USA demolishes Latvia to avoid relegation

USA were hoping for gold but ended up playing Latvia in the relegation round instead. Perhaps the biggest question before the game was if USA would able to refocus after missing the medal round.

One player surely hade refocused, Austin Watson scored a hat trick to give USA the lead 3-0 after 16 minutes. And with just over one minute left of the first Jason Zucker extended the lead with a short handed goal leaving USA with a safe 4-0 lead after the first goal even if shots on goal were more even than expected, 12-9.

"The biggest thing we wanted to prove is that we believe we shouldn’t be in the relegation round. We wanted to come out and have a strong game. We showed we’re capable of playing with the guys in the medal round. It was about playing for the country, playing for the crest on our jersey", Watson told IIHF after the game.

In the second period it was all about USA who had 33 shots on goal. Already within the first minute USA had scored two more goals and Latvia switched goalies. Girgensons put Latvia on the board but USA won the period 7-1 and had 11-1 after 40 minutes. Watson added four assists to his three goals leaving him on seven points after two periods of play. Watson's line mate Nick Bjugstad also scored three goals in the second period.

At the beginning of the third the earlier replaced Gudlevskis was back in goal for the Latvians. He didn't got a great start to his second appearance when Austin Czarnik made it 12-1 at 2:16 but then USA slowed down and didn't score anymore goals leaving the last goal for Latvia to make the final score 12-2.

A score that saves USA a spot in next year's World Juniors while Latvia is playing Denmark tomorrow in an all decisive game for which team that will stay in the top division and which team that will be relegated. The question is if Latvia have any energy left after this game playing Denmark who had a day off today.

"We still have to beat Denmark, no matter what. That’s the big game. We need to refocus. We definitely need to play better on defence, man-to-man coverage, getting back. We had too many guys caught up in the rush and gave up too many odd-man rushes", Latvia's best player of the game Teodors Blugers said.

USA will play Switzerland in a game that only decides which team that will finish 7th or 8th.

Tweets by @eurohockey