VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Sidney Crosby sized up goalie Ryan Miller in overtime and delivered hockey gold to a nation that not only craved it, but demanded it, too.

Silver wouldn't satisfy. Not in this sport and not in these Olympics.

Canada needed a pick-me-up to call the past 17 days a success. With a wrist shot Miller wasn't expecting, Crosby wiped away a whole lot of hurt. The scoreboard read Canada 3, USA 2. A happy — yet relieved country — rejoiced Sunday.

The death of a luger before the Olympic cauldron was lit, disheartening glitches and a slow start in the medals race had Canada down on these games. But after finishing tops among all nations with a Winter Olympics record 14 gold medals, including the one it wanted most, the hosts held their heads high.

'O Canada' surely never sounded as sweet as when the Maple Leaf flag rose above the ice to honor hockey's latest champions. And the way the Canadians pulled it off was truly dramatic. Crosby and Canada shook off a shocking tying goal by Zach Parise that gave the United States hope in the closing seconds of regulation.

"I'm very proud to be Canadian," forward Jarome Iginla said. "You know what, I'm really proud of setting the gold-medal record for Canada."

Remember the time: 7:40 into the extra session. That's the moment Sid the Kid grew up on the world stage and scored the winning goal. It set off howls, chants, sobs and cheers inside a packed Canada Hockey Place that was so proud of the guys decked out in red and white.

"It's a pretty unbelievable thing," the 22-year-old Crosby said. "Being in Canada, that's the opportunity of a lifetime. You dream of that a thousand times growing up. For it to come true is amazing."

For the past few years, Crosby has basically been on loan. He plays below the border in Pittsburgh — a working-class American town that celebrated him and the Stanley Cup title he and the Penguins brought to the Steel City last year.

For the past two weeks, he was back home for Canada to reclaim as its own. There could be no more fitting ending to the Vancouver Games than to have the favorite son bring home the gold medal to a country that loves hockey more than any other sport.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next