Americans Surge After Goal, Need To Continue Applying Pressure

It had been almost 80 minutes since Team USA had scored a goal, dating back to the first period of the semifinal round against Finland. But after Ryan Kesler's goal on Patrick Kane, the Americans really turned up the energy and the hustle.

As a result, the Americans are alive in this gold medal game. Still, they are down by a goal and the next one scored in this one will be gigantic, perhaps decisive. If the Americans come out in the third period with the energy they displayed in the latter portion of the second and they can beat Roberto Luongo again, they could ride the wave all the way to the gold medal.

If Canada comes out, clamps down and retakes control of the hockey game, they could easily put another one past Ryan Miller to take the wind out of the American sails. We're going to learn a lot about how the rest of this game will go in the way each team reacts right off the opening third period face off.

More: SB Nation’s full coverage of the Winter Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics Medal Count Tracker.