December 26, 2008
What we learned: The top U.S. line of Colin Wilson, James van Riemsdyk and Jordan Schroeder is as advertised. It’s kind of like a super hyped summer blockbuster actually coming through.
“Last year we had great chemistry and this year we’ve meshed together perfectly,” said forward Jordan Schroeder, who had a 5-point game. “We have a good mix of size and speed and we played well tonight.”
I asked Schroeder what each player brings to the line.
“van Riemsdyk is just a pure goal scorer and Wilson can make plays and use his body and I bring speed and play making ability as well,” he said.
I tried last year and couldn’t come up with a nickname for this line, so I’ll try again. Send in your ideas to camerone@usahockey.org
Key play: Schroeder scored with a mere 20 seconds elapsed in the second period and sparked Team USA to a three-goal period.
“That second period goal really got us going, woke us up a bit,” said team captain Jonathon Blum.
Head coach Ron Rolston had praise for Schroeder’s goal, but also pointed to Drayson Bowman’s goal at the end of the first period.
“That was huge,” he said of the two bookends to the first intermission. “The Bowman goal at the end of the first gave us the breathing room and then we came right out and had Jordan Schroeder’s goal. It gives you a two goal lead and kind of loosens your team up a bit so you can go play hockey.”
Ice chips: Goaltender Thomas McCollum didn’t face a lot of shots, but Germany did manage some legitimate scoring chances and potted two goals including one that tied the game in the first.
McCollum said the first-game jitters had an affect on his game early on.
“At the start I think I was over excited to get the game going. And I wasn’t bearing down and sucking up those rebounds,” he said. “As the game went on I felt more and more comfortable.”
McCollum and Blum said communication between goalie and defense will help the team’s focus in future games.
“When I played the puck (to the defense) we were a little discombobulated at times,” McCollum said.
Detroit Red Wings fans ought to be proud of their draft pick for using discombobulated in a sentence (You can’t really use it enough) and also for coming up big the tougher the shot.
If McCollum and the defense can tighten up some more, they can eliminate the easy goals.
From about the midway mark of the third until the end, things got chippy to say the least. There were penalties handed out on both ends, but kudos goes to Blum and Rolston for keeping tempers under control, even when Germany ran McCollum behind the net.
“I keep telling the guys walk away from the scrums,” Blum said. “Let them take the penalties and we’ll score on the power play.”
Rolston said it’s a matter of composure and a knowledge that a suspension can cripple a team in the tournament.
“You have to make sure you keep your composure,” Rolston said. “You don’t want to put yourself into a position where players can get kicked out of the tournament or the next game.
“You have to have the mentality of letting those things slide and that helps the mentality of your hockey team as far as composure.”
What's next: vs. Czech Republic, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EST
FINAL SCORE: USA 8, Germany 2
A dominating game is capped off by a amazing, end-to-end goal by Matt Rust, who split the defense and deposited the puck upstairs with 1 second left.
I'll be back with a full recap later.
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03:24 - Getting chippy, things are wrapping up though.
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06:09 - GOAL: USA 7-GER 2. Germany scores right off a faceoff. McCollum was screened by a mess of bodies and the puck found the top corner. Not a big factor now, but the U.S. still can't afford goals like those, no matter the opponent and not matter the game situation.
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06:11 - We're just counting down the time now as Team USA puts the finishing touches on its opening game. The fans are leaving the arena and probably could have left 10 minutes ago.
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11:24 - Maximillian Forster took a run at McCollum behind the net and heads off. Palushaj joins him in the box and we're 4-on-4.
13:34 - GOAL: USA 7-Ger 1. Bowman slaps a booming shot from the slot on a pass from Mitch Wahl.
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15:50 - Matt Rust went to the box but the U.S. easily killed the penalty, and probably had more scoring chances during the man disadvantage.
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Schroeder has four points now and the van Riemsdyk, Schroeder and Wilson line is proving early why they are the trio to watch this year.
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19:20 - GOAL: USA 6-Ger 1. van Riemdsyk flips a backhand over the goalie and the U.S. is off to another hot start.
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00:00 - Second period ends: The U.S. took control that period and really suffocated Germany. There wasn't much wrong with that period for Team USA, which out shot Germany 18-6 in the period.
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2:45 - The teams trade penalties then the U.S. is hit with another and is now down 4-on-3, will be 5-on-3 in one minute.
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4:52 - Tangradi caught for holding. U.S. on the PK.
