A Loss, But No Bitter Tears

You could see the pain building behind the mask of Ryan Miller as he began to realize his gold medal had eluded him. Sidney Crosby. Quick shot. Five hole. Canada's prize.

The disappointment, the sniffles, everything you'd expect from someone who felt he needed to be perfect to win, and who felt less than so in defeat. But the class act that the American goaltender is came through in postgame interviews. No ducking. Taking on all questions as he did shots on Sunday afternoon.

The best side of Miller came through later Sunday when he joined several of his teammates at the Vancouver Games' closing ceremonies. He proudly wore his team colors and a smile. Disappointment in a loss? Yes. Pride in a fine job for his country. Yes.

That's the face I take from these Olympics. The face of the American men's hockey program. The team fell short, but it pushed forward the notion that this country can produce a strong program even when the number of stars on the American roster does not match those on the flag or on the roster of the opponent.

This silver medal, coupled with the gold earned by the United States this past January at the World Junior Championships in Saskatoon, offer a hint of what is to come. The challenge is on USA Hockey to continue to build on this and not live on the past.

The Miracle on Ice was great, but that was 30 years ago. USA Hockey cannot accept 20- or 30-year intervals between gold medals. It's time to get to work. Kudos to Canada for its Olympic gold medal. And kudos to the American team for raising our expectations for the gold medals to come.