U.S. hopes to make it two in a row Thursday, 02.18.2010 / 12:35 PM Shawn P. Roarke - NHL.com Managing Editor USA (1-0-0-0, 3 points) vs. Norway (0-0-1-0, 0 points)

What to watch -- For Norway, all eyes will be on goalie Pal Grotnes, who was brilliant for two periods of the Canada game before leaving with an injury, believed to be leg cramps. If Grotnes is able to go, as he believes he will be, the Norwegians have a puncher's chance. If not, it could be a long afternoon for the Europeans.

For the United States, it will be interesting to see where their chemistry experiment stands. Team USA has only been together for three days and is still trying to find its way when it comes to line combinations and the like. Will a full day of practice set the team right? We should find out early in this game.

Last game: USA beat Switzerland, 3-1; Norway was defeated by Canada, 8-0.

Team Reports:

Norway -- The Norwegians threw a scare into the Canadians for a period on Tuesday by playing a passive forecheck that closed down the neutral zone and blunted Canada's speed. Clearly, they will try to do the same against the Americans. But, such a defense-first style only works if you have a credible ability to counter-attack.

"We'd hoped for the first goal to have a chance in this game," Norwegian coach Roy Johanson said after the Canada loss. "It was a long third period for us."

The Norwegians have not shown that yet in this tournament, although Mats Zuccarello Aasen and Mads Hansen appear to be their most dangerous forwards after the Canada game.

USA -- The American fourth line was the team's most dangerous in Tuesday's game. Anaheim's Bobby Ryan scored the game-opening goal in the final minute of the first period to settle down the Americans. Dave Backes of the St. Louis Blues scored on a beautiful end-to-end rush. Ryan Malone, meanwhile, scored on a power-play put back. That means the Americans have no goals yet from their top-six forwards. But, the top trio of Zach Parise, Paul Statsny and Pat Kane did manage a full-third of Team USA's 24 shots. The Americans will also turn back to goalie Ryan Miller, who played very well in the game against Switzerland, despite intermittent work.

"I thought Ryan made the saves we needed him to make," said Wilson.

Total NHL players in game: Norway: 0. USA: 23

Puck drop -- Don't expect the Americans to take the Norwegians lightly, despite the lopsided scoreline in Norway's game against Canada. The Americans know they need to be hitting on all cylinders come Saturday's showdown against Canada. Norway provides the perfect opportunity to get scorers healthy in a hurry.

"This is the first 60 minutes that these guys have played together and, with that yardstick, I'm pleased with the game," American GM Brian Burke said. "Some of these guys barely know each other. You're not going to get the reading off of each other that you get from units that play together on a regular basis. You're not going to see that, not early in the tournament anyway."

NHL.com predicts: The Americans find their offensive groove in this game. They don't have the firepower of the Canadians, so they may not put up an eight-spot like their neighbors to the North. But, Team USA will win going away, with the top line driving the bus.

I thought the US looked better.. On the other hand Canada got a wake up call.. Maybe they aren't as good as they think they are..

i've been really disappointed with the canadian men's hockey.

i'm sincere when i say that if they took out the contact, i bet the women's team can beat them. that speaks more for the women actually as they are playing sensationally.

i've never been a fan of crossing centre ice, and 'dumping it in' and i've seen so much of it in hockey lately, that i don't often watch anymore. i prefer good puck and stick handling, with skilled passing and great goaltending. the great goaltending, at least, we got.

i wish we played on the larger european ice surface - it tends to open up the game and get better skating and playmaking.

the swiss looked like they were a contender for the gold.

What an amazing game!!!! First win vs Canada in the Olympics since 1960!!!

In Vancouver.. with a bunch of young kids... Gotta love it!!!

Team USA stuns Canada 5-3 to win Group A Monday, 02.22.2010 / 12:53 AM Shawn P. Roarke - NHL.com Managing Editor GAME HIGHLIGHTS

VANCOUVER -- Youth dominates this American national team, but its identity for the 2010 Olympics is greatly shaped by three former Olympians brought back for another shot at gold.

Sunday night, it was those three wily veterans -- defenseman Brian Rafalski, winger Jamie Langenbrunner and center Chris Drury -- and goaltender Ryan Miller, who many believe should have played at the 2006 Olympics -- that navigated the Americans through their most difficult test to date, a winner-take-all Group A finale against the host Canadians.

When the final buzzer sounded on a raucous 60 minutes of the marquee game of Showdown Sunday -- the Russians beat the Czechs in the afternoon and the Swedes played the Finns in the nightcap -- the young and brash Americans had silenced not only the capacity crowd at Canada Hockey Place, but an entire nation with a gritty 5-3 win that featured two goals by Rafalski, single strikes from both Langenbrunner and Drury and 42 saves from Miller.

