head coach: Ivan Hlinka

roster: F - Jan Alinc, Radek Belohlav, Josef Beranek, Jan Caloun, Jiri Dopita, Jaromir Jagr, Ondrej Kratena, Robert Lang, David Moravec, Pavel Patera, Martin Prochazka, Vaclav Prospal, Robert Reichel, Martin Rucinsky, Vladimir Ruzicka, Roman Simicek, Martin Straka, Petr Ton, Viktor Ujcik; D - Ladislav Benysek, Radek Hamr, Roman Hamrlik, Frantisek Kaberle, Libor Prochazka, Frantisek Kucera, Jiri Slegr, Richard Smehlik, Jaroslav Spacek, Martin Stepanek, Petr Svoboda, Jiri Veber, Jiri Vykoukal; G - Roman Cechmanek, Dominik Hasek, Milan Hnilicka, Martin Prusek.

game results:

ROUND ROBIN
Finland          W 3-0
Kazakhstan       W 8-2
Russia           L 2-1

QUARTERFINAL
United States    W 4-1

SEMIFINAL
Canada           W 2-1 (shootout)

GOLD MEDAL GAME
Russia           W 1-0

game recaps:
Quarterfinal Round: Czech Republic vs United States
Semifinal Round: Czech Republic vs Canada
Gold Medal Game: Czech Republic vs Russia

Czechs Golden
by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

When the tournament started, word on the street was that the Czechs would pull off an upset somewhere along the line. With Dominik Hasek in net and Jaromir Jagr up front, the Czech Republic had the potential to beat anyone in the tournament. They did better than that. They beat everyone.

The Czechs were, without doubt, the best team in the Olympics. They proved it by beating three international powerhouses on the way to the gold. Keep in mind, the Czechs were so awful at the World Cup that they didn't even qualify for the North American portion of the tournament. Now they're Olympic champions. And they did it as a team. Everyone knew their role and did their part. There were no individuals. Even Jagr sacrificed some of his offensive freedom to fit in with the team's defensive scheme. And make no mistake about it, the Czech's won the gold with defense.

Robert Reichel by Meredith Martini

Defense was expected to be a weakness for this club. They only carried four NHLers along the blue line in Roman Hamrlik, Petr Svoboda, Jiri Slegr, and Richard Smehlik. The Czechs knew teams were going to try and work 'em down low. So in order to protect their defensemen, they used a left wing lock that would have made the Detroit Red Wings proud. The Czechs completely owned the neutral zone. Teams just couldn't get any speed through center. And once the puck was worked low, the Czech forwards were eager to sag deep and support their defensemen. By playing together as a team, the Czechs turned a possible weakness into a strength. That's what champions do.

On the rare occasions when the Czech defense faltered, Hasek was there to bail his mates out. The Dominator was incredible. He opened the tournament with a shutout over Finland and ended it with a shutout over Russia in the gold medal game. But clearly his two best performances came in the quarterfinal round against the United States and the semifinal round against Canada.

The Americans did a great job of breaking down the Czech trap, firing 39 shots on net. Hasek stopped 38 in the 4-1 win. Canada wasn't nearly as successful as the United States in generating scoring chances. The Canadians didn't turn up the heat until the final minutes of the third period. Hasek did allow the a goal to Trevor Linden that hit off Smehlik's stick to tie the game, 1-1. But he was perfect through overtime and the shootout, stopping all five Canadian breakaways. Theo Fleury, Ray Bourque, Joey Nieuwendyk, Eric Lindros, and Brendan Shanahan were all told to sit down, with Hasek making what could be the greatest single save in the history of hockey against Lindros. While flopping on his right side and rolling on his back, Hasek blindly waved his catching glove through the air above his head and appeared to swat a sure backhand goal wide of the left post. The shot may have actually avoided Hasek's glove and drew iron, but then it's not as cool. So we say Hasek made the save. That's our story and we're stickin' with it.

Hasek wasn't the only outstanding performer, tho'. While everyone on the roster was excellent, there are a few guys that deserve being singled out. Of course, Jagr was great. He didn't dominate on the scoresheets. In fact, he only had one goal and four assists. But Jagr was always a threat. His mere presence kept the opposition honest. And he came through when the chips were down against the Americans, exploding for a goal and an assist in a one-minute span of the second period to lift his club to victory. While the American superstars were firing blanks, Jagr stepped up and delivered.

Jiri Dopita provided the club with strength up the middle. The 30-year-old former draft pick of the Boston Bruins was as consistent as it comes. He's not an explosive skater, but he's got good size, is solid on his skates, and has soft hands around the net. He was superb along the boards. Dopita served his team well.

Marty Straka by Meredith Martini

Pavel Patera also did some nice work at center, leading the team in scoring with two goals and five points. He's got better speed than Dopita and used it to his advantage killing penalties and getting back on defense. He was also great on draws. Both goals scored against Canada and Russia came as the result of faceoff wins by Patera.

The two standouts on defense were Petr Svoboda and Jiri Slegr. Svoboda showed some character by playing the last couple games with an injured right elbow. He even had to skip the gold-medal celebration in his homeland in order to go get his elbow checked out by doctors in North America. Yet despite the pain, he still put it on the line for his team. His perseverance was rewarded with the gold-medal winning goal. It was only fair.

But there wasn't a better defenseman in the tournament than Slegr. He played on a level with the Rob Blakes, Ray Bourques, and Nicklas Lidstroms. He was just that good. Slegr used his speed, he played physical, and he played smart. He was the linchpin of the Czech Republic blue line. The Czechs needed somebody on defense to elevate their game, and Slegr answered the call.

And what would a recap of Czech heroes be without mentioning Robert Reichel? The crafty Islander center scored the only goal in the shootout versus Canada, wiring a perfectly placed wrist shot off the left post and behind Patrick Roy. The timing of the goal couldn't have been more important. Reichel led off the shootout for the Czechs and gave them the early 1-0 lead, putting the pressure squarely on the shoulders of the Canadians. Canada had dominated the entire overtime session and the last few moments of regulation. Reichel's goal completely changed the contest's momentum in the Czech Republic's favor.

TURNING POINT: The Czech journey to gold hinged on the second period of the game with the United States. The Czechs trailed the Americans 1-0 into the first intermission. That's when captain Vladimir "Rosie" Ruzicka delivered an inspirational pep talk to the boys. He told them they were acting like they were intimidated by the fact they were playing against NHL All- Stars. He challenged them to come out in the second and just play their game. The team responded. The Czechs rattled off three unanswered goals in the second period and never looked back.

TEAM MVP: As great as the Czechs played, Hasek was clearly the difference in the tournament. He led all goaltenders in wins (5), goals-against average (0.97), save percentage (.961), and shutouts (2). Hey, they call him the Dominator for a reason.

SURPRISE: Defense was clearly a question mark for the Czechs. Slegr played all-world and Svoboda provided veteran experience, but it wouldn't have meant a thing unless the Czechs got a strong showing out of their third set of defensemen. Former NHLer Franticek Kucera teamed up with relative unknown Jaroslav Spacek to give the Czechs a steady third set. Without the surprising contributions of Kucera and Spacek, the Czechs would have likely been worn down by the United States and Canada.

DISAPPOINTMENT: The Czechs didn't have any disappointments. The Olympics were a dream come true for the Czechs.

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