MOSCOW — The U.S. Men’s National Team scored three times in a 7:11 span during the second period to erase a 2-0 Canada lead after the opening stanza, but came up on the short end of a 4-3 decision here tonight in semifinal play at the 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
“It was a hard-fought, well-played game by two very competitive teams,” said John Hynes, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team. “We’re obviously disappointed, but we came here to win a medal and we have a chance to do that tomorrow. The bronze medal game is all about resiliency and mental toughness and despite a tough loss tonight, our guys will bounce back.”
Team USA will take on Russia in the bronze-medal game at 9:15 a.m. ET tomorrow (May 22). The game will be streamed live via NBC Sports Live Extra. There is no television coverage of the game in the U.S.
Brendan Gallagher scored off a rebound at 8:59 and Brad Marchand finished a two-on-one with 1:58 to play in the first period to stake Canada to a 2-0 advantage after 20 minutes.
Team USA started the second period with 1:28 of power play time and with :18 left on the man advantage, Chris Wideman (St. Louis, Mo.) found Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who fired a slap shot into the top of the net from the left circle to make it 2-1.
Just 2:43 later, David Warsofsky (Marshfield, Mass.) evened the game when he scored high to the blocker side with a wrist shot off a two-on-one rush. Warsofsky’s goal was not initially counted by the game officials and play went on for some time. At the next stoppage, the goal was awarded by video review.
Team USA took a 3-2 lead when Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) fed Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Mich.) in the slot from the goal line and Motte beat Canadian goaltender Cam Talbot with a one-timer at 8:25.
Derik Brassard’s power play goal with 4:30 left in the period sent the game to the third knotted at 3-3.
Just 1:34 into the final stanza, Ryan Ellis scored what proved to be the game-winner with a slap shot from the top of the right circle.
With about 11 minutes to play, Hudson Fasching (Apple Valley, Minn.) collected a rebound off a shot from Jake McCabe (Eau Claire, Wis.) and nearly scored on a wraparound attempt, but Talbot slid across the crease and made the save.
U.S. goaltender Keith Kinkaid (Farmingville, N.Y.), who finished with 23 saves, was pulled with under a minute to play, but the U.S., which outshot Canada 11-4 in the third period, couldn’t get the equalizer.
NOTES: Team USA outshot Canada, 33-27. For complete game statistics, click here … Dylan Larkin was named the U.S. Player of the Game … The U.S. has a chance for its third bronze medal in four years. The U.S. has medaled in three of four years at the world championship only one other time in the history of the country, that in a stretch from 1931-34 … Jake McCabe, Connor Murphy and Auston Matthews were named the top three U.S. players of the tournament.
