Okay, let’s be honest here… This Team USA take is potentially the worst I have ever read.
Yes, a 4-2 win vs Team Canada is a great step forward for this young group of Americans. With a predominately college-level roster, David Quinn is making the correct moves to guide his team to success.
With that said, however, in 1980, the Soviet Union was THE BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS. They went 27-1-1 and outscored the opposition by almost 140 goals. They would go to the Olympics and every international competition and win them without trying.
The comparison between this 2022 Team USA”s win over Team Canada and 1980’s Miracle on Ice victory over the Soviets would be feasible IF Team Canada was full of NHL superstars and coached by Jon Cooper. But they aren’t.
Team Canada is also full of amateurs AND they are coached by Jeremy Colliton, who was probably among the worst coaches in Chicago Blackhawks history. In comparison, the Soviet Union possessed 4 Hockey Hall of Famers and had the consensus best goaltender in the world, Vladislav Tretiak, in goal.
Yeah, no comparison.
In a recent report, CNN has attempted to draw comparisons from 2022 Team USA hockey to 1980’s “Miracle on Ice”…
Going on with the comparisons, the Soviets defeated the NHL All-Stars in a three-game series 2-1, winning game three via complete domination of 6-0. This Team Canada roster would be utterly obliterated by a mid-tier NHL team. Heck, even a bottom-tier team like the Seattle Kraken would give Team Canada a run for their money.
Why? Because all of these guys made the NHL. Team Canada is, again, filled with amateurs.
Now, if Team USA, fielding former NHL players like Justin Abdelkader and amateurs in second-overall pick in last year’s draft in Matty Beniers defeated a team led by Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Alex Pietrangelo, and Carey Price or Marc-Andre Fleury in goal then yes, there would be rightful comparisons. But they didn’t.
To conclude, the Soviet Union was the bonafide best team in the world, and no one came close to beating them in the last 16 years. The initial expectation was that they would just waltz right in and win the gold in dominating fashion again.
Instead, an upstart group of college players led by legendary college coach Herb Brooks, grinded out a 4-3 win. This was a reasonably close game where Team Canada could not capitalize on their chances and, honestly, these two teams are quite close in skill level.
Team USA has not defeated Team Canada in 12 years, yes, but there will NEVER be another “Miracle on Ice” moment. Never. Not even close.