Can Brodeur Still be Golden?

No question that he has hot as of late … but does Brodeur deserve another shot at being Canada’s netminder in 2010?

The memory still gnaws at his gut.

The bitter taste still lingers in his mouth.

In fact, Martin Brodeur admits he and his Canadian teammates were embarrassed.

Less than a year before Team Canada steps on to the ice at the Vancouver Olympics, Brodeur looks back at the disappointment of the 2006 Turin Games and can only wonder what might have been.

In Brodeur's mind, Canada's failure in Italy had nothing to do with a lack of swagger and everything to do with a lack of fear. A fear of losing.

"I just think we were confident and not scared," Brodeur recalled. "Sometimes, being scared at losing is great motivation.

"We won the (2002) gold medal in Salt Lake City. Then we won the (2004) World Cup and probably thought: 'Wow, that wasn't even really close.'

"I think we got caught up into thinking that things would take care of themselves."

They didn't.

Canada would forget how to score in Italy. While Brodeur did not allow more than two goals in any tournament game, the squad's offensive funk culminated in an Olympic-ending loss to Russia, stripping Canada of the chance for a medal.

"It was a wake-up call for everybody," Brodeur said. "We had been embarrassed and that feeling lingered. We didn't go home right away. We had to stay over there for the duration, even though our tournament was done.

"We sat there watching Sweden win gold and could only shake our heads. I just thought: 'That could have been us.' "

Come Vancouver, he hopes it will be.

When the New Jersey Devils goaltender was sidelined for 50 games with a torn biceps in his left arm, it seemed the Roberto-Luongo-for-2010-Starting-Goalie campaign snowballed.

According to the argument, Luongo is younger; he paid his dues in Turin as an Olympic backup; and, as the Canucks goalie, deserves a shot to be The Man in front of the home town Vancouver crowd.

But why should Brodeur pass the torch if he still is playing at a level that has many labelling him the best goalie of all-time?

It says here the Olympic starting job should, in fact, be Brodeur's until he loses it.

The numbers speak for themselves. Entering tonight's game, Brodeur is just three shutouts shy of Terry Sawchuk's all-time record of 103 and just four victories shy of Patrick Roy's mark of 541.

Then there are the intangibles.

A week ago, as he prepared to return to action after a four-month absence, Brodeur told Sun Media that he was not concerned with those records. He just wanted to feel comfortable again.

How's this for comfortable? Brodeur has won all three starts since coming back, two via shutout.

No one should be surprised. Brodeur always has shown a penchant for seizing the moment.

He did it during each of the Devils three Stanley Cup wins, toiling for a team that was never the most talented.

He did it in Salt Lake, backstopping Team Canada to its first Olympic title in 50 years.

And he did it again in the past six days, picking up his assault on the record book exactly where he had left off at the time of the injury.

With Brodeur back, the Devils should be considered favourites to come out of the east in the playoffs. No offence to Boston's Tim Thomas or Washington's Jose Theodore, but they have yet to prove they can carry a team through the playoffs.

With team president Lou Lamoriello pulling off a shrewd deal yesterday, picking up veteran Niclas Havelid from Atlanta, the Devils are poised to make a deep post-season run.

As for the Olympics, this will be Brodeur's last kick at the Olympic can.

He wants to make the most of it.

"One thing's for sure. I'm 36 now so, if I'm fortunate enough to be picked, it definitely will be my final (Olympics)," he said.

"Just give me the chance. I'll take it from there."

Well, what say you?!!!