From USA Hockey:
U.S. Men’s National Team Falls to Sweden, 6-2,
in Final Preliminary Game of 2011 IIHF World Men’s Championship
Fowler & Wheeler Score for Team USA
KOSICE, Slovakia—Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich./Anaheim Ducks) and Blake Wheeler (Robbinsdale, Minn./Atlanta Thrashers/University of Minnesota) each notched a goal, but the U.S. Men’s National Team fell to Sweden, 6-2, here tonight in its final preliminary-round game of the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s Championship.
Team USA takes a 2-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record into the qualification round, where it will face Canada on Friday (May 6) at 10:15 a.m. EDT.
“Certainly it’s disappointing to lose,” said Scott Gordon, head coach of Team USA. “We had some breakdowns that we hadn’t had in previous games tonight, but part of that is a credit to Sweden. We’ll have a good practice tomorrow and be ready to go against Canada on Friday.”
Sweden netted the game’s first goal with less than three minutes remaining in the first period when Tim Erixon set up Patrik Berglund in the high slot after a turnover in the U.S. zone. But Team USA responded just 1:12 later with a power-play goal from Fowler. Derek Stepan (Hastings, Minn./New York Rangers/University of Wisconsin) threaded a cross-ice pass from right inside the blue line on the left side boards to a streaking Fowler, who tipped the puck in behind Swedish goalie Viktor Fasth.
Just over three minutes into the second period, Sweden took the lead for good when Marcus Kruger banged home a shot into an empty net from in front after U.S. goaltender Al Montoya (Glenview, Ill./New York Islanders/University of Michigan) got tied up behind the net.
Sweden scored two more goals in the middle frame to go up, 4-1. Mattias Sjogren fired a wrist shot past Montoya at the 10:27 mark and Berglund notched his second goal of the game less than five minutes later.
Team USA narrowed the gap 10:29 into the third period, when Craig Smith (Madison, Wis./University of Wisconsin) forced a turnover in the neutral zone. He then sent a quick feed to Wheeler just inside the blue line, who backhanded a shot past Fasth to pull the U.S. within two goals. Sweden, however, notched two more goals in the last four minutes, including one on the power play, for the 6-2 victory.
Montoya made 24 saves for Team USA in the loss, while Fasth stopped 30 shots in the win for Sweden.
The U.S. Men’s National Team will next face Canada on Friday (May 6), at 10:15 a.m. EDT in its first qualification-round game. The game will be broadcast live on Versus and scoring updates will be available on Twitter by following #2011WMC. For Team USA coverage from Slovakia throughout the IIHF World Men’s Championship, including game blogs and postgame video, visit the U.S. Men’s National Team blog.
NOTES: Team USA went 1-for-6 on the power play, while Norway was 1-for-2 with the man advantage … Yan Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./CSKA Moscow/University of Notre Dame) was named the U.S. Player of the Game … The 2011 U.S. Men’s National Team roster can be found here and the media guide can be downloaded here … The U.S. Men’s National Team’s fourth-place finish at the 2009 IIHF World Men’s Championship was Team USA’s best finish at the tournament since capturing the bronze medal in 2004 … The 2011 U.S. Men’s National Team is under the direction of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group, including NHL general managers Brian Burke (Toronto), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia), Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles), David Poile (Nashville), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh) and Dale Tallon (Florida); Atlanta Thrashers president Don Waddell; and Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s assistant executive director for hockey operations. Paul Fenton, assistant general manager of the Nashville Predators and general manager of the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals, is serving as associate general manager of the 2011 U.S. Men’s National Team … Scott Gordon is head coach for the second consecutive year after leading the 2010 U.S. Men’s National Team, while Greg Cronin, Phil Housley and Barry Smith are serving as assistants … USA Hockey’s international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams … Versus will provide television coverage of the first six U.S. games at the 2011 IIHF World Men’s Championship, in addition to the semifinal round and gold-medal game. For more information, visit USAHockey.com.
194 Comments
Bruins score 30 seconds in!
Bruins score again 30 seconds later!
2-0 Boston
LMAO @ Philly!
