2010 Winter Olympics: U.S. Men's Hockey Team Cruises Against Switzerland

The USA men's Olympic hockey team started its skate for the gold on Tuesday afternoon against the always dangerous and upset-minded Swiss team.

In front of a capacity 16,706 crowd at The Canadian Hockey Place the men cruised to a not always pretty 3-1 victory.

The game's first moments would tell the story for the entire game. After the opening faceoff the Swiss crisply moved the puck into the Americans zone and unleashed several early shots, all of which were turned away by goaltender Ryan Miller.

Once the Americans cleared, they set up shop on the Swiss end. Led by a first line that includes young stars Patrick Kane and Zach Parise on either wing the US held the puck in their offensive zone for two solid minutes after the initial rush but could not find the net.

That would be the theme for the contest; the Americans far superior in talent but not quite clicking just yet.

The Americans dominated the first period from a physical perspective. Controlling the pace, holding the puck, and forcing their way through traffic (and a few Swiss), but the scoreboard still was blank late into the period.

Then, as the clock neared the one minute mark American Bobby Ryan (whose day job is with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks) battled with Switzerland's Thierry Paterlini along the Swiss boards.

Even though Paterlini moved the puck out, Ryan's teammate Brooks Orpik slung it toward the net where defenseman Rafeal Diaz knocked it down and there waited Ryan. As soon as Ryan put the blade on the puck he reached it around Diaz and sent it high glove side, just slipping it inside the post past his Anaheim teammate Jonas Hiller for his first ever Olympic goal with only 1:01 to go in the first period.

In a game filled with American mental miscues and missed assignments Ryan's goal headed into the intermission would be the spark the Americans were looking for.

The U.S. came out of the locker room with more energy and just 5:52 into the second period David Backes would go coast-to-coast in highlight reel fashion to put the Americans up by two.

Less than three minutes later Ryan Malone would bury a power play goal on an assist from Ryan Suter that would give the U.S. a three-goal lead. They would outshoot the Swiss 14-4 in the second.

That would be all this team would need on the night, even though a sloppy effort in the third made the game a little tight toward the stretch. Odd man rushes were a problem all day for an American team that has had only one practice together.

In the third period, the Swiss speed created some trouble.

With 10:15 to go in the game a centering pass hit U.S. net minder Ryan Miller's stick and rolled up his arm, with traffic pushing in front of him, and the puck squirted into the net.

Roman Wick was credited with a power play goal for Switzerland's only score but the American defense held stout for the final 10 minutes under a consistently gutsy effort by Switzerland. Miller ended with 14 saves and Hiller stopped 21 of the 24 shots he faced.

This American team will surely be pleased with the result.

With a one day transition from the brutal NHL season to Olympic competition, and facing a fast Swiss team that has mostly been practicing together for six months, a win and a little time to work together is all the Americans wanted.

With Norway coming up on Thursday at 2 PM EST, they will need to continue to improve but for now the young American team has done all it can do...WIN.