Everyone knew coming in that the Czech Republic, with Jaromir Jagr up front and Dominik Hasek in net, had the potential to pull off a major upset. Well, mission accomplished. Hasek and Jagr were both brilliant in leading the underdog Czechs past the United States, knocking the Americans from the tournament by a 4- 1 score. Jagr led the offense with a goal and an assist, while Hasek was simply remarkable in net, stopping 38 of 39 shots.

"This is disgusting." That's how a disheartened Keith Tkachuk tried to summarize his feelings following the loss. Disgusting barely begins to tell the story for the United States. The World Cup champs came into the Olympics as a gold-medal favorite, but are leaving an embarrassed, disgraced bunch of underachievers. That's quite a fall from grace.

Oddly enough, the Americans came out against the Czechs and dictated the tempo early. They were aggressive, physical, and quick to the puck. In fact, it seemed like the Americans might steamroll the Czechs after spending the first several minutes of the game in the offensive zone, cycling the puck at will.

The hard work led to an interference call to Czech winger Milan Hejduk at 2:39. The US went to the power play primed to take an early lead. That's when Hasek started to steal the show. His first magnificent save of the night came during this kill. It was at the expense of Brett Hull. The Czechs had a breakdown in coverage, allowing Hull to skate in alone from the slot after working a give-and-go with John LeClair. The Golden Brett looked the net over and tried to go upstairs with a wrist shot, but Hasek flopped on his right side and waved his glove, knocking the puck up over the cage.

The Americans continued to press the attack after the penalty expired. Adam Deadmarsh streaked up the ice along the right wing wall and created a two-on-one with Gary Suter, who was already waiting at the Czech stripe on the left side. Deadmarsh made a swell pass over the sticks of the lone defender and a hustling backchecker right to Suter's tape. No one in the world is faster post-to-post than Hasek and he proved it here by getting across in perfect position and taking the shot in his stomach. Most goaltenders would have to lunge across, but not Hasek. He made it look easy.

Not long after the failed two-on-one, the US caught another break when Roman Hamrlik gave the puck right to Keith Tkachuk in the Czech high slot. Of course, Tkachuk responded by drilling a heavy slapper wide of the net. That was the story of the tournament for the Americans. Just too many wasted chances.

This whole time, the Czechs were generating very little in the way of offense. The ice was pretty slanted. Then the US ran into some penalty trouble. First, Jeremy Roenick got whistled for hooking at 11:34. Then, during the subsequent kill, Suter got collared for high-sticking Jiri Slegr. The Czechs only got nine seconds worth of time with the two-man advantage and of the nearly four straight minutes of power-play time the best scoring chance came when a centering pass from Jiri Dopita hit Josef Beranek in the skate and deflected into Mike Richter's pads. But that wasn't the point. While the Czechs didn't get on the scoreboard, the power plays did seem to take some of the momentum away from the Americans. The period of US dominance was over. At least in theory...

Less than a minute after the Suter penalty was killed, the US took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Mike Modano. The play started deep in the American zone when Derian Hatcher rang a clearing attempt from behind the net up the left wing boards. Tkachuk went to the wall to help the puck along and drew the attention of defenseman Jaroslav Spacek who decided to pinch. Tkachuk attempted to touch a backhand pass into the middle for a breaking Modano, but Czech winger Marty Straka picked it off as he was leaving the zone in pursuit of Mikey Mo. Sadly, Straka followed up his good play with a bad one. In trying to keep the puck in, Marty accidentally handed it right back to Tkachuk. Aw, that's trouble.

Spacek was already trapped and Straka was so concerned with his giveaway that he forgot about Modano. The two combined allowed Tkachuk to fire a long cross-ice pass through center to Tony Amonte on right wing, creating a two-on-one for the Americans. Amonte cruised in and drew Franticek Kucera to him before sliding a pass across to Modano. Good ol' number nine flipped a backhand one-timer over a sprawling Hasek to give the Americans the lead at 16:12. It was a great shot by Modano. Keep in mind he's a lefty coming down the left side. So he had to turn his body and reach back to take the pass. Lifting a backhander on the fly ain't no joke.

