Brooks’ Streak Ends With France’s Defeat

France’s loss to Belarus on Saturday ended Herb Brooks’ Olympic coaching streak at 6-0-1. That, of course, was his record in leading the U.S. to the gold medal at Lake Placid in 1980, an event he’s constantly reminded of here.

“That was then, and this is now,” he said. “You can’t bridge the gaps. It’s two different ballgames. My job here is to do the best I can and help develop the future of the national team. . . .

“We lost to a superior hockey club [Saturday]. They’re tough and they’re strong. They have guys who play in the Russian Elite League. Our guys play in the French League. It’s a different tempo.”

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“This is great for us,” said Kazakhstan forward Konstantin Shafranov after his team rallied to defeat an experienced Italian team, 5-3, in Group A. “We have maybe 10, maybe 11 hockey rinks in the country.”