Friday, February 22, 2002
Shootout Picks
By BRUCE GARRIOCH -- Team Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- If this one comes down to a shootout, Team Canada will relive its heartbreak in Nagano in 1998.
On paper, Canada should romp over Belarus, but just ask Sweden about playing a game on paper.
"If Canada has to go to a shootout to beat Belarus, then they don't deserve to win the gold medal," said Hockey Night in Canada's Harry Neale yesterday.
Neale gave the Sun his list of shooters in case this one goes past the 10-minute overtime period.
TEAM CANADA
1. Joe Sakic:
"This guy has got the best wrist shot in the NHL. You've got to put him out there."
2. MARIO LEMIEUX:
"The Belarus goalie is going to have no idea what this guy is going to do. Is he going to deke him, try to go five-hole or put it upstairs? Mario won't decide until he's standing on the doorstep."
3. PAUL KARIYA:
"He's got an accurate shot and he can beat the goalie anyway he wants. If you need a goal, he's the guy who can do it."
4. THEOREN FLEURY:
"I just think Fleury has the ability in these kinds of situations. He thrives on the attention and he can be a gamebreaker."
5. STEVE YZERMAN:
"You've got to put this guy in this slot. He's taking his last kick at the can and he deserves to be the man who gets the job done."
TEAM BELARUS
1. Ruslan Salei:
"At least the guy is used to facing NHL competition. He's going to know what it's like to shoot on an NHL goaltender."
2. VLADIMIR TSYPLAKOV:
"The same reason as Salei. He's not in the NHL anymore, but he knows what it's like and he's got decent skills to put it in."
3. DMITRY PANKOV:
"Why not? He leads the Belarus team with two goals in the tournament."
4. ALEXANDER ANDRIEVSKY:
"He hasn't done a bloody thing, but he's had a lot of chances doing it."
5. ANDREI KOVALEV:
"A good player, but unfortunately it's not the right Kovalev."
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2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
