Team USA wins Gold at World Juniors
Well my prediction for the Gold medal game was way off. I saw a Canadian team that steamrolled every opponent they played and thought USA had little to no chance. Even thought it would be a 5-3 victory for Team Canada. Boy was I wrong. Instead Team USA defeated Canada 2-0 with the help of goaltender Spencer Knight.
Even though Trevor Zegras of Team USA won the Tournament MVP, the goalie Spencer Knight was the MVP of the Gold Medal Game. The only way Team USA had a chance against Team Canada was if Spencer Knight played out of his mind. He had to stand on his head and steal a win for Team USA.
Spencer Knight. pic.twitter.com/tMxRpaKFDj — Tony X (@soIoucity) January 6, 2021
And that is exactly what he did. The guy was absolutely phenomenal. He was the first goalie in nine years to get a shutout in a World Junior Gold Medal Game. Spencer Knight didn’t win the most valuable goalie of the tournament, that honor was given to the Canadian goalie, but Knight played his best game when it mattered. He did everything you ask of a goalie. Knight didn’t let in a single goal. He stood on his head and stole a win in the biggest game for Team USA.
And with this most recent victory Team USA has won four World Junior Gold Medals while playing against Canada. In Gold Medal Games where the matchup is Team USA vs Team Canada the United States has won four of the last four matchups. Hey Canada! Who’s the hockey country now! Eh? Because it looks like Team USA is good at two things. Beating the Canadians in Gold Medal Games, and trolling.
USA posing for team picture with what appears to be a trash can with a Canada logo on it. pic.twitter.com/YuGdxTGBBt — Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) January 6, 2021
Truly an A1 troll job. Taking the championship picture with a trash can that has the other team’s logo on it is hilarious and so mean. But teenagers are ruthless. So really this isn’t a surprise at all. If you’ve been on TikTok recently, or had a bad experience in high school then you know just how mean teenagers can be.
And all of these guys are under 20 years old. So the humor might be a little mean and to the point. But if Team Canada didn’t want Team USA to pose with a trashcan with a Team Canada logo on it after winning Gold then Team Canada should have won Gold themselves. And they didn’t. So of course Team USA had to take a picture with a Team Canada trash can. You have to show everyone you took out the trash.
Although, apparently this wasn’t even a trash can. No it was a barrel. Big difference. And it actually is a big difference when you hear Trevor Zegras explain what the barrel meant to his team.
Zegras explaining the barrel pic.twitter.com/V6fAccBYAK — Mike Pfeil (@mikepfeil_) January 6, 2021
See? It wasn’t a trash can. It was a barrel. Nothing mean about a Team Canada logo on a symbolic barrel. Although I can see where the confusion comes from. Because it does look like a trash can, and Trevor Zegras is too excited about winning Gold and MVP to do the explanation justice. Although this does explain it better.
Advertisements
This is the story that the Barrel idea is derived from. Sent in a Dec 19th US internal team newsletter. pic.twitter.com/mHS6msk5ZS — Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) January 6, 2021
While Trevor Zegras might not have done the best job explaining the barrel this does. The barrel was a simple reminder to look at and focus on what is in front of you, and to not look too far ahead. Take everything one step at a time. Or in this case, one game at a time. Which is a great reminder for life in general. Don’t look too far ahead and miss the barrel right in front of you, or you might get lost.
And Team USA didn’t get lost at all. They stayed focused on one barrel at a time, or in this case team, and won World Junior Gold because of it. Plus the barrel pissed off a lot of people. Which is hilarious. If Canada didn’t like it that much, then they should have won the Gold Medal Game. But who knows when that will happen again. Because there is a new hockey country in town and it’s the United States of America.
Advertisements
Gold medals the last 12 years at #WorldJuniors USA – 4 Finland – 3 Canada – 3 Sweden – 1 Russia – 1 Americans are a powerhouse now. Just keep building up. — James Mirtle (@mirtle) January 6, 2021