USA Dominates China in Men's Hockey Opener at 2022 Winter Olympics
The United States men's ice hockey team opened its 2022 Winter Olympics account in Beijing on Thursday with an 8-0 win over China.
Michigan star Brendan Brisson gave Team USA a 1-0 lead in the first period before Matty Beniers, Sean Farrell, Brian O'Neill, Ben Meyers and Noah Cates added to the goal tally. Farrell was the standout performer, scoring three goals and assisting on two more.
The U.S. nearly doubled China's shot total, finishing with 55 attempts on goal to 29 for the host country.
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Halfway through the opening frame, the United States was unable to make a breakthrough. Thanks to an interference penalty to Fu Jiang, the U.S. capitalized on the power play. Brisson fired a wrist shot past Jieruimi Shimisi, also known as Jeremy Smith, the former Boston Bruins prospect and Colorado Avalanche netminder who gained the opportunity to represent China at the national team level.
Cates, O'Neill and Farrell broke things open in the second period as the United States had something to show for the dominance it was enjoying on the ice. It was an impressive 20 minutes from Farrell.
The Harvard star delivered a no-look pass to Cates as Team USA found a second goal.
Then it was Farrell's time to find the back of the net with 1:53 remaining in the period. The Chinese were struggling to defend in odd-man rushes, and the 20-year-old wing used his ample space to line up a shot that eluded Shimisi.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, Beniers headed to China with plenty in the way of expectations. The Michigan star flashed his pinpoint accuracy when he deposited the puck into the top left corner with eight minutes left in the game.
The Seattle Kraken might be anchored to last place in the Pacific Division, but Beniers represents what should be a bright future in the Pacific Northwest.
The absence of NHL stars has opened up the field a bit for the men's ice hockey tournament, and the United States in particular is a major wild card with a roster that's almost entirely untested at the Olympic level.
When the first period concluded, it looked like the U.S. might have a difficult fight on its hands from China. As the game progressed, Team USA's talent advantage became apparent, and the squad began looking more cohesive.
The U.S. is back on the ice Saturday to play Canada. The United States is a +185 underdog (bet $100 to win $185) at DraftKings Sportsbook against the nine-time Olympic champion.
With Canada cruising past Germany, Saturday's winner has an opportunity to clinch Group A and secure passage to the quarterfinals.
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