The United States is in serious trouble at hockey's world championships.
The Americans lost their second game in two days, beaten 1-0 by Switzerland on Sunday on Mathias Seger's first-period goal. Denmark, playing in the tournament for the first time since 1949, upset the United States 5-2 a day earlier.
"We're not going to cry," U.S. coach Lou Vairo said. "We compliment Switzerland."
With one game left against Russia on Tuesday, the Americans could head to relegation play instead of the qualification round and a shot at the quarterfinals.
The United States needed a win by Denmark over Russia later in the day to keep its slim hopes alive.
The United States has 12 NHL players on its roster but none from the team that lost the gold-medal game to Canada in last year's Olympics.
"We're very happy with the players who did come -- they gave their best," said Vairo, whose team played just one exhibition and practiced only a few times before the tournament.
The only goal came when Seger scored on a power play at 11:17, with John Gruden off for tripping. Mark Streit sent a perfect pass to Seger, whose slap shot from the right point flew past goalie Ryan Miller's glove.
Switzerland closed in on a spot in the qualification round a day after losing to Russia 5-2.
"It was a big day for the Swiss program with the pressure on this team," coach Ralph Krueger said. "We got it done today on an effort that began with the goaltender all the way through the very young defense and the forwards working and protecting so hard."
Switzerland's Marco Buhrer made 27 saves for the shutout. he made a big pad save on a backhander from the slot by John Pohl of the AHL's Worcester Icecats halfway through the last period. Four minutes later, he got lucky when a shot hit the crossbar.
A Swiss goal was disallowed with about seven minutes left. Jean-Jacques Aeschlimann's slap shot bounced off defenseman Phil Housley's legs and past Miller, but the puck was on the goal line when another American slammed into the net and dislodged it.
"That's a big mental test for a young team to deal with that kind of crisis," Krueger said.
They may need to get BeantownJim to coach em
!
The Americans lost their second game in two days, beaten 1-0 by Switzerland on Sunday on Mathias Seger's first-period goal. Denmark, playing in the tournament for the first time since 1949, upset the United States 5-2 a day earlier.
"We're not going to cry," U.S. coach Lou Vairo said. "We compliment Switzerland."
With one game left against Russia on Tuesday, the Americans could head to relegation play instead of the qualification round and a shot at the quarterfinals.
The United States needed a win by Denmark over Russia later in the day to keep its slim hopes alive.
The United States has 12 NHL players on its roster but none from the team that lost the gold-medal game to Canada in last year's Olympics.
"We're very happy with the players who did come -- they gave their best," said Vairo, whose team played just one exhibition and practiced only a few times before the tournament.
The only goal came when Seger scored on a power play at 11:17, with John Gruden off for tripping. Mark Streit sent a perfect pass to Seger, whose slap shot from the right point flew past goalie Ryan Miller's glove.
Switzerland closed in on a spot in the qualification round a day after losing to Russia 5-2.
"It was a big day for the Swiss program with the pressure on this team," coach Ralph Krueger said. "We got it done today on an effort that began with the goaltender all the way through the very young defense and the forwards working and protecting so hard."
Switzerland's Marco Buhrer made 27 saves for the shutout. he made a big pad save on a backhander from the slot by John Pohl of the AHL's Worcester Icecats halfway through the last period. Four minutes later, he got lucky when a shot hit the crossbar.
A Swiss goal was disallowed with about seven minutes left. Jean-Jacques Aeschlimann's slap shot bounced off defenseman Phil Housley's legs and past Miller, but the puck was on the goal line when another American slammed into the net and dislodged it.
"That's a big mental test for a young team to deal with that kind of crisis," Krueger said.
They may need to get BeantownJim to coach em
!
