NAGANO, Japan -- Five of the world's best hockey players tried to end one of the most pressure-packed games ever. None could beat Dominik Hasek, and so the Czech Republic -- not Canada -- will play for Olympic gold.

In a game

Robert Reichel beat Patrick Roy Friday for the biggest goal in Czech Olympic hockey history. (Reuters)

as tense and finely played as the sport can produce, Hasek stopped all five shots he faced in the post-overtime shootout, and Robert Reichel beat Patrick Roy as the underdog Czech Republic defeated the Canadians 2-1 Friday.

"Nobody can beat the Dominator. He's the man," Martin Rucinsky said, referring to Hasek. "In big games like this, he's outstanding."

The Czechs advanced to the gold-medal game, where they will face Russia, a 7-4 winner over Finland in Friday's other semifinal.

CANADA, SILVER MEDALISTS IN THE PREVIOUS two Olympics, also lost in a shootout to Sweden in the 1994 gold-medal game. The Canadians, who haven't won gold since 1952, will now play the Finns for the bronze.

"It's devastating," said Wayne Gretzky, who announced that this would probably be his last international competition. "They beat us fair and square. There are no excuses. But when you don't win, it's the worst feeling in the world."

Hasek duplicated his performance at last month's NHL International Showdown skills competition, where he outdueled Roy in the breakaway relay and backstopped the World team to an overtime triumph over North America.

"The Dominator came up big," Czech star Jaromir Jagr said.

In the shootout, Theoren Fleury, Ray Bourque, Joe Nieuwendyk, Eric Lindros and Brendan Shanahan were all stopped by Hasek. The Czech Republic's Rucinsky, Pavel Patera and Jagr also missed shots against Roy.

THE CZECH REPUBLIC WON THE pre-shootout coin toss and forced Canada to go first. Fleury came in on his forehand but Hasek got his right shoulder on the shot.

Reichel scored

CBS Sports audio from the game:

Czech Republic forward Jaromir Jagr on: beating Canada always having a chance to win Canada assistant coach Wayne Cashman on: losing Joe Sakic Roy vs. Hasek

on the first penalty shot attempt against Roy, putting a wrist shot past Roy's stick, off the left post and in.

"I never miss a penalty shot. I was very confident, very relaxed," Reichel said. "My strategy is always the same: Go fast and shoot the puck."

Then the fun really began.

Bourque, the second Canadian shooter, shot over the net. Roy then smothered Rucinsky's backhander. Nieuwendyk, given no angle by Hasek, shot wide right. Patera shot into Roy's body. Lindros faked Hasek to the ice but his backhander hit the left post. Jagr also hit the left post.

SHANAHAN HAD TO SCORE TO KEEP Canada alive but Hasek gave him nothing and easily blocked the shot. That clinched the shutout victory for the Czech Republic, whose final scheduled shooter, Vladimir Ruzicka, did not even have to attempt his shot.

"What a job by Hasek," Shanahan said. ``It's like stopping five breakaways in a row."

After smothering Shanahan's shot with his left pad and glove, Hasek jumped high into the air. Not long after he landed, he was mobbed by his teammates. The Czechs, with only 12 NHL players compared with Canada's star-filled lineup, were winners.

The loss was the second and, perhaps, biggest blow to the hockey pride of the nation that calls the sport its own. The Canadian women's team, reigning world champions, lost to the United States in the Olympic gold-medal game 4-1.

And 17 months ago, Canada's men lost to the U.S. team in the World Cup, a highly competitive Olympic-style tournament.

"It hasn't been a great couple of years for Canadian hockey," Gretzky said.

THE CANADIANS, WHO MUST always deal with high expectations from their hockey mad countrymen, slowly skated onto the ice for the handshake.

"We came here to win a gold medal," Steve Yzerman said. ``People in Canada expected it. So did we."

Gretzky sat on the bench alone for about a minute before joining his teammates. Hockey's all-time leading scorer finally got the chance for an Olympic medal because the NHL agreed to allow its players to participate.

"Words can't even describe how bad I feel," the 37-year-old Gretzky said, talking slowly as he fought back tears. "For myself, I guess a gold medal wasn't in the cards for my career."

Hasek, MVP

Brendan Shanahan had Canada's last chance to beat Dominik Hasek in a shootout but came up empty. (Reuters)

of the NHL last season and three-time league goalie of the year, finished with 24 saves. He was at his best in the 10-minute overtime that preceded the shootout, stopping Trevor Linden, Adam Foote and Nieuwendyk from point-blank range to force the shootout.

"IF THE DOMINATOR PLAYS GOOD, we always have a chance," Jagr said of Hasek.

The Czechs seemed to have the game won in regulation time until Linden scored one of the biggest goals of his hockey career with 63 seconds left in the third period.

Roy had just been pulled for an extra attacker when Hasek stopped shots by Linden and Al MacInnis. But Lindros retrieved MacInnis' rebound and centered back to Linden, whose low wrist shot from the edge of the right faceoff circle deflected up off defenseman Richard Smehlik's stick and over Hasek's glove.

Sparked by Linden's heroics, Canada dominated the overtime, outshooting the weary Czechs, 5-1. But Hasek came up with a pair of saves on Lindros with 3:24 remaining and made an off-balance stop on Adam Foote's wrist shot from the right circle with 1:24 remaining.

Hasek and Roy, who dueled to a scoreless tie in the National Hockey League on Nov. 2, 1996, battled each other save for save through 2 1/2 periods. The Czechs finally broke through 9:46 into the third. Patera won a faceoff from Fleury in the Canadian zone, fed the puck back to Jiri Slegr at the left point and darted in front to screen Roy. Slegr moved in a couple of strides before firing a slap shot over Roy's right arm and just inside the left post.

The Czechs, who were not expected to contend for a medal, killed off a pair of Team Canada power plays in a first period that featured a combined eight shots.

PLAY PICKED UP IN THE SECOND PERIOD as the Czech Republic owned a 14-11 edge in shots. Roy came up with key saves on Reichel and a pair on Rucinsky early in the period before Hasek was able to stop Shanahan's deflection of Foote's point shot with 10 minutes left.

Hasek got his right skate on Bourque's one-timer from the top of the slot with six minutes to go and made a glove save on Shanahan's flip from the right circle moments later.

"They had probably the best team, but if you get lucky you can win," Jagr said. "We had the best goalie, the Dominator. He stopped every shot."

Roy was tested again and got help from forward Mark Recchi, who warded off Reichel as he cut left to right across the crease and appeared to have room to shoot with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. Canada had a scare seconds later when Josef Beranek's shot struck Roy in the right arm, bounced high in the air and rolled off the goalie's back and just wide of the net.

Canada was the second straight pre-tournament favorite that was vanquished by Hasek, who made 24 saves. He came up with 38 saves in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the United States and has allowed only six goals in five games.

Roy finished with 27 saves.

CANADA WAS WITHOUT JOE SAKIC, who sprained his left knee in Wednesday's 4-1 quarterfinal victory over Kazakhstan. The Canadians played the entire Olympics without perhaps their best player, Paul Kariya, who didn't make the trip because of a concussion.

"We beat the two best teams in the world," said Reichel, referring to the team's quarterfinal victory over the United States. "It's great, the first time NHL players come to the Olympics and we're in the finals. What a surprise!"

"I only wish I could be in Prague right now," Rucinsky said. ``It's a great moment for Czech hockey. Everybody expected us to be out in the quarterfinals."