(WGR 550) – Buffalo Sabres winger Tage Thompson helped Team USA on Thursday get off on the right foot beating Latvia 5-1.
Thompson played on a line with Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets, but it was on the power play where he scored his first career Olympic Games goal. Thompson and former Sabres captain Jack Eichel were on the left side of the power play and looked like they did when they played together as they were interchangeable between the corner and the left circle. Eichel found Thompson at the side of the crease and he pivoted and roofed a backhand under the crossbar on Columbus Blue Jacket goalie Elvis Merzlikins.
On a later power play, Eichel wound up down low and found Auston Matthews in the slot for his first goal of the tournament.
Team USA had a tough start leaving the first period 1-1. In that period they had two goals challenged and disallowed. On the first one Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche was offside negating a goal by Quinn Hughes and on the second, New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller interfered with Merzlikins negating a Nelson tip in. Nelson was alone in front when he hit the post while Matthew Tkachuk, who had two assists, backhanded a puck off the crossbar. Larkin also had a wide open net and put the puck through the crease and out the other side.
Team USA broke the game open in the second period on Nelson’s two goals and Thompson’s tally. Thompson had another great chance when Connor found him in the high slot for a one-timer that Merzlikins stopped. Team USA had a 17-2 shots advantage in the second period and chased Merzlikins after 40 minutes. He made 28 saves on 32 shots.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck didn’t have to be spectacular for Team USA stopping 17-of-18 pucks.
The Americans next faceoff Saturday against Denmark.
Earlier on Thursday Team Canada opened its Olympics with a 5-0 win over Czechia. St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington again comes through on the biggest stage recording a 26 save shutout.
Canada’s top three centers are named Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nate MacKinnon.
McDavid and Crosby combined for five assists while MacKinnon scored a goal. Other goal scorers were 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, Mark Stone, Bo Horvat and Nick Suzuki.
Canada is next in action on Friday against Switzerland.
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