Torino _ The past, present and future came together in an interesting mesh Wednesday night as Team USA bowed out of the men's ice hockey tournament at the XX Olympic Winter Games.

 

It was the present that started the knot as Finland beat the Americans 4-3, although a late goal by Brian Gionta with 4:27 left in the game provided hope that somehow Team USA could tie the score and pull out a victory. But it went down as the fourth one-goal loss of the tournament for Team USA and this setback sent coach Peter Laviolette and his team home without a chance to win a medal. The U.S. men won the silver medal in Salt Lake City.

 

The 2006 U.S. women's ice hockey team won the bronze medal earlier in the week. The U.S. women won the gold medal in Nagano in 1998 and the silver medal in Salt Lake City.

 

Unlike in his team's previous five games, Laviolette didn't give his team a pat on the back except for a spirited rally attempt in the third period. He even called a timeout in the first period in an attempt to coax more energy from his team. In the end, Laviolette said the first part of the game and 30 minutes in penalties were too much to overcome.

 

Finland scored a short handed goal to take a 2-0 lead in the first period and two power play goals in the second period, the second by Olli Jokinen on a 5-3 advantage to take a 4-2 lead.

 

"As a group, I think we're disappointed in the way we played tonight," Laviolette said. "It was a game where we seemed to have the least amount of pop and energy. From the start I thought we were standing and not skating. Finland came out with good intensity. We didn't seem to find our energy until the last 12 minutes when the desperation level was pushed."

 

Team USA had to play through some damaging penalties, especially in the third period when it was faced with a two-goal deficit. Derian Hatcher was off the ice for four consecutive minutes for high sticking early in the third period and Scott Gomez as assessed a 10 minute misconduct penalty late in the period. 

 

"When we needed to have all five players on the ice and pressing for offense when down by two goals, we went to the penalty box a little too often and in an untimely fashion," Laviolette said.  when   Laviolette said he finished the game with the players who seemed to have energy.

 

"The third period clearly was our best period," Laviolette said. "It was too little too late. We lost the game in the first 40 minutes. I called the time out because I thought it wasn't going anywhere. We needed to play with more energy in the first 40 minutes and for whatever that reason might be, we didn't accomplish that."

 

The past came through in haunting fashion. It was 26 years ago to the day of the "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid when Team USA surprised the world by winning the gold medal.

 

"I knew it took place, but that it was the exact day I wouldn't have known," Laviolette said. "I think the expectations should be to come over here and win a gold medal. But that's very difficult to do, you're playing against the world's best players. There's a lot of parity around the world right now. I don't think the U.S. can have another Miracle on Ice. Winning a gold medal would be a tremendous thing to do, but short of a miracle."

 

Forward Doug Weight, a veteran from the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, delivered the state of U.S. hockey in a look at the future.

 

"I think there are a lot of great players, which I'm very proud of, coming up," Weight said. "The game has grown considerably in our nation. I don't think that's anything to shy away from as an older player. We've all battled really hard to be on this team and we've earned it. We played a good tournament. I feel like we played better than what we got."

 

Laviolette added, "People at USA Hockey care more about this program than anyone I know. They're passionate about what they believe in."

 

Notes:

 

Players and coaches mentioned that a longer time away from the NHL schedule could benefit the Olympic team's chances. But they noted every team in the tournament faced the same problem.

 

"I do, but you can't have everything," Weight said when asked about a longer break. "We're lucky to do what we do for a job. But if you can take 17 days, you should be able to take 21, give a team a couple of extra days to get ready. But everything isn't a perfect world."