(WGR Sports Radio 550) - Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson was responsible for two of the United States' goals on Sunday, helping them to a 5-1 win over Germany to close out Group C play in Milan, Italy.
In the second period on a power play, Thompson came through the neutral zone with speed, along with former teammate in Buffalo, Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights). He used Eichel as a decoy and gained the zone, starting a passing play that ended up with captain Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) winning a battle in the crease to make it 2-0.
In the third period, Team USA was nursing a 3-0 lead when Dylan Larkin set up Thompson for one of his booming one-timers from the high slot, and he blew it past German goalie Maximilian Franzreb.
Thompson now has two goals for Team USA in three games played. He, again, only got 9:23 of ice-time, but his linemate for the first two games - Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets) - went to the press box so Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth) could play his first game. Keller played a total of 9:51.
Vincent Trocheck, again, worked into the line and played 9:12. J.T. Miller is getting ice-time when he should be sitting at home in his living room, playing 12:37 for the Americans.
Matthews leads Team USA with three goals and two assists for five points. Eichel, who has, arguably, been the Americans' best player, has a goal and three assists.
I found it interesting Germany decided not to use goaltender Philipp Grubauer (Seattle Kraken), who in two games had a goals-against average of 2.56 and a save percentage of .917.
Speaking of goaltenders, U.S. netminder Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) made 23 saves on 24 shots faced in the win.
In two games this Olympics, Hellebuyck has a goals-against average of 1.00 and has a .952 save percentage.
Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues) was in net for their 10-2 pounding of France, and had, at least, one goal he’d want back. He, too, has a goals-against average of 1.00, but his save percentage is .950.
In that Canadian win over France, Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Mark Stone (Golden Knights) all had three points.
The 19-year-old Celebrini has four goals in three games, including one on a penalty shot on Sunday. His six points are second overall to McDavid, who has two goals and seven assists for nine points.
21-year-old Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky (Montreal Canadiens) is tied with Celebrini with three goals and three assists. Slafkovsky was the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, while Celebrini had the same honor in 2024.
Both the United States and Canada get a bye to the Quarterfinal Round on Wednesday, as does Finland and Slovakia.
Even though the U.S. is the 2-seed, they’ll have the hardest path from here on out, because they’ll likely face Sweden, who must play Latvia on Tuesday in the opening playoff round.
Canada gets the winner of the Czechia/Denmark matchup, while Slovakia will face the winner of the Germany/France game, and Finland gets the victor of Switzerland/Italy.
If Latvia somehow ends up beating Sweden, if the U.S. then wins that matchup, they’d likely get Finland in the semifinals.
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