HOCKEY
U. S. edges Germans thanks to Parise
FROM NEWS WIRE SERVICES
Updated: 05/09/08 6:33 AM
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- German goalie Dimitrij Patzold stops a shot from Drew Stafford of Team USA.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Zach Parise’s power-play goal with 8:57 remaining snapped a tie and gave the United States a 6-4 victory over Germany in a qualifying-round game at the world hockey championship on Thursday night.
The Americans appeared to have the game in hand when they scored three times in the opening 2:52, but Germany chipped away at the lead.
Germany got even at 4 early in the third, but Parise of the New Jersey Devils put a shot over goalie Dimitrij Patzold for his second of the game. Dustin Brown sealed the victory with an empty-netter with 1:36 remaining.
“We kind of let them hang around,” said Parise, who had two goals and an assist. “We let them off the hook a little bit, but I don’t think it’s much of a concern. (Germany) played hard.
The United States bounced back from a loss to Canada on Tuesday and grabbed a 3-0 lead on its first four shots.
“If anything, we learned we have to play a 60-minute game,” Parise said. “The teams in this tournament are too good to let them off like that.”
Parise opened the scoring 26 seconds in, Patrick O’Sullivan made it 2-0 at 2:10, and James Wisniewski pushed the lead to three 42 seconds later.
Germany got on the board at 14:03 of the first when Michael Hackert bounced in a wraparound shot off a sliding O’Sullivan and behind goalie Craig Anderson.
Three minutes later, Germany scored again when Christopher Schmidt one-timed a shot under Anderson, who faced only four shots in the period.
In the second, the U. S. took a 4-2 lead when Jason Pominville of the Buffalo Sabres banked the puck in off Patzold during a five-on-three power play. Germany cut the deficit to one about 5 minutes later when Florian Busch scored his second of the tournament.
The Americans held a 32-9 shots advantage through two periods.
Germany tied it 4:55 into the third when Michael Bakos beat Anderson from the point. Anderson was pulled in favor of Robert Esche after allowing four goals on just 10 shots.
Earlier in Halifax, Rick Nash scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:58 left to lift Canada to a 2-1 victory over upset-minded Norway.
