IRA PODELL
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP)—So much for a lack of Olympic experience. After a workmanlike win over Switzerland in the opener, the U.S. men’s hockey team is suddenly loaded with it.
Bobby Ryan scored late in the first period, and David Backes and Ryan Malone added goals in the second to help the youngest collection of American hockey players since the NHL began supplying talent for the 1998 Nagano Games top Switzerland 3-1 on Tuesday.
This group of Americans has an average age just above 26. “I’m sure some of these guys were nervous,” U.S. general manager Brian Burke said. “This is the big stage. This is Broadway.”
The roster boasts three players who have been previous Olympians. After a slow start through a chess-match opening period, the Americans turned talent and physical play decidedly in their favor.
That and a three-goal lead helped the jitters go away.
“Once I scored, I was able to settle down and come back into my own a little bit,” the 22-year-old Ryan said. “You definitely don’t want to come from behind early. To get the lead, I think it settled the game down quite a bit for us.”
The United States avoided a repeat of an opening-game letdown. During the 2006 Turin Games, the Americans began with a 3-3 tie against Latvia and never challenged for a medal.
Ryan Miller, considered the key to the U.S. chances to reach the podium, made 14 saves. He turned aside the handful of scoring opportunities the Swiss created and complied with rules barring corporate sponsorships by covering the words “Miller Time” on his mask.
His only blemish came with 10:15 remaining when a pass attempt by Roman Wick struck the goalie’s outstretched stick and tantalizingly trickled behind him for a power-play goal.
“The boys did a good job in a tight first period,” Miller said. “Both teams were feeling it out. We created really well in the second.”
With only goalie Jonas Hiller and defenseman Mark Streit as regular NHL players, Switzerland put up some early resistance but couldn’t sustain it. Hiller, Ryan’s teammate on the Anaheim Ducks, stopped 21 shots. He faced only two in the third period.
In the appetizer before host Canada faced Norway, the Americans coasted to victory after a fast-paced start. Outside of a few missed connections on some passes, there was no clear evidence they had only one practice before Tuesday.
Many fans were decked out in red Canada jerseys, but there was plenty of support for the U.S. and Swiss teams. The biggest cheers were reserved for American forward Ryan Kesler of the hometown Canucks, and Mike Eruzione, who captained the U.S. to Miracle on Ice glory in 1980.
Just when it seemed Switzerland might get even at 1, Miller fought off a bouncing puck between his pads and got a rush started the other way. Backes streaked down the left side, cut inside of defenseman Yannick Weber, and used a backhand-to-forehand shift to beat Hiller at 5:52 of the second.
The Americans needed only 2:08 more to make it 3-0 as Malone found a rebound of Ryan Suter’s shot and slipped it between Hiller’s pads for a power-play goal.
“I thought we might have a chance, but in the end, we just weren’t solid enough,” Hiller said.
Ryan helped set up his goal by digging the puck free during a scrum along the left-wing boards. He then darted to the middle and fired a rising drive that eluded Hiller’s glove with 1:01 left in the first.
“It gave them a lot of confidence, and it kind of like took us down a little bit,” Hiller said.
Ryan, best known for being the player chosen No. 2 behind Sidney Crosby in the 2005 NHL draft, shook off the effects of an earlier hit from behind by Streit in the corner of the Swiss zone. Ryan was still muttering about the crunching blow on the bench.
With this tournament being held on an NHL-sized rink as opposed to the traditionally wider Olympic surfaces, U.S. captain Jamie Langenbrunner hit Streit twice during the game’s first shift.
“He is going to be out there 30 minutes a game probably and you want to make it as hard on him as possible,” Langenbrunner said. “It’s definitely a different game. Plays happen quick and you have to be sharp. We have some tightening up to do and get a little bit smarter, but we’ll get there.”
The U.S. wasn’t penalized until Joe Pavelski was sent off for hooking at 4:49 of the third. A roughing call against Suter set up Wick’s goal.
“They have speed and they play physical, but I felt we played physical,” Streit said. “We had some good hits. We didn’t step back.”
Four years ago, Switzerland earned surprising victories over Canada and the Czech Republic and could pose an upset threat this time in longtime coach Ralph Krueger’s last year at the helm of the national team.
The U.S. will play Norway on Thursday, and Switzerland will have a rematch with Canada.
NOTES: Boston’s Tim Thomas dressed as the backup to Miller over Los Angeles G Jonathan Quick. … The Americans’ only Olympic loss to Switzerland was during the 1948 St. Moritz Games. The U.S. is 7-1 against the Swiss, outscoring them 66-19, including a 29-0 victory in 1920.
