as the worst avalanches in 20 year years. good evening, we begin tonight with the super power showdown on the olympic hockey ice here today that reverberated the hockey passion from sochi to siberia. the game, just a preliminary mat match, led the russian evening news and had the attention of both countries' presidents, vladimir putin who watched from inside the arena, and president obama who watched from california, who later tweeted his congratulations to t.j. oshie who made the winning shot,

and others saying never stop believing in miracles, a subtle reference to another famous hockey game. nbc's chris jansing has more. >> reporter: well, it is true that neither team was facing elimination tonight, but the matchup had the feeling of an olympic gold final. national pride was on the line. a monumental chapter in a decades-old rivalry had bars from hoboken, to austin to columbus, opening before breakfast, because in russia, fans were anxious for a rematch 34 years after the little game deemed the miracle on ice. >> whave been waiting since 1980 for this day. >> reporter: call it epic, call it thrilling, even an inconstant classic. could you sense the americans who are there though?

>> oh, yeah, absolutely, you could hear them. >> reporter: the raucus heavily russian crowd, including vladimir putin inside and russian viewing parties outside. faces telling the tale of 65 minutes of heart-pounding intensity. a 2-2 tie, overtime, and then it went to a sudden death shootout. what emotions are going through you at that moment? >> it is a roller coaster in the shootout because obviously every shot that goes by the game can change. >> reporter: the pressure on both sides, massive. russia judging the success of these games on winning hockey gold and so much riding on the stick of t.j. oshie. have you ever felt more pressure than in those moments? >> i don't know, it is hard, once the puck hs your stick, everything kind of goes away. but leading up to it, i was on the 14th shot, oshie put the game away.

a tale of stunned disappointment for the russians. but for americans? madness. >> usa! usa! >> it's wonderful. >> out of control! >> reporter: and for team usa, a hero is made. >> i love you, t.j. >> reporter: oh, sorry, kid, the toast of the sports world is spoken for. oshie said after the game he texted his girlfriend that he would be at the office a little while longer. now, there is other olympic news tonight. before the 1500 meter speed skating final team usa ditched their high tech suits after a disappointing series of races, didn't help, america finished out of the medals, but oh, those hockey players. >> i'm just thinking what happens if the two teams play for the gold medal. >> reporter: it will be up for grabs. >> chris jansing, good to see you. back in the u.s. in contrast to what was another 60 degree day today in sochi, blizzard

watches were up as another major storm batters the eastern seaboard. nbc's ron mott has more from massachusetts. >> reporter: hey, there, lester, good evening to you, the blizzard warning is in effect for coastal massachusetts today. as you can see we have been pelted by strong winds which elevates the danger of widespread power outages and dangerous winds. with barely a 24-hour breather from the last storm, parts of new england are getting hit hard again. >> this will be the second major storm for parts of the east this weekend. >> reporter: as much as two feet are supposed to fall, dangerously strong winds could fall. it is highly unusual to get two of these storms to happen. tonight, wind gusts as high as hurricane force, snowfall rates as much as two to three inches an hour, and there could even be thunder snow. >> reporter: the massachusetts governor, duval patrick, warned

people to stay off the roads. >> under these conditions it is really not possible to keep the roads clear and safe given the rate of snowfall. >> reporter: they have hospitals near and on cape cod on high alert for emergencies. >> we also expect there will be more traffic once the storm lets up. >> reporter: it has been a day of disruption at the airports, with passengers forced to sleep in philadelphia, and many flights grounded nationwide, more than 75,000 flights were cancelled in the past two and a half months, the highest number in two and a half years. and the relentless snow is becoming more than just an inconvenience. the people here ate inside while the snow caused crashes. >> everything just came down, within 30 seconds, it collapsed. >> reporter: this one, four workers inside escaped harm. in the south, thunder snow in virginia. in south carolina, crews from several neighboring states are working around the clock to

restore electricity from wednesday's ice storm, some 125,000 people still in the dark. and tonight, it is coastal massachusetts and maine in the cross hairs. now, the silver lining with this storm compared to some of the recent ones, this one is expected to hit and run pretty quickly. we believe it will taper off in the overnight hours, and then it should be mostly clear. >> all right, let's drill on what folks can expect tonight. weather channel meteorologist jim cantore has more from massachusetts. >> reporter: yeah, good evening, lester, we are on the massachusetts elbow here, the farther southeast point and we are taking a moderate sleet storm right now on the heels of 40 to 50 miles an hour winds, so excuse me if it stings just a little bit. believe it or not they call this pleasant bay where you don't usually see white caps. the radar showing the snow all the way from new jersey through new york upnto boston and new

england. and some of the snow has accumulated, four to six inches, in some cases, two feet, boston, by the time all is said and done five to eight inches, locally even a foot up in maine. the winds will be so powerful from 8:00 tonight through 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. i mean, look at the winds here in chatham, we'll go from 50 miles an hour winds to possibly 75 miles an hour winds, that is why they call these winter storms mother nature's hurricane. and that is just what it lives up to. tomorrow, the sun will come out but not before pounding the area with the winter storm. the second major nor'easter, back to you. we'll let you get out of it, jim cantore. sharing the miserable weather battering the midwest is great britain, described as having the worst round of weather in 250 years. take a look, this incredible satellite photo shows the latest