"Those guys know what to do to win," said American coach Ron Wilson.

David Backes, part of America's youth brigade couldn't suppress a smile when asked about the veterans stepping to the fore Sunday.

"Veteran leadership; there's not much of it, but those are the guys that came here tonight and got it done," said Backes, who is making a name for himself on the international game's biggest stage. "Ryan Miller, Brian Rafalski, Jamie Langenbrunner. Those are guys that are blue-collar and get it done."

They certainly did Sunday, against what many considered the longest of odds.

Canada entered this tournament as the odd-on favorite and, on paper, was better than the Americans at almost every position. Now, the Canadians (1-1-0-1, 5 points) are relegated to Tuesday's qualification round, forced to play Germany in an unwanted winner-take-all game.

The Americans (3-0-0-0, 9 points) not only win Group A, but will have one of the top-two seeds in Wednesday's quarterfinal round.

It wasn't supposed to shake out this way. But when Canada superstar Sidney Crosby accidentally tipped a Rafalski slap shot past goalie Martin Brodeur in the game's first minute, the preconceived notions of this game went right out the window.

"I think that was huge for us," Rafalski told NHL.com. "Even though we didn’t have the best first period, they came out flying and we came out with the lead. I think we got stronger as the game went on."

The Americans led 2-1 after 20 minutes because Rafalski wouldn't let his team question itself.

Eric Staal scored at 8:53 to tie the game at 1-1. Rafalski answered just 22 seconds later when Brodeur batted an American clearing attempt right onto the red-hot defenseman's stick. He then used Langenbrunner for a screen to get a slapper past a surprised Brodeur. Rafalski, who scored twice in the last three minutes of Thursday's win against Norway, had four goals in a 12-minute span when he put the Americans ahead at 9:15 of the period.

"He's doing something special right now," Langenbrunner said. "He's looked at as our leader back there and he's doing a heck of a job doing that, talking in the locker room and talking on the ice and really controlling the play. He seems to rise up in these situations and you saw that again tonight."

Rafalski wasn't the only old man rising up.

Canada landed its second body blow in an attempt to knock out an American team that appeared to be running on adrenaline when Dany Heatley slammed home a rebound 3:32 into the second to tie the game at 2-all.

But the American vets once again were there to pull Team USA woozily off the mat.

This time it was Drury doing the honors by scoring a put-back goal of his own just a little more than three minutes after Heatley's goal.

"There are not too many guys more clutch than he is," Langenbrunner said. "I'm happy to have him on this team. He's another one of those guys that can rise up and he feels good in those situations and delivers, delivers regularly."

Finally, it was Langenbrunner's turn to take a twirl in the spotlight. After a ton of intense pressure by the Canadians -- "We weathered some storms out there," Langenbrunner said -- the American captain just got his stick on a Rafalski slapper to steer the puck through the small 5-hole left by Brodeur, his New Jersey Devils teammate.

Now it was 4-2 and the Americans could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Canada still had a few haymakers left to test the American will. First, Crosby scored to make it 4-3 with 3:09 left in the contest. Then, smelling blood, the Canadians came full bore, cycling the puck for well over a minute and putting the Americans under a state of siege.

However, Drury (blocking a dangerous Shea Weber slapper) and Miller were there for Team USA.

"It was a long shift," Drury said. "It seemed like they had eight or nine guys out there to our five. We hung tight and, obviously, 'Millsie' made some huge saves. I'm glad we were able to get it out of the zone and be able to change."

On the change, Team USA scored its final goal with Ryan Kesler out-racing Corey Perry to sweep the puck into a net that had been vacated by Brodeur for the extra attacker just seconds earlier.

Perhaps, the most lasting effect the Olympic vets on Team USA had was felt after the game.

There was little denying that this team had just authored a signature win, but nobody on the American team was going down that road; not with another week left before a champion is crowned in this tournament.

"It's three points and it's a highly touted game that a lot of people put emphasis on," Backes said. "But we said before the game this isn't going to be the most important game we play."

No, the Americans' next game will be their most important. But now, after proving its mettle Sunday night against the Canadians, this young team is far more prepared to navigate the upcoming challenges.

kiss my arse

he-he.{{{p~s}}}Awwww!don't fret. I'll leave U w/ the same msg.that I left for ArtGurl.It shall be a long time before "Oh!Canada"ever sees that 35lb.very shiny,glorious Lord Stanley Cup again also.Muaaagh!