BOSTON ALL THE WAY!!!
What do you suppose Philadelphia would give up for Lundqvist right now?
Time Out Philly.
Nothing I’d take, Carp. Nothing I’d take.
But that’s a good question.
Carp- I’m sure they would include Boucher in the deal…
Carped…
REPOST
Wow!!! 2-0 already!!
LOL! Is Hartnell crazy going after Chara?
I think Bruins and Bolts would be great, great for hockey, great for you guys (most of you) since your most hated rivals wouldn’t be involved…
but I’m not counting any chickens yet.
Yes, and what’s that about Chara?
Carp,
what would the Rangers give to have been in the finals last season, and still playing this season. skill wins. if your best player is your goalie you are going home early every season.
Go Bolts! 1-0!
“if your best player is your goalie you are going home early every season.”
False.
Not the point, bull dog. point=Once again, Flyers falling short because of inferior goaltending. ...
if your goaltender is your worst player, you don’t win a Cup since 1975.
Bruins up 2-0
Bolts up 1-0
Fuggin A!!!
Not even funny anymore, just sad: Bolts up 3-0 in games and Ovechkin is the featured photo on the NHL.com carousel. Umm.
It’s just sad.
Each year we made the playoffs since Crosby/Ovechkin, we had to face either Crosby or Ovechkin, and get knocked out by them.
They have the luck to face nobodies.
It’s also amazing how these 35+ year old athletes that play for boston are totally done, and then magically – through the use of drugs, help of referees, magic of the uniform – become better.
Deion Branch, Tim Thomas, Marc Savard, David Ortiz is still productive, Jason Varitek, Dice-K is pitching well again, Beckett is somehow recovering from injuries that plagued him for years. Goodness gracious, the 2 injury prone celtic O’Neals play for them. All a bunch of drug using byfuglieners. Ray Allen was done in the middle of last year, now he’s drilling 60% of his 3 pointers in the playoffs. “It’s the drugs, it’s always the drugs!” – Monk episode
Goooooooooo BOLTS!
Washington Swept? = Ovech-choke
Loved seeing Versteeg get knocked on his ass. So overrated!
Mama, check your cell…
Yeah, thank God there are no players in NY that use drugs.
Carp, as far as a potential Hank trade to Philthy…I would guess we could get Jeff Carter…not sure what else…maybe thew throw in Bob?
they*
Went from Black Hawks to flyers. Versteeg is dead to me.
Goal shouldn’t have counted for Washington.
since the Rangers won the cup in 94, the Flyers have been to 6 eastern conference finals, and stanly cup finals. not to shabby for a team with goaltending issues.
Olga,
who was Anti Neime before last season. you can find goalies to win with if you have enough skill.
Olga, you didn’t care that he was a Maple Leaf? Don’t you know it’s an “original six” rivalry :P
If Sather did something other than stogy smoking, he could get some skilled players to help Lundqvist. He found a goalie to win. He lucked into Lundqvist with a seventh round pick. He’s found little else of value. So why would you expect him to trade Lundqvist for skilled players?
He should have stayed in Toronto, ORR.
I said nothing about trading him. I said he can’t be your best player.
Carp asked what we could get for him from Philly earlier. I thought this was part of the same conversation.
I’ll go out on a limb and say Patrick Roy and Brodeur were the best players on their team, seeing as they are among the best goalies ever. So a team CAN win with a goalie as their best player.
Roy yes in 86 and 93, then had Sakic and Forsberg in COL.
Brodeur had 2 HOF D in front of him plus the underrated Rafalski in 00 and 03. Notice he hasn’t done a lot since they all left.
Hasek in ‘99, and most of the years he was in Buffalo.
I agree bulldog. This isn’t to say Lundqvist isn’t a great goalie, but as much as goalies can influence the outcome of games, they still can’t score goals.
But Hasek didn’t win in 99. Give Hasek another few years with a 150 point Lafontaine and 70+ goal Mogilny and maybe they win.
It took Hasek being on a stacked Wings team to finally get a Cup.
