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U.S. starts slow, then routs Belarus 8-1
By David Lassen
Scripps Howard News Service
WEST VALLEY, Utah — All the pieces were in place for a stunning upset.
Belarus had taken a 1-0 lead on the U.S. men's hockey team just 20 seconds into Monday's game, and its goalie, Andrei Mezin, was putting on a clinic, making 15 saves in the first period to maintain that edge.
"You'd like to stay positive," said Brett Hull, "but I was thinking back through the history of hockey, all the times an underestimated team with a great goalie has come up with a big win. We kept getting great chances and he kept making save after save.
"It was a little scary, but I think you know, if you play the game long enough, if you get one in a situation like that ... it will come."
It was Hull that finally got that one — blasting the puck past Mezin just 46 seconds into the second period — to open the floodgates for an 8-1 victory that allowed the U.S. to win its pool and get the best possible draw — fourth-place Germany — in Wednesday's quarterfinals of the Olympic hockey tournament.
The U.S. dominated play to an extent more often associated with its women, outshooting Belarus 48-13. John LeClair, Scott Young and Bill Guerin each scored twice as the U.S. blew the game open with a five-goal third period that gave it some breathing room in the battle for the pool's top spot.
Russia would have needed to win by 11 goals against Finland to snatch the top position from the U.S.
"It's very important to us," said Young of the first-place finish. "We're going to have a tough crossover game no matter what (but) crossing over playing Canada, Sweden or the Czechs would have been very tough."
Hull, his former Dallas teammate Mike Modano, and LeClair — put together in the third period of Saturday's 2-2 tie with Russia — had the tying goal in that game and the first three on Monday.
It was Modano who found Hull at the top of the slot to set up the first goal.
"He knows where to go and I know where he's going to be," said Modano, who set up the Hull goal and finished with two assists. "It kind of just happens. It's pretty easy."
Hull did little celebrating once he finally scored.
"I can't repeat what I was I was saying, because it was about my 15th shot and there were still 40 minutes to play," said Hull. "It was just one of those, 'It's about time, and let's go from here.' Because the longer it goes with them up 1-0, the tighter people get."
It wasn't even for long, as LeClair made it 2-1 with a power-play goal two minutes after Hull's, and 3-1 at 7:33 mark.
U.S. coach Herb Brooks took no special credit for putting the three players together.
"For two periods the other night, we were having a hard time getting going," said Brooks. "The Russians played very well. They had us bottled up ... we were struggling, so we threw them together to try to pick up the momentum.
"So it was more just out of just juggling and trying to get a little friendly wakeup call. But they played very well today."
Not that they were alone in that regard. The U.S. defensive play was again superb, blocking 17 shots in limiting Belarus to 13 shots on goal. Eleven players had at least one point. And, after letting in Dmitry Pankov's early goal, Tom Barrasso wasn't tested often, but had some big saves when the game was still close.
"We feel we can beat any team in this town," said Jeremy Roenick. "We dominated defensively in the first three games."
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February 18, 2002
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