ESPN hockey analyst Bill Clement breaks down the team offense and team defense, while Darren Pang looks at the goaltending of the six teams that have qualified for the final round of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

	Bill Clement

The fact that Team USA's brain trust of Craig Patrick, Larry Pleau and Herb Brooks waited till the eleventh hour to name the final six players to the roster should help us understand the extreme pressure they are under. Nagano was a disaster on and off the ice. The Olympics are on U.S. soil and the United States hasn't come close to gold since 1980.

Team Offense
This is team USA's strength. The centers are all creative passers: Mike Modano, Doug Weight, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Drury and Mike York can flat-out thread needles. Big name goal-scorers are everywhere -- Brett Hull and Tony Amonte head this list. Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk and John LeClair take care of the power forward category. Herb Brooks truly wants to put together a team that can play a fast, up-tempo style of game.

They added some quickness and speed at the roster deadline in Brian Rolston, Adam Deadmarsh and York. Scott Young, Modano, Guerin, Amonte and Roenick also have world-class wheels.

A big plus for Team USA is the head start they got on chemistry. Many of the forwards have played on the same line before: Deadmarsh-Drury in Colorado, Weight- Guerin in Edmonton, Roenick-LeClair in Philadelphia, Hull-Modano in Dallas, Tkachuk-Young in St. Louis, Roenick-Tkachuk in Phoenix. So while other teams are searching for the right line combos, Brooks may already have them.

Team Defense
As a group, the defensemen have to be considered Team USA's weakness. Not because of who they are, but what they aren't, which is neither big nor fast. Brian Rafalski (5-foot-9) and Phil Housley (5-10) are tiny and Chris Chelios (40) and Gary Suter (37) aren't kids anymore. Brian Leetch is still one of the world's most dominant defenseman and had better be prepared to play 35-40 minutes a game. Fortunately, all of Team USA's defensemen are good puck movers and this will be their key to survival...especially against Canada's Eric Lindros. He is the one player in the Olympics whose size and strength puts Team USA's defense at a decided disadvantage. And if you study all the rosters of all the teams you can't help but conclude that all Olympic medal roads run through Canada.

Goaltending

	Darren Pang

The U.S. has experience in Mike Richter and Tom Barasso and some great up-side in Mike Dunham. Mike Richter has the upper hand as the starter, right now. He is hungry and motivated to be the best in the game. He is playing smarter and being more patient, and that means more pucks end up hitting him. He's extremely flexible and has quick reflexes to go along with a strong glove, yet how he read the play was always a question. In past, he challenged the shooter on odd-man rushes so aggressively that if the open player got the puck, he had an empty net to shoot into. Now, he's better at reading the play. That, combined with his lateral movement, makes it seem as if he's doing less work and making the saves look easier.

Tom Barrasso's return to prominence should really come as no surprise because he's such a gifted athlete. Team USA had to add him to the roster to keep the bases covered in case something were to happen to Richter. Barrasso still has a certain presence in net. Mike Dunham won't until he is in a position to win under pressure and does. Barrasso has a certain calmness with the puck - whether he is playing it or stopping it. He also moves with effortless motion and produces efficient results. He could easily be the top guy for the U.S. when it's all said and done.

Dunham has the makings to be a star in the NHL and his time is coming. He started out slowly, but has played really well since the first week in December. He's getting better at not leaving rebounds directly in front of the net. He has all the tools. This experience -- whether he plays or not -- will give him a boost and the Predators will be the benefactors.

Players listed with current team, birthdate and previous Olympic experience:

GOAL	TEAM	BIRTHDATE	OLYMPICS
Tom Barrasso	Carolina	March 31, 1965	None
Mike Dunham	Nashville	June 1, 1972	'94
Mike Richter	N.Y. Rangers	Sept. 22, 1966	'88, '98
FORWARDS	TEAM	BIRTHDATE	OLYMPICS
Tony Amonte	Chicago	Aug. 2, 1970	'98
Adam Deadmarsh	Los Angeles	May 10, 1975	'98
Chris Drury	Colorado	Aug. 20, 1976	None
Bill Guerin	Boston	Nov. 9, 1970	'98
Brett Hull	Detroit	Aug. 9, 1964	'98
John LeClair	Philadelphia	July 5, 1969	'98
Mike Modano	Dallas	June 7, 1970	'98
Jeremy Roenick	Philadelphia	Jan. 17, 1970	'98
Brian Rolston	Boston	Feb. 21, 1973	'94
Keith Tkachuk	St. Louis	March 28, 1972	'92, '98
Doug Weight	St. Louis	Jan. 21, 1971	'98
Mike York	N.Y. Rangers	Jan. 3, 1978	None
Scott Young	St. Louis	Oct. 1, 1967	'88, '92
DEFENSEMEN	TEAM	BIRTHDATE	OLYMPICS
Chris Chelios	Detroit	Jan. 25, 1962	'84, '98
Phil Housley	Chicago	March 9, 1964	None
Brian Leetch	N.Y. Rangers	March 3, 1968	'88, '98
Aaron Miller	Los Angeles	Aug. 11, 1971	None
Tom Poti	Edmonton	March 22, 1977	None
Brian Rafalski	New Jersey	Sept. 28, 1973	None
Gary Suter	San Jose	June 24, 1964	'98

Head coach: Herb Brooks
Assistants: John Cunniff (Albany, AHL) and Lou Vairo
General manager: Craig Patrick (Pittsburgh)
Associate general manager: Larry Pleau (St. Louis)