WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 13: Derek Stepan #21 of Team USA looks on after scoring a goal against Team Finland in the second period during the pre-tournament World Cup of Hockey game at Verizon Center on September 13, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC – Exhibition games exist so teams can work out kinks, learn*systems, try new things. In other words, they exist so teams can make mistakes, figure out what went wrong and rectify it for the games that count.
To that end, Team USA can’t be happy with nearly blowing a three-goal lead in the third period of their final World Cup of Hockey tune-up against Finland on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. But they can take some solace that, despite facing a 6-on-4 power play for the last two minutes of regulation, they still skated off with a 3-2 win.
“You don’t ever want to get in that situation, but if you do, I think it’s good for us as a learning experience,” said forward T.J. Oshie. “We’ll be able to look at that video, clean up whatever mistakes we made and be even better for the tournament.”
Among the mistakes: Penalties. The Americans took five minor penalties to Finland’s two, including a delay of game call on Ryan Suter late in the third for putting the puck over the glass in his own zone.
But thanks to some lackluster execution by Finland with the two-man advantage and strong play by Jonathan Quick (30 saves), Team USA survived.
“That’s not ideal. You don’t want to give up two against them in the third,” said defenseman Matt Niskanen. “But hopefully we’re in that situation a lot – having the lead in the third – and we manage it better.”
Team USA hit the board first just 1:08 into the game, as T.J. Oshie tapped home a quick pass from Ryan Kesler for the goal. The first period ended with the U.S. up 1-0, as Pekka Rinne stopped Patrick Kane on a breakaway at the buzzer.
Kesler made it 2-0 at 3:37 of the second period, as John Carlson started the play with a long stretch pass and Kesler finished it by racing behind Jori Lehtera to deflect the puck behind Rinne. It was 3-0 just 1:57 later, as Derek Stepan took a Carlson pass and beat Rinne cleanly to the five-hole.
Patrik Laine, drafted No. 2 overall by the Winnipeg Jets in June, got Finland on the board in the third period with a power-play goal. Jussi Jokinen than cut it to 3-2 after Jonathan Quick miscommunicated with a defenseman and then lost his stick in a scramble.
But Quick was strong in the final two minutes, and Team USA finished the exhibition schedule with 2-1 record. “That stuff will help,” said coach John Tortorella.

Team USA opens World Cup of Hockey group play with a Saturday afternoon game against Team Europe in Toronto.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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