HERNING, Denmark – Frank Nazar (Mount Clemens, Mich./Chicago Blackhawks/University of Michigan) had a goal and two assists, and six players scored as the U.S. Men’s National Team skated to a 6-1 victory over Kazakhstan in preliminary round play of the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship here today at Jyske Bank Boxen.
With the victory, the U.S. clinched a spot in the tournament quarterfinals. Team USA finishes preliminary round play on Tuesday (May 20) against Czechia at 4:20 p.m. local time/10:20 a.m. ET and the game will be aired live on NHL Network.
“I thought we were ready to play out of the gate,” said Ryan Warsofsky, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team. “We need to continue to build and get ready for what will be a big challenge on Tuesday against the Czechs.”
HIGHLIGHTS
After a scoreless opening frame, Nazar put the U.S. out to a 1-0 lead 6:58 into the second after circling the offensive zone and maneuvering into the slot, where he one home while absorbing a hit.
Jackson LaCombe (Eden Prairie, Minn./Anaheim Ducks/University of Minnesota) doubled Team USA’s lead at the 11:46 mark of the middle stanza, launching a shot from the center point through traffic and into the top corner of the net past Kazakhstan netminder Sergei Kudryavtsev.
With six minutes remaining in the period, Zeev Buium (San Diego, Calif./Minnesota Wild/University of Denver) carried the puck from the U.S. end into the offensive zone, leaving a drop pass for Tage Thompson (Orange, Conn./Buffalo Sabres/University of Connecticut), who rifled one home from the right circle to give the U.S. a 3-0 advantage.
Just 58 seconds, later, Matty Beniers (Hingham, Mass./Seattle Kraken/University of Michigan) added to the U.S. advantage with a top-shelf snipe from the left circle, releasing the shot while toe dragging past a Kazakhstan defender. Drew O’Connor (Chatham, N.J./Vancouver Canucks/Dartmouth College) earned an assist on the play.
In the final minute of the period, Michael Kesselring (New Hampton, N.H./Utah Mammoth/Northeastern University) made it a 5-0 game, finding the top left corner with a short-side wrist shot from a nearly impossible angle from just off the wall and below the right circle.
Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Columbus Blue Jackets/University of Michigan) gathered the puck at the point and skated in towards the goal, capitalizing with a wrist shot to give Team USA a 6-0 lead at 5:54.
Kazakhstan’s Vladamir Volkov tallied shorthanded in the closing minute of the contest to account for the 6-1 final.
Jeremy Swayman (Anchorage, Alaska/Boston Bruins/University of Maine) stopped 16 shots to earn the win in goal for Team USA.
NOTES: The U.S. outshot Kazakhstan 38-17 … Team USA and Kazakhstan were each 0-2 on the power play … Jackson LaCombe, who had a goal and an assist, was named the U.S. Player of the Game.
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Source: usahockey.com