The present U.S. Olympic males’s hockey group will not be the Cinderella that the final American group that captured a gold medal 46 years in the past was, however this NHL talent-laden Staff USA realized shortly that it must work to realize no matter it will get on the Milan-Cortina Video games.
And of their first sport of the event, they leaned on a participant who has gold in his blood to recover from the hump towards a scrappy Latvian group to seize a 5-1 victory on Thursday.
Brock Nelson, whose uncle Dave Christian was on the 1980 Miracle on Ice gold medal group and whose grandfather Invoice performed on the 1960 gold medal USA group, scored twice in a second interval that the extra expert US put on down Latvia because the People scored three objectives within the final 8:25 of the interval.
“I felt all of the feelings come on the market. It was tremendous particular. I’ve a number of household right here to share it with, too, so it’s simply superior. I’m simply attempting to take all of it in,” Nelson instructed NBC after his two second-period objectives helped the U.S. draw back.
Earlier within the day, Canada cemented it’ standing as the favourite of the event with a workmanlike 5-0 win over David Pastrnak’s proficient Czechia squad.
However after 20 minutes of their sport, the People might suppose solely of the Latvians in entrance of them as they have been deadlocked in a 1-1 sport after the U.S. had two objectives taken off the board within the opening 20 minutes.
Brady Tkachuk put the U.S. in entrance on a shot that went in off the close to put up behind Elvis Merzlikins.
It regarded just like the Yanks have been preparing for a runaway win when Quinn Hughes with 6:59. However on the primary of two Latvian challenges, it was proven that Nelson was contained in the zone earlier than the puck and the aim got here off the board due to offside.
Simply 26 seconds after the U.S. thought they’d a two-goal lead, Latvia tied it up. The People couldn’t get a deal with on a free puck in entrance of goalie Connor Hellebuyck and Renars Kastenbergs knocked it residence to tie it up.
At 11:35, the U.S. believed it had regained the lead when Nelson redirected a Brock Faber shot previous Merzlikins, with J.T. Miller doable getting a bit of it. Once more, Latvia challenged, this time for goalie interference on Miller. The Ranger captain was within the crease and there was some ever so slight contact. And in a strict utility of the rule, that aim got here off the board, too.
The Latvians almost grabbed the lead on the subsequent shift when it appeared Bruins’ farmhand Dans Locmelis, who had rocked Auston Matthews earlier within the sport on a questionable excessive hit simply earlier than Kastenbergs’ equalizer, had what regarded like an open internet. However Millis native Matt Boldy slid into the crease to deflect Locmelis’ shot out of hurt’s approach.
The Yanks hit two posts behind Merzlikins late within the interval, however the groups have been deadlocked going into the primary break.
For some time within the second interval, it appeared as if the Latvians have been able to frustrate the People as they stacked 4 throughout the blue line and compelled the US to dump the puck in. However at 11:35, the US regained the lead and it was Nelson, concerned within the two disallowed objectives, who scored.
Vincent Trocheck performed the puck behind the web to Jack Hughes, who made good cross out entrance to an open Nelson. Nelson froze Merzlikins with a shot faux and beat him with a backhander.
Then on their second energy play, the Yanks lastly did get that two-goal lead they thought they’d early within the first interval. Tage Thompson, who was left off the 4 Nations squad in final February’s terrific event, took a feed from North Chelmsford’s Jack Eichel along side the web, backed his approach into scoring place and roofed a elegant backhander.
Nelson then put the People in full command with 11 seconds left within the interval with a razzle-dazzle aim. With time operating out within the interval, the U.S. had a 2-on-1 however held onto it for a greater likelihood. Ultimately Jack Hughes hit the trailer Nelson, who deposited his second aim into the empty internet.
“It was a loopy first,” stated Nelson. “We thought we have been going to get one of many two (disallowed objectives). However we simply needed to keep it up. We have been getting beauty and people have been a few nice performs by Jack discovering me.”
The Latvians have been dog-tired at that time, none extra so than Merzlikins, who was pulled for Arturs Silovs to start out the third interval. The U.S. had a 32-11 shot benefit after 20 minutes.
Matthews scored a power-play aim early within the third and the US was on its approach. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman, one of many three U.S. goalies on the roster, served as Hellebyuck’s backup.
