Crosby saves Canada in shootout win over Swiss

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Across Canada, there was a single response: Whew.

Sidney Crosby scored the only goal of a shootout in which an entire nation of nervous Canadians hung on every shot, giving Canada a 3-2 victory over Switzerland on Thursday and avoiding a second inconceivable loss to the Swiss in as many Olympics.

Canada, a huge favorite despite a 2-0 upset defeat to Switzerland in 2006 that ranks among the greatest in Olympic history, took a 2-0 lead early in the second and looked to be cruising. But the Swiss, with two NHL players to Canada's 23, came back to tie it on second-period goals by Ivo Ruthemann and Patrick von Gunten.

After a scoreless third period and five-minute overtime, the first three shooters for each team in the shootout failed. Crosby, denied as Canada's first shooter, put a wrist shot past Jonas Hiller with his second attempt, and the game ended when Canada goalie Martin Brodeur stopped Martin Pluss' shot.

"My psyche was tough for me the whole game, knowing that it's a pressure game, people expect us to walk right through that team," Brodeur said. "At least getting the win like that is definitely nice."

Especially considering the alternative.

Canada, helped by early goals from San Jose Sharks teammates Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau, now faces a North American showdown Sunday with the United States (2-0). It's a game Canada must win to be assured of gaining the quarterfinals without needing an extra game in a newly added play-in round.

"It's probably not a bad thing for us to go through that kind of desperation and tight hockey like that because it's not going to get any easier as we move on here," Crosby said.

Hiller, the Anaheim Ducks' goalie, couldn't have played much better while making 45 saves, but the Swiss simply didn't have enough skilled shooters to stage an upset that might have been greater than their 2006 surprise.

None of their four shooters came through in the shootout. Brodeur, the best goalie of his generation and the NHL record holder for victories, turned aside former NHL player Hnat Domenichelli, Romano Lemm, Roman Wick and Pluss.

Maybe Canada should have taken note of the date: Feb. 18, the same as when goalie Martin Gerber -- later dubbed the Shroud of Turin -- made 49 saves against the Canadians at the 2006 Olympics and sent them to one of their worst defeats since the country invented hockey.

This upset would have been bigger. This Canadian team is considered to be superior in all areas to the aging 2006 team that finished seventh in Turin, one place behind the Swiss.

"This team is way better than the team we played in Italy," Pluss said. "They skate better, they're younger, they're fresh and just the way they play."

With this game on Canadian home ice, a reconfigured team with few holdovers from Turin and a rollicking Canada Hockey Place bedecked from ice level to the top of the highest luxury suite in red and white and celebrating the 2-0 lead, it couldn't possibly happen again.

Could it?

Swiss coach Ralph Krueger, a native of Winnipeg, promised a few weeks ago his club would be the "upset team" of Vancouver. How right he nearly was.

"We had our opportunities, a lot like '06, to put this game way and we didn't score," Brodeur said.

Ruthemann gave the Swiss -- who finished fifth in their six-team group in last year's world championships -- some hope with a slap shot from the left circle that deflected off the right post and into the net at 8:59 of the second.

The loud Canadian crowd quieted a bit, but sensed the home team wasn't in trouble against a relentless Swiss team that possesses an exceptional work ethic and determination.

It was.

With 10 seconds left in the period, von Gunten's seemingly harmless shot from along the left wing boards deflected off Marleau's skate in front and past a helpless Brodeur, who was also in net in the Turin loss.

As the Canadians trudged to their dressing room, they suddenly found themselves taking on not only the Swiss, but the bad memories of 2006. Canada, favored at home to win only its second hockey gold in 58 years, certainly didn't expect to be in so precarious a position so early in the tournament.

As the third period began, the Canadians appeared to be clutching their sticks a bit harder, knowing that one more goal allowed might put them in big trouble with the tournament barely begun.

"It's an incredible team over there," defenseman Mark Streit said.

A few fans waved banners reading "Believe," but many of the nearly 17,000 crowded into the Vancouver Canucks' arena were in near disbelief, even while optimistically chanting "Go, Canada, Go." In his private suite, Canada executive director Steve Yzerman looked more than nervous.

The Canadians pushed and pushed to go ahead in the third, outshooting them 47-23 for the game yet they couldn't get it past Hiller, who reprised the currently injured Gerber's role in Turin. There were no exceptional scoring chances in the five-minute overtime.

Long before that, Heatley skated to the net, kicked the puck to his stick and shoved it past Hiller at 9:21 for his third goal in two games, making it 1-0.

Heatley also had a hand -- or, actually, leant his back -- as Canada scored again in the opening minute of the second period after Yannick Weber got sent off a second time for hooking. Shea Weber's drive from the left point off a faceoff win deflected off Heatley's back to Marleau, who jammed it into the net.

"I thought at the beginning we were a little slow. The Canadian guys were all over us. After the second goal that made it 2-0, it could go either way," said Streit, the Swiss' only NHL skater. "After, it could be 6-0. But we played hard, we didn't give up, we sacrificed, we stuck with our game plan and we came back."

The Turin game led to four years' worth of repercussions for the Canadians, who never recovered from it and went on to finish seventh after winning the gold in 2002. Yzerman and coach Mike Babcock were determined to go younger and faster with versatile players capable of handling multiple chores, eliminating the need for less-talented role players.

The Swiss couldn't match Canada's speed or puck-handling skills and wound up taking six of the game's seven penalties, yet nearly pulled it off.

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