Best Games/Events of the Year

It was gold or bust for the proud host nation, so after losing an Olympic match (in group play) to the U.S. for the first time in 50 years, Canada sweated out the rematch in Vancouver. Clawing out of a 2-0 hole, Team USA tied the game 2-2 when Zach Parise scored off a frantic scramble with a mere 24.4 seconds left to play. The game went into overtime where Sidney Crosby became Canada's hero. Hustling to grab the loose puck in the left corner of the U.S. zone, he passed to Jarome Iginla, took the return feed and fired a shot between the skates of goaltender Ryan Miller at the 7:40 mark. Crosby's goal and the subsequent celebration are now part of Canadian hockey lore.