A truer statement then would be “a team cannot go far in the playoffs with their goalie as the only great player”.
Even a great goalie can’t win without top line players in front of him. Which Sather has not been able to find.
Don’t point to Lundqvist, point to Sather. Then FIRE SATHER.
Tampa’s back in front! Yes!
CT- winning the Cup was not the original premise, “going far in the playoffs” was how it was stated. and Hasek did that in Buffalo.
I thought following “point to Sather” would come “then shoot Sather” :)
Actually it was stated the opposite way.
“if your best player is your goalie you are going home early every season.”
Oh ok. He’s one, but I’d take that as the exception and not the rule.
I like it Tiki! Shoot him right in the eye. Like bin Laden.
You’d think bin Laden would have seen it coming…. :)
Wasn’t Ron Hextall a great goalie? He won the Conn Smythe right? Still means carcillo… No Cup for Philly since ‘75…
You need a complete team to win, including a goaltender…and some luck/magic…
3-0 Boston.
Now I KNOW I’ve seen this somewhere before….
It’s amazing. We lost a 3-0 lead in the ALCS, and we haven’t gotten another shot at the Red Sox since. And it took us 5 years to reach another ALCS.
But they blow a 3-0 lead in the East Semis, then make it back the next fuggin’ year, face the same team that they blew the lead to, then go up 3-0 again in the series. Astonishing, not really…
Hextall was a pipe banging hack artist.
I agree with the rest of your post
Woooo!!! Here comes Bob!!!
4-0 Boston
What about Bob?
I step away for a few minutes, and it’s 4-0!
Bwahaha!
BOOOOO-SHAY!
And Tampa up 2-1!
Awesome!
Lol @ Bergenheim. 3-1 Tampa!
More teams make the playoffs in the NHL Tiki. Better odds of rematches happening.
bergenhiem=druce
Go Bolts!
Wow, another pathetic goal. How did this Flyers team lead the East much of this season? Pathetic.
We play the Diamondbacks and the Marlins, 2 loser organizations with no history, and we lose.
They play the Carolina Panthers and the Colorado Rockies, 2 loser organizations with no history, and beat them.
Just need Vancouver, San Jose, and the Lightning to win. Still have hope. I have to believe. Hopefully, down 3-0 again, the Flyers will play dirtier and attempt to injure the rest of this game and Game 4.
sweep! sweep! sweep! sweep!
How many games have the Flyers switched goalies?
3-1 now. It’s deja vu all over again!
ewww, that was gross
3-2 Wash. Yikes.
3-2 Tampa, rather.
Ooops. 4-1
1-0 Sharks
LOL! Erskine and his great shot score.
Such a great shot. Duh!
Tiki history doesn’t win you rings. If it did the Rangers would have a lot more Cups.
Dbacks had Johnson and Schilling. Marlins had a bunch of stud pitchers all under 30, a very good infield and an up and coming Cabrera.
LOL! What a great shot by Erskine! Wow!
I know, CTB. Just venting. We did have the Diamondbacks beaten, though, and lost. Johnson was the real MVP of that series, not Skirt Schilling. And we scored more runs, had more walks and more hits and the better team ERA than the Marlins, and lost.
The Mets won 6 in a row recently! CTB, would you like me to give Laurel a copy of the Mets/Phillies Osama/USA game for you?
The Mets won 6 then lost 4 of 5. Not a lot to be happy about in the grand scheme of things.
I’m all set on the Osama game, there was a lot of videos of the crowd on YouTube that MLB is not taking down.
1-1 in Hockeytown.
Torts is expected to undergo knee replacement surgery. So, prepare for an even nicer Torts next season.
Him, and Brooksie might have some wine coolers at the bus stop, and he’ll help beat up his bullies.
Torts wore out his knees begging Sather to stop getting washed up UFAs?
Good night, Carp!
They’re going to have Darth Torts by the time his new deal is up.
Check out Emrick with that Emmy. Well deserved. Such a professional!!
Holy Moly!!! Bolts are going wild!
4-2 TB – Caps are going DOWN!!
Who scored in Tampa?
