9:58 - Whew! Intense game! Thanks for following along in my spur-of-the-moment live blog! Go USA! 

9:56 - Ryan Miller was a beast in this game. I have no idea how he blocked so many goals, especially toward the end when they seemed to crowd him constantly. Amazing hockey was played in Vancouver tonight. It's a crime that NBC didn't air this on their main network.

9:55 - That's it! USA wins and finishes either first or second, giving them an extra day off! Now I can exhale!

9:55 - 25 seconds to go. Everyone on Team Canada is all up in Ryan Miller's grill, and he covered up somehow.

9:53 - The puck broke away! GOAL ON THE OPEN NET, USA! 5-3! UNBELIEVABLE.

9:52 - 1:06 to go! Offsides on Canada gives us a play stoppage. This is nuts. Canada is pulling out all the stops, and I'm holding my breath. Canada pulled their goalie.

9:51 - Canada is intense! They're all over the U.S. goal! I don't know if I can handle this!

9:50 - Time for another delicious adult beverage while we're paused after Miller covered up that last shot.

9:49 - Power play over. We're back at full strength. Miller holds another great shot. Hold on, guys! You're almost there! 2:34 to go.

9:47 - Oops. Guess he's human after all. Canada scores. USA Is still up 4-3 with 3:09 to go in the period. I'm getting a little bit nervous now.

9:46 - Amazing stop by Ryan Miller! The Canadians really jammed up his net, almost knocking the goal off its pegs. And he protected it through everything. The man must have super powers.

9:44 - 5:04 left. Penalty on the US, who decided to get sloppy in the last few minutes. Power play, Canada. The crowd is chanting, "Go Canada, Go!" We'll see about that...

9:43 - 5:12 left in the game. It's looking good for the Americans!

9:42 - Full strength. Still 4-2, USA.

9:41 - Insane scramble at the Team Canada goal. Fantastic goaltending. He covered it up and stopped play. 7:02 left in the game.

9:39 - That's the second puck over the glass, out of play, and into the stands. The most dangerous souvenir!

9:38 - I could really go for another cut-away to Donald Sutherland right about now.

9:37 - Wow. Team USA is still bringing it. So much, in fact, that they just earned themselves a penalty! Canada gets a power play with 9:11 to go in the game.

9:32 - Guess not. GOAAAAAAL! USA! 4-2! Time for a quick lap around the apartment!

9:31 - If it turns out that the Canadians have been hustling the U.S. for the first two periods, I'll be really upset.

9:30 - Ryan Miller has been doing an outstanding job, despite having the ugliest helmet in the sport, or perhaps in all sports.

9:28 - Wow. Third straight penalty on Canada. This period is getting really physical.

9:27 - Both teams have been playing at full intensity all game.

9:25 - I have hockey in a SlingPlayer window and the Endeavour landing on NASA TV's website. THE FUTURE IS NOW AND IT IS AWESOME.

9:22 - Way to come back from commercial 20 seconds into the third period, MSNBC. We totally missed the opening face-off in the U.S.

9:21 - Still at commercial break on MSNBC.

9:09 - RT @dceiver: Even the hockey playing Jack Johnson is kind of mellow.

9:07 - End of the second period, beginning of the first fight! Finally! MSNBC commentator: "Boys will be boys." What? Ugh. UGH. UGH.

9:04 - Wow. Some amazing rapid-fire saves, Canada.

9:02 - SCORE! USA! 3-2! Totally wicked scramble for Canada, but we took advantage of the opening!

8:57 - Hockey actually won the "keep watching" vs. "get another beer" debate going on on my head. What a game.

8:55 - Dilemma: I can't take my eyes off of this game, but I need another delicious beverage! What do I do?

8:54 - Another heart-stopping save by the U.S. I stopped breathing for a second.

8:51 - And after the explanation, the clueless announcer said, "While you were talking, I was looking around the arena." Then he read a couple signs that he saw. I am not kidding.

8:49 - Whistle for a crease violation. One announcer was baffled. "What just happened?" The other announcer explained international ice hockey rules. Granted, I'm used to watching NHL, so some of the rules are different. But if you're announcing the Olympics, shouldn't you know that stuff? Just sayin'.

