(WGR Sports Radio 550) - It’s been a long time coming for Team USA at the World Championship, but they finally earned a chance at a gold medal at the tournament for the first time since 1934 with a 6-2 win over Sweden on Saturday.
The last and only time the U.S. won the gold medal at the Worlds was in 1933. The last time they won a silver medal at the tournament was in 1950. I know, the math doesn’t add up, but for many years, the tournament was decided by a round-robin only.
Sabres forward Tage Thompson didn't have any points in Saturday's win, and the tournament's leading shooter didn’t have any shots on net. Despite that, I don’t think he played poorly.
It looked, to me, like he’s fully invested in head coach Ryan Warsofsky’s (San Jose Sharks) team system that has helped the Americans win 8-of-9 games.
One great example was Thompson turned the puck over in the offensive zone and quickly turned, put his head down and skated as hard as he could to get back and break up the play at the other end.
Thompson didn’t try to force plays, and playing with Matty Beniers (Seattle Kraken) and Frank Nazar (Chicago Blackhawks), they worked hard at playing together.
In nine games this tournament, Thompson has five goals and three assists for eight points. His five goals ranks him eighth overall, but he’s done it in a weird way. Thompson didn’t score in the first three games, then scored five in the next three games, and hasn’t scored in his last three contests.
Despite having a sea of yellow against them in Stockholm, Team USA came out flying, while the Swedes left goaltender Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils) out to dry. Markstrom did everything he could to hold his team in it, but he left after 40 minutes, giving up four goals on 20 shots.
The Swedish goaltender was totally screened when Brady Skjei (Nashville Predators) got a puck through from the left point.
Before the period was over, the Americans were relentless on the forecheck, and it resulted in Cutter Gauthier (Anaheim Ducks) scoring alone in the slot after Markstrom had made two saves, but left a rebound. That made the score 2-0 after the first period.
Sweden came out much better in the second period, but Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins), who has won all six games that he’s played, was fantastic, holding down the fort for the U.S.
That was especially true when Conor Garland (Vancouver Canucks) was penalized just 36 seconds into the second period and Swayman had to make four saves while shorthanded. Swayman only had to make three saves in the first period.
Before the second period was over, the U.S. was able to put the game away.
Garland protected the puck behind the net and won his battle, getting the puck over to U.S. captain Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth), who won his. Garland went to the crease, where he always goes, out battled two more Swedish players and put home Logan Cooley’s (Mammoth) rebound.
Before the period was over, Michael Eyssimont (Kraken) converted a 4-on-2 and Team USA led 4-0.
With Sam Ersson (Philadelphia Flyers) in net, Team Sweden made their final push in the third period.
Will Nylander scored in only his second game of the tournament since the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated, while the tournament's leading goal scorer Elias Lindholm (Bruins) followed 41 seconds later. Lindholm now has eight goals for the tournament.
Warsofsky very wisely called timeout to settle the team down, and it worked.
The U.S. went back to work, as Nazar caused a turnover along the wall and hit Jackson LaCombe (Ducks) in full stride up ice, and he beat Ersson on a shot that he has to stop to keep his team in it.
Team USA’s Player of the Game, Shane Pinto (Ottawa Senators) scored the empty netter to make it 6-2 for the Americans. Pinto had a goal and two assists on the game.
Swayman faced 26 shots in the final two periods for the U.S., and ended the game with 27 saves. Overall, Swayman has a goals against average of 1.98 with a save percentage of .905 for the tournament.
After the game, it was revealed who the teams picked as their top-three players of the championship. Team USA chose Garland, Nazar and Logan Cooley (Mammoth), while Sweden picked Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild), Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings) and Lindholm.
The Gold Medal Game is Sunday at 2:20 p.m., where the United States will face Switzerland which beat Denmark.
The Swiss have breezed through the tournament with eight wins and an overtime loss in their first game to Czechia. Switzerland beat Team USA earlier in Group B play, 3-0.
The U.S. opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over Denmark. Denmark finished fourth in Group B with four wins and three losses.
In the quarterfinals, Denmark pulled off, what many are calling, the most stunning upset in the history of the championship, beating Group A winner Canada, 2-1.
What makes what Team USA is doing more impressive is many countries, except the U.S., have players racing to get over to play after their teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That includes players like:
Sweden:
- Will Nylander (Maple Leafs)
- Jacob Markstrom (Devils)
- Marcus Johansson (Wild)
- William Karlsson (Vegas Golden Knights)
- Rasmus Sandin (Washington Capitals)
Canada:
- Nate MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
- Brayden Schenn (St. Louis Blues)
- Jordan Binnington (Blues)
- Marc-Andre Fleury (Wild)
- Mike Matheson (Canadiens)
- Phillip Danault (Kings)
- Jared Spurgeon (Wild)
Czechia:
- Martin Necas (Avalanche)
- Jonas Brodin (Wild)
- David Kampf (Maple Leafs)
Switzerland:
- Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings)
- Nico Hischier (Devils)
- Nino Niederreiter (Winnipeg Jets)
- Timo Meier (Devils)
- Jonas Siegenthaler (Devils)
- J.J. Moser (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Finland:
- Emil Heinemen (Montreal Canadiens)
- Juuso Parssinen (New York Rangers)
France:
- Alexandre Texier (Blues)
Norway:
- Emil Lilleberg (Lightning)
Germany:
- Tim Stutzle (Senators)
Denmark:
- Nikolaj Ehlers (Jets)
For Team USA, it was just Pinto and Zeev Buium (Wild). Players have different reasons for not playing, including that they just don’t want to. Sabres winger Alex Tuch would be playing, but he and his wife are soon expecting their second child.
Others key players not there are Cole Caufield (Canadiens), Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Kyle Connor (Jets), Jack Eichel (Golden Knights), Jake Guentzel (Lightning), Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs), Matt Boldy (Wild), Alex DeBrincat (Red Wings), Dylan Larkin (Red Wings), Pat Kane (Red Wings), Lane Hutson (Canadiens), Adam Fox (Rangers), Matthew Knies (Maple Leafs), Troy Terry (Ducks), Jake Sanderson (Senators), John Carlson (Capitals), and Dustin Wolf (Calgary Flames).
There are also some players on expiring contracts that are not there.
JJ Peterka is among those players not there for Germany because of that.