LILLEHAMMER / ’94 WINTER OLYMPICS : NOTEBOOK

In the true Canadian tradition of “Tape an aspirin to it and get back out there,” Canadian center Greg Johnson proved his toughness the other night.

Johnson was hit in the face by a shot from teammate Brian Savage 1:45 into overtime and had to be helped off the ice for treatment. He needed stitches to close the cut and stop the bleeding, and was ready to take his next shift, but he never made it back.

“The guy put in two stitches and then we scored the (game-winning) goal, and he said, ‘Oh, we’re done,’ ” Johnson said. “I had to go back inside so he could finish it later.”

Johnson ended up with six stitches and a new bend in his nose.

“It’s my first broken nose,” he said. “But I’m sure it won’t be my last.”

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Finland is a 3-2 favorite over Canada in today’s hockey semifinal, but Finnish Coach Curt Lindstrom, who owns a betting parlor, disagrees.

“It should be more even, maybe 2-2,” he said. “I think it’s 50-50. Canada has now beaten Sweden and Czechoslovakia and they have a strong team.”

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U.S. goaltender Mike Dunham, who started in Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Czech Republic, criticized Coach Tim Taylor.

“I really wasn’t given the chance to become what I could have been,” said Dunham, who played in the tournament-opening 4-4 tie with France and the team’s 6-4 loss to Sweden. “I’m a little down. I wanted to come out and show I could play.

“I don’t think it mattered who was in there (Wednesday) night (in a 6-1 loss to Finland). But it was tough watching, tough coming back for another Olympics and not being able to do what I wanted to do. I don’t feel like I reached my potential.”