The U.S. males’s hockey crew is on to the knockout stage of the Olympics.
The People dispatched Germany, 3-2, on Sunday evening in Beijing, capping off an undefeated group stage to maneuver into the quarterfinals as they search for their first Olympic medal since 2010. They’ll be the highest seed within the knockout rounds and will see Germany once more. Germany faces Slovakia in a qualification recreation, with the winner going through Workforce USA on Wednesday.
Regardless of going through an early deficit, the U.S. stayed composed and shortly fought again.
“We’ve actually develop into a crew in a brief time period,” coach David Quinn advised reporters. “You'll be able to really feel it within the locker room, you'll be able to really feel it across the village. These guys genuinely like one another and look after one another. I bought to present a ton of credit score to our older gamers. They actually embraced the accountability. It’s a very good combine and an incredible group to be round.”
The Germans took the lead simply two minutes into the sport on Patrick Hager’s power-play objective, but it surely didn’t final. Steve Kampfer tied it up at 4:26 of the primary with a power-play objective of his personal, drilling a slap shot from the purpose previous Danny aus van Birken in objective.
Matthew Knies put Workforce USA up 2-1 at 4:50 within the second interval, scoring off Nicolas Abruzesse’s wraparound cross to the crease. Germany challenged for goaltender interference, however the objective stood after assessment.
Although the rating remained shut, the People usually managed play, outshooting Germany 30-18 and ready for his or her probability to increase the lead.
That probability lastly got here early within the third interval, simply after an influence play expired for the U.S. A free puck bounced into the slot, the place Nathan Smith fired it in on the backhand.
“We attempt to play quick, hound different groups’ [defense] and make their lives depressing,” Abruzzese advised reporters. “We had a few good shifts the place we had been taking part in within the offensive zone and getting second alternatives as a result of we had been hounding pucks.”
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Germany managed a late push, with Tom Kuhnackel cleansing up a free puck with 2:29 to go within the recreation. That set the stage for a frantic six-on-five, however the People held robust in their very own zone.
An undefeated group stage, which included a 4-2 win over Canada, is an announcement for Workforce USA. In 2018, which additionally didn’t function NHL gamers, the People completed seventh in a forgettable effort.
This crew, which is constructed primarily round faculty expertise reminiscent of Knies, of the College of Minnesota, and Boston College goaltender Drew Commesso, who had 18 saves, appears to be like as if it could possibly be totally different.
“I assumed we had an edge to us, we had been arduous on pucks,” Quinn mentioned. “I assumed we answered the bell tonight in numerous methods.”
Second-seeded Finland, the third-seeded Russians and fourth-seeded Sweden additionally transfer on to the quarterfinals. Finland erased a three-goal deficit to beat Sweden 4-3 in extra time and transfer forward of its archrival within the standings.
Finland’s comeback pushed Canada out of the highest 4. The fifth-seeded Canadians will face China once more within the qualification spherical Tuesday, a rematch of Canada’s 5-0 win Sunday.
Sixth-seeded Denmark faces Eleventh-seeded Latvia, the seventh-seeded Czech Republic faces Tenth-seeded Switzerland.
— With AP
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