Staple's analysis: Americans have displayed true grit in run to a medal

The perfect moment for the U.S. men's hockey team Friday was not the six-goal barrage in the opening 12:46, an incredible outburst fueled by the Americans' relentless play and Finland's shell-shock, or lack of interest, or some combination of both by a country that always has acquitted itself well on the international stage.

No, the perfect moment came in the second period, after the game was well in hand for the U.S.

Finland had a four-on-two, one of its rare scoring chances in transition, and there was American center Ryan Kesler flying back into the play, almost literally. He ended up sliding down into his own zone on his stomach to keep the Finns from breaking into the scoresheet.

This is the way the Americans have played for almost all of this Olympic hockey tournament. It's the way they will have to play Sunday in a rematch against Canada, which beat Slovakia, 3-2, Friday night.

The 6-1 shellacking, with those six quick goals, was truly impressive, especially in the breakthrough for Patrick Kane, who scored his first two goals of the tournament and finally looked like the most talented American player on the ice. But it won't happen again, and the Americans seem to know that.

Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff announced before the Olympics that he wouldn't even attend if Finland didn't name him the starter. After four shaky goals in the first 10:08, Kiprusoff decided to pull himself from the game, showing the Finns who's boss even after he struggled in net.

"It was one of those games where you don't want to give the other team any hope," said Ryan Miller, who was barely tested in the first two periods and had his greatest trouble when Jarkko Ruutu, the Senators' super-pest, fell on him in the second. "I think that was one of the best games of the tournament because I got to watch most of it."

And even though the remaining 46:14 wasn't exactly a nail-biter - Ron Wilson pulled Miller in the third to give his goaltender a break, and the Americans rolled all 20 skaters evenly to keep them fresh for Sunday - the U.S. still played with a commitment to defense that it will need in the gold-medal game.

"We came into this game with no pressure," said Kesler, the 25-year-old Canucks center who has been a treat to watch for those on the East Coast who rarely get to see him play. "No one expects us to win, and for us to come out and dominate says something about our grit and our character."

If the U.S. players close this Olympics by having gold medals placed around their necks, grit and character will be the main traits they brought to Vancouver, the main traits that brought them a most unlikely gold.