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Rangers’ Miller, Trocheck anchor USA penalty kill in 5-1 win over Germany
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- Rangers’ Miller, Trocheck anchor USA penalty kill in 5-1 win over Germany
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Neither J.T. Miller nor Vincent Trocheck recorded a point in Team USA's 5-1 win over Germany on Sunday, but the New York Rangers forwards anchored a perfect penalty kill as the Americans clinched Group C in the preliminaries at the 2016 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
TH\\he United States killed off all three German power plays and improved to nine-for-nine through three contests in these Games. They are the only team that did not allow a power-play goal in the preliminary round.
Trocheck and Miller composed the first forward grouping utilized by coach Mike Sullivan, helping the Americans shut down a German power play that featured NHL stars Leon Draisaitl , Tim Stutzle , and Moritz Seider .
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Miller received shoulder pats for a shot block late in the third period on USA's third and final penalty kill. He also connected on a stretch pass with Jack Eichel at the close of the first PK, springing the Vegas Golden Knights center for a breakaway chance — although Eichel was denied by German goalie Maximilian Franzreb.
The win cemented a perfect 3-0-0 stretch in the preliminary round for the Americans. They won Group C by three points and locked up the No. 2 seed, behind only Canada, who were 3-0-0 with a plus-17 goal differential atop Group A.
Miller logged 12:37 TOI, and Trocheck played a team-low 9:12 Sunday. Each was even with one shot on goal.
Trocheck has two assists — both on game-winning goals — and is plus-two in three games. The 32-year-old center ranks third among all Olympic skaters with a 66.7 face-off percentage, winning 18 of 27 draws. Miller is minus-one and failed to record a point in Group C play — one of four USA skaters yet to hit the score-sheet entering the quarterfinal.
USA earned an automatic bid to the Olympic quarterfinals thanks to the win over Germany. The winner of the qualification play-off between No. 7 Sweden and No. 10 Latvia on Tuesday will face the Americans on Wednesday. Should Sweden prevail, Miller and Trocheck will go toe-to-toe with Rangers teammate Mika Zibanejad .
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USA advances to Olympics quarterfinal: 'Now it gets real'
David W Cerny/Reuters via Imagn Images
A German team headed by Draisaitl posed the biggest challenge for Team USA in Group C.
"We need to think of this game as a playoff-type atmosphere," Sullivan told his squad ahead of puck drop.
"That's exactly what we did," Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber said postgame. "I thought we played a solid three periods."
For the second game in a row, the Americans got off to a clunky start — highlighted by an awkward collision between New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes and USA captain Auston Matthews on a Team USA power play.
Eichel appeared to give the Americans a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the first period, but officials whistled the play dead before his shot, after Matthew Thachuk was checked into the crease, knocking the blocker off of Franzreb.
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Undeterred, USA struck before the horn sounded to close the opening frame. Matthews sent a beautiful saucer pass cross-ice, setting up Zach Werenski for a sharp wrister from the left dot at 19:51.
"These games come quick," Matthews noted at the first intermission. "We didn't love our effort the first half of the game last night, so we wanted to come out and have a good start, and I thought we did that."
They carried that momentum into the second period. After Miller and Trocheck helped kill an Eichel penalty 50 seconds into the frame, USA flipped the tables with a power play of their own.
This time around, Matthews got to lead the handshake line, gravitating to the front of the net and getting a stick on a shot from Quinn Hughes at 3:25.
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Faber gave USA a 3-0 lead at 17:35, quickly firing a high shot from the point that ricocheted off Franzreb's glove and into the net.
The Americans made it 4-0 at 1:55 of the third period on a clapper from Tage Thompson , and Matthews tallied his second with another deflection at 6:46.
Stutzle netted the lone goal for Germany with a pretty snipe at 11:22.
Matthews posted a game-high three points (two goals, one assist) Sunday; the Toronto Maple Leafs star leads all American skaters with three goals and five points in three games.
USA outscored its opponents 16-5 in Group C play. Of course, tougher challenges likely await them — namely, a dominant Canadian squad, fresh off a 10-2 rout of France on Sunday.
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"There's stuff that we need to clean up," Faber acknowledged. "But overall, I thought we got better as the tournament went on, and that's what it's all about. Now it gets real."
USA gets two days of rest ahead of their quarterfinal matchup. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 pm Eastern time Wednesday.
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