The Gold Medal Game is always special. The stakes are high, both teams are ready to leave everything on the ice, and the teams that have advanced to the final have proved that they belong there.
This year's game, though, is Special. We know that history will be made.
Team USA has only won an IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship once, in 1933. They've have bowed out of the tournament before the semifinal – whether a quarterfinal loss, not qualifying for the playoffs or playing in the relegation round – 20 times in the 32 previous Ice Hockey World Championships, despite the U.S. having sent some excellent teams to the tournament over the years. In other words, neither team has won the gold medal in the modern era.
Now they're playing for gold.
“It's awesome. You know, it's something we thought of when we first got here a couple weeks ago. And being able to live it and bring it to life is truly surreal,” said USA's Frank Nazar who is the team’s leading scorer with six goals and 12 points.
Switzerland, on the other hand, is in the Gold Medal Game for the fourth time since 2013 – including last year – but have always gone home with the silver medals. Despite the game’s long history in the country, Switzerland has never won the world championship, and as recently as 1997, Switzerland was playing in Pool B of Ice Hockey World Championships.
For Switzerland to be able to get U.S. off their game, they’ll have to find a way to stop Nazar … and Zach Werenski, who has six points in six games, is plus-8, logs 25 minutes a game, and quarterbacks the team’s power play.
There’s also Logan Cooley who has 11 points, and Conor Garland who’s got ten points, including three goals in the quarterfinal and semifinal. Shane Pinto has scored two goals and five points in the playoff stage.
In the semifinal against Sweden, the Americans were relentless in their forecheck, putting a lot of pressure on the defensemen, taking away their time and space. This edition of Team USA also has the discipline that’s needed to close out games in the playoff stage.
“I think the big ice helps our guys who can move and skate. The more we play on it the more comfortable we get. We talked about building our game throughout the tournament. Many of these teams have a long training camp, we didn’t. We put this thing together pretty quickly and we have to maximize the time with the players,” Team USA coach Ryan Warsofsky said.
“We wanted to use our legs and our youthfulness, play quick and make [Sweden] play defense,” he added.
The legs and youthfulness will surely be there in the gold medal game as well, but Switzerland also likes puck races, and they also know how to move around the big ice. And they have impressive depth.
Of the 22 skaters on the roster, only two have not scored a goal in the tournament. The team’s leading scorer is Tyler Moy with four goals and 12 points. Switzerland’s leading goal scorer is Sven Andrighetto with seven. Then there’s Kevin Fiala with seven points in seven games, Damien Riat and his six goals, and Denis Malgin who’s only scored once but has added ten assists, tied for tournament lead.
“We’ve been playing pretty well, but we're hungry for more. Tomorrow will be a big battle, again. Maybe the win in the first game [against the U.S] gives us confidence, but we know they’ve got better during the tournament, they added a couple of guys. It’s going to be a different team,” Malgin said.
And then there’s the goalie battle. Switzerland’s Leonardo Genoni has posted a 94.55 save percentage in six games, and a goal against average of 0.99. He’s posted four shutouts, most in the tournament, and his current shutout streak stands at 181:35.
But Team USA trusts that Jeremy Swayman will be as solid in the gold medal game as he was in the semifinal against Sweden in which he stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced.
The Swiss have only allowed two goals in six games since May 12, when the two teams played their preliminary round game which Switzerland won 3-0.
“I think the game against Switzerland was an eye-opener for us that, you know, we're going to play some tough teams, and we got to be ready to go from the start. In that game we weren't ready to play from the start of the game, and obviously, come tomorrow, it's going to be different,” Cooley said.
“Every team gets better through the tournament, they develop chemistry, and especially the U.S. who don’t play together a lot. We’ve improved, too, we wouldn't be in the final if we didn't. It's going to be hard, and every inch will matter. We’ll recover and get ready for the US. We’ll play with a full heart and see at the final buzzer what the score is," Switzerland’s Timo Meier said.
Two fast teams. Two great goalies. Two teams that want to make history.
One winner.
“We're going to come, we're going to play fast, we're going to play hard, and we're going to be ready to go. That's it. We just got to play our style and play USA Hockey,” Nazar said.
