Ostrava, Czech Republic — Forward Cole Caufield’s four-point game on Tuesday led Team USA to a 6-3 victory over Latvia in the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
With Team USA’s victory, their record in the final qualifying round for Group B was 5 wins and 2 losses. Team USA is expected to finish second in the group, just a few points behind first-place Sweden.
For Latvia, this loss eliminates the team from the playoff competition in international competitions. Aside from the United States and Sweden, Canada, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Finland in Group A, and the remaining two teams in Group B will qualify for the men’s world championship quarterfinals.
“I liked our level of competition and the way we came out of the gate right away,” John Hynes, head coach of the 2024 U.S. Men’s National Team and Minnesota Wild, said in a USA Hockey press release. “Our penalty kill was exceptional, and Charlie thought, [Lindgren] You’ve done a great job online. It was a good game heading into Thursday’s quarterfinals. ”
Team USA will play Thursday’s quarterfinals with an opponent to be determined.
David W. Cerny/Reuters
Captain Brady Tkachuk gave the Americans the lead just 83 seconds into the game, taking a dropped pass from teammate Cole Caufield and firing a wrist shot over the shoulder of netminder Christels Gudrevskis. . Caufield got another key assist late in the period when his centering pass found rushing Zach Werenski in the slot to give Team USA a 2-0 lead after the first period.
Caufield then scored his first goal of the night early in the second period during a power play. Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild found the Montreal Canadiens forward on target and fired a shot low off his glove and past Gudrevskis for a 3-0 lead. Latvia then scored its first goal of the night in the center frame as Leonard Krastenbergs fired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle over American netminder Charlie Lindgren.
Boldy joined in on the U.S. goal-scoring fun to start the third period. His backhand no-look shot put Team USA ahead by his three points with just 15 seconds into the final frame.
Latvia started fighting back late in regulation as Eduards Tralmarks cleaned up the rebound with a wide-open net, and Roberts Mamčics pulled a low shot from the blue line to get within two points. But that wasn’t enough, as Joel Farabee of the Philadelphia Flyers scored a short-handed goal to set the final score.
In this game, the United States defeated Latvia 43-30. Lindgren made 27 saves in the win, while Gudrevskis made 37 stops for Latvia in the loss. Caufield scored four points for Team USA, with Boldy, Werenski, Tkachuk and Shane Pinto each scoring two points.
David W. Cerny/Reuters
America 6, Latvia 3
America: 2-1-3—6
LAT: 0-1-2—3
First period scores — 1. USA, Brady Tkachuk (Cole Caufield) 1:23; 2. USA, Zach Werenski (Caulfield, Shane Pinto) 13:20
Penalties — LAT, Riharz Bukarz (hooking) 7:03; LAT, Martins Dzierkals (rough) 10:18; USA, Luke Kunin (rough) 10:18; USA, Welenski (crosscheck) 19:37; LAT, Kaspar・Dougavins (game delay) 19:37
Second period score — 3. Caulfield, USA (Matt Boldy, Tkachuk) 22:34 (pp); 1. LAT, Leonards Krastenbergs (Eduards Tralmarks Christels Gudrevskis) 23:35
Penalties — LAT, Oscar Cibulskis (thrashing) 22:01, USA, Pinto (hooking) 30:04, LAT, Markus Komuls (hooking) 32:32, USA, Brock Nelson (tripping) 34:36, USA, Trevor Zegras (tripping) 34:37
Third period score — 4. USA, Boldy (Werenski, Seth Jones) 40:15; 2. LAT, Tralmarks (Kristaps Roberts, Martins Lovins) 44:44; 3. LAT, Roberts Mamsix (Dogavan) 45:00; 5. USA, Caulfield (Pinto) 48:46; 6. USA, Joel Farabee (unassisted) 59:15 (English, English)
Penalties — LAT, Rabins (unsportsmanlike conduct) 48:52; USA, Kevin Hayes (unsportsmanlike conduct) 48:52; USA, Pinto (interference) 48:55; USA, Ryan Leonard (trip) 56: 04; Werensky, USA (Crosscheck). LAT, Janice Jacks (slash) 58:51
Penalty time: America, 9-18; LAT, 7-14
Power Play Goals—Opportunities: USA, 1-4; LAT, 0-5
Shot on goal — United States, 11/18/14—43; Latitude, 8-10-12—30
Goalkeeper saves — USA, Charlie Lindgren 8-9-10—27 (3GA); LAT, Christels Gudrevskis 16-13-8—37 (5GA)
Judgement — Riku Brander, Mikael Holm
Line person — Tim Hefner, Andreas Hofer
Attendance — 8924
Sydney Wolfe is a reporter for Rink Live, primarily covering youth and high school hockey. She joined the team in November 2021, graduating from St. Cloud State University with a degree in Mass Communication and minors in Writing and Rhetoric Studies.
