US men blanked by Switzerland at hockey World Championship
Riat put Switzerland ahead with 7:14 remaining in the first period, redirecting the puck into the goal from the air. It was the first goal the US conceded at the tournament.
The second followed 3:13 later by Siegenthaler from the blue line. Kukan's came halfway through the final period from the top of the left circle.
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'After the first goal we did a better job, we got into it more and more, and shut them out,' Swiss forward Kevin Fiala said.
Fiala recorded an assist in his first game at the Worlds. He joined the Swiss late after his Los Angeles Kings were eliminated from the NHL playoffs in the first round.
US goalie Joey Daccord made 24 saves.
The US beat Denmark, 5-0, and Hungary, 6-0, in its first two games, and face Norway on Wednesday.
In Stockholm, Austria prevailed over Slovakia, 3-2, in a shootout.
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UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Soccer: Switzerland dominates U.S. men; Mauricio Pochettino now 5-5
June 11 (UPI) -- Switzerland dominated the United States Men's National Team, with all four of their goals in the first half of a 4-0 shutout in the American's final warmup match ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup. With the shutout setback Tuesday in Nashville, the Americans have now lost four-consecutive home games for the first time since 1988. They played without traditional stars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, Gio Reyna, Sergino Dest and Folarin Balogun in favor of an experiment lineup in the friendly Tuesday at Geodis Park. Pochettino started 20 different players in the Americans' last two matches. He made nine changes to the lineup after their 2-1 loss to Turkey on Saturday in East Hartford, Conn. "First of all, it's our responsibility and my responsibility for the choice of the starting XI," Pochettino told reporters. "We wanted the entire team to have minutes and to play. I think that can go in the wrong direction. We were never in the game against Switzerland, who have experienced players and are playing very well. "I thought, 'I can't blame the players. It's on us.'" The Swiss outshot the Americans 12-7, with a 7-0 advantage in shots on target. They also held a 51% to 49% edge in possession and 7-1 advantage in corner kicks. Right winger Johan Manzambi logged a goal and assist in the shutout win. The Americans played with improved speed and physicality early on, but were outwitted by Switzerland's strategic spacing, smooth movement and precise passing. Left winger Dan Ndoye drew first blood against goalie Matt Turner in the 13th minute. Manzambi fed fellow midfielder Michel Aebischer to double the Swiss lead in the 23rd minute. Striker Breel Embolo made the score 3-0 with another goal in the 33rd minute. Manzambi netted the final goal of the match in the 36th minute. The Americans will face Trinidad and Tobago in the group stage of the Gold Cup at 6 p.m. EDT Sunday in San Jose, Calif. They also will face Saudi Arabia and Haiti in group stage play. Gold Cup matches will be held through the July 6 final in Houston. Pochettino now owns a 5-5 record over his short tenure as coach of the Americans. "The players are very motivated to go to the Gold Cup," Pochettino said. "The circumstances are the circumstances. Maybe we can win the Gold Cup and go to the World Cup and do well. The loss won't have a massive impact on our psychology."
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
How will Penguins' style of play change under new head coach Dan Muse?
