Team USA falls to Russia at WJC
Team USA might have skated past Germany without a problem, but it was clear Friday’s game against Russia would bring a much bigger challenge. The Americans couldn’t even it up and fell to Russia, 2-1, to move the Americans to a 1-1 tournament record.
With the loss, USA falls to third place in their pool while Russia sits in second behind Canada. And it’s only an uphill battle from here with Team USA’s next match-up coming against Canada on Sunday.
Defenseman Jacob Trouba, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Winnipeg Jets, scored USA’s only goal late in the second period to tie the game. Alex Galchenyuk set up Trouba to get the tying point.
Vladimir Tkachyov scored the game-winner for Russia on a rebound early in the third period. Set up by 17-year-old Valeri Nichushkin, the goal came at the cost of making defenseman Seth Jones look helpless. He’s favored to be at the top of the 2013 draft, but he wasn’t any match for Nichushkin on that particular play.
The United States had an opportunity with a power play in the final two minutes but couldn’t create any real scoring chances and failed to come up with the tying goal.
Canada will be another big test for Team USA, but they had problems of their own against Slovakia. Two ejections, both resulting from hits, cost Canada J.C. Lipon and Anthony Carmara. Lipon has a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Saturday and it may cost him a place on the ice Sunday.