Hahaha! Hartnell just blew an easy goal for his team. Dumbass!
Bergenheim has the last three goals, and Malone has the first one
MA Bergeron
Bergeron has the last goal, I meant.
I’m guessing we should feel bad because our guys could not have done any worse against the Lightning, but I’m doubting the Rangers could have done much better, seeing as they didn’t play so well against the Lightning this season. Too bad we couldn’t have fun in the second round, since the Capitals didn’t show up. It had to be because the Rangers wore them down, right?!
I hate the whole concept of make-up calls. If you miss a call, you miss a call. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make a call when you see a penalty, just because.
Cmon I want a live look in for the Caps
What a night it’s turning out to be!!! It’s fun being a bandwagon Bolts fan…
By the way, Congrats to Doc on the Emmy! True professional!!
5-2 Bruins!
Boston Power!
Chara makes it 5-1!
Evening gang!
I am laughing, just laughing at the Craps going down.
Bolts VS Craps = BROOM-TASTIC!
Why the fugg is Versus not playing an elimination game??? Now they’re playing the 2nd period of the Wings/Sharks game over the 3rd period of the Craps/Bolts game?
Fuggers!
Wow! Philthy really sucks!
Boston up 3 games to 0! Stay awake this time!
OvechCANT!! Bwahaha!
Just popping in to leave a big “told ya so” about the Washington Capitals.
Rangers should be ashamed of themselves for allowing Neuvirth to look like anything more than the glorified back-up he is.
If Bolts win tonight how many days until they play game one in the next round?
I think Torts is having the surgery this week, or already had it … that’s what he told me last week, anyway.
WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! ST LOUIS!!!
And that’s it. BYE BYE WASHINGTON!
ahahahahaha
Yeah, it’s kinda embarrassing to have lost to this Caps team 4 games to 1!
Another TB goal – goodbye Ovechkin!!!
Detroit goes ahead 3-2
Why are the Bolts fans doing the “Ole, Ole” chant!?
Imagine Tampa gets Richards back? They’d be mostly unstoppable, especially if they sign Bryzgalov or trade for Vokoun or something.
HEY BRUCE!!!!
YA FIRED
Ouch! Caps score…
Imagine the Bolts with Parise or Shea Weber?
TB is living life dangerously here….
WOOHOO!!! Bye bye Caps! No Ovechtricks this season!
Think Torts is proud of his former organization and players, especially after the final regular season game they played? I wouldn’t doubt it.
See ya, Ovenchicken and Ice Cream Boudreau.
Look at that fat loser Boudreau! LOL! You scumpile worthless fat pussycat toad. Punk byfuglien hartnelling cooke carcillo humpty dumpty donut eating freak. Yankees fan or not, you’re a scum pile!
There is no way you could actually have thought Washington were going to tie that game
Haha they’re playing the Ovecktrick commercial.
I seriously love the Lightning. I may adopt them as my second team from here on out.
KARMA!
Cancel the rest of the playoffs!! All the league’s stars have been eliminated!!
Over/under when Boudreau gets fired…I will set it at May 5th, 9:56am.
CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?! BROOM-A-LICIOUS!!!
No Crosby? no Ovechkin? Bettman is rolling over in his grave!
What? Bettman’s still alive?
Too Bad, too bad…
Boudreau has to be fired. He’s a worthless pig.
CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?! BROOM-A-LICIOUS!!! Go CCCP!
The thing is, there were about 6 minutes left in the game, and the Caps players didn’t even look that interested! There was no urgency to their game whatsoever…....they had already conceded defeat.
Bettman’s got his bruins in it. Believe me, he’s smiling from ear to ear.
Versus didn’t show the Caps-Bolts because it was on NHL Network. I’m still surprised they didn’t do a look-in of the end of the game.
Boudreau shouldn’t get fired. He somehow managed to get a below-average team to a conference title and the second round of the playoffs. Ovechkin’s game has regressed, the team has no goaltending and their lineup is overloaded with third and fourth line players – much like our beloved Rangers.
If Boudreau deserves to be shown the door, Tortorella should be panhandling in front of Penn Station.
