Some Miraculous Coincidences

For those who believe in miracles, here is how it might play out for Herb Brooks’ 2002 Olympic hockey team: The U.S. men play Germany in the quarterfinals Wednesday night. Brooks’ 1980 team also played Germany, also on a Wednesday, also on Feb. 20.

If they beat Germany, the Americans would play Russia in the semifinals if the Russians beat the Czech Republic in their quarterfinal. That game would be Friday. Brooks’ 1980 team also played Russia--then the Soviet Union--also in the semifinals, also on a Friday, also on Feb. 22, and we all know how that turned out.

You see where we’re going with this?

“There’s a lot of talk about 1980 at these Games,” winger John LeClair said. But wait. There’s more.

If the U.S. men beat Russia, they could meet Finland for the gold medal on Sunday. Brooks’ 1980 team also played Finland for the gold medal, also on a Sunday, also on Feb. 24. Think anything is lining up in storybook fashion here for the children of the “Miracle on Ice”?

“If that were to happen that way, that would seriously give me the heebie-jeebies,” said U.S. center Jeremy Roenick. “But I don’t want to get too far ahead. One blunder and we’re out of the tournament.”

Indeed, this is the medal round of the Olympics, where it’s one and done, so there is the practical matter of beating Germany. The Germans, who emerged from the preliminary round, come in winless in the seeding round, sandwiching an 8-2 rout by the Czechs and a 7-1 rout by the Swedes around a 3-2 loss to Canada.

The surprising Americans enter the medal round not only as the best offensive team but the best defensive team as well. They are better (2-0-1) and more confident than they were in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, when they went 1-2 in the seeding round and were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Czechs.

“Everybody’s sacrificing things for the betterment of the team,” center Mike Modano said. “Everybody’s got great skill and a great feel for the game. But it’s the little things we have to sacrifice just to make us a better team overall defensively. If we’re doing that, we’re thinking and we’re skating and the lines seem to jell a little quicker.”

Despite changing lines throughout the week, the U.S. has scored 16 goals in its three games while allowing only three. The Germans scored only five goals in the three-game seeding round and allowed a staggering 18. A mismatch, right?

“Herb Brooks started talking about them the minute we got in the room,” Roenick said. “He was rip-roaring. He doesn’t want us to underestimate anyone. Before the Belarus game [an 8-1 U.S. victory], he was all over the room about not taking anyone for granted.

“I also think he wants to beat them for what the German coach said.”

German Coach Hans Zach, who refused to pull his goalie for an extra skater in the 3-2 loss to Canada, said he wanted to play the top team in the other pool.

Zach, who played on the German team in 1980 that lost a 2-0 lead to Brooks’ “Miracle on Ice” team--and don’t think Brooks doesn’t know that--never named the United States, just the top team in the other pool. No matter, Roenick said.

“When [Zach] said that, it was common knowledge that we were going to be the No. 1 team in the other pool,” Roenick said. “All we had to do was beat Belarus. I still think he was referring to us, and Herb will use that as motivation.”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Men’s Hockey

(text of infobox not included)