WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (KRT) — For a period Monday, there was drama. Belarus scored 20 seconds into the game, and as much as Red Wings forward Brett Hull and the U.S. men’s hockey team scrambled to respond, they couldn’t put a puck past a goaltender named Andrei Mezin.
A. Mezin was amazin’.
But then Hull scored a breakthrough goal 46 seconds into the second period, and there was drama no more. Hull assisted on the next two goals as the Americans went on to rout Belarus, 8-1, and win their group. They earned the right to face the last-place team in the other group, Germany, in the quarterfinals Wednesday.
“It’s not a given game,” said U.S. captain Chris Chelios, a Wings defenseman. “But right now, to play Germany is better than playing the Czech Republic or Russia or Canada or Sweden. Momentum-builder, hopefully. We’ve been building momentum this whole tournament here, and hopefully we can keep going.”
But just after the opening face-off, the Belarussians skated around the U.S. zone, and the Americans stood around and watched. Dmitry Pankov took the game’s first shot — and scored, beating Barrasso cleanly.
“Maybe it was a wake-up call,” Barrasso said. “After that, we realized that it wasn’t going to be given to us, that we had to work hard.”
Spurred, the Americans blitzed Belarus. But in their way was Mezin, who played so well that reporters raced to read his Olympic bio. For the record, Mezin is a 27-year-old from Minsk. He is 180 centimeters tall. He weighs 77 kilograms. He plays for the Berlin Capitals of the German Elite League. He “enjoys fishing.”
The Americans took 15 shots in the first period, several of them dangerous. Hull had perhaps the hardest luck. About five minutes in, Hull ended up in front with the puck. Alone. But he was in too close, he had no net to shoot at, and he fired the puck right into Mezin’s glove.
“You’d like to stay positive and think it’s going to come,” Hull said. Little more than midway through the first, Hull’s helmet came off. According to international rules, he had to put it back on or go to the bench immediately. He put it back on. But he didn’t put on his chinstrap. Referee Stephen Walkom sent Hull off for “illegal equipment,” and Hull was not happy.
“I put it on,” Hull said. “No one said it had to look good.”
Walkom explained to Hull that he had no choice but to make the call.First shift of the second period, Hull took two shots at the net. First one went wide. Second one went into Mezin’s body. What was going on? But then Hull, whose goal with 4:30 left Saturday night gave the Americans a 2-2 tie with Russia, took out his frustration with a shot from the high slot. No matter. It went past Mezin. The game was tied, 1-1.
“It was huge,” U.S. forward Tony Amonte said.
“Because,” Hull said, “the longer it goes with them up, 1-0, the tighter people get. You just need to get that first one.”
John LeClair, who had a hat trick Friday night in a 6-0 victory over Finland, scored twice in the second. In the third, Bill Guerin and Scott Young each scored twice, Adam Deadmarsh once. Hull finished with eight shots, the Americans 48. Belarus had 13. Afterward, Hull was hanging out in the hall when Mezin walked by.
“Great job, guy,” Hull said.
“Nice goal,” Mezin said.