"There's no excuse, production is what does it," Weight said. "We played good hockey, we just couldn't find the net and we couldn't beat a couple of good goaltenders so we give them credit and we move on."
Losses to the Czech Republic and Canada cost the United States dearly in 1998.
"We played great in both those games," Weight said. "We out-shot the Czechs and the Canadians and we lost 4-1 and 4-2 to those two teams. We outplayed the Czechs the whole game but Dominik Hasek played unbelievably. We outplayed Canada but Canada had two big goals."
If you play hard, Weight said, you can live with the results. And with yourself. "I'm proud of the way we worked.
"There was some bad light shed on the last Olympics," Weight said. "That was unfortunate because we have a great nucleus of guys. We have guys that really care about winning and being professional, too. We're going to do a great job this year to redeem ourselves."
In a two-week tournament where the top teams are bunched together so tightly, Weight believes home ice in Salt Lake City is a big factor for the U.S.
"You use every bit of every advantage you can," he said. "When you get that home crowd behind you, you're going to get some momentum and that can get you through some tough times. I think in a two-week tournament, goaltending, defense, timely goals, all those things are going to be crucial. But if you can get a five-minute spurt in every game from the home fans, it could win you the one game you need to win. That could be what wins you the tournament. I think we're going to use that to our advantage and play some great hockey."
Weight says the Salt Lake City crowd has helped close the gap between the U.S. and some of the other teams in the tournament.
But the Americans are a formidable foe, thanks in large part because of the lessons learned in Nagano.
"If there was any mistake, we probably tried to run around a little too much and tried to play a little too physical," Weight said.
"It's a big rink and we've got to play smart. With our talent, the puck's going to go in. Once we got down in those games, we tried a little too hard to get that big goal and we gave the other team opportunities. Whether you're down 1-0 or not, you can't get frustrated at your system. You have to play your system for 60 minutes and hope your talent comes out on top."
Heading into the quarterfinal round, the Americans were 2-0-1 and had allowed only three goals, so it has been a case of things going according to plan.
 |
|
Doug Weight says representing his country in the Olympics, something he's always cherished, will be even more inspirational this year.
|
"My experience in international hockey has been that they let a lot go and they let you play," Weight said. "So when you don't have a lot of special teams, no one wants to make that first mistake. It's a chess match."
The Americans also have been able to take advantage of their chances so far and that has been a big factor for Team USA.
"You don't have a lot of good chances, everybody keeps you to the outside, as long as you have good goaltending," Weight said, thinking back to a problem from Nagano that seems to have been solved in Salt Lake City. "You're going to get some chances from the outside, but you're not going to get many chances in close. We didn't bury our Grade-A chances. We didn't have a great power play throughout the Olympics and that cost us. Special teams, staying out of the box, and being patient are keys in that format."
And a huge part of the reason why the Americans were successful in the Final Round.
Part of the reason Weight believes the Americans can make history together in 2002 is because of their past history together.
"I think we're as mature as we've ever been. Our nucleus has been together since the '96 World Cup, including the '98 Olympics. We've got about 15 guys returning from those teams, so I feel we're as mature as we've been, we've had more responsibility from our own teams, we've learned how to play in more situations, and I think we're as good as we're going to be," Weight said. "We're excited about our opportunity to play in the States in the Olympics. We're very proud. We just want to work as hard as we can and try to have a great outcome."
A victory by the U.S. wouldn't be as shocking as it was back in 1980, but would be every bit as comforting. Back then, it was an uncertain world with American hostages in Iran and Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Today, in the aftermath of Sept. 11, it's also an uncertain world. The overwhelming sense of patriotism in the United States isn't lost on Weight. He says representing his country in the Olympics, something he's always cherished, will be even more inspirational this year.
"The opportunity to play in the Olympics in your own home country any time is wonderful. With what happened on Sept. 11, it bears a little more meaning," he explained. "We're obviously all devastated by the catastrophe and our world is changed forever. To have this jersey on and to wear the flag is going to be special."
You might say playing for the stars and stripes carries a lot of Weight.
