Why did the US hockey team fare so poorly?

KEVIN PAUL DUPONT
The Yanks had their problems before they landed in Turin. They lacked a proven No. 1 goaltender for the world stage. Their defense, with 44-year-old Chris Chelios leading the way, looked vulnerable. But with an All-Star cast of forwards, scoring would not be a problem. End result: Rick DiPietro turned into a go-to guy in net, the blue line crew was solid, but that band of red-hot scorers up front arrived with frozen hands that never thawed. The good news: The Yanks didn't smash up their rooms a la Nagano.

BOB RYAN
When you go 1-4-1, there isn't much of a positive spin available to you. However, I think most people have no idea how tough the competition is. Sure, the true NHL aficionados know because they are well aware of the names. But casual fans still think the NHL is all about Canadians, Americans, and maybe Russians, when it's also about Czechs, Swedes, Finns, Slovaks, Latvians, Germans, Swiss, etc. It's not just us. What do you think they're saying in Canada?

JOHN POWERS
This is what happens when you can make an Olympic team by answering the phone. Yes, the rest of the world is getting better. Yes, the Canadians had problems, too. But hockey teams can't be tossed together for the Olympics as if this a pickup game on the Frog Pond. The fact is, USA Hockey would be better off using its European-based players next time. Or call up the Cleary brothers, who still can put the biscuit in the basket.

JEFF COOPER
Montpelier, Vt. The Europeans grow up playing system hockey. We don't. End of story. That's why we won in '80. Herb Brooks cracked the Soviet code and got his players playing a system as a team. Until we do that again, it's going to be the same old story.

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