WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah'In the days leading up to the Olympic hockey tournament, players from around the NHL commented on the insignificance of the round-robin stage of the competition, in which none of the eight teams could be eliminated.
But with the single-elimination quarterfinals about to begin Wednesday, it's clear that certain teams used the last round to their advantage, while others are headed for a quick departure in part because of their seeding in the round robin. Neither the United States nor Sweden was expected to win, yet both did and now the Americans get to face the underdog Germans while the Swedes will get an equally overmatched Belarus.
\We've got to feel good about ourselves,' U.S. captain Chris Chelios said. ""We had to build some momentum up, and I think we've done that. We've established ourselves; our offense and our defense. We just have to keep playing the same type of hockey.'
For other teams, the quarterfinals will be more complicated. Canada did not put forth a complete effort until its third game, Monday's spirited 3-3 tie of the Czech Republic, and slumped to a third-place finish in their group.
The Canadian public and media are in an uproar and the pressure caused mild-mannered Wayne Gretzky, Canada's general manager, to snap after Monday's game.
""Am I hot? Yeah,"" Gretzky said. ""I'm tired of people taking shots at Canadian hockey. ... Americans love our poor start. Nobody wants us to win but our players and our loyal fans. We're very proud. I guarantee you we'll be standing at the end.""
The Canadians were bewildered by the more spacious international ice surface and elimination of the center-ice line in their first game, a 5-2 loss to Sweden.
When they failed to crush the Germans in their next game, a 3-2 win aided by a controversial five-minute power play, the scrutiny became unavoidable.
Russia was expected to win its group but was sluggish in its first game and has been prone to lapses save for during a 2-2 tie with the Americans, setting up the marquee quarterfinal game against the Czech Republic.
The Czechs are led by captain Jaromir Jagr, who has been the best player on the ice in each game he has played. But the team won just one game, over Germany, and gave up a late lead to Canada. Goaltender Dominik Hasek, unbeatable in leading his country to gold in 1998, has also allowed some uncharacteristically soft goals.
For the Americans and Swedes, all is well. They get to face teams sorely lacking in NHL talent and should be relatively rested for Friday's semifinals.
The Swedes have already knocked off two hockey powers'Canada and the Czech Republic'and are playing a fundamentally sound style of hockey predicated on puck possession. Goaltender Tommy Salo has been outstanding and there is an overt sense of unity about the club.
""We have good personal chemistry between us and we get along well and play hard for each other,"" Swedish forward Markus Naslund said.
