Every time Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Vancouver, he’s likely asked about scoring the Golden Goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The flip, of course, is Ryan Miller now lives and plays in the city where he gave that goal up to Crosby, and the questions were put to him ahead of Sid’s arrival for their game Wednesday night.
Do Miller and Crosby talk about the goal from more than five years ago that awarded Canada the gold and the U.S. the silver?
“Nah, he doesn’t bring it up and I’m not gonna bring it up,” said Miller.
“Big for him, not so good for me.”
The two nations went into overtime to decide the winner when Canada’s Jarome Iginla passed the puck from the corner to Crosby who snuck the puck between Miller’s legs. The Buffalo Sabres goalie was named the tournament MVP while Crosby experienced a career-defining moment.
“That was the tournament I said I was going to go for it at all costs,” said Miller. “I made a decision to play Sid a certain way and he made a decision to make a different kind of play. I thought he was going to go to that strong backhand he’s got and it didn’t work out.”
That sort of play can stick with a player through their career. Crosby got his moment while Miller may still be looking for his.
“(The goal) goes through your mind,” said Miller. “We were a crossbar away from winning that game and then it ended too soon for my liking. Those games stick with you and you can either use it as motivation or you can let it drag you down and I’ve been trying to use it the right way.
“I’m a competitive person and I want to get myself back into a situation where I’m in a defining game like that.”
Crosby and the Penguins have been struggling to score of late while the Canucks lead their division with a 6-2-4 record.