Boudreau is a failure of a coach. He has the best player in the league and surrounding talent and he’s a complete failure. Only can beat the Rangers, with the refs help.
Caps are the first number one seed to be swept in first or second round since division play started in 1994.
So who starts in goal for Philly in the next game? Leighton? “Bob”? Bernie Parent out of retirement?
Lloyd, do you know where I can get some gum?
Haha:
Now lets all go to the bar and order Ovechkins all night long!! (they’re White Russians w/ no cup)
I know this guy in Chinatown, but be forewarned, the gum is a little low meiney.
BriMichei BouLeightsky
Am I crazy or is that a lot of gum?
Who is this p-b-p guy for TSN on Sharks-Wings? What a great Canadian hockey voice.
Organ-eye-zay-shun
It’s a lot of gum
SJ ties it with 4 min left in 3rd
Sharks tie it
Looking like more OT in Sharks/Wings.
Carp,
I think it’s Chris Cuthbert.
That sounds right, Latona.
The Pittsburgh Crosby’s and The Washington Ovechkin’s both eliminated?
Uh oh, better change the rules mid playoffs and let a team come back in a surprise return game, ala Survivor or Big Brother.
Marc-Andre Bergeron has scored goals against the Caps in series-clinching games two years in a row, both on the PP; tonight’s was technically the game winner. Tampa carries him as a 7th. Just goes to show you how impactful a PP QB can be. Let’s go MDZ!
I don’t think the Flyers are coming back by any stretch of the imagination … but I’m certain that everybody, all these analysts, were saying the exact same thing last year.
Flyers aren’t coming back this time around, agreed.
Never know, though. If the Flyers steal Game 4, then win Game 5 at home, all the pressure from last year will be back on Boston.
Yup, it’s Chris Cuthbert. Sounds like Kramer’s friend Duane who sold George ladies’ glasses.
GO SHARKS!!!
Big Joe with GWG 10 min into the first OT
Bruins can’t take anything for granted until they’ve won the fourth game – after last year’s collapse, they need to slay this Philly dragon.
Different bruins team, a little more talent, a better goalie. Anybody’s better than that stick smashing criminal Pukie Rask – whom the “experts” called the best goalie in the East playoffs last year.
Philly is done. Carter is done, Pronger injured, goaltending somehow worse. It’s done.
I feel like the Detroit defense shifts their bodies much more efficiently and effectively than the Rangers do on the blue line. Too often the Rangers maintain position and it doesn’t allow them to make as good a play.
Another OT penalty called!
Been reading some of the Caps blogs around the net…all of the people are saying goodbyes to each other till August lol
Some of them say things like “I don’t even enjoy watching hockey” – what a bun h of bandwagoners!
Goes to show that RR is the best hockey / sport blog online! Thank you, Carp!
no, thank you, C3P.
SJ wins it!
Sharks go up 3-0 in games.
SHARKS!!!!!!!!!
So I was almost right! Big Joe with GWA 10 min into OT!!
Wow! Just wow…....Detroit looks bad…... 3-0 Sharks….
Looks like it’ll be a short semi’s!
no, thank you, Carp. ;)
They got a fantastic chance when the Sharks got that penalty, but they couldn’t convert, and it killed them.
Detroit isn’t gonna get swept. Last year they destroyed the Sharks in game 4, I think Franzen had four or five goals. But San Jose is definitely the favorite, in my eyes, to defeat the winner of the Nashville/Vancouver series.
watch Caps fire Bruce the whiner and hire Keenan
Well, at least that p—
k Jason Arnott got to the second round of the playoffs this seasonif he stayed with the Debbies (except for this year) he would have been out in the first round.I wonder if any team will hire Keenan – I think he’s too “old school” for the “new” NHL….
Looking forward to hearing the announcement of Humpty Dumpty’s firing.
They just have to. That’s all their is to it. There’s too much talent on that team to not make it to the Cup Final at least, never mind winning the Cup.
Too much talent! And to get swept in the semis is just horrible.
BOOOM!
