These American kids are just young enough not to know any better.
On hockey's biggest stage, with 19,000 pulsing Canadian fans roaring at Canada Hockey Place in downtown Vancouver, the youngest team in the 2010 Olympic tournament silenced a nation.
Make no mistake: Sunday's 5-3 win by the United States against Canada is nothing like the historic 1980 gold-medal run. Nor is it reminiscent of the 1960 team from Squaw Valley.
This time around, the Americans defeated the heavy favorites with some good fortune and tireless work up and down the lineup.
Quite frankly, they didn't give a damn about who was supposed to win.
Defenseman Brian Rafalski has been arguably the best player in the Olympics, right up there with USA goaltender Ryan Miller. The Canadians fired 45 shots at Miller Sunday, and he answered the bell.
Ryan Kesler's spectacular empty-net goal in the final minute was black-and-white evidence of the desire and passion that the United States team brought to Vancouver.
They wanted to win more than the Canadians did, and, as a result, they earned the No. 1 seed in the next round.
Youth has been served, and give credit to team general manager Brian Burke. He could have taken the Mike Modanos, Keith Tkachuks and Brian Giontas that came along for the ride in previous Olympics. But he saw a chance to reshape the future of American hockey, and the attitude adjustment is significant.
Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, David Backes, Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel: not the household names, but all are established and accomplished NHL players. The chemistry they've conjured up in just over a week is remarkable, and, watching them play, you would never know they were bitter rivals on NHL ice just two weeks ago.
For years, the American players seemed content with getting pummeled in international competition. Those days are over. This year's American team is tough, gritty and hyper-competitive, and their demeanor should serve as an example to other teams.
It was very obvious that the Canadians expected to show up and win against the United States. Of course, it is their home rink in front of an overwhelming partisan Canadian crowd. But the intensity of the game was better fit for the Americans - they fed off it. They savored the role of underdog and took pride in quieting the building.
To say it was a satisfying victory is an understatement. But to call it the next step toward the gold medal is premature.
Do I think the Americans can win the gold medal this year? Absolutely. Does beating Canada mean they can beat anybody? We will see.
Honestly, I didn't find the performance of Team Canada very impressive. Coach Mike Babcock is clearly shortening his bench and using primarily 9-10 forwards.
The pressure is on north of the border, and the critics are circling the Canadian players and coaches. And now, it is some kind of uphill climb for Canada.
They face Germany today in the quarterfinal round, and with each ticking second, the stakes rise.
The winner of that game gets the pleasure of playing Russia.
Uh-oh.
2 Sports
Rob Mixer
