Losing when you should’ve won
This one is for Ken. Ken pointed out that I didn’t blog at all about the results of the World Junior Hockey Championship. Thanks Ken. That wasn’t at all like rubbing salt in a wound.
Just kidding! Seriously though, how about that. Let me tell you my story: I had a job I was doing (side-work like) that needed to be completed in time for Wednesday morning delivery. So, Tuesday I worked on it from 5 – 10pm. At about 10:10, I got it done, and pulled up TSN.ca (my favorite sport site because hockey is not an after thought. I’m looking at you ESPN.com). I said to myself, Let’s just make sure that Canada won, and then I’ll go to bed. I saw that overtime was about to start.
No Canadian could go to bed having just read that a championship hockey game — between the US and Canada, no less — was going into overtime.
I pulled up the game and watched on edge as the play went back and forth. We looked like the better team for the early minutes. I watched as we got a beautiful odd-man rush… and then…
Here’s the thing about odd-man rushes in hockey. What happens is, you end up with 3 of one team in the other team’s zone, with say, one defender back. What that means is, if the team on offense can keep the puck, they have a good chance at a clear shot on the goalie.
It also means that in the event of a strong rebound or a good poke-check, the opposing team (who only had one defender back) will turn the tables quickly.
Our beautiful odd-man rush turned into another beautiful odd-man rush. The jerseys were just the wrong color. This time, the puck went in the net.
With that, the game was over. I’d say the audience in Canada, a nation of 30+ million, was millions of people. I doubt if the audience in the USA was even hundreds of thousands. Canada is a nation so in love with ice that men would trade their children for a zamboni. America is a nation where ice related sports are generally relegated to the crowd who loves sports, hates basketball, and needs something to do over the winter. And Minnesotans. But they’re practically Canadian anyway.
We didn’t expect to lose. We’d won 5 tournaments in a row, or something obscene like that. Yet, we lost.
Sometimes, losing when you expect to win is good for you. It builds character.
At least, that’s what I’ll be telling myself next January, after we’ve taken back the championship. Until then… We shouldn’t have lost that game!
I watched the last part of the third period and the overtime with your dad. We were down two goals until just before the end of the third period, so it was pretty exciting when they tied it up. But the U.S. team really did play well, so kudos to them (until next year!).
I couldn’t help but kid around with you a bit after you have so good naturedly poked fun at us over your national sport. I was with five Canadians during the game and actually felt bad (but not too bad) for them and for you guys. It’s the same here in Mexico with a country that’s obsessed with futbol when the majority in the States hardly notices.
I’ll be sure to tune in for the World Junior Ice Curling Championship next month in hopes that your pride is restored.
One the other hand, you perhaps know how usa baketball feel when they lose “our” game in world games.
It is a lot bigger deal to beat anything Canadian in hockey than for yous to beat us. We are a bit proud, and a little surprised too.
“With that, the game was over. I’d say the audience in Canada, a nation of 30+ million, was millions of people. I doubt if the audience in the USA was even hundreds of thousands. Canada is a nation so in love with ice that men would trade their children for a zamboni. America is a nation where ice related sports are generally relegated to the crowd who loves sports, hates basketball, and needs something to do over the winter. And Minnesotans. But they’re practically Canadian anyway.”
I loved this paragraph!