VANCOUVER, B.C. – Twelve different players factored in the scoring for Team USA as the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team downed Norway, 6-1, here today in its second game of the Olympic Winter Games. With the victory, the U.S. improved to 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and will face Canada in its final preliminary-round game on Sunday (Feb. 21).
“I thought we played real well in the first period and were able to dominate the game,” said Ron Wilson, Team USA head coach. “We lost our focus a little but the players really found their game in the last 10 minutes of the third. We’ll have to play with that focus we showed late against Norway to be successful against Canada.”
Team USA jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a goal from Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./Toronto Maple Leafs/Univ. of Minnesota) at 2:39 of the opening frame. Ryan Malone (Pittsburgh, Pa./Tampa Bay Lightning/St. Cloud State Univ.) collected a pass near his defensive blue line and chipped the puck to Joe Pavelski (Plover, Wis./San Jose Sharks/Univ. of Wisconsin) on the left-wing boards. Pavelski sent a backhand pass to a streaking Kessel, who skated into the offensive zone and ripped a shot past Norwegian goaltender Pal Grotnes high to the blocker side.
The U.S. extended its lead to 2-0 at 13:04 of the first when Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn./New York Rangers/Boston Univ.) knocked in a rebound past Grotnes. David Backes (Blaine, Minn./St. Louis Blues/Minnesota State Univ.) blocked a Norwegian clearing attempt at the blue line and sent a cross-ice pass to Ryan Callahan (Rochester, N.Y./New York Rangers) near the top of the right circle. His shot was stopped by the right pad of Grotnes before Drury jammed the puck to the back of the net.
In the middle frame, Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./Chicago Blackhawks) gave Team USA a 3-0 advantage at 5:52. Brian Rafalski (Dearborn, Mich./Detroit Red Wings/Univ. of Wisconsin) chipped the puck to Kane, who skated into the offensive zone before slipping the puck to Zach Parise (Prior Lake, Minn./New Jersey Devils/Univ. of North Dakota). Parise took a slap shot at the top of the left circle that was gloved down by Grotnes, but the rebound came right to Kane’s stick, where he sent the puck in for the goal.
Norway cut the U.S. lead to 3-1 with a shorthanded tally at 8:37 in the second period, but Team USA regained its three-goal lead at 14:19 of the final stanza. After a Norwegian player dumped the puck down the ice from his defensive zone, Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich./Buffalo Sabres/Michigan State Univ.) came out of the U.S. net and sent a pass to Jack Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich./Los Angeles Kings/Univ. of Michigan) at the red line. Johnson deked around a Norwegian defender and took a shot at the right circle that was turned aside by Grotnes. But Malone knocked the rebound out of midair for his second point of the game and second tally of the tournament.
Less than three minutes later, Rafalski extended Team USA’s lead to 5-1 while on the power play. After Parise picked up the loose puck in the left corner, he skated around the net before slipping a pass to Rafalski in the slot, who beat Grotnes under the right pad.
The U.S. made it a 6-1 game with Rafalski’s second marker at 19:23 of the third. With the faceoff to the right of Grotnes, Pavelski won the draw back to Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./Nashville Predators/Univ. of Wisconsin), who sent a pass across the blue line to Rafalski for a one-timer that found the back of the net.
Miller turned aside 10 shots in the game, while Grotnes made 33 saves in the losing effort.
NOTES: Ryan Miller became the first-ever U.S. goaltender to tally an assist at an Olympic Winter Games … Zach Parise recorded his 40th point with Team USA with an assist on Brian Rafalski‘s power-play goal … Ryan Suter played in his 60th game for Team USA … Phil Kessel (1-1–2), Ryan Malone (1-1–2), Parise (0-2–2), Joe Pavelski (0-2–2) and Rafalski (2-0–2) paced the U.S. with two points each … The U.S. was 1-for-5 on the power play, while Norway went 0-for-2 … For Team USA’s full roster, click here … Ron Wilson, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the head coach of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, with Scott Gordon, head coach of the New York Islanders, and John Tortorella, head coach of the New York Rangers, serving as assistant coaches … USA Hockey’s international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. National Teams.