The second period opened up with a flurry of scoring chances for both sides. Jagr kicked things off by cutting into the high slot and testing Richter five-hole. Modano answered for the US by hitting Hasek from the hash marks of the right circle. Then LeClair drove to the net and redirected a Doug Weight pass that was denied by Hasek's stick. Deadmarsh was next with a rip from the right wing circle. Then came the best chance. Weight was dealing behind the net and found Hull alone in the left circle. The shot was a low cannon, but Hasek handled it easily. The Czechs responded with two chances of their own. Martin Rucinsky hammered a drop pass from the top of the left circle that Richter got with his left pad. Then a little later Josef Beranek was left alone in front and got in a few good whacks before being cleared out.

The game had definitely opened up. And unlike early in the first, the Czechs were giving as much as they were getting. They finally got on the board courtesy of a Vladimir "Rosie" Ruzicka goal at 8:21. Jagr was working the right wing boards and pressured Brian Leetch into a mistake. The Ranger defender tried to reverse the play behind his net and gave the puck directly to Straka behind the goal line. Straka hooked his buddy Jagr up with a nifty pass in the slot and, after having his initial shot foiled, Jagr swept a low backhander on net. The puck hit a stick and bounced to Ruzicka who was planted at the left post. Rosie half fanned on his shot, fluttering a weak forehand towards the gaping net. Richter was able to reach and get it with his stick, but in trying to pull the puck away from the goal line he inadvertently banked it off his own body and back across the goal line. Yeah, that'll suck...

Jagr and the Czechs weren't done. Less than a minute later they earned a draw in the right wing circle. Dopita won the puck to the boards and Jagr beat Suter to it. Then in classic Jagr style, the Czech Wonder Kid spun away from Suter and plowed his way into the slot. Suter desperately needed help on the play, but for some reason Jamie Langenbrunner backed off to cover a nonexistent point man instead of double-teaming Jagr. At least Langenbrunner had a great view as Jagr busted into a wide open slot. He had all day to look the net over and blister a wrist shot just inside the left post to give the Czechs a 2-1 lead at 9:19. It was the first time Jagr had a chance to salute all tournament. He was held to just three assists in the first three games, but racked up a goal and an assist in 58 seconds against Team USA.

The Americans were stunned... not dead, just stunned. About two minutes later, Modano was racing for a loose puck at the Czech line and got hauled down by Slegr. Modano's effort drew the penalty but play was still alive. While falling to the ice, Modano's stick just happened to hit the puck and knock it into the high slot. This wacky bounce caught Hamrlik who was making his way to the boards to cover up for Slegr. This meant Jamie Langenbrunner was able to pick up the puck and bolt down the slot with nothing between him and Hasek. At least that's how it looked. But at the last second Hamrlik dove to the ice and stretched out his stick to deflect Langenbrunner's shot wide. The Czechs weren't out of the woods yet. Chris Chelios corralled the puck along the left wing boards and sent it back down low to Langenbrunner, who then immediately relayed it to Tkachuk coming late down the middle. Tkachuk unloaded a drive off Hasek's chest and the rebound was likewise clocked by Amonte, but his drive found the glass. Three great chances. One shot. No goals.

The power play came and went without much excitement. But Modano had a glorious scoring chance right after it ended when he found some breathing room in the slot and wristed a shot on net. Hasek made the save with his chest but couldn't control the rebound. A huge mass of humanity then descended on the Czech net. Billy Guerin somehow found a handle and sent another shot into Hasek's torso. The mad scramble continued until referee Bill McCreary lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle.

All these missed opportunities would come back to haunt the United States. Moments later the Americans skated the puck up and failed to get it deep. Richard Smehlik snagged an errant pass and quickly banked it off the boards to Robert Lang at center. Lang, who was skating left to right along the red line, made a great play to just touch the puck and leave it for a hard- charging Rucinsky. The Czech winger stormed his way into the US zone one-on-one against Leetch. He didn't try to challenge the two-time Norris Trophy winner, instead he elected to use him as a screen and fired a wrister from the high slot. Leetch was right in Rucinsky's face to challenge the shot only to have the puck deflect off his right leg and past Richter's blocker to give the Czechs a 3-1 lead at 16:35.