Dan Muse has won wherever he's been. The new Pittsburgh Penguins head coach got his start as an assistant coach for Yale University, where he piloted the defense and focused on team structure. Yale's 2013 national championship win propelled him to become head coach for the USHL's Chicago Steel. The Steel won the 2017 Clark Cup, the first in their history, by playing a dynamic, fluid style focused on speed and puck support. That was enough to make Muse the first-ever USHL head coach to jump directly to an NHL assistant coach. Under Muse, the Nashville Predators penalty killing finished sixth in the league in back-to-back seasons. Muse then landed with the United States National Team Development Program, where his 2023 U18 squad ripped off a record 16 wins against NCAA Division I opponents and won gold over Sweden at the 2023 U18 World Championship. That landed him back in the NHL with the New York Rangers, whose penalty kill finished third in the league under Muse. Though we won't know exactly how Muse's Penguins will play until training camp, let's look back at Muse's time as a head coach in the USHL and U.S. NTDP for some common threads in his coaching philosophy. This has been Muse's specific focus in the NHL. The Rangers scored 18 short-handed goals last year, leading the second-place Florida Panthers by six. That was due, in part, to the Rangers' aggressive diamond structure, seen in this screenshot: The diamond features one forward high, one forward and one defenseman on each flank, and one defenseman in front of the net to protect the crease. The formation is particularly effective against the league's most popular power-play formation, the 1-3-1 umbrella. In the diamond penalty kill, the high forward acts as a sort of spear, having the freedom to attack the lone defenseman at the top of the 1-3-1. The flank players cover the half-walls and inner seams for protection against high-danger slot passes and one-timers. Having a player low means you don't have to sacrifice the net front for pressure. I noticed Muse's U.S. NTDP teams ran the same penalty kill as the Rangers did last season. In the next video, take a look at the Americans' diamond alignment on the PK: Muse's U.S. team allowed only two power-play goals on 22 total opportunities en route to the 2023 gold medal, finishing the tournament with a 90-plus-percent success rate on the kill. The structure wasn't the entire reason for that success. Muse's high-energy, tandem forecheck allowed forwards to work off of each other in waves to disrupt the opponent's breakout. In the tandem system, the first forward (F1) pressures the puck carrier hard, often forcing the carrier to rim the puck around the boards or rush a defenseman-to-defenseman pass behind the net. The second forward (F2) reads the F1's angle and mirrors it, cutting off the first outlet or engaging in a secondary puck battle. The forwards interchange depending on the read, which means F2 can become F1 on the fly — this keeps puck-pressure high and reactive. Tandem forechecking allows for quick counterpressure if the first wave doesn't force a turnover, essentially trapping teams in a sequence of poor exits. Muse taught this with a layered-support mindset: Each action has a coverage fallback (such as a defenseman filling in when F2 overcommits). In those clips, you can see the forwards working off of each other to align themselves in the most annoying way possible. These same tendencies exist as far back as Chicago's run through the Clark Cup in 2017. You can see what's important on the penalty kill for a Muse-coached team: layers of puck support, read-based attacks that aim to make the second and third pass difficult, and structural alignment that permits aggression without sacrificing important real estate. The breakout reveals another common thread between Muse's teams. Both the U.S. NTDP and Chicago Steel worked the puck laterally to shift the forecheck and create space in the middle of the ice. Rather than relying on static wing support or long stretch passes, Muse's breakouts favor a five-man approach — defensemen hinge behind the net, forwards collapse low in layered routes, and outlets are built through short, high-percentage reads. It's a system designed to beat pressure with poise. When the defensemen hinge behind the net, the lead forechecker becomes trapped on an island in the middle of them. The forwards are back exceptionally deep, and an easy transitional pass is made. There is so much runway to attack, and the Steel blaze down the ice for a scoring chance. I noticed similar themes from the U.S. NTDP with Muse at the helm. The focus is on the middle of the ice. Muse doesn't ask young defensemen to make hero stretch passes or wingers to win 50-50 wall battles under pressure. He designs exits with predictable layers of help. Rather than sending the wingers high and risking a turnover at the line, Muse's teams pull their forwards deep, functioning like mobile outlets. As you'll see in the next clips, this setup