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Team USA Falls to Russia in Semifinals of Men's Worlds

05/16/2015, 6:00am EDT
By USA Hockey

U.S. Will Face Czech Republic For Bronze Tomorrow

PRAGUE - Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce, Mich./St. John’s) made 26 saves, but the U.S. Men’s National Team fell to Russia, 4-0, tonight in semifinal action at the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship.

Team USA will face the Czech Republic tomorrow (May 17) in the bronze-medal game. Puck drop is set for 10:15 a.m. ET at O2 Arena in Prague and the game will be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra.

"The final score wound up 4-0, but it really felt like a 1-0 game," said Todd Richards, head coach of the 2015 U.S. Men's National Team. "I'm proud of our guys and the way they played. It was a heck of a hockey game between two very good teams. Unfortunately for us, we came out on the short end."

The U.S. nearly opened the scoring just 2:36 into the contest when Mark Arcobello (Milford, Conn./Arizona Coyotes) found Jimmy Vesey (North Reading, Mass./Harvard University) alone in front for a chance that was turned aside by Sergei Bobrovski. The duo created another scoring chance with 8:25 remaining when Arcobello again found Vesey in front for a shot that was deflected wide.

Three minutes later, Steve Moses’ (Leominster, Mass./Jokerit) wraparound chance deflected off Matt Hendricks (Blaine, Minn./Edmonton Oilers) and bounced in the crease before being swept away.

With :38 remaining in the opening period, Russia’s Nikolai Kulemin sent a centering feed to Evgeni Malkin for a quality scoring chance that forced Hellebuyck to make his best save of the period. 

The teams traded chances early in the second frame, but neither was able to convert. Russia's best opportunity came eight minutes into the period when Ilya Kovalchuk fired a one-timer from the left circle that Hellebuyck was able to cover.

The U.S. controlled play for the last seven minutes of the period beginning with a chance from Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass./Boston University). Eichel entered the zone on the right side and fired a shot on net that forced Bobrovski to give up a rebound to Anders Lee (Edina, Mass./Boston University) whose chance hit a skate and went wide. Four minutes later, Vesey found the puck in front for a backhanded effort that was blocked by a body in front.

With less than two minutes remaining, Eichel created two more chances that were turned aside by Bobrovski. After his first attempt from the right side hit Bobrovski high in the chest, Eichel skated around the net and found the puck near the left circle for another chance that the Russian netminder was able to hold.  

Despite entering the third period outshooting Russia, 23-21, it was Russia who opened the scoring. With 12:41 remaining in the final period, Sergei Mozyakin skated in and fired a shot from the hash marks that beat Hellebuyck glove-side. Three minutes later, Alex Ovechkin collected the puck at the point, cut inside, and fired in a low shot to give Russia a 2-0 lead.

Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich./University of Michigan) nearly brought the U.S. within one a minute later while shorthanded. Hendricks won the puck in the left corner and fired a pass to a rushing Larkin who was unable to beat Bobvroski high left side. 

Vadim Shipachyov made it 3-0 on a rebound attempt with 4:32 remaining and Malkin scored an empty-netter with 1:25 remaining to finish the game.

NOTES: Justin Faulk was named the U.S. Player of the Game ... The U.S. has a chance to capture the bronze medal tomorrow vs. the Czech Republic. If it does, it will mean the U.S. has medaled in two of the last three world championships, a feat the country has not accomplished since 1952.


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2015 Results

Date Opponent Time (Local/ET)/Result
April 28 Austria (ex.) W, 4-1
May 1 Finland W, 5-1
May 2 Norway W, 2-1
May 4 Russia W, 4-2
May 7 Belarus L, 2-5
May 8 Denmark W, 1-0
May 10 Slovenia W, 3-1
May 12 Slovakia W, 5-4 OT
May 14 Switzerland
Quarterfinals
W, 3-1
May 16 Russia
Semifinals
L, 0-4
May 17 Czech Republic
Bronze Medal Game
W, 3-0

Game Day Info

PRAGUE -- The U.S. Men's National Team faces Russia today at 7:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m. ET) in the semifinals of the 2015 IIHF Men's World Championship (see television information below).

The U.S. had a light skate late this morning, its first time on the O2 Arena ice.

Team USA has won seven of its eight games in the world championship to date. Only two previous U.S. teams have won as many games in a single world championship (2013, 1939) and no team has won eight games.

Connor Hellebuyck will start in goal for the sixth straight game. He leads the tournament with a 5-0 record, 1.32 goals against average and .944 save percentage. Hellebuyck did not face Russia in Team USA's 4-2 win earlier in the tournament, instead Jack Campbell got the win with 15 saves.

The winner of tonight's contest will face the winner of the Canada/Czech Republic semifinal in tomorrow's gold medal game (8:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. ET), while the losers play for the bronze medal tomorrow (4:15 p.m./10:15 a.m.).

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Comcast SportsNet in the U.S. will televise live both semifinals of the 2015 IIHF Men's World Championship from O2 Arena today. Faceoff for the Canada-Czech Republic game is set for 9:15 a.m. ET, while the U.S.-Russia contest will begin at 1:15 p.m.

Both games will also be streamed live on NBC Sports Live Extra and the U.S.-Russia game will be aired on a same day delayed basis at 11 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

DirecTV/Dish Network channel numbers (where applicable)
CSN New England — DirecTV 630
CSN Mid-Atlantic — DirecTV 642/Dish 424
CSN Chicago — DirecTV 665/Dish 429
CSN Bay Area — DirecTV 696/Dish 419
CSN Northwest — DirecTV 698
CSN Philadelphia



2015 Results

Date Opponent Time (Local/ET)/Result
April 28 Austria (ex.) W, 4-1
May 1 Finland W, 5-1
May 2 Norway W, 2-1
May 4 Russia W, 4-2
May 7 Belarus L, 2-5
May 8 Denmark W, 1-0
May 10 Slovenia W, 3-1
May 12 Slovakia W, 5-4 OT
May 14 Switzerland
Quarterfinals
W, 3-1
May 16 Russia
Semifinals
L, 0-4
May 17 Czech Republic
Bronze Medal Game
W, 3-0

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