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5:28 - GOAL: USA 5-Ger 1. Tyler Johnson lifted a sweet backhand over the goalie's shoulder that went in and out so fast the officials didn't credit it initially. Play continued for a few seconds before the U.S. iced the puck and review officials righted the situation.
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7:17 - GOAL: USA 4-Ger 1. Wilson, JVR and Schroeder strike again. This time it was Schroder hitting Wilson with a pass from the slot, and then Wilson dishing the pass back in front of the net to van Riemsdyk on the power play.
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9:07 - A tripping call gives the U.S. another 5-on-3
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10:07 - Aaron Palushaj's speed was too much for the German defender and he draws a hooking penalty.
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13:32 - van Riemsdyk almost scored a highlight goal. The puck came fluttering in the air into the slot from behind the net and van Riemsdyk, coming on the ice on a change, swung at it like a baseball and nearly put it in.
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15:40 - McCollum comes up with another huge save, this one at his glove side that I think he got with his leg. Kristo is back on the ice.
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17:14 - Not a good sign for the U.S., Danny Kristo limps off the ice.
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17:57 - Wilson caught for hooking.
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19:40 - GOAL: U.S. 3 - Ger 1 - Schroeder tips the puck past the defender in the U.S. zone then raced down the end boards and beat the goalie glove high.
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00:00 - Second period begins. If Team USA can clean things up, this could break open. If Germany pots one early, this could tighten up big time.
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First period ends: The U.S. holds a 2-1 advantage after 1 period. In general Team USA was in control of the play, but a couple of bad passes led to German scoring chances including the Germany goal.
McCollum recovered nicely after the first goal, but he's left some big rebounds. He'll need to control those to fend off the hard crashing Germans.
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2:09 - GOAL, U.S. 2 - GER 1 - Jim O'Brien found Drayson Bowman across the ice and he beat the goaltender to the post. Good goal late in the period.
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2:37 - McCollum makes a huge save near the post to keep the game tied. The U.S. is dictating nearly all the play, but bad plays continue to haunt.
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7:53 - GOAL, U.S. 1 - GER 1 - The U.S. defense had a breakdown along its boards as a German forward was able to slip past the U.S. forwards and into space in the slot. He took the pass and fired it past McCollom on the blocker side low.
If you doubted the crowd's favorite before, the loud cheer when Germany scored gave you your answer.
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8:45 - Thomas McCollum faced his first major test after leaving a fat rebound off a long shot, he had to recover for a quick snapshot from the high slot.
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11:37 - GOAL, U.S. 1 - GER 0 - The Schroeder, Wilson and van Riemsdyk line strikes first as Colin Wilson scores on the power play. Schroeder slid a pass across the crease to a wide open Wilson who had an easy deflection to open the scoring.
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12:15 - A pair of Germany penalties kills their PP and gives the U.S. a 5-on-3.
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14:00 - Penalty ends goalless, then the U.S. gets aggressive and Mike Hoeffel gets a slashing penalty to put the U.S. down a man.
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16:35 - No shots on goal, and Germany gets a penalty. U.S.will try to capitalize on the PP.
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00:00 - We're under way. U.S. wins the opening faceoff.
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The lineups are set, the teams are lined up and the cute kids with the U.S. and Germany flags have circled the rink. We're just about ready to go.
Heavy German bias so far with loud cheers for their lineups and a scattering of boos during the American announcement.
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Pregame: I'm settled in high above the ice at the Scotia Bank Centre in Ottawa just under an hour away from Team USA's opening game against Germany.
The staff at the arena are top-notch and things are running amazingly smooth for how many people are involved in this operation.
One observation I had as I filled out some rosters and did some pregame prepwork is the echoing voices in the arena. As I write this, I could easily hear the NHL Network broadcasters running their microphone checks on the exact opposite side of the arena.
When the U.S. and Canada meet on New Year's Eve, I doubt I'll be able to hear the person sitting next to me ... that is, unless the U.S. just scored a goal.
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If you're stuck at work today, don't have the NHL Network or had your shiny new flatscreen busted by an errant floor hockey stick, follow today's action through this blog, and through the live box score.
As always, I'll be your host for the live coverage and encourage your feedback. Keep in mind I might post some of the comments if they would be of interest to other readers. I'll redact names to keep things private.
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The music is cued, we have 57 minutes until we are under way and the fans are filing in now.
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When we loaded the bus for the arena, a guy with a camera materialized out of nowhere and started snapping photos of the players boarding the bus. A pair of young women also made their share of cat calls.
I was prepared for some added interest, but paparazzi and roadies? Something tells me this is going to be an interesting experience.
Comments? Questions? Send them to camerone@usahockey.org |