8:43 - Was that Donald Sutherland in the stands? He sure looks... rough. Or maybe he hasn't shaved and grew his hair out for a part. Yeah, that's it. He's researching an upcoming role of a mental patient who likes hockey. Man, I wish I had a DVR so I could make a screen grab of that picture and post it here. Can anybody hook me up with that?

8:39 - Canada scores again, and we're tied up at 2. This is a great game. But go USA.

8:36 - AMAZING save! Although I almost drowned on a gulp of beer because of it.

8:35 - And the second period is underway!

8:34 - They capped off that mega-long commercial break just now with a commercial that said the event "was brought to you with limited commercial interruptions" by British Columbia. Umm... packing them all into one break is pretty much the same thing, isn't it? NBC, you suck.

8:30 - They're sure making up for the lack of commercials in this extra-long break.

8:20 - Curling at midnight! Apparently MSNBC has all the events the rest of the world cares about, and NBC is pandering to Americans. I suppose that makes sense, but let's face it. Any decision NBC has made since ruining The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is suspect.

8:09 - Man, these guys are all playing really hard. It's wearing me out. Defense and offense both have it dialed up all the way.

8:01 - USA SCORES AGAIN! 1-2! This game just got SUPER REAL. TOTALLY INSANE. Let me flip over to NBC really quick. What are they showing? Oh, more skiing. Seriously, does this network have any priorities? Is it because they can't cram in as many commercial breaks or something? This is an epic game so far.

8:00 - Canada scores. Tie game, 1-1. THIS JUST GOT REAL.

7:58 - Canada is bringing the offense. Stay sharp, USA!

7:55 - The Canadian goalie has "USA" written on the top of his stick. Hit list? Or way to mark the stick and keep it as a souvenir later (if they win)?

7:49 - Meanwhile, NBC is showing skiing. Isn't this hockey game the biggest thing happening in Vancouver right now? Man, Americans need to get their priorities straight.

7:46 - SCORE! 1-0 USA! USA!

7:45 - Face off!

7:44 - I just figured out why this MSNBC broadcast team is so bad. All the best NHL commentators are Canadian, and they're probably working on the Canadian broadcast of this game! None of these American broadcasters seem to really want to be there, and they're basically conceding that the US is going to lose. Way to sprinkle a little sports magic, guys.

7:30 - The MSNBC news break just reminded me that Endeavour is scheduled to land tonight, probably during the hockey game. USA vs. Canada and a shuttle landing at the same time? I'm not sure I can handle this much nerdy excitement.

7:27 - Now comes the part where the announcers say, "These young whippersnappers have no idea what it was like back then. Why, in my day, we had cold wars to settle on the ice! These kids weren't even born back then! All they have is that movie to watch!" (I am paraphrasing.)

7:25 - Wait, here's another recap of the "Miracle on Ice" game. Did they just say that it was "30 years ago tonight"? Is that correct? Hang on. Let me Wiki it.

Okay, according to Wikipedia, it's the 30th anniversary tomorrow night. Someone should edit the Wikipedia entry so MSNBC isn't wrong.

7:17 - According to MSNBC, Vancouver liquor stores are closing four hours early tonight because of the large number of intoxicated people that have been in the streets the past few nights, and they're concerned they'll be drunker than usual because of this hockey game. But what I heard was, "Gavin, you should visit Vancouver."

7:14 - Something tells me the Canadian coverage of this game is better, and I feel sad that I'm missing it for NBC's "B" team.

7:11 - But I don't get the "Snapshot of America" commercials for the census. Is this year's census going to be directed by Christopher Guest? Because it looks like it's most of the Best in Show crowd in there.

7:08 - I really dig that British Columbia green screen commercial. "We call it home." We just couldn't travel there to make the commercial for it.

7:05 - What are they showing on NBC? Figure skating or ice dancing? I can't remember.

7:02 p.m. ET - MSNBC just wrapped up the obligatory look back at the "Miracle on Ice" team from 1980. Would that game even be mentioned if we lost to the USSR? I'm sure it doesn't make the Russian Olympic coverage. What do you think Russian Olympic coverage is like? I'd watch that.

I don't normally live-blog anything. But I've made myself some (slightly overcooked) tuna steaks, I have some wine that needs to be finished, and I love hockey. And now you're along for the ride!