In Search Of First Hockey Gold Since 1980's 'miracle,' U.s. Men Open Olympics With Win - Beritaja

MILAN — For weeks earlier the Milan Cortina Olympics opened, a cardinal fascination was whether the still-under-construction location of crystal hockey, Santagiulia Arena, would beryllium ready.

U.S. men's players publically shared small consternation about its condition, possibly because they had concerns of their own.

Would they beryllium built for this moment, too?

In 24 erstwhile Olympics, the U.S. men person medaled 11 times. But only 2 person been gold, successful 1960 and 1980. While this team's eventual extremity whitethorn beryllium to replicate the aureate feat of that 1980 "Miracle On Ice" team, the U.S. hasn't medaled connected ice, period, since 2010.

Its pursuit of a badge began Thursday pinch a 5-1 triumph against Latvia that belied the game's slog done the first play and a half.

After Brady Tkachuk’s opening extremity 5 minutes into the first period, the U.S. appeared headed toward a comfortable triumph arsenic Quinn Hughes added a 2nd extremity conscionable 90 seconds later. But erstwhile a reappraisal for offsides wiped distant the score, Latvia answered pinch its ain 30 seconds later.

Later successful the period, different U.S. extremity was disallowed, aft Latvia challenged again, this clip for goaltender interference. Like the first challenge, the overturned telephone drew fervent boos successful a pro-U.S. crowd astatine Santagiulia Arena. Despite doubling Latvia’s number of shots, the U.S had nary separator to show connected the scoreboard.

By the 2nd period’s end, however, Latvia’s scare had worn off. The U.S. scored 3 times successful the period’s last 9 minutes to break unfastened a 4-1 lead. A scoreboard usability trim to a instrumentality successful a maroon Latvian sweater covering his eyes pinch his palm, incapable to watch.

Brock Nelson vanished pinch 2 goals for the U.S.

In its effort to break that streak of 3 consecutive Olympics without a medal, USA Hockey assembled a roster classed sixth successful the world that is the sixth-oldest roster, by mean age, successful Team USA history. Despite that experience, overall, the roster has seen small of the Games. Out of 25 players, only defensemen Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson had ever played successful the Olympics earlier Thursday.

The U.S. joins Canada and Sweden, the 2 different dense favorites to medal, arsenic the only teams made up wholly of NHL players. The U.S. roster includes 2 pairs of brothers — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, and Quinn and Jack Hughes — and a captain, Auston Matthews, who has much NHL goals than immoderate subordinate since he entered the convention a decade ago.

The 10th-ranked squad successful the world lucky federation's rankings, Latvia wasn't a pushover opponent, contempt the U.S.'s about four-to-one advantage successful NHL players. The measurement the U.S. was capable to move connected the scoring, adding 4 goals successful 15 minutes spanning the 2nd and 3rd periods, was a reminder of the optimism that has followed the U.S. into these Olympics, contempt their struggles since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

It was the U.S., aft all, that won the world title successful May for the first clip since 1960. Five players from that squad are present successful Milan, including Zach Werenski, whose 62 points this play are second-most successful the NHL.

Fans began leaving Santagiulia Arena pinch 7 minutes still to play Thursday. The U.S. will adjacent the preliminary information pinch games Saturday against Denmark, and Sunday against Germany.