BEIJING — The United States is out of the men’s hockey event at the Olympics in breathtaking fashion following blowing a late guide.
Marek Hrivik scored with 43.7 seconds left in regulation, Peter Cehlarik had the winner and Slovakia defeat the U.S. 3-2 in a shootout Wednesday to knock the major-seeded People out in the quarterfinals. The U.S. led for almost fifty percent the game right before the tying goal when Slovakia pulled its goaltender for an further attacker to perform 6-on-5.
“I’m just sad it is around,” U.S. captain Andy Miele explained. “Our crew battled challenging. Sometimes those people bounces materialize in hockey. Regrettable it was on our side. We’re just heading to would like Slovakia the ideal of luck the relaxation of the match here.”
The U.S. experienced gotten accustomed to taking part in limited video games in the match, beating Canada by two objectives and Germany by just one. But blown coverage in entrance permitted Hrivik to knock a loose puck earlier goalie Strauss Mann, who was impressive until eventually that level and finished with 34 saves.
Only Cehlarik scored in the shootout, even though the U.S. went for 5 from Patrik Rybar. Cehlarik informed teammate Juraj Slafkovsky on the bench that he would go forehand, backhand and score and created superior on that in the fourth spherical of the shootout.
“I believed in it,” Cehlarik mentioned. “I consider in this group.”
Coming up vacant on four energy plays, together with 3 in the third time period and a lot more than a moment of 5-on-3 time, came back again to bite the Individuals. Matty Beniers strike the submit on one of the finest scoring prospects the U.S. experienced in the 3rd, but the team could not crack Rybar, who was taking part in a 2nd consecutive day in net for Slovakia.
“We get the 5-on-3 and truly that was the video game-changer,” U.S. coach David Quinn said. “When you’ve received a 5-on-3 in that situation and you don’t capitalize on it, you’re giving that other crew a good deal of hope and they capitalized.”
Slafkovsky scored the initially purpose for Slovakia, the 17-yr-old forward’s event-main fifth. He is predicted to be a best-10 decide on in the NHL draft this summer time.
The U.S. aims by Nick Abruzzese and Sam Hentges came on textbook passing performs. Abruzzese’s purpose 7:26 soon after Slafkovsky scored tied it, and Hentges set the U.S. in advance near the midway stage of the second period.
Leading-line winger Brian O’Neill was lost for the rest of the sport in the 2nd, when he took a puck off his still left foot.
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“That demonstrates a large amount: He sacrificed his overall body for the improved of the staff, and that’s Brian,” Miele claimed. “It was challenging to lose him, but if you are going to get rid of an individual sacrificing for the crew like that, that is the ideal way to go.”
Defenseman Jake Sanderson missed a next consecutive recreation with an undisclosed harm.
Slovakia, coached by longtime NHL assistant Craig Ramsay, will encounter either Finland, the Russians, Sweden, Canada or Denmark in the semifinals Friday. Slovakia is in the semifinals at the Olympics for the first time given that 2010.
“It’s wonderful that it is happening,” Slafkovsky reported. “I can not hold out to perform in the semifinals.”
The U.S. was eradicated in a shootout in the quarterfinals for the 2nd consecutive Olympics lacking NHL gamers. The 2018 crew was knocked out by the Czech Republic.
“It’s a challenging pill to swallow, it actually is, just getting rid of in any manner,” Quinn reported. “No disrespect to Slovakia or anybody, we just felt so very good about the way of our crew and the way we have been taking part in.”