This year's game, though, is Special. We know that history will be made.
Team USA has only won an IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship once, in 1933. They've have bowed out of the tournament before the semifinal – whether a quarterfinal loss, not qualifying for the playoffs or playing in the relegation round – 20 times in the 32 previous Ice Hockey World Championships, despite the U.S. having sent some excellent teams to the tournament over the years. In other words, neither team has won the gold medal in the modern era.
Now they're playing for gold.
“It's awesome. You know, it's something we thought of when we first got here a couple weeks ago. And being able to live it and bring it to life is truly surreal,” said USA's Frank Nazar who is the team’s leading scorer with six goals and 12 points.
Switzerland, on the other hand, is in the Gold Medal Game for the fourth time since 2013 – including last year – but have always gone home with the silver medals. Despite the game’s long history in the country, Switzerland has never won the world championship, and as recently as 1997, Switzerland was playing in Pool B of Ice Hockey World Championships.
For Switzerland to be able to get U.S. off their game, they’ll have to find a way to stop Nazar … and Zach Werenski, who has six points in six games, is plus-8, logs 25 minutes a game, and quarterbacks the team’s power play.
There’s also Logan Cooley who has 11 points, and Conor Garland who’s got ten points, including three goals in the quarterfinal and semifinal. Shane Pinto has scored two goals and five points in the playoff stage.
In the semifinal against Sweden, the Americans were relentless in their forecheck, putting a lot of pressure on the defensemen, taking away their time and space. This edition of Team USA also has the discipline that’s needed to close out games in the playoff stage.
“I think the big ice helps our guys who can move and skate. The more we play on it the more comfortable we get. We talked about building our game throughout the tournament. Many of these teams have a long training camp, we didn’t. We put this thing together pretty quickly and we have to maximize the time with the players,” Team USA coach Ryan Warsofsky said.
“We wanted to use our legs and our youthfulness, play quick and make [Sweden] play defense,” he added.
The legs and youthfulness will surely be there in the gold medal game as well, but Switzerland also likes puck races, and they also know how to move around the big ice. And they have impressive depth.
Of the 22 skaters on the roster, only two have not scored a goal in the tournament. The team’s leading scorer is Tyler Moy with four goals and 12 points. Switzerland’s leading goal scorer is Sven Andrighetto with seven. Then there’s Kevin Fiala with seven points in seven games, Damien Riat and his six goals, and Denis Malgin who’s only scored once but has added ten assists, tied for tournament lead.
“We’ve been playing pretty well, but we're hungry for more. Tomorrow will be a big battle, again. Maybe the win in the first game [against the U.S] gives us confidence, but we know they’ve got better during the tournament, they added a couple of guys. It’s going to be a different team,” Malgin said.
And then there’s the goalie battle. Switzerland’s Leonardo Genoni has posted a 94.55 save percentage in six games, and a goal against average of 0.99. He’s posted four shutouts, most in the tournament, and his current shutout streak stands at 181:35.
But Team USA trusts that Jeremy Swayman will be as solid in the gold medal game as he was in the semifinal against Sweden in which he stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced.
The Swiss have only allowed two goals in six games since May 12, when the two teams played their preliminary round game which Switzerland won 3-0.
“I think the game against Switzerland was an eye-opener for us that, you know, we're going to play some tough teams, and we got to be ready to go from the start. In that game we weren't ready to play from the start of the game, and obviously, come tomorrow, it's going to be different,” Cooley said.
“Every team gets better through the tournament, they develop chemistry, and especially the U.S. who don’t play together a lot. We’ve improved, too, we wouldn't be in the final if we didn't. It's going to be hard, and every inch will matter. We’ll recover and get ready for the US. We’ll play with a full heart and see at the final buzzer what the score is," Switzerland’s Timo Meier said.
Two fast teams. Two great goalies. Two teams that want to make history.
One winner.
“We're going to come, we're going to play fast, we're going to play hard, and we're going to be ready to go. That's it. We just got to play our style and play USA Hockey,” Nazar said.