Ryan Leonard (#9) puts the puck past Norwegian goalie Martin Lundberg to give the U.S. a 4-0 first-period lead and Gabe Perreault the single-season USNTDP points record, surpassing Auston Matthews' mark of 117 points.
photo: Matt Zambonin / IIHF
For American hockey fans, it was a fun night. The U.S. pounded Norway 12-1 at Basel’s St. Jakob Arena on Saturday to stay perfect atop Group B.
Gabe Perreault set a new single-season USA Hockey National Team Development Program points record (121) with three goals and two assists, surpassing Auston Matthews (117). Perreault – the 17-year-old son of former NHLer Yanic Perreault – entered the game tied with Jack Hughes (116).
"I think it's pretty crazy," Perreault said. "I think it's not something I really thought I was going to be able to do. But obviously it was those are the guys you look up to, so it's a really special moment for sure."
Perreault's partners on the top U.S. line also shone. Will Smith added a goal and three assists and Ryan Leonard had a goal and two assists. And Cole Eiserman, a top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft, dazzled with four goals.
"It was a good game," Eiserman said. "I feel like the boys have really got used to the playing style here and it showed."
Perreault now leads these U18 Worlds in points (seven) and Eiserman in goals (five).
The newly promoted Norwegians have dropped two straight games and have been outscored 17-1. Final shots here favoured the Americans 61-15.
"I think we met a good USA team and we didn't play our best game," said Norway's Elias Vatne, who had his team's lone goal. "So it was a really hard game for us. Losing 12-1 is not a good feeling."
U.S. goalie Trey Augustine, who made 18 saves in the 7-1 opening win over Latvia, sat this one out, as Carsen Musser, a Colorado College commit, made his IIHF debut in net.
For Norway, netminder Martin Lundberg got the start after replacing Marius Bjornsgaard midway through the 5-0 loss to Switzerland. Lundberg would get yanked in favour of Bjornsgaard here after the score hit 7-1 past the midway point.
The Americans face their biggest challenge on Sunday when they take on also-undefeated Finland.
The U.S. came in tied with Sweden for the tournament’s most potent power play (44.4 percent, 4-for-9). On the power play at 1:45, Eiserman drew first blood for the U.S. for the second consecutive game. The 16-year-old phenom finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play with a quick release from the right side.
Perreault put the U.S. up 2-0 at 3:54. He capitalized on a neutral-zone turnover, sped in on a breakaway, and batted his own rebound out of mid-air past Lundberg.
"It was a good game," Eiserman said. "I feel like the boys have really got used to the playing style here and it showed."
Perreault now leads these U18 Worlds in points (seven) and Eiserman in goals (five).
The newly promoted Norwegians have dropped two straight games and have been outscored 17-1. Final shots here favoured the Americans 61-15.
"I think we met a good USA team and we didn't play our best game," said Norway's Elias Vatne, who had his team's lone goal. "So it was a really hard game for us. Losing 12-1 is not a good feeling."
U.S. goalie Trey Augustine, who made 18 saves in the 7-1 opening win over Latvia, sat this one out, as Carsen Musser, a Colorado College commit, made his IIHF debut in net.
For Norway, netminder Martin Lundberg got the start after replacing Marius Bjornsgaard midway through the 5-0 loss to Switzerland. Lundberg would get yanked in favour of Bjornsgaard here after the score hit 7-1 past the midway point.
The Americans face their biggest challenge on Sunday when they take on also-undefeated Finland.
The U.S. came in tied with Sweden for the tournament’s most potent power play (44.4 percent, 4-for-9). On the power play at 1:45, Eiserman drew first blood for the U.S. for the second consecutive game. The 16-year-old phenom finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play with a quick release from the right side.
Perreault put the U.S. up 2-0 at 3:54. He capitalized on a neutral-zone turnover, sped in on a breakaway, and batted his own rebound out of mid-air past Lundberg.
Off an offensive-zone faceoff, Eiserman zapped a quick wrister stick side to make it 3-0 at 10:29.
On Perreault’s record-setting assist at 13:04, he worked a nice give-and-go with Leonard, finding his linemate at Lundberg’s left post for an easy tap-in.
In the second period, Vatne busted past the U.S. defence to score five-hole on Musser and cut the deficit to 4-1 at 5:35.
"I got a puck in the middle and got a breakaway and then shot it five-hole," said Vatne. "So that was a good feeling."
Just 30 seconds later, Smith made it 5-1 U.S., converting Leonard's feed from below the goal line.
The American onslaught didn't relent as the second period wore on. Around the halfway mark, they added four more goals in a span of 3:55, as Perreault scored twice and Eiserman completed his hat trick as well. Danny Nelson added his first goal of these U18 Worlds.
Perreault praised his linemates: "Those two guys are really special players. They make my job pretty easy out there. Obviously with Will, he's so smart and so skilled that he can feed us everywhere with the puck. I think with Ryan's all-around game, it's a pretty lethal combo to have."
In the third period, Carter Slaggert got the 10th U.S. goal on a shorthanded breakaway at 5:19. Eiserman potted his fourth of the night at 9:34 with a laser from the slot. Oliver Moore rounded out the scoring with a one-timer with 5:50 remaining.
This was just the third Norway-U.S. game in U18 Worlds history. The U.S. also won the previous two encounters, 10-2 in 1999 and 8-0 in 2009.
Norway and Latvia will both seek their first win of the tournament when they clash on Monday.
"It's a really important game for us to avoid relegation in this tournament," said Vatne. "So we've just got to rest tomorrow and figure out how to beat Latvia on Monday."
On Perreault’s record-setting assist at 13:04, he worked a nice give-and-go with Leonard, finding his linemate at Lundberg’s left post for an easy tap-in.
In the second period, Vatne busted past the U.S. defence to score five-hole on Musser and cut the deficit to 4-1 at 5:35.
"I got a puck in the middle and got a breakaway and then shot it five-hole," said Vatne. "So that was a good feeling."
Just 30 seconds later, Smith made it 5-1 U.S., converting Leonard's feed from below the goal line.
The American onslaught didn't relent as the second period wore on. Around the halfway mark, they added four more goals in a span of 3:55, as Perreault scored twice and Eiserman completed his hat trick as well. Danny Nelson added his first goal of these U18 Worlds.
Perreault praised his linemates: "Those two guys are really special players. They make my job pretty easy out there. Obviously with Will, he's so smart and so skilled that he can feed us everywhere with the puck. I think with Ryan's all-around game, it's a pretty lethal combo to have."
In the third period, Carter Slaggert got the 10th U.S. goal on a shorthanded breakaway at 5:19. Eiserman potted his fourth of the night at 9:34 with a laser from the slot. Oliver Moore rounded out the scoring with a one-timer with 5:50 remaining.
This was just the third Norway-U.S. game in U18 Worlds history. The U.S. also won the previous two encounters, 10-2 in 1999 and 8-0 in 2009.
Norway and Latvia will both seek their first win of the tournament when they clash on Monday.
"It's a really important game for us to avoid relegation in this tournament," said Vatne. "So we've just got to rest tomorrow and figure out how to beat Latvia on Monday."
Norway vs United States - 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship
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