by The United States men’s hockey team dominated 6-2 in its semifinal game against Slovakia on Friday to advance to the gold medal game. The men will take on Canada to determine who will take home the gold on Sunday, February 22, at 8:10 a.m. ET before the closing ceremony. The final game can be viewed on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Team USA men’s hockey has not won gold in the winter games since 1980 at Lake Placid, which is famously known as the “Miracle on Ice”. This was the year the men defeated the Soviet Union in the semifinals and Finland in the finals, taking home gold. The men have not earned a ticket to a gold medal game since the 2010 Vancouver Games, where they took home silver against Canada. The team’s momentum is at an all-time high, and they plan on carrying it into the anticipated rivalry game against Canada. Last year, during the 4 Nations finals, Canada walked away with the victory against the US, and the United States is without a doubt seeking revenge with gold.
The US was quick to get the game going on Friday, scoring their first goal at 4:19 in the first period by Dylan Larkin, assisted by Zach Werenski and Tage Thompson. The men followed up with two penalties. Charlie McAvoy served a goalkeeper interference call at 8:51, and Zach Werenski earned a delaying the game call at 11:58. Slovakia served their own two-minute tripping penalty at 19:02, giving the US the advantage to score a power-play goal at 19:19. Tage Thompson scored the final goal of the first frame, getting help from Jack Eichel and Quinn Hughes.
Slovakia opened the middle frame with a roughing penalty at just 0:31. Auston Matthews served a hooking penalty at 1:09, and Charlie McAvoy served a high-sticking call at 5:28. Another holding penalty was called against Slovakia at 8:29. Still, the US was unable to capitalize on the advantage. Jack Hughes was able to score at 12:12 with an assist from Zach Werenski before Jack Eichel quickly followed up with his own goal at 12:33, getting help from Brady and Matthew Tkachuk.
Slovakia decided to swap out goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj for Stanislav Skorvanek, hoping to stop the rain of shots the US was taking on them. A cross-checking penalty was called on Slovakia at 16:20 in the second period, but it managed to hold off on the advantage. Jack Hughes scored the late fifth goal for the United States at 18:24, assisted by Zach Werenski and Matt Boldy. The Slovaks ended the middle frame with an interference call at 19:27 before the teams headed for the locker room.
It was not long into the final frame before Slovakia earned its first goal at 4:55, but the United States countered soon after at 10:52 when Brady Tkachuk got help from Vincent Trocheck and Noah Hanifin. Slovakia scored its second and final goal of the game at 13:17. A handful of penalties were awarded to both teams in the final minutes of the game. At 18:17, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were given ten-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for a scuffle with Slovakia’s Erik Cernak, who earned his own ten-minute penalty. Brady Tkachuk and Clayton Keller also served two-minute roughing penalties during this time. Connor Hellebuyck was in the net for the United States and saved 24 of the 26 shots on goal.
Image sourced via Google Images.
