Most of us remember exactly where we were when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime against the United States to win the gold for Canada in Vancouver at the 2010 Olympics. We remember taking to the streets in jubilation, Maple Leafs flying proud as family, friends, and complete strangers alike bathed together in the glory of victory. Time appeared to stand still, and for a moment, division dissipated, problems vanished, and the entire country was truly united.That was fifteen years ago.Since then, much has been done by those in power to divide Canadians along certain lines, be they political, racial, economic, or cultural. For years, the feeling of unity that the "golden goal" spurred was but a distant memory, and seemed impossible to rekindle in the current political climate.Just when it felt as though Canadian morale was at its lowest, Donald Trump came in and declared that he wanted our great land to be the 51st state and threatened to tariff us to oblivion.The president's words were like a defibrillator sending jolts of electricity to the ever slower-beating heart of Canada. Over the following weeks, Canadians' collective soul underwent a rejuvenation. People from across the country — and political spectrum — dusted off their Maple Leafs and flew them proudly once more.For the first time in what felt like forever, we heard the same messaging from all parties: "Canada will never be the 51st state. We are a proud, sovereign nation."Tensions rose between Canada and the United States, and boiled over both on Twitter and in arenas across both countries as fans took to booing the opposing national anthem. This began at NHL games, and continued into the Four Nations Face-Off, a tournament created by the league for fun to replace the All-Star game. The United States won their first game against Canada in Montreal, leading American politicians and civilians alike to ramp up their annexation rhetoric. But it wasn't over. Canada and the United States came out on top of the standings, and were set to meet once again in the finals. Given everything that was going on politically, the game took on a seriousness rivalling that of the 2010 Olympics, or the 1972 Summit Series.Canadians from coast to coast to coast gathered in their living rooms and local pubs on Thursday night, united in a desire to see our boys defeat the United States.From the opening puck drop, the two teams battled hard. Canada got on the board first, but the United States answered back. Then they took the lead, and Canada tied it back up, sending the game to overtime.There are few things more nerve-wracking than sudden-death overtime, but the politically-charged nature of the game added an extra level of anxiety. We all knew, whoever scored next would win much more than bragging rights.Jordan Binnington brought his A-game in the extra frame, making a number of game-saving stops to keep Canada alive. In front of him, the players proved why they're known as the best in the world.Just over eight minutes into overtime, Mitch Marner brought the puck into the corner and searched for a man. Standing wide open in the slot was, of course, Connor McDavid. Marner made a perfect pass, and the Edmonton Oilers captain snapped it past Connor Hellebuyck and into the back of the net.Canadians inside TD Gardens and across the country let out a collective cheer. Family, friends, and complete strangers alike bathed together in the glory of victory, hi-fiving, hugging, and belting out O' Canada. Twitter feeds were awash in red and white as users reacted to the "McGolden goal." The American accounts that had taunted us prior to the match went silent.Canada needed a common cause to rally around, something that pitted us not against one another, but against a universally-acknowledged opponent.Team Canada won last night, and not just the hockey game…
