USA blanks Slovakia and waits for New Year’s Eve clash with Canada

USA, still unbeaten, face the Slovakia with one question in the head: what is the real opponent? The minnow ill-treated by Canada or the solid team able to beat title holder Finland? The tradition is with US, 10 victories in 14 face-to-face, the last in Malmo, where US won 6-3 in the preliminary.

USA has goalie Thatcher Demko in the net, Slovakia, with defender Erik Cernak suspended, counts on Denis Godla, the hero in the victory against Finland. He immediately shows his skill with a fantastic save on Sonny Milano after 10 minutes of preliminary study and some prompt deflections during US first power play. Slovakia has a good chance around minute 15 on power play but neither Reway neither Celharik are able to finalize a good pass in front of the cage. At 17 first important save by Demko on a deflection by Matus Sukel. On the opposite side, Godla is reactive on a diagonal by Alex Tuch one minute before the first break.

American goalie Thatcher Demko earns his first shoot-out

In the second period Godla is well reactive deflecting or blocking some shots from long range while Slovakia wastes a capital chance with Robert Lantosi alone against Demko. Now USA increase the pressure, staying almost permanently in Slovakian defensive zone: Fasching has a good opportunity at 30, with Godla ready to block. Slovakian goalie made a couple of another great saves at 35 during a endless American attack, deflecting with the body a shot at point-blank by Milano and closing the net with the leg on Eichel a minute after. Slovakia seems now is out of breath, as a boxeur that cannot wait for the gong ringing. And the pressure resulted in the US advantage at 37:42 with Sonny Milano beating Godla with a very angled shot after a speedy counter-attack. The goal comes in the best US momentum sending Slovakia in the restroom with the need to recover and little energy. But after two minutes in the last period USA doubles advantage in a messy action in which Godla makes a great save on Milano then pushes the puck into the goal intervening awkwardly on a Dylan Larkin’s pass. The goal and the way it come take the wind out of Slovakia’s sails: the Ernest Bokros team doesn’t have the strength to try to recover the result and must once again thank its goalie for a couple of outstanding saves if the final score isn’t too humiliating. In a power play at 56 finally Slovakia has a chance with Christian Jaros, but his shot is well blocked by Demko. Before the final siren there's still time for the third goal by USA, the most beautiful of the game, scored by John Hayden with a classy turnabout.

Tonight another brilliant performance by Denis Godla isn’t enough for Slovakia to stop USA: the Americans aren’t a team able to release power as Canada, but they are really very effective.

US MVP Dylan Larkin

MVP: Patrik Bacik – Dylan Larkin

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