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<\/a><\/p>\n\n Based on practice Tuesday, it appears as if Team USA will start the knockout round with Kyle Connor out of the lineup. (Gregory Shamus \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Connor on outside looking in \u2026 again<\/p>\n
Just like the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he was scratched in the final against Canada, it appears as if the United States will start the knockout round with Kyle Connor out of the lineup.<\/p>\n
After having no shots in two games on the third line with Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson, Connor sat in the final prelim game against Germany and was the 14th forward during line rushes at Tuesday\u2019s practice in preparation for Wednesday\u2019s quarterfinal.<\/p>\n
Clayton Keller looks like he\u2019ll get a second game in a row on the left of Larkin and Thompson.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has good offensive instincts,\u201d coach Mike Sullivan said of Keller. \u201cI think he has good instincts away from the puck, also just his ability to play within structure. His panic threshold with the puck is really high. He hangs onto pucks down low. For a guy that\u2019s undersized, he\u2019s pretty stiff on the puck, and his ability to create separation, to make the next play, is really good. His lateral agility in tight space, he\u2019s not easy to handle. I thought he made an impact on that line.\u201d<\/p>\n
USA PK perfect<\/p>\n
One of the best parts of the United States\u2019 game at this juncture has been its penalty kill. They are a perfect 9-for-9 on the PK.<\/p>\n
The sets up front are J.T. Miller-Vincent Trocheck, Larkin-Brock Nelson and Jack Eichel-Boldy, with Jake Guentzel working in. The defense pairs are Jaccob Slavin-Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson-Charlie McAvoy, with Noah Hanifin worked in.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we come here with a role that\u2019s been placed upon us,\u201d Trocheck said. \u201cMe and J.T., the penalty kill\u2019s a really big part of that. Obviously it helps when you have elite D back there.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s also been huge for Team USA is that they are winning most draws. The Americans are smoking the competition in the faceoff circle with Larkin winning an Olympic-best 79.1 percent of his draws, Trocheck winning 66.7 and Nelson 61.5.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think (assistant coach John Hynes has) done a good job organizing them,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cI think the guys that have been on it are really buying into it. They pride themselves on that element of our overall team game. One of the things that we\u2019ve tried to do is cast these guys in roles where they know what the expectations are and the contribution that they can make to help us have success. And I think these guys, they can hang their hat on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nelson and McAvoy trade full cages<\/p>\n
For the first time since sustaining a fractured jaw in November after taking a slap shot to the face, McAvoy abandoned the \u201cfishbowl\u201d to protect his face in Tuesday\u2019s practice. He is expected to play without one Wednesday.<\/p>\n