The Decisive Moment

During the Bronze Medal game between Finland and USA, there was just under five minutes of agony for the fans, starting at 15:18 of the third period.

Ryan Suter scored a goal for the USA to break Tuomas Nissinen's shut out, and from there the game was all-USA, after it had been all-Finland. The intensity picked up, and the fans paused in their exodus from the seats. All of a sudden, the Americans were back in the game. Many shots were taken against Nissinen, but all just barely missed the goal. The second US goal came at 18:04, scored by fan-favourite Dustin Brown.

At 18:32, the Americans pulled Bob Goepfert from the net for the extra man to tie the game. The Finnish team was controlled in their own zone by the six attackers, about the only time they looked flustered. The crowd roared with approval every time the whistle went, and the face-off was held in the Finnish zone. Finland was only able to clear the zone twice in the last minute and a half of the game.

Unfortunately for the USA, the clock ran down before they were able to put a third puck in the net. They will go home without a medal, but with the knowledge that their best could have been could enough, if they had woken up just a little bit earlier in the game.

Jen McCauley
Game Night Reporter