Team USA Wins Olympic Hockey Opener 3-1 Over Swiss

Team USA blazed up the ice Tuesday afternoon in Vancouver to open the hockey tournament at the Olympic Games, topping their Swiss opponents 3-1 to begin pool play.

The much-debated USA roster, featuring a bevy of younger players without much Olympic experience, neatly put the Swiss away after a shaky first period, scoring the first goal with 61 seconds left in the first segment of the game, NBC Olympics reported.

Anaheim's Bobby Ryan scored the first goal, followed by a second-period score from St. Louis Blues player David Backes, another fourth liner on the team.

The third goal came from Tampa Bay skater Ryan Malone, who scored at 8:25 in the second period on a power play to slip another puck past Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller. Hiller made a save after a long shot from Toronto's Phil Kessel, but Malone grabbed the rebound and snuck it between Hiller's legs.

Goalie Ryan Miller was only bested once by the Swiss, halfway through the third period. He faced 15 shots from the Swiss team, nine during the first forty minutes, and made two saves in the last three minutes of the second period.

The game was a break-out victory for Anaheim's Bobby Ryan, 22, who dominated play during the first part of the game.

Team USA will next take the ice on Thursday, when the Americans will face Norway. The final showdown in Team USA's Group A pool play will come Saturday against Canada, a game that should ensure a bye into the tournament's quarterfinal round.

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