These Kids Can Play, All Right

Feeling pretty good right now, that's why we have spooled up Grand Funk Railroad. Straight out of Flint. Tough town. Two shots and a beer town. A hockey town.

There have to be some drinks being consumed now that two periods are in the books in Vancouver and the United States has a big lead on Finland with 20 minutes left in the first semifinal in the Olympic men's hockey team. Not exactly the kind of game NBC probably wanted when it pre-empted storm coverage here in New York, and the afternoon soap operas on the West Coast.

Still, the Americans are skating hard, forcing mistakes and doing pretty well, for the most part, when it comes to avoiding any mistakes on their own. These kids are fast, and they are playing the kind of game that you hope means good things for the national program for the next 10 years.

Beats the old plan of win once and let the other guys worry about four years down the road. Now I know that might seem harsh for those who remember Mike Modano and his age group come up through the ranks. But there has been very little success at the elite level.

No Olympic gold medals. No World Championship medals. One World Cup gold. Building a good program, with NHLers, juniors, bantams, whatever, calls for finding the right players a few years before they join your roster.

The success of this team, gold, bronze or silver, will only mean good things if those calling the shots build a program that can go to any event, in any year, and contend for gold. Not every 10 or 30 years.

That's the challenge, for today, tomorrow, and well down the road.

Now the game is over. Americans win. 6-1. Now before taking all of Saturday to reflect on the next game, it's time to hit the dance floor in the Lounge.

Cue up a band from Detroit, THE Hockeytown. Rare Earth is being served.