Darren Pang

It wasn't going to be easy for everybody.

It's easiest for the United States because they're the winners.

They're the gold medal champions, and they got the bragging rights on it, but they partied harder than anybody else.

Everybody else had a heavy heart.

They had light hearts and light feet, and they tossed back a couple, and I'm sure that it's going to be a challenge for them.

Honestly, I watched...

Austin in practice today, and I think Jody Shelley and I are doing the game with Brendan Burke on TNT, and I looked, I said, you've been watching Austin?

He's like, yeah, I've been watching him.

I'm like, ooh, not many clean plays so far in this practice, but as Austin said afterwards, you know, he was here last night, got a good sleep.

I'm sure he's having a heck of a nap here this afternoon, and then, you know, we'll be ready to go because he

He knows the responsibility, but it's not going to be easy, certainly for the Pesky Leafs.

There's no doubt about that.

But you're right.

He's got to carry the mantle.

He's the captain.

Yeah, I guess the one thing, Noodles, is you hope that nobody gets hurt here.

You know, you're already taking a risk going to the Olympics, and what have we seen?

I remember in 98, Joe Sackett hurt his knee, and what, 10, 14, Tavares hurt his knee, and now we've got Sidney with his, and there's a lot of other minor injuries and aches and pains, and players wanted to play through it.

Whether they were 100% healthy going into the Olympics or not, they didn't want to disappoint their country, which I totally understand.

And now they return again, and here we go.