Early exit for Canada
Wayne Gretzky couldn't stand to watch any longer, heading to the exit in the final minute.
Russia's youngsters were beating up his handpicked old pros from Canada and, with 33 seconds left and his eyes red with tears, he bolted. No gold medal for mighty Canada, and no comfort at the Olympics for The Great One, who placed the blame for this failure squarely on himself.
Russia won, 2-0, yesterday in the men's quarterfinals in Turin to end another disappointing Winter Games for the country that invented the sport.
''This is special, very special, for our country," said Alexander Ovechkin, who scored the pivotal first goal early in the third period.
The Canadians arrived last week amid the distraction of Gretzky's link to an alleged sports gambling ring and will leave it with doubts about his personnel decisions. Opting for older NHL stars instead of younger, faster skaters, Gretzky watched his team get shut out three times and score just one goal in its final 12 periods.
''I'll take all, deservedly so, the responsibility for not winning," said Gretzky, Team Canada's executive director. ''That's the position I'm in and the responsibility I have."
The breakthrough goal by Ovechkin came 90 seconds into the third period with Russia on a power play. After Chris Pronger couldn't clear the puck from behind the net, Ovechkin kept it in the Canadian end by sweeping it toward Viktor Kozlov while skating off-balance. Kozlov gathered it behind the goal line and fed it back to Ovechkin, who wristed it past Martin Brodeur for his fifth goal in six games.
The Canadians pressed for the tying goal, but never got it. Alexei Kovalev scored on another power play with 23 seconds left, immediately after a flurry in which Evgeni Nabokov (27 saves) made a series of big stops from all angles, one while sliding on his stomach.
While Russia moves on to tomorrow's semifinal against Finland, Gretzky's team heads home with no medals, only questions.
''Is this the end of Canada hockey? No, we'll be back," said Gretzky.
Czech Republic 3, Slovakia 1 -- The Czechs knocked previously unbeaten Slovakia out of the tournament as Martin Rucinsky scored a shorthanded goal and third-string goalie Milan Hnilicka made 20 saves.
Mediocre in the preliminary round, the Czechs dominated the first two periods and held on in the third to earn a semifinal date with Sweden. Rucinsky tallied in the first period, and Milan Hejduk added a goal on a rebound of Rucinsky's shot in the second. Martin Straka popped in an empty-netter for the clincher.
Sweden 6, Switzerland 2 -- Mats Sundin scored twice midway through the second period as Sweden pulled away from the Swiss to advance.
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots and had plenty of support after Switzerland tied the game at 1 midway through the first. Sweden scored four straight goals, with Sundin, Fredrik Modin, and Henrik Zetterberg finding the net.