storms in the u.s. and the u.k. linked by a sweeping band of clouds in the north atlantic. mike taibbi has our report from london. >> reporter: surging wind-whipped seas, torrential rain, or both. one official said a conveyer belt of storm system since the first of the year has made this the wettest, most dangerous winter on record. overnight, this woman was killed at the wheel after a crash. a monster wave crashed on a cruise ship killing a passenger. and people were rescued from a restaurant when the surf driven by the hurricane-force gusts invited itself in. >> the winds just smashed itself against continue window. there was glass everywhere. >> reporter: and it is not safe for tens of thousands of homes now swamped after major rivers burst their banks. the only way to get to some

neighborhoods was by boat, or in our case, by amphibious duck boat. if the rain stopped today and it has not it would take months or weeks for this river to get back to normal. the flood waters have crippled rail service and made walking difficult. and escaping by car, as many have tried, difficult at best. you're going to wait all night? >> got nowhere else to go. >> reporter: meanwhile, these pumps are churning 24/7 to help. princess will and harry lent a royal hand in the sandbag brigade. >> we have areas where they're experiencing flood iing so that means the water is definitely rising. >> reporter: the worst crisis here, not yet over, mike taibbi, london. and in geneva, switzerland,

direct peace talks between syria's government and the opposition. without setting a date for further talks, meanwhile, president obama says he is considering new ways to pressure the syrian govern ment as the crisis enters its third year. >> reporter: lester, good evening, president obama spent much of the day playing golf here in the palm springs area. but last night, syria was the focus when he met with king abdullah. now, jordan has housed more than 600,000 refugees. last month, president obama pled pledged a billion dollars in loans to shore up a weakening jordan economy. a british-based opposition group, the syrian observatory for human rights estimates that more than 5,000 syrians have been killed since peace talks

began on january 2nd, and more than 100,000 killed overall. now, with the peace talks and no resolution in sight. last night president obama said he is considering steps to deal with the crisis but did not give specifics. now separately, late this afternoon, president obama signed the debt ceiling bill into law which extends the nation's borrowing limit. lester? >> kristen welker tonight, thank you. and when we continue tonight, we take you to hockeytown, usa, where they claim to be an olympic breeding ground. and they're the conversation about his car loan didn't start here. it began way, way back. before he had children. before he got married. it started in his very first apartment. see that overdue bill? it arrived after he moved out. and he never got it. but he's not worried.

checking his credit report and score at experian.com allowed him to identify and better address the issue... ... and drive off into the sunset. experian . live credit confident.™

usa. >> we're back now at the sochi olympics, we heard a lot of that today, by far the highlight of the day has been team usa's dramatic victory over the russians in men's hockey, and probably nowhere in america is there a bigger celebration than in the tiny town where two members of the team are from, including the hero of today's game. here is nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: in warroad, minnesota, so close to the canadian border you could walk it. but not today, it is minus 18. much warmer inside warroad's arena which just happens to hold

about 1700 people as the home town warriors battle rivals from up the road. >> everybody wants to see this game. >> reporter: they call this place the original hockey town. at the local cafe, folks say life's lessons are learned on the ice. >> you have to learn to lose. as well as be a good winner and good community people. >> reporter: and the world's best olympians, in sochi, there are two of them including t.j. oshie, the hero of today's game winner. when the men's team struck gold in 19620 and again for 1980's "miracle on ice," a warroader was there. and current olympian g.g. martin was on the women's team that won silver in vancouver, things never forgotten on the rink. >> my grandmother always said it must be something in the water.

>> reporter: gordon christianson and two others won, he won silver in 1956. >> that is what you wore? does it still fit? >> a little bit. >> reporter: henry boucheau says he never forget his hometown when he won silver in 1982. >> every person who puts on a uniform realizes and appreciates where they have come from and who has helped them along the road. >> reporter: for t.j. oshie, warroad taught him to love the game he loves. >> you find ways to get out there. playing those little games is where i really found the love for it. >> reporter: they start them young here, and back yard rinks can be an elaborate affair, tough competitors. but like everybody in warroad, united in support of their own. and lester, i was one of the lucky ones to score a ticket to

today's game. inside the bolshoi ice dome it was rocking, it was loud, it was good natured. and all the russian fans like the majority, as you heard, they shouted puck, with the puck and the net, that is what t.j. oshie did. >> they were well represented today. thank you very much. when we come back, heavy snow out west causing some of what can your fidelity green line do for you? just take a closer look. it works how you want to work -- on your own... or with a fidelity investment professional, helping you find new ways to plan for retirement and save on taxes where you can so you can invest in the life that you want today. tap into the full power of your fidelity green line. call or come in today for a free one-on-one review. a steel cage: death match of midsize sedans.

