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Gameday: Preliminary Round Showdown Against Finland

By USA Hockey, 05/13/19, 2:15AM EDT

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Team USA Goes For Second Straight Win at 10:15 a.m. ET on NHL Network

Team USA, fresh off a 7-1 victory over France yesterday, returns to the ice today to take on Finland in the third of seven preliminary round games for both teams in the 2019 IIHF Men’s World Championship. Opening faceoff is set for 4:15 p.m. local time (10:15 a.m. ET) from Steel Arena in Kosice, Slovakia. The game can be seen live on NHL Network in the U.S.

The U.S. and Finland have been regular foes in the world championship with today’s game marking the 63rd meeting in this tournament all-time. Finland has an overall 30-1-2-22-8 advantage (w-otw-otl-l-t) in the series and has won the last three games between the two countries. Finland stopped Team USA’s hopes of an unbeaten record in the preliminary round of last season’s world championship with a 6-2 win over the U.S. in the final preliminary round game for both teams.

Team USA will look to build off yesterday’s win over France where 12 different players recorded points, including six players with two-point efforts — Alex DeBrincat (2-0—2), Colin White (2-0—2), Patrick Kane (1-1—2), Frank Vatrano (1-1—2), Dylan Larkin (0-2—2) and Alec Martinez (0-2—2). Thatcher Demko made 23 saves on 24 shots in the U.S. net.

Today’s game will conclude the first of two “back-to-backs” for the U.S. in the world championship, with the other coming with games on consecutive days vs. Denmark and Germany on May 18 and May 19.

The contest will also feature the two players who most pundits believe will be the first and second taken in June’s NHL Draft in Team USA’s Jack Hughes and Finland’s Kaapo Kakko.

Team USA’s lineup will remain the same as yesterday. Coach Jeff Blashill had not named the starting goaltender at press time.



U.S. Game Schedule

Date Opponent/Round Time (Local/ET)/Result Location Television U.S. Player of the Game
Tues., May 7 Germany
Pre-Tournament
W, 5-2 SAP Arena
Mannheim, Germany
Live Stream Johnny Gaudreau
Fri., May 10 Slovakia
Preliminary
L, 1-4 Steel Arena
Kosice, Slovakia
NHL Network Jack Eichel
Sun., May 12 France
Preliminary
W, 7-1 Steel Arena
Kosice, Slovakia
NHL Network Alex DeBrincat
Mon., May 13 Finland
Preliminary
OTW, 3-2 Steel Arena
Kosice, Slovakia
NHL Network Brady Skjei
Wed., May 15 Great Britain
Preliminary
W, 6-3 Steel Arena
Kosice, Slovakia
NHL Network Patrick Kane
Sat., May 18 Denmark
Preliminary
W, 7-1 Steel Arena
Kosice, Slovakia
NHL Network Dylan Larkin
Sun., May 19 Germany
Preliminary
W, 3-1 Steel Arena
Kosice, Slovakia
NHL Network Alec Martinez
Tues., May 21 Canada
Preliminary
L, 0-3 Steel Arena
Kosice, Slovakia
NHL Network Cory Schneider
Thurs., May 23 Russia
Quarterfinal
L, 3-4 Ondrej Nepela Arena
Bratislava, Slovakia
NHL Network Jack Hughes

2019 U.S. Roster

Sights & Sounds

IIHF Tournament Website

U.S. Men's Worlds History


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