The Czech Republic did a whole lot of world shakin' Thursday night, knocking of its second gold-medal favorite in as many games by slipping past Canada 2-1 in a shootout to advance to the tournament finals. Dominik Hasek was once again the story, stopping all five Canadian shots in the shootout. Robert Reichel provided the lone shootout goal, beating Patrick Roy off the left post with a perfectly placed wrist shot.

Team Canada played the game without Joe Sakic. The all-world sniper injured his knee in the third period against Kazakhstan and will be out of action for two to six weeks. Already without Paul Kariya, losing the speed and shot of Sakic proved to be a devastating loss for Canada.

Sakic's creativity and quickness would have surely come in handy during this one. There just wasn't much offense. The game was scoreless into the third period until Jiri Slegr beat Roy through a screen from the left point at 9:46. Canada then responded like a champ late in regulation when Trevor Linden swept an Eric Lindros centering pass off Czech defenseman Richard Smehlik's stick and over Hasek's glove with just 1:03 remaining. The goal tied the game at 1-1 and set the stage for the Old West finish.

While the game ended in high drama, it hardly started out that way. This was a defensive struggle from the start. The Czechs did a marvelous job of clogging up the middle of the ice and limiting the Canadian scoring chances. The Czechs were content on most occasions to just send one forechecker and trap the middle. Canada tried to get the puck deep but the Czech forwards were eager to collapse down low and help the defensemen send it the other way. The first period featured very little action. The two teams combined for only eight shots, with Canada throwing just three pucks Hasek's way despite enjoying the period's only two power plays.

Things opened up a bit in the second. Both clubs finally started to generate offense. The Czechs once again outshot the Canadians, 14-11, and clearly held the edge in prime scoring chances. Roy was called upon to make numerous big saves and came through like, well, Roy on every opportunity. Hasek wasn't tested anywhere near as much, but made it seem easy when he was.

With the world's two best goaltenders in net and both teams playing airtight defense, a scoreless regulation seemed like a distinct possibility until Slegr dented the twine at 9:46 of the third. The goal came after Pavel Patera beat Theo Fleury on a draw in the left circle of the Canada zone. Patera kicked the puck back to Slegr at the left point and then drove to the net to set a screen. With Patera and Fleury skating directly in front of him, Roy never saw Slegr blast a shot past his blocker short- side to give the Czechs the 1-0 lead. And don't kid yourself, Slegr's got a rip.

It's hard to believe, but the Czechs actually went into even more of a defensive shell after getting the lead. They weren't even bothering to send a man into the offensive zone. With all five Czechs hanging back, Canada created absolutely nothing in the way of scoring chances until the tying goal by Linden.

The play started when Chris Pronger lugged the puck out to his own blue line and drew a defender to him before dishing off to Lindros on the right wing side. Lindros took the pass and barreled around Martin Prochazka at the Czech stripe, entering the zone three-on-three with Linden and Brendan Shanahan. As Slegr stepped up to meet Lindros at the top of the circle, Linden made a great play to barge down the slot and draw the attention of two defenders, thereby creating a shooting hole for Shanahan at the top of the left circle. Lindros cut into the middle and set the table for Shanahan, who blistered a slapper towards the net that hit Linden in front and skipped back out to the right circle. That's when Al MacInnis raced in and uncorked a wicked slap shot that Hasek somehow managed to knock aside with his catching glove. It was a remarkable save. MacInnis' shot was too heavy for Hasek to hold, tho', and the puck fell to the right of the cage. Lindros was quick to pounce on it and acted as if he was going to circle behind the net before sliding a pass out to Linden open in the slot. Smehlik tried to reach in and block the shot only to have the puck hit his blade and deflect over Hasek's glove for the equalizer. Linden and the Canadians went crazy-go-nuts. It was just one of those tremendous hockey moments.

The goal energized the Canadians and they took the play to the Czechs for the final minute of regulation. Adam Foote almost put Canada ahead when he snapped a low shot from the bottom of the right circle that Hasek was able to just get a piece of with his right skate.

With nothing decided in the first 60 minutes, the clubs took a three-minute break and then went at it in a 10-minute overtime. Canada carried its momentum into the extra session and controlled play, outshooting the Czechs 5-1. And if not for yet another spectacular save from Hasek, the Canadians would have won the game in the overtime off the stick of Foote.

