The Americans will hope to beat undefeated Switzerland in the IIHF World Championships semifinal when the two clubs meet Saturday.
The Americans are coming off a cathartic 8-3 win against Russia. Many pundits questioned whether the United States could take down the defending Champions after a 4-1 loss to Slovakia in the group stage. The team responded with its best performance of the tournament.
Goalie John Bishop made 31 stops in the match while Paul Stastny (two goals), Ryan Carter, T.J. Oshie, David Moss, Alex Galchenyuk, Nate Thompson, and Jacob Trouba scored the goals for the USA. Stastny leads the team with 13 points in eight matches.
Meanwhile Switzerland dispatched the Czech Republic 2-1 on the strength of goals from Dennis Hollenstein and Josi Roman. Goalie Martin Gerber made 33 saves in the win.
The American side has had a solid run throughout the group stage. The team started the tournament with a 5-3 win over Austria and followed it with a 4-1 victory against Austria. A 5-3 loss to Russia was followed by a 4-1 win over Finland and a 4-2 victory against France. After a 3-0 win against Germany, the United States faltered and lost the opportunity to earn the top spot in the group in a 4-1 loss to Slovakia.
Meanwhile Switzerland earned all but one point in the entire tournament. The team won six games in regulation against Sweden, Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Belarus and Slovenia. In their seventh game, Switzerland defeated Canada in the shootout.
Prediction: The Americans are confident after taking down the defending champions in a lopsided affair. The Swiss will enter with the confidence of being undefeated. This game will likely be a low scoring affair that sees the Swiss continue to stun the hockey world; Switzerland wins 3-2.
Start Time: 1 PM EST
TV: NBCSN
Watch Live Stream HERE.
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