beats the forecheck not with a single-thread pass but by offering sequential support — every move creates the next option, and as we saw in the penalty kill, tandem work is key. All of their forwards operate under the same center-like mindset. Being so deep at the genesis of the breakout gives faster forwards the opportunity to use a lot of runway to gain speed and burn through the middle of the ice, making easy lateral passes when necessary to layered support that can carry the torch. Advertisement Let's talk about Muse's pièce de résistance. In the 2023 U18 World Championship gold medal game, Muse's Americans faced a 2-0 deficit in the third period. Sweden utilized its speed and support along the wall to beat the U.S. forecheck and exploit the American defense in transition. The Swedes exhibited frustrating control over the neutral zone and seemed to be coasting their way to gold. Until they weren't. Halfway through the third period, the U.S. stopped trying to force possession-based zone entries. Instead, the Americans started simply dumping the puck into the Swedes' zone and punishing their defense. It worked. The U.S. overwhelmed Sweden and started creating intentional chaos in the zone by springing toward dumped pucks with speed. Muse's change worked. With a faceoff deep in their own end, the Americans crashed and banged their way to a goal. Off the ensuing faceoff, the Americans made it clear they'd heard their coach's message. They went straight north, dumped the puck in and kept applying the pressure. But this was a well-coached, mobile Sweden team that began to use the Americans' overzealousness on puck pursuit against it. Utilizing the wall, Sweden made short, strong-side passes that bypassed the U.S. forecheck. The pendulum swung back in favor of the Swedes, courtesy of some tactical work in the face of the Americans' fury. The U.S. tied the score with a power-play goal off an offensive-zone penalty by Sweden, but the Americans remained under duress. So, seeing that his team's pressure was risky, Muse called off the dogs and forced Sweden to try to knife its way through a U.S. trap. Muse put forth a token forechecker to apply feigned pressure while the rest of the team sat behind the red line, ready to pounce. The decision cooled the Swedes' jets and allowed the U.S. to make some possession-based zone entries off turnovers. In this clip, notice how much the U.S. changed its forechecking approach to sit back and allow Sweden to try to navigate the mess of bodies in the neutral zone. The strategy shift got the U.S. into overtime, where Ryan Leonard took over to cap the comeback and win gold. The Penguins needed a coach who could be a builder and developer without sacrificing the tactical side. Muse may be a first-time NHL head coach, but it's very clear why he reached this point. He's shown he prefers intentional puck support in all three zones and structured systems. Crucially, though, he also has shown he can adapt on the fly. How well will that philosophy translate to an NHL roster? We'll see, but Muse's foundation is clear. That might be exactly what's needed as the Penguins enter a new phase.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Who says no to these NHL trades (involving things that cannot actually be traded)?
In the NHL, you can't trade coaches. There was a time when you could, and it happened in 1987, when New York Rangers GM Phil Esposito sent a first-round pick to the Quebec Nordiques for head coach Michel Bergeron in a surprise swap. It was a creative move. It also didn't work, with Bergeron lasting less than two seasons, and the league quickly moved to make sure it wouldn't be tried again. These days, coaches are one of many assets a team is not allowed to trade. Advertisement Or are they? After all, we occasionally see coaching quasi-trades, like when John Tortorella and Alain Vigneault essentially swapped teams after being fired in 2013. More recently, the Rangers and Penguins didn't actually pull off a Mike Sullivan and David Quinn for Dan Muse trade, but it kind of worked out that way. Let's use that as inspiration. We've got time to kill between Stanley Cup Final games, so I put out a call to readers: Send me your 'who says no?' trade proposals involving things that cannot actually be traded. And you sure did. Can we pull off a blockbuster, or will it just be too complicated to make a trade in the cap era NHL? Let's find out. Note: Submissions have been edited for clarity and style. What are the Leafs lacking? Heart and grit. They vowed to change their DNA in the offseason. They need to disrupt their core even if it means losing some skill and finesse. So: To Edmonton: Carlton the Bear To Toronto: Hunter the whatever that is — Mike H. As mascots go, Hunter is a lot worse but also more intimidating, which is probably exactly the sort of move the Leafs will be looking to make this summer. After all, if you're going to acquire a vicious, ugly animal with crazed eyes and no instincts beyond preying on the