MILAN – Having already been denied a goal and an assist by Latvia’s successful challenge earlier in the game, Brock Nelson couldn’t help but send a message.
The U.S. forward celebrated his go-ahead goal midway through the second period, jokingly pointing to the net and signaling “good shot” to show that the goal was important.
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Nelson’s goal gave the U.S. men’s hockey team control of the game and an encouraging start in their quest for Olympic gold. The United States scored two more goals late in the second period to beat Latvia 5-1 in the first group match between the two teams on Thursday night.
The last time the U.S. men’s hockey team won Olympic gold, a group of college stars and minor league nobodies performed a miracle on the ice. Forty-six years later, Team USA has a star-studded roster made up entirely of NHL players and believes their time has finally come.
Their starting goaltender is the reigning NHL MVP and three-time Vezina Trophy winner. Four of their defensemen were on last year’s Norris Trophy ballot. Their offensive talent includes the likes of Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk. This is the deepest and strongest team at this Olympics besides Team Canada, which is even heavier in some ways.
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The Latvian team currently has just six players in the NHL, but Team USA is expecting a battle heading into Thursday’s game. Latvia is a proud hockey nation with a boxing history that punches above its weight class. At the 2023 World Championships, the Latvian team defeated the Czech team, Sweden and the United States and unexpectedly won the bronze medal
It was a frustrating start for the Americans, who put the puck in the net three times but skied off the ice for just one goal.
Quinn Hughes thought he had given the U.S. a 2-0 lead, but the referee ruled Nelson was offside on the play. Then, after Latvia scored in the game, J.T. Miller appeared to score on a deflection to make it 2-1, but the referee ruled that minimal contact between Miller and Merzlikins in the crease was enough to constitute a goalkeeper’s inference.
The U.S.’s exasperation turned to disbelief late in the first period, as U.S. attackers twice beat Merzlikins, but both of their shots hit the post. First up is Nelson. Then there’s Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk’s brother was so sure he had scored that he started raising his arms in celebration, only to raise them over his head when he realized he had been denied. Linemate Jack Eichel also raised his arms in the air and quickly put them back down.
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Thank you to the United States for suppressing and responding by leading the second phase. The United States limited Latvia to just two shots and kept attacking Merzlikins until Nelson finally broke through.
A clever pass from behind the net by Jack Hughes left Nelson alone in front of the net with only Merzlikins to beat. Nelson stayed patient and made no mistakes, beating the Latvian goaltender the wrong way and burying the puck in an empty net.
Team USA’s goal was easily achievable after that. Tage Thompson’s backhand from a tight angle went over Merzlikins’ shoulder to make it 3-1. Just a minute later, a beautiful tic-tac-toe pass set up Nelson’s second goal of the game.
Latvia changed goalies after the second period, but that didn’t slow down the U.S. offense. Auston Matthews scored less than three minutes into the third quarter.
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The U.S. is unlikely to face more resistance in its next group game against Denmark on Saturday night. Maybe the U.S. won’t be truly challenged until Sunday against Leon Draisaitl and Germany.