But Orr, their goaltending isn’t good – except against the Rangers, that is…..
Yeah, but still, they’re too talented. The Flyers made it to the Cup Final with 3rd string goalies.
They have the fire power to compete, despite not having a star goalie. No excuses!
Orr has it correct. 2009-2010 Philly is a good example.
Boudreau better be a goner. Otherwise, their management is content to allow the bruins to waltz through the East each year!
why do hockey players like to use word “obviously” so much? Feels like they start every sentence with that word…
Well, obviously there’s a rapist in Lincoln Park.
I don’t give a flyin’ cooke about Bruce, The fat spruce, destiny and wish he has a byfuglien disturbing life after our offender – Cap’s untimely and early death in PO. Hope, repited unpredictable failure will reduce their collective physhe and will make ‘em fragile and vulnarable next season. Amen!
It sucks to see all these teams that have struggled over the year, just like us, make it further than us.
The Lightning, Bruins, Hawks, Capitals, Penguins, Canadiens. Granted some of them had higher draft picks than we ever had, and we missed out on some superstars, thanks to Glennie, Renney, and the rest of the retarded gang.
It’s still frustrating. We continue to be a 6th-8th place team, and the limit is the semis, if we’re lucky enough to sneak past the quarters.
And for the comparison between Torts and Boudreau….if Piggy Boudreau was the coach of the Rangers, we’d finish in the last 3 teams of the entire league. Piggy piggy swine! Piggy swine piggy! Swine swine piggy!
Caps gone and Brucie will pay the price. He’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the butter brickle at home now.
ORR
It’s still a game…today you’re a winner tomorrow you’re a loser
Only fitting that Wash would get swept in the 2nd round. And by the team that embarrassed us all season long. Amazing how average that Caps goalie looks when he’s not stopping NYR shots.
I think Humpty Dumpty is, obviously, going to get fired! Duh!!
Seriously, the Caps and McPhee have work to do. I think that roster is going to look a lot different next year. They failed miserably and don’t have any excuses except not having a reliable #1 goaltender.
What the hell happened to Backstrom? He is a shell of the player he was before this year…
LOL@ Lincoln Park
He’s claiming in your windows and snatching people off! Hide yo kids and hide yo wife! lol
no, thank you, CCCP.
Good night, kids. Got a review of the games in the morning.
Buce isn’t even good enough to have the “R”s in his name. So Im removing them. From this point forward, he shall be referred to as Buce Boudeau!
Piggy swine piggy piggy swine swine piggy swine piggy piggy swine swine piggy swine swine swine piggy!
Looks like the only Ovechtrick we’ll be seeing is Ovi’s 5-over par on the 11th hole at Belle Haven CC. Happy trails, Caps.
Ovechchuck- throwing up after getting swept in playoffs
Ovechchick- cross dressing Russian
O’Vech Trick – Irish prostitute
Ovech kin- family of Ovech
Ovechicken – Chicken with too much hair
It’s amazing how poor the goaltending is on most of the playoff teams, and even more so that the playoff teams with the worst playoff goaltending all advanced to the second round. The Caps, Flyers and Red Wings all going out is hockey’s version of a market correction.
Ovechcrack = russian dope
Ovechkin = another russian dope
Ovechclone = same russian dope
Ovechcoat = russian dressing
Ovechskin = russian not dressing
LOL@ Olga!
Ovechgrim – Craps future
I still like OvechCANT the best! :P
Guy Boucher reminds me of Charlie Sheen…the look (minus scar) and the way he talks
LOL! That scar is bad aasen…
He’s winning!
Ovechkin should ask to be traded to us…I bet blue looks good on him
Glee Boucher and Avery have the coolest scars in sports. Fuggin puck shaped scars. So awesome!
I think I like Avery’s better. It’s right by the mouth, proving that not even a slap shot to the face can shut him up.
Ovetchcouldnt – au revoir Les crapitals..
Filthy is adismal.
oh and where are those dopes that were arguing with me during the regular season about how the Flyers were so great and their goaltending being suspect didn’t matter? TRADE LUNDQVIST right?