weak and vulnerable, at least Hunter comes cheaper than Sam Bennett. But what's in it for the Oilers? Is the upgrade from Hunter to Carlton enough to justify disrupting a winning mix? I wasn't sure, so I reached out to the world's foremost experts on NHL mascots: Mark Lazerus' children. Here's what his daughter had to say: 'I think that a Hunter and Carlton trade wouldn't be good because real lynxes live in Alberta. Also, Carlton doesn't wear pants and Edmonton is really cold, so Carlton would freeze. In conclusion, Hunter is with his family and Carlton won't freeze his butt off.' Advertisement The no-pants thing is a strong catch. Sorry, Leafs fans, but the Oilers say no. To Pittsburgh: The rights to 'Brass Bonanza' To Carolina: Exclusive naming rights to Sebastian Aho — Dan H. I kind of love this one. Both teams are getting something of value. We might have a match. And sure, it looks lopsided at first glance. 'Brass Bonanza' is a legitimate star in this league. It's solidly in the GOAT conversation when it comes to novelty goal songs. But it's also the source of controversy among Hurricanes fans, with some embracing it while others see it as nostalgia for a team that they have no personal connection to. So you could argue that the Hurricanes would benefit from making a clean break from the Whalers stuff, and getting the exclusive naming rights to your biggest star isn't a bad way to do it. And of course, the Penguins get a fun new goal song that they can play (checks current roster) dozens of times during the season. I honestly think this one is a win-win. (In related news, Other Sebastian Aho apparently signed with the Penguins last summer. Who knew?) The PWHL receives: The Lady Byng, the Mark Messier, the Jennings, the King Clancy, the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, the Prince of Wales trophy and a sixth-round pick The NHL receives: The PWHL expansion process and the PWHL Gold Plan — Peter B. Terrible trade. The PWHL doesn't just say no, it hangs up and immediately blocks the number as spam. Seriously, what kind of HFBoards madness is this? It's a classic 'seven nickels for a silver dollar' trade proposal. You're bundling up all the trophies that nobody wants and trying to get not one but two superstar-level concepts in return. This kind of lopsided offer would get you kicked out of my fantasy football league, Peter, do better. St. Louis receives: the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup runs Los Angeles receives: the Greatest Show on Turf success and the 1999 Super Bowl — Dylan C. As if L.A. would ever care about Rams football. Advertisement To the Arizona hockey ownership group: Terry Pegula To Buffalo: Alex Meruelo Meruelo is immediately placed on waivers and goes unclaimed. — Todd C. Yeah, we had a lot of Sabres fans trying to offload Pegula, and let's just say you weren't asking for much in return. Real buy-low opportunity right here. I can't imagine why. Still, Arizona says no. This is a classic salary dump, where a big-money player who hasn't been productive in years gets sent out to pasture. Given that, having the destination be Arizona is a nice touch. But while you're taking a bad contract bad in Meruelo, I think Arizona's going to want a few assets in return for taking Pegula's bigger commitment. To the Rangers: Jim Ramsay To Montreal: Dancin' Larry — 'Zach' Other fan bases may need an explainer on this one. Ramsay is the trainer the Rangers fired a few years ago. He was hired in Montreal, but many Rangers fans still view his exit as a symptom of the dysfunction of the Chris Drury/Jim Dolan era. So from the New York perspective, you could view this as trying to right a wrong. But Dancin' Larry, the Rangers superfan and scoreboard regular? He's fine, I guess, but I'm not completely sure he's a fit for Montreal. They're not really a dancing bunch, you know? Maybe if it was 'Telling a Boring Story About Some Guy From the 1930s Larry' we'd have a fit, but right now I think Montreal says no, holding out for more. Maybe toss in a proper hot dog recipe, New York. (By the way, I can't recommend Dancin' Larry's Instagram page highly enough. Just page after page of photos of him with Rangers fans, and he's doing the exact same face and pose in all of them. Not a pixel of difference. Seriously, it might just be a template. How do you move this guy? Get an NTC in that next extension, Larry, this can be a cruel business.) To Dallas: Hosting the Minnesota state high school tournament through 2030 To Minnesota: The Stars/North Stars name, mascots, colors, jerseys — Anonymous I'll admit, I was surprised how many of you want to trade the old North Stars branding back to Minnesota. Apart from trades involving palm trees going to Buffalo or lower tax rates for California and New York, the North Stars stuff was the most common concept by far. Does this deal work? It might. At least Dallas is getting something of value, which it could use to continue to build its fan base. I think the price is just too