man his leadership can go along way with this young USA team. The decision must of been tuff.
Team USA will look for scoring from top forwards Patrick Kane of the Chicago Black Hawks and New Jersey Devils Zach Parise. Kane is currently in sixth place in the NHL scoring race with seventeen goals and thirty one assists for forty eight points while Parise is fourteenth over all having seventeen goals and twenty five assists for a total of forty two points.
Team USA will have a tuff choice between the pipes with Sabers goalie Ryan Miller and Bruins net minder Tim Thomas. My choice would be Miller in my opinion the best NHL goalie this season. First place in Shut outs with 5, second place in save %.934, second in wins with 23 and second in Goals Against with a 2.02 average. As Team USA may lack to the other countries in some positions they are stacked between the pipes and in a short series goal tending could get you deep into the tournament.
The USA went with a very young defense average age 23 and the veteran Brian Rafalski. The mix has size, speed and play makers.
US will be a heavy underdog going into the Olympics while the Russians boast Ovechkin and Malkin with the Canadines having Crosby and Thornton. But I like this team and I think they can surprise and turn some heads as a Medal in Vancouver will be far from a Miracle.