Where's Phil Esposito When You Need Him?

The last time Team Canada was in this much trouble in Vancouver, Phil Esposito led the rallying cry.



Now, to be fair, Team Canada is in a far more enviable position today than they were in 1972. And the fans have been far more hospitable. That being said, the second guessing will be full force on Monday.

Bottom line - Canada is not done yet. They have played very well for long stretches times, but have not been rewarded. They need to find their groove, harness their energy at times, but their game plan is solid. They're running into hot goalies, although that's entering their psyche by now. If they can just do what they're doing and have a confidence building game against Germany, they will be ready to bring their best game against the Russians.

One area of improvement I believe is in the hands of the crowd. We need to make home ice as much of an advantage as possible. Too often against USA and at times against Switzerland the crowd became nervous, and the players responded to that. But if the crowd is as rambunctious as they can be, the team really feeds off of that positive energy.

The Canadian motto for these Olympics is "Believe." I still believe. We need to make sure Team Canada still knows we believe in them, too.

Just like the fans who travelled to Moscow in 1972.