[Alberta's Child]

Team USA went into the tournament as the sixth- or seventh-ranked hockey team in the world, if my information is correct. A loss in the quarterfinals sounds just about right.

[Hat-Trick]

Sure enough. Any medal by the US would have been a great achievement in this tournament. Quite a contrast in the team mentality between Modano's comments above and what Gretz and Joe Sakic had to say about Team Canada's loss to Russia:

Gretzky:

"I take full responsibility," said a drained Gretzky, Team Canada's executive director. "It's nobody else's fault."

"I feel tremendously responsible that we didn't win. There will be accountability over the next couple of years."

"I'll reassess what I'm going to do in the future and what's best for me and Hockey Canada. Hockey Canada is wonderful, my country is great, and I love it dearly."

Sakic:

Canada captain Joe Sakic agreed: "We didn't play well enough. We didn't deserve to win."

[F16Fighter]

"Team USA went into the tournament as the sixth- or seventh-ranked hockey team in the world, if my information is correct. A loss in the quarterfinals sounds just about right."

If they'd played the entire tournament with the intensity of yesterday's final period against the Finns, they'd have won the Gold.