U.S. Polishes Off Finnish

If the United States hockey team wants to erase the bad memories of Nagano, when the Americans left with tarnished reputations and no medals, it’s off to a good start.

One game into the 2002 Olympics, Team USA has already matched the number of victories in 1998 and is more than halfway toward reaching the total of 10 goals thanks to a 6-0 victory over Finland on Friday night.

“We have a lot to prove to everyone this year,” forward Doug Weight said. “In that room is a huge group of professionals. I know that, and everyone in there believes it. We believe we can compete with anyone in the world, and we plan on trying to win the gold medal.”

It’s only the second time this group has been together, but by the end of the night it was already starting to look more like a team than a bunch of All-Stars. By the third period the passing was sharper, the teamwork better.

“I think as the game progressed we were starting to become a little more solid and started to do a lot more things that we wanted to do and execute a lot better,” John LeClair said. “Hopefully that will continue.”

LeClair had a hat trick, including two goals in classic LeClair fashion when he set up shop next to the net and refused to move.

The players had little trouble adapting to international play. Coach Herb Brooks made overall speed a priority in selecting the team, and at times the Americans looked as if they were trying to qualify for the Daytona 500.

Brooks hates defensive hockey, where the players skate backward “more than Peggy Fleming.”

Right from the outset Team USA tried to go up-tempo, especially with the starting line of Mike Modano, Bill Guerin and Tony Amonte on the ice.

That helped to generate 13 shots in the first period, but no goals. A shot by Brett Hull hit the post with a few seconds left in the period.

Midway through the second period the fans were getting edgy, like little kids at a movie waiting for the kissing scene to get over so the action can start. They cranked up a “U-S-A!” chant.

Finally, Scott Young gave them what they craved. He took a pass from Brian Rolston, broke clear and beat Finnish goalie Jani Hurme to the glove side.

The Americans started to enter attack mode. A Hull shot deflected off Hurme’s stick and right to LeClair, who deposited the puck in the net.

Keith Tkachuk scored the night’s prettiest goal when he flew down the left side, pulled the puck back (causing Finnish defenseman Kimmo Timonen to spin around), then fired it past Hurme.

There were some moments when the United States looked like a team that had practiced together for only 45 minutes. Hull and Tkachuk tried to set up in the same spot on the power play. Brooks, who hadn’t coached a team since a brief stint at the helm of the Pittsburgh Penguins two seasons ago, even called for a player to go in, only to be told, “He’s in the [penalty] box.”

Brooks’ choice of Mike Dunham to start in goal was a mild surprise. Most observers thought he would pick the New York Rangers’ Mike Richter.

But Richter had played four games in eight days, then had to travel to Salt Lake on Thursday. The Nashville Predators’ schedule allowed Dunham to reach town by Wednesday.

“We feel comfortable with all three of our goalkeepers,” Brooks said. “We just felt that Richter had been playing an awful lot of hockey. Tommy Barrasso was fine. We just felt that Dunham probably was on a little bit more of a roll than the other two coming into this thing.”

Good call. Dunham had a shutout, making 23 saves. He didn’t allow a demoralizing first goal, then didn’t allow Finland to get back in the game once the U.S. started rolling.

The United States is winning, Brooks is making the right decisions and the United States plays Russia tonight. It’s starting to feel a little more like 1980 than 1998.