Two very big statement games today for both the US hockey team and the Purdue Boilermakers, as each tries to defeat the more successful rivals from the north. As my luck would have it, both games are basically concurrent. Fortunately, I was able to figure out how to run picture in picture so I’ll be able to watch both games at once. And with it, update AMSTS.
We’ll join in live at 2 PM AZ time, with the US down 1-0 after 1 period.
2:06 PM, the teams get back on the ice, meanwhile UConn and Louisville have 29 seconds to go and Gus Johnson’s head might have splatted on the arena’s roof. I wish they could get him to call hockey.
2:07 PM, it seems like all the USA does is play in the defensive zone. Canadians are chanting. I hate Canada. Meanwhile, Louisville did Purdue a favor and won their game, ensuring there’d be no OT, preempting my Boilers.
2:11 PM, Purdue’s playing 4 Gs and a C. We’ll see how this goes.
2:13 PM, CBS replayed Hummel coming out of the tunnel and getting a deafening applause. Purdue starts the game 0/4 from the field and calls a TO trying to inbound. Rough start for the Boilers but it’s only 4-2.
2:15 PM, Canada scores again. Fuck Canada. 2-0. I’m almost tempted to switch Purdue to full screen.
2:19 PM, USA really can’t do a damn thing and every time we have a shot they whistle the play dead suspiciously early.
2:21 PM, CBS is doing a montage on Tennessee and fails to mention that Purdue beat them in December. Good job, CBS. Boilers 7-4 and Luongo just made an amazing save, ugh.
2:22 PM, Kalin Lucas just fell to the floor. Apparently a shot to the nuts. Verne is making uneasy comments. Unintentional comedy at its finest.
2:25 PM, Michigan State has 6 team fouls at 14:10 in the first. This is a good sign for Purdue. 7-6 Boilers right now.
2:26 PM, and there’s foul number 7 with 13:57 remaining in the first half.
2:28 PM, USA gets on the board! Looked like it was Rafalski from the point and someone up front deflected. I don’t have the audio on the hockey game so I have no idea. Whatever, most Americans don’t know who Rafalski is anyway. And Lucas is back on the floor after tending to his boys.
2:30 PM, KG launches a 3 and bonks it, then Bade flies out of nowhere to get the rebound. Good to see him stepping up his game.
2:32 PM, Verne keeps calling E’Twaun Moore “E-tohn”… this is driving me nuts.
2:34 PM, US is really putting the pressure on Luongo, who is making some amazing saves, as is Miller. I wish this game were on 2 hours earlier so I could watch it at 100% attention.
2:39 PM, Michigan State 18, Purdue 14. Boilermaker Nation is on Orange Alert right now. Right now I think even with a win that we’re going to get #1 in the nation. End 2nd period, Canada 2, USA 1.
2:41 PM, I really hate that Buffalo Wild Wings where the so-called “Sports fans” ask for the game to go into OT, even though their team is about to win. It really raises my blood pressure. I also hate the ad for “The Ladders.” Can we just take these two ads off of TV in a unanimous decision?
2:45 PM, Purdue is shooting 29% from the field and only down 4. I can deal with this. JJ just took his second foul with 7 minutes to go. This is basically our second team offense from here until the end of the half… This could get ugly.
2:49 PM, the Purdue crowd doesn’t sound deafening, I’d like to see Purdue make a little run to get the crowd loud.
2:50 PM, ask and ye shall receive. Kramer steals the ball and makes the dunk. Kramer is now the all time steals leader. Keaton then nails a 3. Welcome back, 14,123.
2:52 PM, Mackey is rocking after MSU’s Nix gets Ted up for hanging out on the rim. Third period starts, this is going to be timed perfectly.
2:56 PM, Another Boilermaker steal and man Mackey is rocking!!!
2:58 PM, Bade airball. So much for bringing the A game I mentioned earlier.
3:00 PM, switch to hockey, see The Ladders commercial on the Purdue feed again. You’ve got to be kidding me.
3:02 PM, halftime. Purdue 28, MSU 26. 14 minutes to go in the hockey game, this is damn near perfect timing. Hopefully Canada can have a 3rd period collapse like they did against Slovakia.
3:05 PM, Miller makes a great save and takes it out of his glove to push it up the ice and nearly turns it over. JUST FREEZE IT, SON!
3:13 PM, USA really pushing hard, only 7 minutes to go. Not a lot to say about hockey on these things, I guess.
3:15 PM, 5 minutes to go and USA is pushing hard. Canada seems content with playing defense. Not sure how wise that is.
3:17 PM, 2nd half starting up, just under 5 to go in hockey. Purdue still shooting 30%, Michigan State at 38%. Big Ten Basketball, we’ve got next!
3:22 PM, Crosby just stole the puck and had a breakaway and couldn’t do a thing against Miller. 2 minutes to go in the hockey game. The Canadian flags are waving. Miller looks itching to be leaving the crease. And he’s out with 1:20 to go!
3:24 PM, 1 minute to go, US is pushing, but to no avail. WITH TWENTY FOUR SECONDS US SCORES!!! WHAT A GAME!! USA! USA! USA!
3:28 PM, end of regulation, 15 minutes to go in Purdue game. What a day…
3:30 PM, clocks go dark in Mackey for like the 15th time this year. Daktronics, whoever they are, need to be fired.
3:31 PM, Mackey reboots. Purdue has missed 9 of its last 10 attempts from the field. The first traveling call of the day is called, despite it being the 15 occurrence by MSU.
3:33 PM, Another traveling call. Finally the refs are paying attention.
3:34 PM, Kramer is limping off the floor with what looks like a hamstring. This is not what Purdue needs.
3:37 PM, my dad just called me to talk about how exciting of a hockey game it was, oblivious to the fact that Purdue is playing. My dad never watches hockey. I think this is a good sign for the NHL in the future, if it can capitalize off of these exciting Olympic games.
3:39 PM, Michigan State has 3 guys with 3 fouls. Hopefully Purdue can keep the pressure on them. What an ugly game so far.
3:41 PM, Moore has a 3 swing around the rim and roll out and MSU goes down the other end and sinks a 3. Up by 8 with 11 minutes to go. Time for a Boilermaker rally.
3:44 PM, Overtime begins, the arena in Vancouver is almost silence with nerves.
3:47 PM, I don’t know how well my heart can handle two games that have me on the edge of my seat…
3:49 PM, Purdue shooting 29%. I can’t believe this. Someone needs to step up, Purdue is only down 6 and shooting this horribly. As I ask for someone to step up JJ hits a fadeaway jumper.
3:50 PM, Purdue is being outrebounded nearly 2-1 and still only down 4. They don’t really deserve to win this, but it’s not about who “deserves” to win, it’s who wins. 12 minutes to go in OT and Canada scores. Fuck Canada.
3:53 PM, at least now I can fully focus on the Purdue game. I’d much rather have Purdue win than the US win an Olympic gold in a sport that most Americans don’t care about…
3:57 PM, E’Twaun has showed up, Purdue gains a bit of momentum but still down 6 with 4:16 to go… I have half the cushion of my couch stuck up my rear end I’m so tense.
4:00 PM, Kramer draws 2 charges in 15 seconds. This kid throws it all out there.
4:02 PM, E’Twaun hits his second shot in 3 minutes. Hope this continues, unlike the 27 minutes without a made FG that happened earlier in the game.
4:08 PM, 1 minute to go, Purdue down 6. Painter timeout.
4:09 PM, Moore’s 3 bounces in and out of the rim…. again. Time to start fouling. I think this ship is sailing.
4:13 PM, Game over. Neither of those games went the way I was hoping. Ugh.