NAGANO, Japan -- It's the Russian Rocket versus the Dominator, raw firepower against exceptional goaltending, a former hockey dynasty facing a contender in search of its first Olympic title.

Most of all,

Pavel Bure, the Russian Rocket, has led his team to the Olympics' gold medal game. (Reuters)

it's the gold-medal game almost no one expected: Russia against the Czech Republic.

When the new-look, NHL-enhanced tournament began two weeks ago, the U.S. and Canada were considered overwhelming favorites to meet in a rematch of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Very little went according to form.

THE U.S. GOT BOUNCED FROM THE Olympic tournament with an embarrassing 1-3 record. Then a few players embarrassed themselves by destroying property in the Olympic Village. Canada advanced a bit further, yet ended up having to compete for a consolation prize - the bronze medal.

So, after 33 games, Russia (5-0) and the Czech Republic (4-1) are the only teams with a chance at Olympic gold. Russia will try to add another title to its storied history Sunday (Saturday night EST), while the Czechs will be seeking their first Olympic title after collecting four silver medals and four bronze.

"It's the game of the century. Every team had their best players here for the first time," Czech left wing Martin Rucinsky said today.

Though the final matchup may not be what anyone in North America had in mind 14 days ago, it still has plenty of intrigue. Russia is led by Pavel Bure, a star right wing with the Vancouver Canucks who lived up to his nickname of the Russian Rocket by launching five pucks into the net Friday in a 7-4 semifinal victory over Finland.

The Czech Republic has the one player that virtually every goal-scorer fears: goaltender Dominik Hasek, a.k.a. the Dominator, a nickname that has never seemed more appropriate than at these Olympics.

HASEK OPENED THE TOURNAMENT by losing blanking Finland, a prelude of things to come. After losing 2-1 to Russia in the final game of the round-robin phase, Hasek stopped 38 shots in a losing 4-1 victory over the United States.

Then he turned in one of the most memorable goaltending performances in Olympic history. After allowing just one goal in 70 minutes Friday, Hasek stopped five straight attempts by Canada in the shootout to give the Czechs a stirring 2-1 victory.

Hasek has allowed six goals in 310 minutes of play over five games -- a 1.16 goals-against average. Now comes his final test in Nagano, against Bure, Sergei Fedorov and a host of Russian sharpshooters.

"We want to get off to a quick start. Hopefully we can generate some pressure on Hasek and finish our chances," Fedorov said. "He's the best goaltender in the world right now."

And Bure is the most prolific goal-scorer at the Olympics right now. But he knows that his five-goal performance against a goalie by the name of Jarmo Myllys won't mean anything when he runs up against the Dominator.

"THAT WAS A HUGE GAME WE won, but that's all part of history now," Bure said.

Imagine: the teams play 60 minutes, then 10 minutes of overtime, and the gold medal comes down to Bure vs. Hasek in the final round of a shootout.

"We still have to play 60 minutes before I think about that," Bure said. "Hopefully, that's not going to happen."