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Men's hockey: USA going for gold
By Tim Buckley
Deseret News Olympic specialist
WEST VALLEY CITY — Perhaps the Russians should have just skipped Friday's Olympic men's hockey game, as frustrated leaders of their embattled federation threatened they might.
Because 22 years to the day after America's 1980 Miracle on Ice, 2002's Team USA needed no divine intervention to win this one.
A few goals, Mike Richter's brilliant netminding and the patience of Job instead turned the trick for the United States in its 3-2 semifinal victory over one rather-flustered Russian team.
Hardest part? Sweating out the conclusion of a final period in which the Russians trimmed a three-goal deficit to one. Once it did that, the United States could turn to trying to win precisely what its predecessors did in the last two Winter Olympics played on American ice: gold.
"I think we got a little scare in the third period, which I think brought us back down to earth a little bit. We were riding really high there in the first two periods, feeling invincible," American forward Jeremy Roenick said. "But I think right now we're gonna settle back down now and prepare for probably one of the greatest games any of us will ever play."
It's Canada versus the USA on Sunday.
"For everybody in North America," American captain Chris Chelios said, "this is what they wanted to see."
"It makes for a great story," defenseman Brian Leetch added.
Writing that one, though, requires first sharing how the Americans survived a game that should go down as one of the grandest in Olympic hockey lore.
Even the setup was fairy tale.
Last time players from these nations met in a game this significant, Russia was part of the Soviet Union and U.S. coach Herb Brooks' college kids were too naive to realize what winning in Lake Placid would mean. The Soviets had not yet invaded the NHL, and Brooks' boys were too young or small, or slow and chubby, to be there yet.
The last time Russia and the United States played in these 2002 Games was just one week ago. With rosters for both nations chock-full of NHL stars, and Brooks again behind his country's bench, the teams played to a 2-2 tie. Millions tuned in, making it American television's most-watched hockey game since Mike Eruzione was captain, Jim Craig was between the pipes and Al Michaels was shouting something about believing.
Making matters more melodramatic: The Russian Olympic delegation, fed up with what it perceives to be biased rulings and refereeing favoring North Americans in a variety of sports, including hockey, threatened Thursday to leave Salt Lake before the Games formally close Sunday. The international affair even was addressed in Russia's parliament, which tried swaying International Olympic Committee officials into employing a non-North American referee Friday at the E Center.
Not to be.
With veteran NHL ref Bill McCreary of Canada working the game, the Americans struck with Bill Guerin's unassisted power-play goal 15 minutes and 56 seconds into the opening period. Russian goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, peppered by 49 shots in all, stopped an initial blast from the left faceoff circle, but Guerin gained control after two Russians failed to kick it out of the zone.
The Americans would score two more power-play goals in the second period: Phil Housley put his just under the crossbar, beating Khabibulin clean with a Tony Amonte rebound that bounced off the Russian goalie's chest protector. Scott Young's came earlier on a rebound, though it trickled in only after Khabibulin threw up his left arm, got a piece of the puck and unsuccessfully lunged to stop it.
"It seemed like an eternity," Young said.
The third period seemed even longer than that.
Russia got its first from Alexei Kovalev just 11 seconds into the period. Vladimir Malakhov made it 3-2 just more than three minutes later, using a screen on a long slapper.
But it was all Richter after that.
"It was do-or-die," Russian defenseman Igor Kravtchouk said. "We just did it too late."
The New York Rangers goalie was largely responsible for that, making 17 of his 28 saves in the third period alone.
Richter even stopped one while sprawled flat on his back, using his glove to pull back a Sergei Samsonov shot the Russians unconvincingly swore was a goal.
"We saw it on TV," Russian coach Slava Fetisov said. "There was a score."
That was one of several complaints in a wild one ending with defenseman Daniil Markov's suspension from today's bronze-medal match against Belarus. Markov received a gross-misconduct penalty because, according to an official Olympic statement, he was one in a group of Russians who verbally accosted McCreary immediately after the game.
The Americans, meanwhile, whined about nothing. They were content surviving a frantic final 10 minutes, each one at least a tad reminiscent of the night that clock wound down 22 years ago.
"No disrespect," Brooks said when asked if it reminded him of anything, "(but) I know where you're going with that. I don't want to go back that way."
Instead, he looks forward — to doing just what his young fellas did in a time, and a place, back that way.
E-MAIL: tbuckley@desnews.com
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February 23, 2002
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