Watch 2010 Winter Olympics: USA vs CANADA Ice Hockey (Live Video Stream)

The United States will get a chance to end a 50 year long losing drought against the Canadians. The USA vs Canada 2010 Olympic Hockey game event is scheduled to start today February 21, 2010 at around 4:40 PM PST at the Canada Hockey Place, UBC Thunderbird Arena.

The two teams have played each other a total of 15 times at the Olympics. The Canadians have won 10 of those games and tied three. The United States beat Canada in the 1996 World Cup taking a best-of-three final. Canada defeated Team USA on American soil in the gold medal game at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games.

“Canada and Russia will always have a rivalry in men’s hockey,” Toews said. “US and Canada is one that has grown. But they are both different. The one with Russia dates back a long time. I have grown up with the American one being bigger and at the forefront.”

“We hate to lose to anybody but especially against the Americans,” said Canadian forward Jonathan Toews who plays on the Chicago Blackhawks alongside American forward Patrick Kane. “It is a rivalry for a reason.”

US forward, Chris Drury said “No one’s betting a nickel on us. U.S. hockey has come so far. Now, it doesn’t take a miracle for us to win.”

They may be NHL teammates during the regular season sharing plane rides and going to group dinners, but when it comes to the Olympic Games there is no love lost between rivals Canada and the USA.

More than a dozen Canadian Olympians have teammates on NHL rosters that are playing for the US at the Vancouver Games, including Canada’s Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry who skate alongside Americans Bobby Ryan and Ryan Whitney on the Anaheim Ducks.

Canada and the US are the only two teams in the tournament that are made up of strictly NHL players and that helps make the Canada-USA rivalry one of the most intense. (Source)

UPDATE 2: Canada wins Gold by routing USA 3-2 in Overtime.

UPDATE 1: USA stuns Canada 5-3 in the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey preliminaries. Team USA scored in the first minute and never trailed in the game with a 5-3 win over Canada.

Game Recap

The United States beat Canada 5-3 in Olympic men’s ice hockey qualifying Group A on Sunday. Brian Rafalski put the U.S. ahead in the first minute of the game, Canada’s Eric Staal leveled but Rafalski scored again in the opening period.

Dany Heatley drew the Canadians level again before goals by Chris Drury and Jamie Langenbrunner gave the Americans a two-goal cushion over their great local rivals.

Sidney Crosby grabbed a consolation for the Canadians on a powerplay in the third period but Ryan Kesler sealed the U.S. victory with a goal into an empty net.

Team USA never trailed and beat Canada in the Olympics for the first time in 50 years. Canada now must win an extra game.

Ryan Kesler of the U.S. scored late to seal the game for the U.S. in their epic Olympic showdown at Canada Hockey Place.