U.S. eclipses Nagano performance

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 25, 2002

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WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- The United States men's hockey team left the Olympics with silver, its first medal since 1980 gold, and with its head high.

It also thought it put behind the embarrassment of what happened on and off the ice four years ago at Nagano: playing badly, losing in the quarterfinals and trashing two rooms at the athletes' village.

"It was a disappointing time for us four years ago, but it was an enjoyable, proud time for us this time around," said goaltender Mike Richter after a 5-2 loss to Canada at the E Center. "I think this time we did it well. We wish we could have taken the final step in winning the gold, but we played as hard as we could.

"We were honest about our effort and conducted ourselves well on and off the ice, and for that we are proud."

Center Bill Guerin called the constant questions about Nagano "crap."

"A lot of people wanted to see a repeat of that for a story to write," he said. "We changed the whole look of the team with our performance on and off the ice."

That doesn't mean he wasn't disappointed.

"The thing about getting silver is you lose getting it," he said. "It hurts right now, but we're not going to hang our heads about it. We played like champs the whole tournament."

MARIO MOVE: Much was made of the move Mario Lemieux made, or didn't make, that led to Paul Kariya's goal that tied it at 1. Lemieux let a pass from defenseman Chris Pronger slide through the slot and through his legs to an open Kariya.

"I knew he was there," Lemieux said. "I knew that when the puck was coming, and it was coming pretty slow. I looked to the left and they had me covered, so I figured I'd let it go. I knew Paul was there for a pretty good shot."

FAMILY TIES: Canada goaltender Martin Brodeur one-upped his father Denis, who won bronze as a goaltender with Canada's 1956 Olympic team.

"When I close my eyes tonight, and probably in years to come, I'll think about this moment," Martin said.

VETERAN LEADERSHIP: Coach Pat Quinn said after Canada lost to Sweden in the first game of pool play, Lemieux, Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman took control.

"That leadership was so pervasive, from Day 1 there was no panic," Quinn said. "Those guys were buying in, so the rest of them, those who may have wondered about team play, began buying in. I'm so proud of them because they did stick to it."

A WORD FOR BELARUS: It was the darling of the tournament, inexplicably defeating powerhouse Sweden in the quarterfinals before falling 7-1 to Canada in the semis.

"We made history for our country," forward Ruslan Salei said of beating Sweden. "People were going crazy. After the game, it was like a holiday. It's like we made history."

USA-CANADA STATS: Canada's 13 medals, including seven gold, are the most in men's Olympic hockey. ... The United States has 10 medals, two gold, seven silver and a bronze. ... Canada leads the Olympic series against the United States 9-2-3. The last United States victory was 2-1 in the 1960 Games at Squaw Valley, Calif. ... The United States is 21-2-3 in Olympic games played on home turf.

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