Four Corners, Two Walls

They couldn’t be more different, the blue-eyed French-Canadian goaltender who holds lively conversations with himself on the ice and the wiry, intense Czech goalie who considers it a personal affront if a teammate scores against him in practice.

One likes to stay on his feet; the other is a whirling dervish of flailing arms and kicking legs. One plays for an Olympic squad that is favored to win a medal; the other plays for an Olympic team that has only 12 NHL players and was expected to exit in the quarterfinals.

Their excellence, however, is a striking similarity between Patrick Roy of Canada and Dominik Hasek of the Czech Republic, whose teams will meet Friday at Big Hat arena in the first semifinal game of the Olympic hockey tournament. The winner will advance to the gold-medal game Sunday against the winner of Friday’s semifinal game between Russia (4-0) and Finland (2-2).

“Dominik stops the puck every which way. He’s whacking it with his foot, he’s catching it, he’s doing all kinds of things. I never see anything like it in my life,” said Czech defenseman Petr Svoboda, who plays for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. “Patrick is more of a stand-up goaltender, and he succeeds that way for years. I’ve never seen two great goaltenders like them.”

Although Roy and Hasek insist they’re not facing each other Friday, their presence adds an element of intrigue to the game--and makes an eloquent case supporting the first-time inclusion of NHL stars in the Olympics.

Roy ranks among the NHL leaders with a 2.31 goals-against average, compared with Hasek’s 2.34. Roy has won 23 games for the Colorado Avalanche, and Hasek has won 20 for the Buffalo Sabres. Hasek shares the NHL lead with seven shutouts and has a .924 save percentage; Roy has a .921 save percentage and two shutouts for a team that has a more offensive orientation than the defensive-minded Sabres.

“We will face the best team in the Olympics,” Hasek said Thursday. “I think we have to play the same game as we did against Team USA [a 4-1 quarterfinal victory]. I don’t think this game is a matchup of me and the other goalie. I think more about the Canadian forwards, because they can score. I won’t pay attention to Patrick Roy, and I will pay attention to my game.”

Roy has adopted the same approach. “To me, this is Canada vs. Czech,” he said. “I expect to see him play well, and I expect to see myself play well. Other than that, I hope to see both teams play well.”

Both teams have played well, but neither would have gotten this far without strong goaltending.

Hasek, 33, has stopped 105 of 110 shots in leading the Czechs to a 3-1 record, including an upset of the U.S. in the quarterfinals. “He’s the best goalie in the [NHL] and in the world right now,” Svoboda said. “He keeps everybody confident.”

Hasek’s confidence stems from his rigorous preparation and belief that good practices build good game habits.

“I know Dominik even prior to his NHL years and he was always a hard-working man. He challenges every shooter and wants to catch every shot,” said Slavomir Lener, an assistant coach of the Czech team and former assistant coach of the Calgary Flames. “I’m happy to see he is still the same. He is not spoiled by the money he makes in the NHL.

“He has had such a big influence on this team since the beginning of the tournament. Guys see how he challenges every shooter and challenges himself to get better, and it’s a challenge for our guys to work harder. That was important for our team, to see him with his dedication to this tournament and to his game.”

The team includes several players Hasek didn’t know when they convened before the Games. Because there aren’t enough top-level Czech players in the NHL to stock a 23-man Olympic roster, players were drawn from the Czech League. Hasek, who hadn’t played for his homeland’s national team since 1991, had no idea who some of them were, but he learned quickly. That helped the Czechs develop into a cohesive, defensively sound team with three forwards--Jaromir Jagr, Robert Reichel and Vladimir Ruzicka--whose skills are equal to any in the tournament.

“I know not only their names, but their first name,” Hasek said of his new teammates. “Everybody has the same goal. Nobody is talking about winning the quarterfinals or the semifinals. We just talk about winning a medal. We haven’t been the favorites, but if we work hard and play with discipline and get a little luck, we can win.”

Canada has shown impressive defensive discipline in front of Roy. He has stopped 91 of 95 shots and compiled a 1.00 goals-against average in leading his team to a 4-0 record.

“I think it has been great hockey,” Roy said of his first Olympic experience. “It’s really exciting. It’s a different format and a different game from the NHL. I think people like the physical stuff as well. It makes you see something different, and I’m sure people enjoy it. It’s a bit like playoff hockey.”

And playoff hockey is where Roy earned his reputation as a big-game goalie. He has played for two Stanley Cup winners in Montreal and one in Colorado and twice has been voted the most valuable player in postseason play. His performance in the Olympics has been every bit as outstanding.

“We approach [the Czech] game the same way we play every game,” he said. “It’s a big challenge. They have a good team and we have a good team. It should be interesting. . . .

“It has not been tough at all for me to focus here. Actually, it has been very easy. We’re here for a purpose, to win a gold medal, and our team will never change its focus.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

PATRICK ROY

Games: 4

Minutes: 240

Shots on: 95

Goals Against: 4

Saves: 91

Save %: 95.79

Goal Avg.: 1.00

DOMINIK HASEK

Games: 4

Minutes: 239:36

Shots on: 110

Goals Against: 5

Saves: 105

Save %: 95.45

Goal Avg.: 1.25