Hummmmmmmmmmmmm how did ya like that Hockey Game ............









Sorry could not help but to brag on that one loved the back page of the paper in Canada........."Damn Yankee's"

{{{{Kristi}}}}Sweeeeet!!!We are going all the way.We have plenty of firepower up front,a stifling defense & spectacular goal-tending with R.Miller.2010 is our year to get it done & so we shall.Woo-Hoo!Hey! I love that celebration pic.btw.Godspeed!Cy

Hehehehe got it from the Canadian paper

I normally do not watch sports but I tell ya now I really got into the Hockey game it was awesome they all played one hell of a game..........

Geez, what happend to "Mr. Shutout" Brodeur? Almost looked like Turco out there..lol
Yea, Miller was phenomenal. He's the shiznit! We need him in Dallas..lol

Yeah!Mr.'S-O'Brodeur looking like Turco=Too Funny!;)He may have beat Terry's old'S-O'record but I'm afraid his glory days are long over with.
Of course myself & many others will never forget his stellar net-minding days when the N.J.Devils captured them 2 cups but that's History as they say.
p.s.Our T.Thomas's lackluster performance is troubling.And this is the same man who was awarded the Venzina Trophy last year.{{{}}}

when i watched the US play Canada i swear i was watching an NHL All Star game

U.S. to face Swiss in Olympic quarterfinal rematch VANCOUVER (AP) -- The United States' men's hockey team will start the medal round just as it began the preliminaries with a matchup against seemingly overmatched, yet dangerous Switzerland in the Olympic quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The eighth-seeded Swiss earned the right to play the No. 1 Americans by beating upstart Belarus 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday.

The United States will look to take advantage of the favorable draw earned with a 3-0 start that included a 3-1 victory over Switzerland last Tuesday. Should the Americans get past the Swiss, they won't have to worry about heavyweights Russia, Canada or Sweden until the gold medal game.

"Those were the three teams everyone was talking about heading into the tournament," forward Dustin Brown said Tuesday after practice. "Finishing first gives us the easier draw. Is it easier? I think it's a good draw, but you could get a hot goalie in one game and you can maybe squeak out a game."

Even though Switzerland boasts only two NHL players on its roster, one is Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. He is the main reason the Swiss can pose a threat to any powerhouse. Hiller stopped 21 American shots in the opener.

"Everybody can win one game in this tournament," said Hiller, who made 20 saves against Belarus. "We're the heavy underdog. We have nothing to lose."

Bobby Ryan, who scored the Americans' first goal against Hiller in the earlier Olympic meeting, said he saw Hiller -- his Ducks teammate -- on Tuesday morning and wished him good luck against Belarus.Consider the pleasantries over.

"We know what the Swiss do. We obviously know their goaltender. There won't be any surprises there," U.S. coach Ron Wilson said. "They're the team that has the least to lose in this tournament."They are playing with house money."

Some might say the same about the young Americans, considered medal long shots heading into the tournament and likely candidates to have to win a qualification game to get into the quarterfinals. That doesn't mean they are satisfied. A loss to Switzerland would be a bitter disappointment on the heels of the Americans' stirring 5-3 win over Canada on Sunday to clinch that top seed.

"It puts us in a good spot, but it doesn't mean anything if we lose tomorrow," said defenseman Brian Rafalski, who has a team-high four goals. "It doesn't mean anything if you don't advance to the final.

"We can't take anything for granted because teams out here are going to try and upset us and have their own miracle out there."

U.S. general manager Brian Burke pulled no punches Monday while his club took the day off. The blustery Burke said he wasn't happy with how the team was playing, despite the positive results, and called for more players to step up and pull their weight.

"Burkie wants to keep us where we need to be, which is appropriately paranoid," goalie Ryan Miller said.

Burke cautioned that Canada wasn't at its best Sunday, and if the Americans don't raise their game in the medal round, the good feeling surrounding the team could be gone in a flash. Miller's strong play was the difference in the win over the Canadians, offsetting mistakes made in front of him.

"It's true words spoken," 21-year-old forward Patrick Kane said of Burke's stern remarks. "We know we have to do better. Miller's been great -- he's probably not going to play better than (against Canada). We have to play better.

"I know myself, I could pick it up another level. Just get into the game a little bit more. It's a little bit tough not playing as much as normal. There's still another level I can get to ... and I'm going to get there."

U.S. wins against Swiss.

Now Playing! Canada Vs. Russia



Don't Miss It.

