January 8, 2010
By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY
After the USA had pulled off a dramatic 6-5 overtime win against Canada at the world junior championships Tuesday night in Saskatoon, team general manager Jim Johannson jokingly looked into a television camera and said, "No pressure, eh Wils?"
"Wils" is U.S. Olympic coach Ron Wilson and Johannson is hoping that the men's Olympic team can duplicate the national junior team's feat of slaying the lion in the lion's den to win the gold medal. The Olympics will be in Vancouver next month and the Canadians are favored there as well.
"Eventually people are going to ask how many championships did you win?" Johannson said by phone from Saskatoon. "They aren't going to say, 'Boy there were a lot of great games that could have gone their way.' You have to close out championships. We did that here."
Washington Capitals prospect John Carlson scored at 4:21 of overtime to give the Americans their first WJC title since 2004 and their sixth medal in the tournament's 33-year history.
The USA's triumph ended Canada's run of five WJC titles. Coming into this game, the Americans had only defeated the Canadians five times in 35 games at the tournament.
"We cut some people that were maybe more talented," said USA coach Dean Blais. "We wanted a team that was mentally tough, guys who would block shots. This team had grit and character."
They needed the mental toughness because they squandered a two-goal lead in the closing 2:26 of the game when Edmonton Oilers prize prospect Jordan Eberle scored twice within a span of a little more than a minute. The first came on a power play goal with Kyle Palmieri in the penalty box for bumping the goalie after driving the net for a shot.
"It was a little bit scary when the game was 5-5," Blais conceded. "But they regrouped in between periods."
Carlson said players began telling themselves that they would have gladly taken an overtime game with a chance to win coming into the game.
"If anything, we showed that this team had character," Carlson said.
Another key for the Americans was Blais' decision to pull goaltender Mike Lee after he gave up three goals and switch to Jack Campbell, who could be the first goalie chosen in next summer's NHL draft.
"He was the difference," Blais said.
Lee, a Phoenix Coyotes draft pick, had won the quarterfinal and semifinal games. "He was the first guy to come up and hug me when it was over," Campbell said. "It could have just as easy have been him making those saves in the third period."
But it was Campbell making the stops, including one big save before Carlson went down the ice and scored.
"Any time Carlson has the puck on his stick, the goalie should be afraid," Campbell said, laughing.
It was 4-on-4 in overtime and Carlson said he shot the puck because he thought it was a safer play than making a pass, which could quickly go the other way if it were intercepted.
New York Rangers prospect Derek Stepan and Toronto Maple Leafs draftee Jerry D'Amigo combined on two third-period goals to give USA to a 5-3 lead
University of Wisconsin player Stepan, the team captain, set up D'Amigo for a goal a little more than four minutes into the third period and just over two minutes later, Stepan scored on a backhander with D'Amigo drawing an assist.
The WJC is considered a preview of coming NHL attractions because it features the world's best teen-age players. Most NHL stars dominated at the tournament before joining the league.
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