steep, given it'd be losing its name and branding. Dallas says no, but I could see a counteroffer involving just the classic North Stars stuff heading to Minnesota instead. Then again, what if there were a way for Dallas to acquire new branding? Well, about that … Vancouver needs new ownership and it's always better if it's someone local. If only there was a Vancouverite who randomly owned another team in the league … and if that team happened to have bad uniforms, that would be great, since the Canucks have three completely different logo/uniform/color schemes in their arsenal and can't seem to decide which one to run with. To Vancouver: Owner Tom Gaglardi, who has always wanted to own the Canucks anyway To Dallas: The orange, red and black 'Flying Skate' uniform/color scheme, and an agreement to pay all costs associated with rebranding Dallas to something more appropriate, like Outlaws. — Phil G. Hmm … I mean, part of the art of pulling off a truly great trade is finding an asset that's underappreciated, maybe because it's stuck down the depth chart. As Phil points out, the Canucks have one of the greatest uniform designs of all time just sitting around. The Flying Skate should be Vancouver's primary uniform — it never should have lost the job in the first place — but for whatever reason, it's not. OK, so let's send it somewhere that will give it the chance to be the superstar it should be. The logic is solid. Advertisement That said, you're not getting Gaglardi for a uniform. The owner may be the most important position on a modern NHL team, and Gaglardi would be a massive upgrade for the Canucks franchise. Dallas says no. But it's amicable. It's not closing the door if the Canucks wanted to circle on something down the road. In the meantime, one more for the Canucks … To Vancouver: The Leafs' 1950-51 Stanley Cup win To Toronto: The Canucks' 2011 Stanley Cup Final appearance The Canucks get a Stanley Cup, but one so long ago they'll still be mocked by opposing fans. But one is better than zero. Did they exist in 1951? Let's not worry about the details. The Leafs get yet another devastating loss to the Bruins in the playoffs, but at least this time in a Stanley Cup Final and all the good memories that go with that sort of run. A team that locals mostly like and have fond memories of, legends in the market. (Do not ask what other markets think.) All it costs is a Cup so long ago most fans don't remember it. Note: Canucks retain the riot, due to a NMC. — Greg P. On the surface, this one makes a lot of sense. The Canucks are getting the better asset — a Cup win is obviously better than a near-miss — but the recency bias plays a factor. And the Leafs are dealing from a position of strength, with the 'old Cup wins that nobody really remembers' cupboard pretty much overflowing. That said, Greg mentions the potential problem. While Vancouver fans hate how 2011 ended, it's still a pretty beloved version of the team. If you trade the whole run, that means you lose the Game 7 OT win over the Blackhawks, the Kevin Bieksa bank shot and other fun memories. Do you give all of that up just so you can ditch the Sabres at the 'zero Cups in franchise history' table? You have to give up something to get something, but that's pretty steep. My gut is that Vancouver says no, partly because it just doesn't want to let Leafs fans be happy. But I'd like to hear from Canucks fans in the comments to confirm. And since we're trying to end some Leaf droughts … To Montreal: The 1967 Stanley Cup championship To Toronto: The 1993 Stanley Cup championship The 1967 Cup would give Montreal the last Original Six win and a second run of five straight Cups within a decade. And having won in 1986 would mean their current drought wouldn't be appreciably longer. The '93 Cup reduces Toronto's drought dramatically, and gives them the honor of being the last Canadian team to win a Cup. Plus, we could stop talking about Kerry Fraser forever. — Sean B. Who says no? Every other fan base. They lose out on making fun of the Leafs' record Cup drought, the Habs get even more ammo for their history-firehose, and the last Canadian Cup win somehow becomes even more of a thing because Toronto won't shut up about it. The only gain for the other fan bases would be Leafs fans giving the Fraser stuff a rest after 33 years, and let's be honest, we wouldn't honor that part of the deal. Advertisement So yeah, everyone else hates this deal … which means there may be something here for the two teams involved. As beloved as that rag-tag band of old-timers from the 1967 team has become, I think this is a pretty easy 'yes' for the Leafs. It's a little dicier for Montreal, although I think Sean B. is making a decent case. Ultimately, while it's close, I think Montreal probably says no. Somebody break the bad news to Marty McSorley. Want to send in your trade proposal for a future version of this column? Email this address. (Top photo of Hunter the Lynx: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