Parise's pair leads USA to 2-0 win over Switzerland Wednesday, 02.24.2010 / 7:29

VANCOUVER -- The road to a medal in an Olympic hockey tournament is littered with tests of both skill and character.

The young, upstart Americans passed a pop quiz thrown at them Wednesday by an upset-minded Switzerland team in the first of the day's quarterfinals at Canada Hockey Place.

The Americans survived a mind-blowing litany of clutch saves by Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller, the infuriating patience of a disciplined team that denies time and space in the neutral zone and a couple of confidence-shaking calls to earn a 2-0 victory that sends Team USA into the medal round.

New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise scored both goals -- the second into an empty net -- and now Team USA will play either the Czech Republic or Finland in Friday's semifinal round here at CHP.

"We're really proud of them of them for not losing their cool or letting the expectations of beating the Swiss to get in the way of the plan," American coach Ron Wilson said. "We stayed fairly disciplined the whole game and we needed that."

The longer the Swiss went with a chance in this game, the more the pressure grew on an American team populated with youngsters who don't have a ton of big-game experience.

So when the second period ended 0-0 and Hiller was the proud owner of 32 saves on a day when he would stop 42 of 43 shots, a recipe for disaster was in the planning stages -- especially after Ryan Kesler had an apparent goal in the last split-second of the second period negated by video replay to keep the game tied.

"Guys started squeezing their sticks after the first 35 shots get stopped," American forward David Backes told NHL.com "So it was a good testament for the guys to keep going; keep with the program. Our longevity and stick-to-itness paid off in the end."

Parise might define the American grit better than any player on this team. Despite being a pure goal scorer, Parise plays in all three ends and goes to the dirty areas of the ice. He was in one of those dirty areas -- in front of Hiller with a defenseman trying to move him -- when he finally broke the stalemate and let the American team breathe.

Parise got just the tip of his stick on a slap shot from defenseman Brian Rafalski and sent it cartwheeling over the glove of Hiller before nestling just inside the far post -- despite the best scrambling efforts of both Hiller and his defense to clear the puck off the line.

"A great performance from Zach Parise today," Wilson said. "I thought he was our best player, and in games like this your best players rise to the occasion and you saw that today."

With that one flash of world-class hand-eye coordination combined with sheer determination, the Americans suddenly knew that they were in control of their own destiny and no longer at the mercy of a goalie intent upon upsetting the Olympic apple cart.

"It was just patience paying off," forward Bobby Ryan said. "They're trying to get teams frustrated and out of their comfort zone and feast on it in transition or a turnover. Plus, Jonas played really well in net. So we just tried to keep going forward and get an ugly one and that's what happened."

Ugly or pretty, the Americans were happy to have it after their first 34 attempts top beat Hiller were thwarted.

"Hillsy did an amazing job," Swiss defenseman Luca Sbisa said. "Without him, we wouldn't be this far in the tournament. He made unbelievable saves. We are so proud of him."

While the game was taut throughout, it was the closing seconds of the second period and the opening five minutes of the third that told the eventual story.

The game-changing sequence started when Kesler appeared to have scored a goal in the last second of the period when his bad-angle shot was bobbled by Hiller before the goalie batted it over his own shoulder and into the net. But on this day, Hiller was saved by the horn -- time expired, according to replays, before the puck actually crossed the goal line.

Then Parise delivered his game-changing goal at 2:08 of the third period. But the Swiss were not yet done.

In fact, they came as hard as they did all night, pressing for the equalizer to put the Americans under pressure again. Switzerland thought it had that equalizer when Sandy Jeanin took his defender wide and then forced goalie Ryan Miller to commit before sliding a shot past the goalie that appeared to have crossed the goal line before bouncing back out.

"I thought it was in on the bench," Wilson said, "because there was no sound.

Instead, play continued and the Americans marched down the other end to score on a snap shot by Ryan Suter. That goal, though, was waved off by a high-sticking penalty by Kesler in front of the net.

As Kesler was sent to the penalty box, the referees reviewed the play at the American end, determining the puck had hit the far post but had never fully crossed the goal line.
"Luck was not on our side on that shift," Sbisa said.

Miller wound up with 19 saves in the first U.S. Olympic shutout since Mike Richter blanked the Germans 5-0 in the 2002 quarterfinals.

When Parise was able to score his empty-net goal to alleviate Switzerland's last gasp, the Americans were adjudged to have past their most difficult test of the tournament to date.

"We would have needed a miracle to win today," Swiss coach Ralph Krueger said. "The Americans, in the end, were the better team."

Surprising Americans reach hockey semifinals U.S. will face Finland on Friday

VANCOUVER (AP) -- It's not quite a miracle, but this American run to the Olympic hockey semifinals sure is surprising.

Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller did his best to send the Americans home earlier than they hoped with an array of saves and stops through two-plus periods. Zach Parise finally figured him out with a pinballing deflection that gave his club the only offense it needed in a 2-0 win Wednesday.

Entering the tournament, U.S. general manager Brian Burke was quick to say that no one was betting on the Americans to win a medal in Vancouver. He wore the underdog role as a badge of honor and a call to arms.

After all, the U.S. left Torino, Italy, four years ago with one win and no medal. In Vancouver, they're perfect.

"If you had said at the beginning of the tournament that we'd be 4-0 and the number one seed, everybody would say you are (crazy) or something," U.S. coach Ron Wilson said.

The U.S. earned a Friday date with Finland with a spot in the gold medal game on the line. Finland knows all about the pressures of the medal round. The Finns skated off with silver in 2006 and have their sights set on the top prize after knocking out the Czech Republic with a 2-0 victory of their own Wednesday night.

Now the Americans are the top-seeded team in the final four, and it's no longer stunning when they win. The biggest question after their victory over Switzerland was why this one was such a struggle.

The answer was simple: Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks. The U.S. topped Switzerland 3-1 to open the tournament and were leery of a rematch against this dangerous opponent.

"Mentally, we were prepared for a tight game," Parise said. "We thought that one goal would change the game."It did.

"Our team was pretty relaxed going into third period," Wilson said. "As coaches we had to go in and settle everyone down and say this is exactly the spot we expected to be in. Elimination games are the hardest in the NHL. To nail the coffin shut on somebody is the hardest thing to do.

"We were really proud of them for not ever losing their cool."

Canada is riding big-time momentum into the semis following a 7-3 rout of co-favorite Russia on Wednesday. Just three days earlier, the host nation was in a panic following a deflating 5-3 loss to the United States that left the Canadians in the qualification round and needing a win over Germany to merely make the quarters.

"Chemistry starts to build when you play games," said Canada's Corey Perry, who scored two goals. "In a short tournament, you want guys to feed off each other and get chemistry going, and we've done that. Hopefully it continues to get better every night and we keep moving on."

The next step for Canada is Slovakia, which stunned defending gold medalist Sweden 4-3 in the final game Wednesday night.

"It's the biggest achievement for our country in its short history," Slovak forward Miroslav Satan said. "I don't think anybody counted on us to be in the last four, so that is something to enjoy. We're going to have some work to do in the next game. They are probably the best team."

One win in its final two games would ensure the United States of at least a bronze. A pair of victories would mean gold for the first time since the Miracle on Ice kids grabbed it 30 years ago in Lake Placid.

That possibility appeared to be in jeopardy Wednesday as the game wore on and Switzerland hung around on the strength of Hiller, who finished with 42 saves.

Parise, the top-line forward who struck posts with two other shots, got a puck past the netminder when he deflected Brian Rafalski's point drive that didn't take a direct route in. Parise's tip bounced off the mask and arm of Hiller before it sneaked past his pad and inside the left post -- 12 seconds into a power play.

"I predicted to our team this was going to be a one-goal game, potentially two goals if we scored into an empty net," Wilson said. "That's the way it shook out. I was perfectly content with the way we were playing standing behind the bench because we were controlling the action."

Switzerland clogged up the middle of the ice, put constant pressure on U.S. puck-handlers with an effective forecheck, and seemed totally willing to wait for an American mistake that could turn into instant offense. Switzerland generated only 19 shots on goalie Ryan Miller, who posted the first U.S. Olympic shutout since Mike Richter in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

The Americans claimed silver then on home soil to go with the two golds they won in 1960 and 1980 during U.S.-hosted Olympics.

"We want to win a medal -- a gold medal," said defenseman Ryan Suter, whose father Bob was part of the team that rocked the Russians in Lake Placid and came home with gold. "We're going to do everything we can."

Cy, Ryan Miller went to the high school in my town (Sault Ste. Marie) for two years...my best friends son knows him quite well, as they graduated together

OMG!that just freakin Rawks!my friend.I'd stake out & stalk his property until he gave me an autograph.lmao;){j/k}I think.;)He's freakin spectaculiar.I live for them moments when a netminder just slams the door shut & says No Sale!Our beloved T.Thomas is with them but he's warming the bench.Hey!as long as we get it done.K;listen to this song below & imagine our boys 1 min.away from capturing the GOLD METAL for our beloved country.Woo-Hoo!tty/soon my friend.Godspeed!Cy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k0VjcFFd6M