U.S. tops Czechs for second in Group B

In a penalty-laden and heated affair, Frank Nazar scored two third-period energy play objectives to elevate the U.S. to a 5-2 win over Czechia on Tuesday. The Individuals end second and the defending champion Czechs third in Group B on the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

Significantly dominant within the first and third durations, the U.S. outshot the Czechs by a whopping 56-27 marging on the night time. Czech goalie Karel Vejmelka was sturdy to provide his staff an opportunity.

The end result leaves Switzerland in first place within the group with 19 factors forward of Thursday’s quarter-finals.

Josh Doan, Logan Cooley, and Andrew Peeke had the opposite objectives for the Individuals. The sport featured three lead adjustments.

“I think we had some games where we let some leads get away, and there’s some games we want back,” stated Cooley. “But obviously, playing a team like Czechia, it’s an unbelievable team. They play the right way and have a lot of skilled players. Obviously to beat them like that, it gives us a lot of confidence going into the next game too.”

High Czech scorer David Pastrnak added a aim and an help and leads the event with 14 factors. Martin Necas additionally scored for the Czechs. It was a impolite awakening for the defending champs as they misplaced their first recreation of this Ice Hockey World Championship.

“I think we didn’t play that badly,” stated Czech defender David Spacek. “We had a couple chances to score, but we didn’t score on them, and they went back the other way and scored on us. So that’s kind of how it went today. “

This was an all-NHL affair in internet. Along with the Utah Mammoth’s Vejmelka, Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins made 25 saves for the Individuals.

In entrance of a packed, closely pro-Czech crowd at Jyske Financial institution Boxen, the groups got here out with depth. Scrums broke out between whistles. Pastrnak was assessed the sport’s first minor for roughing to the gang’s nice displeasure, however Vejmelka was prepared with the glove when U.S. assistant captain Conor Garland examined him from the left faceoff circle.

Coach Ryan Warsofsky’s squad picked up the tempo. The Czech netminder couldn’t corral the rebound when Peeke wristed the puck from the fitting level, and Doan backhanded it residence for a 1-0 U.S. lead at 9:25. Doan, a 23-year-old Utah teammate of Vejmelka’s, is the son of former Canadian Olympian Shane Doan, who gained two Ice Hockey World Championship gold medals (2003, 2007).

Displaying higher pace and particular groups within the first interval, the U.S. might have had greater than a one-goal lead primarily based on possibilities. Even on the primary Czech energy play, the most effective probability went to Matty Beniers, who narrowly didn’t convert on a 2-on-1 with Mikey Eyssimont. The champs had been lucky to path by only a aim after being outshot 23-8 by way of 20 minutes.

Kicking off the second interval in model, the lethal Pastrnak-Cervenka combo clicked once more. The Czech captain discovered “Pasta” with a protracted stretch go and he had every kind of time to choose his spot earlier than beating his Bruins teammate over the glove at 0:41.

Throughout a Czech energy play close to the midpoint, Pastrnak performed the set-up man, slinging a slick cross-ice go to Necas within the left face-off circle. The Colorado Avalanche ace fired a one-timer right into a wide-open internet. It was a pleasant atonement by Necas for an error earlier within the man benefit the place Zach Werenski stripped him of the puck and sped down the fitting aspect for shorthanded probability.

The Individuals needed an early third-period pushback, they usually acquired it courtesy of Nazar at 1:35 on the facility play, as Jakub Krejcik’s double-minor for high-sticking carried over from the center body. Zeev Buium fed the Chicago Blackhawks teenager for a one-timer that overpowered Vejmelka on the blocker aspect.

The U.S. regained the lead as Nazar tipped in Cutter Gauthier’s wrister by way of visitors at 7:01 with the person benefit. Nazar leads the U.S. with six objectives up to now.

In a Mammoth show of expertise, Cooley gave the Individuals some respiration room at 4-2 when he hustled to the online to tip in captain Clayton Keller’s centering go at 13:29.

“It’s always fun going against guys you play with,” stated Cooley, who had 65 factors for Utah this yr. “Obviously Veggie’s an unbelievable guy, unbelievable goalie. He’s obviously a guy that you know is awesome to have on your team. It kind of stinks going against him because of how good he is and how he plays!”

With lower than six minutes left in regulation time, Jakub Flek, who scored twice within the 5-0 win over Germany, acquired away on a breakaway, however misplaced management of the puck simply earlier than he might take a look at Swayman.

Peeke added an empty-netter with 2:54 remaining.

Looking forward to the playoffs, Spacek remained undaunted: “I feel confident in our team. I think we have a good chance of going far.”

 

Notably, the Czechs and Individuals have loads of hard-fought playoff historical past between them lately.

With a 39-save efficiency by Connor Hellebuyck in internet, the U.S. blanked the Czechs 3-0 for bronze in Prague in 2015, Jaromir Jagr’s worldwide swan music. The next yr in Moscow, Auston Matthews acquired the shootout winner in a 2-1 U.S. quarter-final victory.

When this event first got here to Denmark in 2018, Patrick Kane scored the third-period winner because the U.S. edged the Czechs 3-2 within the quarter-finals. In 2023, Czechia hammered the Individuals 8-4 for bronze. And final yr in Prague, earlier than profitable gold at residence, the Czechs eradicated the U.S. 1-0 within the quarter-finals on Pavel Zacha’s aim and Lukas Dostal’s 36-save shutout.