Silver not an option for Canadian hockey

The Canadian people are having a blast hosting these Winter Olympics, but veiled underneath the joy of hosting the world’s greatest collection of sporting events is a tension and a pressure that mounts with each tick of the clock. The pressure on the Canadian hockey team to bring home the gold is undeniable. Coaches may try to downplay it, players may try to brush it off, but it does not hide the fact that the pressure and expectations are there. Canada must bring home nothing short of a gold medal in these games for these Olympics to be a success. Never mind the first home gold medal won earlier this week in Moguls, or the climbing medal count. One medal and one medal alone is the heart and soul of the Canadian people. Hockey gold. This may well be the greatest assembly of players that Canada has ever put together. Sidney Crosby, arguably the greatest player in the game today. Martin Brodeur, one of the most decorated goal tenders of our generation. The list goes on. Fact of the matter is, they must get through a rough gauntlet of equally talented teams including the Swedes, the ever powerful Russians with NHL All Star Alex Ovechkin, and an upstart US team that looks to recreate the Miracle on Ice from the 1980 Sarajevo games. Truth of the matter is, Canada is headed to a one on one with rival Russia in the Gold Medal Game, and the entire country will shut down to watch the spectacle. What could be better for the sport of hockey? Sid the Kid, and Ovechkin, facing off for the Olympic gold, Crosby and Canada skating on home ice…are you kidding me? This is what movies are made of, not real life, right? We would be blessed as fans to see such a spectacle, and mark my words, the entire country of Canada and parts of the northern US would shut down to watch that game. But if the gold does not go home to Canada, these games will be seen as an epic failure. So let’s hope that doesn’t happen, because I don’t think Canada could take it.