Team USA Will Have To Learn To Grind Games Out

Through two games at the 2023 World Junior Championships, Team USA sits fourth in Group B standings as they prepare for their third preliminary game on Thursday against Switzerland.

The Americans needed to work hard in their first game against Latvia to win 5-2 as they pulled away in the third period. Many thought it was going to be easy for Team USA. However, Latvia has shown to be tough out over these past two tournaments. Many thought there were enough signs beings shown in the third period for Team USA to carry over good habits into their game against Slovakia. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

Slow Starts Continue To Plague Team USA

Team USA got off to another slow start falling behind 1-0 early in the first period. Team USA scored two goals including one on the power play to take a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission. Again Team USA was not going to make things pretty when it came to these goals. The power-play goal was scored in the blue paint by Tyler Boucher. This was the first of two goals for Boucher. Boucher’s second also came on the powerplay at the side of the net.

The other goal was a redirection by Gavin Brindley from a shot from Lane Houston. Again Team USA was not going to get pretty goals. They are going to have to work for them. Similar to what happened in the first game. Jimmy Snuggerud scored from the side of the net as Red Savage did. Luke Hughes scored from a shot from the point. Chaz Lucius had the only highlight reel goal through two games.

Unlike the two preliminary games, where Team USA dominated Finland and Sweden, the Americans struggled in their first two games. The second period was not a good one for Team USA against Slovakia. Team USA’s smaller defensive unit was overmatched by the physical play coming from the Slovakia end of things. Slovakia scored three unanswered goals in the second period to take a 4-2 lead into the third period.

To make matters worse the discipline and leadership were not there for Team USA. Kenny Connors took a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for boarding. Luckily the Americans did not give up a goal, but it showed the lack of leadership necessary to win these types of games.

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Winning Games Won’t Come Easy For Team USA

Just like in the first game against Latvia, Team USA made too many mistakes. This is a trend that has haunted the Americans going back to their quarterfinal loss against Czechia five months ago in the summer 2022 World Juniors. And just like Czechia, the Slovaks stood the Americans up at the blue line. Team USA will have to adjust to these defensive teams.

Instead of trying to skate into the zone with the puck, Team USA will have to use the old dump-and-chase method. It is not like the Americans do not have the speed to chase down pucks. They are one of the faster teams in the tournament. Hence why management and the coaching staff decided to go with a more mobile defence corps. Through two games, it might have been the wrong decision.

Head coach Rand Pecknold knows his team has to be better with the puck heading into Thursday’s game against Switzerland.

“I just think in general we played too loose and were giving up too many odd-man rushes,” U.S. coach Rand Pecknold said to the media following the game. “We’re nonchalant about defending and we need to get better. We found a way to win on Monday (5-2 against Latvia) and did not tonight. I thought their goaltender was outstanding; he was the best player on the ice, but that’s the game of hockey. We got to defend better and be in a better mode to win games 2-1 and 3-2.

That said, we need to tighten things up and our guys know that. We’ll be better tomorrow.”

Team USA has to be better against a very good Switzerland team that beat Finland in overtime in their first preliminary round game and Latvia in a shootout in their second game of the tournament.

The Americans have the skill, but again Team USA has to work hard and stick with their game. As they did against Latvia in their first game. Because like the previous two teams, the Swiss will not give Team USA much on the ice. The Americans will have to earn every inch out on the ice and every goal they score. This is a big game.

Losses in the preliminary round do not hurt teams. Good to have a bad game now so leadership and the coaching staff can make the proper adjustments. We are going to see what this young team is made of. As we have seen in tournaments past Team USA has lost a preliminary game and won the tournament. It is definitely an uphill climb to avoid Canada, Sweden, and Czechia in the crossover quarterfinal round.