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oregon, utah and colorado have claimed at least six lives. nbc's ron allen has more on the continuing danger. >> reporter: in colorado's back country, without warning an avalanche obliterated snow mobiler cody strong, his camera capturing the final moments. >> i was just flying through the air. it happened so fast. >> reporter: snow, some four feet deep pushed him more than 30 yards down the mountain. miraculously he and his friends dug themselves out uninjured. >> like where i was that particular time was not very smart of me. >> reporter: this week alone, at least six people died in avalanches in three western states. that is 12 deaths so far this winter. when kevin kibus, 46, an experienced skier got trapped by an avalanche it took rescuers hours to find his body. >> i don't think any of us gave

up hope until we heard the final news. >> reporter: this snow and ice blocked off valdez, population 4,000, the officials are urging voluntarily evacuations. in colorado, they use trigger slides to prevent avalanches, forecasters saying it has been the worst in years, the problem, big storm systems overloading the snowpack, creating the snow accumulations twice the normal average in some areas and more coming. >> that is our fear right now. there is just another storm, another storm and another storm out there on the horizon. >> reporter: experts strongly advise using safety equipment like the air bag in this video keeping the skier on top of the sliding snow. next time, strong says he will be much more cautious. you must be grateful that this was not a lot worse. >> we're pretty lucky. >> reporter: avalanche warnings remain in place out in the wilderness all across the west. ron allen, nbc news, los

angeles. an amazing story has emerged in the wake of that massive 100-vehicle pile-up along the pennsylvania turnpike yesterday. caught in the gridlock, this history teacher used her cell phone to make sure class went on. >> we were going to have class anyway, no snow day for them. >> reporter: she was caught in the gridlock for four and a half hours, she says. and still ahead, cool runnings, the sequel. [ fishing rod casting line, marching band playing ]

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. here in sochi, the bobsled competition kicks off tomorrow with the return of the jamaicans, this of course is not the same team that took calgary by storm in the past olympics. but they managed to qualify for a two-man sled this time. still, their arrival managed to capture the attention and the ok obstacles they over came to get here. it was questionable if they would qualify for the games, and barely a month ago it was an open question if they could afford to fly here. they arrived here hours late. a missed flight connection and missing luggage, including some critical equipment. apt metaphors for the

perpetually uphill story that in the 1988 calgary olympics delighted the world, and later became the basis for a comedy film classic. >> gentlemen, this is a bobsled, sort of. >> reporter: but it has not necessarily been all cool runnings for the real jamaican team. they failed to qualify for the last two olympics and they have struggled to find sponsors. when i caught up with the team in december during qualifications times were lean. >> the thing is, we are one of the most famous teams throughout the world but the most poorest team, ever. >> reporter: after clinching a spot in sochi, the team revealed they didn't have enough cash to afford the trip. the reaction was immediate. within days, fans and supporters raised more than $100,000 for the jamaicans. the outpouring was incredible, the money raised in such a short

amount of time. what do you think was behind it? >> people want to see the jamaican team. >> reporter: finally, after a year of reactions, the jamaican flag was raised above the athlete's village. and while here in sochi they are soaking up the flames of the appearance here, they don't want to be seen as a sort of movie nostalgia tour. at 46 years old, winston watts came out of retirement to lead the team. >> i didn't just come out of retirement to be here, but i want to lead the team. >> reporter: the jamaicans have climbed a lot of mountains to earn their place back in the olympics hoping it is all downhill from here. >> and there is the jamaican sled, flyin in russia. >> it is, one of the best. the prettiyest color here. >> reporter: again, the jamaican bobsled team competes tomorrow here in sochi, we will be following all the action.

that is nbc nightly news for this saturday evening, i'm lester holt reporting from sochi, we hope to see you right back here tomorrow night. and remember, prime time olympic coverage begins at 8, 7 central. once again, by our own meredith vieira. once again, from nbc news, good night.

>> we athlete. metal and the moment. hi everybody. welcome to our olympic theme special edition of "access hollywood". i'm shaun robinson and we get right to all the olympic action with billy in sochi, russian a.hi billy. >> shaun the flame burns britly here in olympic park at the halfway point of the game. and let's start off with multi-medal day with ladies and multi-medal day with ladies and the half pipe straight into the 5 40. come

out swinging. do you remember when the score came in found out were you no. 1 gold kate lynn is america newest golden girl in the half pipe. do you remember what you did? >> i can't believe it. >>reporter: this is her going i can't believe it. >> we are all friend we are all in the same half pipe everywhere we go and so we are friend. >>reporter: what i love doing that time is the come republican and democrate. >> it's genuine. real. >>reporter: as if you need any more proof let's backtrack to the moment just before it was determined that kate lynn had won. >> judges taking their time, endless nearly 3 minutes after kelly clark final run very last of the finals that had kate lynn waiting with kelly tore a and hanna looking at them having a party with each other not a care in the world about who would end up on top. >> for me i was just so excited that i knew i was i was lick i'm going to be an olympic medallist