This was a tough goal. It's the kind that can demoralize a team because it looks soft when it happens. But it was tricker than it appeared to the naked eye. The puck was actually standing on its edge when Rucinsky pulled the trigger. Reading the shot off the stick of Rucinsky, it was going to go about ten feet wide of the right post. If it hadn't hit Leetch's shin pad, it would have seemed more like a dump-in than a shot. Richter looks like an idiot on the play because he gives up a 40-foot wrister, but it was just one of those things.

The Americans were further stunned... note dead, just further stunned. Slegr gave the US some hope by taking a holding penalty at 19:13. Hasek did his best to raise hopes by wandering from his crease to play the puck behind the net. LeClair was quick to pressure him and swipe the biscuit. With Hasek scrambling to get back in net around the left post, LeClair passed the puck to a buck naked Weight at the right pipe. Weight one-timed the pass towards the open net, which was only about two feet away, only to have Hasek dive head-first across his goal crease and deny the sure goal with his outstretched stick. This save was criminal. A goaltender just has no business making this save. Yet thanks to Hasek, the Czechs would enter the third period leading 3-1.

Team USA took the ice for the final 20 minutes knowing they needed two goals to avoid going home. The good news was that they still had 1:13 left on the penalty to Slegr. The bad news was that Hasek didn't get whacked Goodfellas style during the intermission.

The period wasn't very old before Hasek denied a turning shot from in close by LeClair. A few seconds later LeClair took a pass off the backboards and tried to jam a low shot short-side at the right post. Hasek flopped on his right side and made the save, but LeClair got tripped by a sliding Jaroslav Spacek and fell into the crease, bonking Hasek on the head with his stick. The Dominator got back up and followed the play until the puck was cleared and then fell forward on his stomach holding his head. Apparently LeClair's stick to the head knocked him loopy. While Czech fans everywhere were holding their breath, the Americans were hoping for a knockout. Hasek took the eight count and got to his feet ready for more.

Chelios then tried to test Hasek's chin. The American captain stepped into a loose puck and blasted Hasek right between the eyes with a slap shot. The Dominator didn't even flinch. It was the second time in as many contests that Hasek got hit in the skillet. In the Czech's previous game against Russia, Valeri Kamensky broke Hasek's Czech-issued blue helmet with a slap shot to the head. That meant Dominik had to bust out his black Sabres helmet for the Americans. And considering the style of helmets Hasek wears, just an old school Bauer with a flat cage, it's amazing he isn't dead. Kamensky and Chelios can bring it.

If the shots to the head weren't bad enough, Hasek had to be getting dizzy from watching Team USA buzz around the ice. The Americans were clearly playing with a sense of urgency. They didn't leave anything in the dressing room. The Czechs were just trying to hang on and let Hasek save the day. Good plan.

Hasek just wasn't going to be beaten. Weight skated in on right wing and made an unbelievable 50-foot saucer pass through the slot to Amonte streaking in on the left side. Amonte didn't waste any time in getting rid of his shot, but it still wasn't enough to beat Hasek. Pat LaFontaine then tried the indirect route. Laffy was tied up in the slot with Slegr and batted a Mathieu Schneider point shot out of the air. Hasek followed the bouncing puck like a champ and made the dangerous seem routine. LeClair gunned one from between the circles. Save Hasek.

Time was running down on the Americans. US Coach Ron Wilson wanted to buy his troops some extra rest and made a slow swap of goaltenders with little over two minutes left in regulation, replacing Richter with John Vanbiesbrouck. The move almost backfired when the ice cold Vanbiesbrouck was immediately greeted by a Czech two-on-one. Ruzicka carried the play on left wing and passed across to Jagr for the shot. The Beezer slid over and stacked the pads, kicking Jagr's bid away with his left leg. That's some big-time goaltending.

