Right now Seth Jones, John Gibson, Jake McCabe and the rest of Team USA are gearing up for their gold-medal game against the Swedes, at least mentally. As riled up as I am for the tilt, which will take place at 8 a.m. (again, EST) on Saturday morning, I can't imagine what the players themselves are going through.
What is running through their heads as they prepare for the biggest hockey game of their lives up to this point? None of them have had a chance to play a meaningful NHL game yet. In fact, glancing up and down their roster, you won't find any professional regulars.
While Canada boasted (oh, how sweet past tense can be) a ridiculously potent attack centered around no less than five would-be NHL players and more than 10 first-round picks, the United States received contributions from the unlikeliest of sources. Team USA is suiting up with just five first-round draft picks. Not NHL players. Just picks.
And they are getting the job done when it matters most.
Alex Galchenyuk is the highest pick—and arguably the most talented player—available to the United States on a nightly basis. He has been stellar when gi ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Franklin Steele
WJC Gold Medal Game: What Beating Sweden Would Mean to the Americans
January 4th, 2013 by Franklin Steele Leave a reply »
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