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U.S. Rout Is True Team Effort

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

If you want to get an idea of what’s winning games for the United States men’s hockey team, start by looking at John LeClair’s mouth.

It was bright red and missing a tooth Wednesday evening, giving him the look of a kid who just finished eating a cherry Popsicle. In reality, he had tasted nothing but wood and tape, the victim of two high sticks from German defensemen who tried to move him out of his preferred spot next to the net. He was willing to pay the price to help the team, drawing two penalties. And he was undeterred, going right to his usual location to score a goal halfway through the second period.

Now take a look at the stat sheet from the United States’ 5-0 victory over Germany in the quarterfinals. Compare the second-period version to the final version. Note the goal 46 seconds into the second period that was changed from Brett Hull’s to Chris Chelios’. That’s because Hull waved off the credit he received for Chelios’ shot from the right side that eluded two players, caught a defender’s stick and went just inside the far post to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead.

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“That’s his goal,” Hull said. “It was tipped before I could get it on my stick.”

Sharing the glory. Taking the punishment. Is it any wonder Coach Herb Brooks’ team is undefeated and one game away from playing for the gold medal?

“Right now, I think we’re doing all the little things right,” Chelios said.

Next up is Russia in the rematch of the rematch. The two teams tied, 2-2, Saturday in a heavily hyped game that marked their first Olympic meeting in U.S. territory since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”

But the miracle that dominated conversation Wednesday was Belarus’ upset of Sweden in the first quarterfinal. Like Germany, Belarus made it out of the qualifying round with a minimum of NHL players (Germany had two, Belarus one). Safe to say, the Americans discussed Sweden’s surprise exit before their own game.

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“Oh God, yes,” U.S. forward Jeremy Roenick said. “It was heavily stressed in our locker room. There was a state of shock. We didn’t want to be the second team to have that misfortune happen.”

The Americans knew the Germans would stick with a defense-oriented system and line up along the blue line to slow them down. Team USA wanted to avoid penalties and get the early lead, which would force the Germans to loosen up and take more chances.

That’s where LeClair--and his mouth--came in. He took a high stick from Erich Goldmann that drew a five-minute penalty and game misconduct. It also knocked out LeClair’s tooth.

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Two and a half minutes into the penalty, Germany’s Daniel Kunce was called for interference, giving the United States a two-man advantage. Roenick scored from the left side to put the United States ahead, 1-0.

After Chelios’ goal, the ice did open up.

Tony Amonte and Roenick--who played together on the Chicago Blackhawks for two seasons in the mid-1990s--hooked up for a pretty two-on-one goal. Amonte fed Roenick, who passed back to Amonte for the goal.

“After it went in, Tony gave me a quick look and told me, ‘That’s old school, baby. That’s old school,’” Roenick said. “That made me feel really good. Relived a lot of good memories.”

As nice as that play looked, it could not match the artistry of Hull’s goal, the final score of the period. As the puck bounced off the boards and toward the crease, Hull put down his stick and flipped a backhand shot between his legs and into the net.

“That’s just stupid,” Roenick said. “That’s just stupid talent, to be able to do something like that.”

Even the German goaltender, Marc Seliger, had to give it up for that goal.

“That one was pretty good,” Seliger said. “I was amazed and impressed. Maybe next time I’ll still look for that, but I was just, ‘Wow!’”

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“Just a lucky play,” Hull said.

The Americans were penalized only twice. Germany was penalized five times, including the two high sticks against LeClair.

“It’s part of the game,” Amonte said. “That was their game plan, try to take us out of the game. But our guys, we didn’t take any retaliatory penalties tonight. That was the difference.”

Mike Richter made 28 saves to get the shutout.

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Men’s Hockey

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