Team USA defeated Denmark 11-3 in their opening game of the 2012 World Junior Championships thanks in part to a hat trick by Minnesota prospect Charlie Coyle.
USA set the tone early with a big hit by Stephen Johns and immediately followed it up with a goal by Charlie Coyle - a redirection in front of the crease off a shot by Jon Merrill from the point - just 24 seconds into the game.
Jarred Tinordi takes a delay of game penalty as his clear attempt goes over the glass and Denmark is able to capitalize on the ensuing power play as Mathias Hansen fires a shot from the blueline to tie the game at one less than three minutes later.
Team USA responds 90 seconds later as captain Jason Zucker uses his speed down the wing and fires a wrister past Sebastian Feuk to take the 2-1 lead. Later in the period, TJ Tynan would fish the puck out of the corner and get it to Austin Watson, who took the shot from the slot. Jarred Tinordi pounced on the rebound and gave USA a two goal lead midway through the first period.
Less than a minute later, Merrill took a cross-checking penalty and it took Denmark all of ten seconds to cash in as Thomas Spelling ripped a one-timer that hit the post, but Hansen was right there to tap it in to pull the Danes within one.
Just over a minute into the second period, Nick Bjugstad put home a pass from Austin Czarnik to restore Team USA's two goal lead. Midway through the period, Coyle would get his second of the game on the power play off a pass from behind the goal line by Brandon Saad to make it 5-2. Two minutes later, Adam Clendening fired a shot from the point and Kyle Rau pounced on the rebound to give Team USA a four goal lead. Just over a minute later, Emerson Etem, Josh Archibald and Bill Arnold connected on a beautiful tic-tac-toe play to make it 7-2 and end the night for Feuk as Dennis Jensen would take over between the pipes for Denmark.
With Denmark's Anders Schultz in the box for hitting Kevin Gravel in the head, it took 17 seconds for JT Miller to cash in from the circle to make it 8-2. Five minutes later, Schultz made a return trip to the penalty box - this time for hooking - and Austin Watson pushed USA's lead to seven goals to close out a six goal second period for Team USA.
In the third and with Stephen Johns in the box for kneeing, Denmark earned their third power play goal in as many opportunities as Spelling earned his second of the night to make it 9-3 just over four minutes into the period. Midway through the period, Coyle earned the hat trick off a nice pass from Zucker to make it 10-3. With four minutes left in regulation, Johns made it 11-3 with a bomb from the blueline and that's how the game would end as USA won their first game of the tournament.
Denmark will face Czech Republic tomorrow, while USA will play Finland on Wednesday.
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