Kraken At The Olympics
Maybe the USA / Canada final never should have happened.
A crucial missed call late in the Olympic semi-final involving Team Finland and Team Canada on Friday likely cost the Finns a trip to the Gold Medal match against the Americans.
Instead of moving on, Finnish Kraken forwards Eeli Tolvanen, Kappo Kaako and their mates played for bronze rather than gold, after giving up a 2-1 lead midway through the 3rd period on a controversial play, and then losing very late in the third after Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon scored a power play goal.
(Tolvanen didn’t play vs. Canada, Kakko did. Both played in the bronze medal game)
The officials’ whistles weren’t working when Finnish goalie Juuse Saros tried to cover a puck with his glove, typically a routine play, but didn’t because Canadian Brad Marchand was tumbling behind him on top of the goalie’s legs and restricting movement. Instead, the puck squirted loose, Team Canada found D-man Shea Theodore moments later and he ripped home the tying 2-2 goal.
There wasn’t interference during Theodore’s shot itself, it came just before that when Marchand landed on the goalie. Play should have been stopped.
Nine minutes later, MacKinnon scored the game winner after Finland’s Niko Mikkola was called for a high stick, with just enough embellishment from the Avalanche superstar to seal the call.
He drew the penalty and with just one second remaining on the power play and 36-seconds left in the game, he scored.
Had roles been reversed and Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington been interfered with at the other end, leading to an opponent’s tying goal and an eventual loss, we’d be talking about it for the next three-and-a-half years. In this case, the discussion ended in two days.
That’s hockey. No whining, despite the end result of the non-call being monumental.
The same could be said for a potential too-many-men-on-the-ice call that could have gone against the Americans in the third period of the Gold Medal game. It wasn’t called when it looked like it should have been.
Two ways to look at it: What comes around goes around, or Que Sera Sera, whatever will be, will be.
(… and I can’t believe I just quoted Doris Day in a hockey story)
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Control Their Own Destiny At The Break
Earlier Canucks:
— Canucks Olympic Break 9; Jim Robson, Trade Talk, Playoff Picture
