Team USA Wins Group A, Will Play in Quarterfinals Wednesday
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich./Buffalo Sabres/Michigan State Univ.) turned aside 42 shots as the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team knocked off Canada, 5-3, here tonight in Team USA’s final preliminary-round game of the XXI Olympic Winter Games. With the victory, the U.S. clinched first place in its group with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record and secured a berth in the tournament’s quarterfinal round.
“It was an excellent atmosphere tonight and we anticipated a hostile environment,” said Ron Wilson, head coach of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. “There was a lot of intensity in the game with some great plays and fantastic goaltending. After the second period, we had to tighten our play. The players responded very well in the third and played to win.”
The U.S. jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 41 seconds into the first period. Jamie Langenbrunner (Cloquet, Minn./New Jersey Devils) won a puck battle against the left-wing boards and sent a pass to Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./Nashville Predators/Univ. of Wisconsin) at the left point. Suter passed the puck across the blue line to Brian Rafalski (Dearborn, Mich./Detroit Red Wings/Univ. of Wisconsin), whose slap shot deflected off the stick of Canada’s Sidney Crosby and past Canadian goaltender Martin Brodeur.
After Eric Staal tied the game at 8:53, Rafalski scored his second goal of the contest 22 seconds later to give Team USA a 2-1 advantage. Brodeur’s clearing attempt was stopped by Rafalski at the blue line, who carried the puck to the slot before sending a shot under Brodeur’s left pad for the goal.
Canada knotted the game again with a Dany Heatley marker at 3:32 of the second period, but Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn./New York Rangers/Boston Univ.) scored his second goal in as many games to put Team USA back on top, 3-2. While along the right-wing boards, Drury sent a shot toward Brodeur and, following a scramble in front of the net, fired the loose puck in for the goal at 16:46 of the middle frame.
While on the power play, Langenbrunner gave Team USA a 4-2 lead at 7:09 of the third period. Suter passed the puck to Rafalski at the top of left circle, whose one-timer was deflected in by Langenbrunner through Brodeur’s pads.
Canada made it a one-goal game with a Crosby power-play goal at 16:51, but the U.S. put the game out of reach with an empty-net marker at 19:15. Zach Parise (Prior Lake, Minn./New Jersey Devils/Univ. of North Dakota) chipped the puck down the ice from near his defensive blue line, setting off a race between Ryan Kesler (Livonia, Mich./Vancouver Canucks/The Ohio State Univ.) and Canadian forward Corey Perry. After chasing Perry down the ice, Kesler dove for the puck and knocked it into the open net.
The United States, which secured at least the second seed among the 12 teams competing at the Olympics following the preliminary round, will play in the quarterfinals on Wednesday (Feb. 24) at 3 p.m. EST.
NOTES: Team USA’s quarterfinal match-up will be televised on NBC in the U.S. … The United States’ seeding will be determined following tonight’s preliminary-round game between Finland and Sweden … The U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team has won its first three games for the first time since 1992 … The U.S. defeated Canada for the first time at the Olympic Winter Games since 1960, where it downed Canada, 2-1, en route to the United States’ first-ever Olympic gold medal in ice hockey … Including Team USA’s last two goals against Norway, Brian Rafalski scored four consecutive U.S. goals. He leads all U.S. players with five points (4-1) … David Backes (1-2–3) and Ryan Suter (0-4–4) recorded a point in each of Team USA’s preliminary-round games … For Team USA’s full roster, click here … Ron Wilson, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the head coach of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, with Scott Gordon, head coach of the New York Islanders, and John Tortorella, head coach of the New York Rangers, serving as assistant coaches … USA Hockey’s international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. National Teams.