Czechs eliminate U.S. in hockey shootout in Olympic quarterfinals

Goalie Pavel Francouz (33), of the Czech Republic, blocks a shot by Chris Bourque (17), of the United States, during the penalty shootout in the quarterfinal round of the men's hockey game Wednesday at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea.
Goalie Pavel Francouz (33), of the Czech Republic, blocks a shot by Chris Bourque (17), of the United States, during the penalty shootout in the quarterfinal round of the men's hockey game Wednesday at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea.

GANGNEUNG, South Korea-Instead of waiting for his turn for this Olympic shootout, T.J. Oshie was sitting at home along with the rest of the NHL.

Four years after his shootout heroics in Sochi, Oshie could only watch helplessly halfway around the world as Chris Bourque, Ryan Donato, Marc Arcobello, Troy Terry and Bobby Butler got their chances against the Czech Republic with a berth in the semifinals on the line. And it was Ryan Zapolski in net instead of Jonathan Quick, who was back in North America on the bench for the Los Angeles Kings' 60th game in an NHL regular season that rolled on, right through the Olympics.

Little-known Czech Republic goaltender Pavel Francouz stopped all five Americans in the shootout and Petr Koukal scored as the United States was eliminated with a 3-2 loss Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

Francouz did his best impression of legendary countryman Dominik Hasek, though Donato also had him beat and lost the puck. Gone by a matter of inches was a chance to knot the shootout at 1-all, and now the Americans will head home while the Czechs get a semifinal game against the powerhouse Russians, who beat Norway.

"It always comes down to the smallest plays and I think at the end of the day you've got to be able to capitalize on those plays to win a game," said Donato, who scored his fifth goal of the tournament in regulation. "It didn't go the way I wanted it to and we wanted it to, but it comes down to those things."

The memorable U.S. win over Russia in the Sochi shootout came in group play and had far less at stake. The U.S. reached the semifinals that time by beating an outmanned Czech Republic team 5-2 on goals by James van Riemsdyk, Dustin Brown, David Backes, Zack Parise and Phil Kessel. Had the NHL gone to South Korea, the U.S. team likely would have overflowed with talented players such as Auston Matthews, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrick Kane, Jack Eichel, Shayne Gostisbehere and Seth Jones.

This team had the best young talent it could select in Terry, Donato and fellow college player Jordan Greenway.

"I think the players that were here did a phenomenal job," coach and former NHL player Tony Granato said. "It was a team that was built to represent our country the way it was represented. Play hard, compete, leave it all on the ice, represent us that way. We did that. So we have a lot to be proud of."

Zapolski got better throughout the Olympics, and he stopped 18 of 20 shots in regulation and overtime against the Czechs. The Americans were inches away from a victory several times-when Brian O'Neill clanked it off the bottom of the post with 2:40 left in the third period, when Bobby Sanguinetti's shot left the puck sitting in the crease in the final moments of overtime, when Donato couldn't get the puck past Francouz at the side of the net.

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