After the US got a faceoff in the left wing circle of the Czech zone, Wilson used his timeout with 1:13 left to try and draw up a miracle. In a set play, Modano won the draw back to Leetch at the left point while LeClair drifted back into a shooting hole. Leetch got the pass across to LeClair but it was too hard and he fanned. That would be the last chance for the Americans. The missed shot was a fitting end. It pretty much summed up their whole Olympic performance.

The Czechs would make the final 4-1 at 19:21 when Beranek tripped Leetch as he was trying to skate the puck out from behind the US net and the puck went right to Jiri Dopita. The Czech center quickly drove a shot past Richter and just inside the right post to put the Americans out of their misery. It's not like it matters, but there should have been a penalty on the play. It was a terrible no-call by McCreary. Way to go, stripes.

The US outshot the Czechs 39-20 for the game and 15-6 in the third. It still wasn't enough. Hasek was too much.

Impressive Performances

CZECH REPUBLIC

Dominik Hasek (38 saves): He was the man. Hasek won this one for the Czechs. His miraculous diving save on Weight at the end of the second period was the key play of the game. If Weight scores there, the US goes into the room with new life. There's an enormous difference between trailing 3-1 and 3-2. The spectacular way in which Hasek made the save was also crucial. It was the kind of once-in-a-lifetime save that just shatters a team's confidence.

Jaromir Jagr (1-1-2): The big difference between the Americans and Czechs is that the big Czech scorer came through in the clutch. While LeClair, Hull, Tkachuk, Amonte, and Weight were coming up empty, Jagr was delivering the big plays for his team.

Jiri Slegr: Slegr had the hit of the game. It came in the second period. Amonte was looking to take an outlet pass out of the US zone when Slegr stepped up and devastated him with a clean check. It was huge.

UNITED STATES

Tony Amonte (0-1-1): Amonte was one of the few Americans to play with intensity from the opening faceoff. While most of his teammates didn't turn it on until the third, Amonte showed up for 60.

Doug Weight: Weight made some absolutely incredible passes. If not for Hasek, he could have easily had three or four assists on the night. That cross-ice feed to Amonte in the third period that was described earlier was pure bliss. It was simply awe-inspiring. Monuments should be erected in its honor.

Chris Chelios: You could almost see Chelios trying to will his team to victory in the third. He did his best to try and inspire a comeback.

Lines

Czech Republic: Jagr was double-shifted a lot, including playing nearly the full two minutes on some power plays. So while his true linemates were Ruzicka and Straka, he played with just about everybody.

OFFENSE (lw-c-rw)

Straka - Ruzicka - Jagr
Lang - Reichel - Rucinsky
Hejduk - Patera - Prochazka
Beranek - Dopita - Moravec

DEFENSE

Slegr - Smehlik
Svoboda - Hamrlik
Spacek - Kucera

POWER PLAY

Beranek - Patera - Prochazka - Reichel - Svoboda
Hejduk - Ruzicka - Jagr - Hamrlik - Smehlik

SHORT-HANDED

Patera - Dopita - Slegr - Smehlik
Lang - Straka - Spacek - Kucera

United States: Wilson made a few adjustments to his lines for the game. They obviously didn't work. The biggest change was that he dropped Kevin Hatcher from his top six defensemen, replacing him with Keith Carney. Hatcher and Bryan Berard never hit the ice.

Also of note, Jeremy Roenick seemed to pull a groin muscle late in the third period while trying to stay onside. He was lost for the final six or seven minutes.

OFFENSE (lw-c-rw)

Tkachuk - Modano - Guerin
LeClair - Weight - Hull
Langenbrunner - Roenick - Deadmarsh
Otto - LaFontaine - Amonte

DEFENSE

Suter - Chelios
Leetch - D. Hatcher
Schneider - Carney

POWER PLAY

LeClair - Weight - Hull - Suter - Chelios
Tkachuk - LaFontaine - Modano - Leetch - Schneider

SHORT-HANDED

Otto - LaFontaine - Suter - Chelios
Roenick - Deadmarsh - Leetch - D. Hatcher

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