Pronger had kept the puck in at the left point and shot it deep around the horn. Hasek left his cage to play the puck, only to realize halfway there that he had no chance of beating Lindros to it, so he beat a hasty retreat to his crease. That's when he accidentally got tripped up by teammate Martin Straka, who was racing in to pressure Lindros. Just has Hasek stumbled to the ice, Lindros centered a pass out to Linden in the slot. Luckily for the Czechs, Slegr was able to reach in from behind and stick check Linden, knocking the puck sideways to the hash marks of the right circle. The bad news was that Foote had wandered in deep and had the puck come right to him. The puck was bouncing, but Foote still managed to snap a one-timer that was clearly ticketed for inside the right post. Now keep in mind that this was a bang-bang play and at the moment the puck hit off Linden's stick, Hasek was down on all fours by the left post. Yet the Dominator still somehow managed to lunge across his crease and deny Foote's bid for the game-winner. The puck hit Hasek in the crook of his left elbow and dropped to the ice in front of him as he crashed into the right post. It saved the game for the Czechs and made the shootout a reality.

The Czechs won the coin flip and elected to shoot second. First up for the Canadians was little Theo Fleury. Theo came with a lot of speed and tried to out wait Hasek before taking a wrist shot high to the left post. Hasek did his usual bit, flopping on his right side and hoping for the best. Fleury's shot struck Hasek in the right shoulder as the netminder was falling to the ice. The sick thing is that Hasek wasn't even looking at the puck when he made the save. That's what is so infuriating for shooters. Hasek just flops around in there and gets lucky as hell.

Reichel was the first Czech shooter. People never think of him in the same category as most superstar scorers, but there aren't many players better on breakaways than Reichel. He's got more moves than a White House intern. Hey, that's a little political humor for those of you scoring at home. Anyway, Reichel coasted in and got Roy to drift a little to the right before wiring a wrist shot off the left post and in. And it barely got in. The puck struck the inside of the left post and ricocheted straight across the goal line and just nestled inside the right pipe. It damn near hit both posts.

Ray Bourque was the second Canadian shooter. Yes, that Ray Bourque. Coach Marc Crawford must have been hoping someone would tape a styrofoam plate to the top right corner. Bourque tried to pick his spot, unleashing a wrister as he hit the hash marks, but the shot glanced off Hasek's left arm and sailed over the crossbar.

Martin Rucinsky was next up for the Czechs. Whatever he was sellin', Roy didn't want any. In a perfect display of goaltending technique, Roy followed Rucinsky to his backhand and denied his shot with his left pad and glove. It was simply a perfect save.

It was Joey Nieuwendyk's turn to go a-courtin' and he did ride. To beat Hasek, he would have needed a sword and pistol by his side. Lemme tell ya, Joey went to his backhand and might have had Hasek beat, but the puck rolled on him and he flipped his shot wide of the net. He had a chance at the winner, tho', lemme tell ya.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Joey Nieuwendyk was immortalized at the 1986 All-Star Game by saying the phrase "Lemme tell ya" at least six times in a 10-second span during a bench interview. So now it is customary to say "Lemme tell ya" whenever discussing Nieuwendyk. Fell free to play along at home. It's great fun, lemme tell ya.)

Pavel Patera shot third for the Czechs. He elected to go with a forehand move, but Roy was once again perfection between the pipes. This shot was dead on arrival.

Okay, now pay attention, because the following is a description of perhaps the most unbelievable save ever witnessed by mortal man. With his team desperately needing a goal, Team Canada's captain stepped to center. Eric Lindros vs Dominik Hasek. Eric motored in and made a splendid move to his backhand. Hasek responded as any goaltender would, flopping on his right side and then rolling onto his back. Oh boy. Lindros appeared to have Hasek beat as he lifted his shot upstairs, but as Hasek was rolling over, he blindly flailed his glove hand over his head and swatted the puck wide. This save was just nutty. Hasek had no idea where the puck was. He just waved his arm and got lucky. I've watched it like 12 times and still can't believe it. The save is so astonishing that I went over it frame-by-frame from three different angles just to make sure that the puck didn't hit the post. It's a tough call. It sort of looks like it does draw iron from one angle, but the other two seem to reenforce the Ripley's believe-it-or-not truth of the save. Take a look and decide for yourself.

Jagr had a chance to ice the game for the Czechs. If he scored, it was over. Jagr always used to be a sure bet to go to his backhand. But now it seems like he knows that everyone knows he likes to go to his backhand, so now he seldom does. Follow? So he tried to cross up Roy by just taking a wrist shot. He should have went backhand. The puck clanged off the left post and Canada still had life.

It was up to Brendan Shanahan. Good ol' Shanny skated in tight, too tight, before trying to go to his forehand. Hasek played this one beautifully. There was no luck involved in this one. There also wasn't anything for Shanahan to shoot at. He buried his shot into Hasek's left pad from a sharp angle and the game was over. There was much rejoicing. Except for, you know, in Canada and stuff...

A few things about the shootout. First off, shootouts suck. A hockey game shouldn't be decided by an individual showdown totally removed from the confines of its normal structure. If you thought the shootout was exciting, think how much more exciting it would be to see an actual real life goal scored to settle the game.

Second, the ice conditions for the shootout couldn't have been that great. The ice wasn't cleaned after the third. That's 30 minutes of hockey without a zamboni run. The Olympics should really reconsider that policy.

And finally, Crawford will undoubtedly come under scrutiny for his selection of shooters. Not having Sakic healthy was brutal. Joe is lethal on breakaways. And he was the only shooter to beat Hasek in the breakaway relay at the All-Star Game, so he has a past history of success against the Dominator. But Sakic wasn't the only unused weapon. How could Steve Yzerman not be chosen to shoot? He's got mad skills. Linden was Canada's best player in the third period and overtime yet remained seated. And why not go with Wayne Gretzky? Sure, he sucks on breakaways, but he is Wayne Gretzky. Put him in a pressure situation and see if he can still weave some of his old magic. After all, isn't he supposedly the greatest player of all-time? Well, guess what? If Mario Lemieux was on the team he wouldn't have been sitting on the bench during a shootout. And that's all I have to say about that...

Impressive Performances

CANADA

Patrick Roy (25 saves): Roy was special. He made some brilliant saves in the second period to keep the Czechs off the board. And he was marvelous in the shootout. The shot by Reichel was flawless.

Rob Blake: Aside from Roy, Blake was probably Canada's best player in the tournament. He was consistently excellent on every shift.

Trevor Linden (1-0-1): Linden was a force in the latter stages of the game. He came through when the team needed a big play.

Rob Zamuner: Zamuner did his defensive-forward thing by helping put the wraps on Jagr. The Czech Wonder Kid was held to just one shot on goal, and that was a slap shot from out high in the right circle on the Czech's lone power play.

Brendan Shanahan: Shanny didn't do a whole lot in the way of creating offense, but he delivered the check of the game in the third period. Jagr was trying to dance with the puck at the side of the Canadian net when Shanahan charged down the slot and crushed him with a devastating head-on collision. Jagr got horizontal.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Dominik Hasek (26 saves): What more needs to be said about Hasek? It's tough enough to beat a great goaltender, but it's impossible to beat a great goaltender that also has luck on his side.

Jiri Slegr (1-0-1): Not only did Slegr provide the lone Czech goal in regulation, he played a strong overall defensive game.

Franticek Kucera: Kucera gets picked to symbolize the overall performance of the Czech defensemen. They were considered the club's weakness before the tournament started. Well, not anymore...

Lines

Canada: These were the lines that started the game. They got shuffled late in the third and in overtime when Crawford shortened his bench to three lines. Linden originally took Sakic's spot at center on the third unit, while Chris Pronger filled in for Joe at the left point on the power play.

As usual, Eric Desjardins was worked into a pretty normal rotation along the blue line.

OFFENSE (lw-c-rw)

Corson - Lindros - Brind'Amour
Shanahan - Gretzky - Yzerman
Primeau - Linden - Recchi
Zamuner - Nieuwendyk - Fleury

OT LINES

Corson - Lindros - Linden
Primeau - Gretzky - Yzerman
Zamuner - Nieuwendyk - Fleury

Shanahan, Recchi, and Brind'Amour sat at the start of the extra session and then got worked in. Shanny alternated with Corson on the Lindros line, Recchi swapped with Fleury on the Nieuwendyk line, and Brind'Amour also took one shift with Lindros.

DEFENSE

Bourque - Blake
Pronger - Foote
Stevens - MacInnis
Desjardins

POWER PLAY

Gretzky - Nieuwendyk - Shanahan - Pronger - MacInnis
Corson - Lindros - Brind'Amour - Bourque - Blake

SHORT-HANDED

Zamuner - Yzerman - Bourque - Blake
Linden - Primeau - Pronger - Foote

Czech Republic: The Czechs used the same ol' lines. Jagr was double-shifted a little bit, but not as much as he was against the Americans.

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

[ issues | web extra | stats | nhl archive | home | chat | mailing list | about us | search | comments ]

1998 © Copyright LCS Hockey All Rights Reserved