USA vs Finland Women’s Hockey: Easy 3-1 Olympic Opener Win

Photo by JIM YOUNG/REUTERS via BostonGlobe.com

It took just 53 seconds for the No. 1 women's hockey team to assert their dominance in their Olympic game opener. Hilary Knight gave the U.S. women's Olympic hockey team the 1-0 lead on a breakaway and the rest of the team cruised to a 3-1 victory over Finland's women's Olympic hockey team.

Knight added an assist on the team's second goal and Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also netted goals for the U.S.. Goaltender Jessie Vetter stopped 14 of 15 Finland shots in the team's strong showing in their first game of the Olympics after missing the Opening Ceremony the night before.

Knight's goal came off a turnover in the neutral zone from Finland, helped out by pressure from teammate Amanda Kessel, and the forward picked up the puck from the blue line and entered the zone on a breakaway around the defense, beating Finish goalie Noora Raty on a wrist shot blocker side from between the circles.

In the second period, the U.S. jumped out to a 2-0 lead 7:42 into the frame. Megan Bozek's point shot deflected off the backboards and Knight at the side of the net and ricocheted to Stack, who batted the puck in to the net below the crossbar past a screened Raty.

Eight minutes later in the second frame, Anne Schleper's shot went wide off the backboards and around to Carpenter, who fired a backhander from an impossible angle down by the goal line for the 3-0 lead.

Vetter's shutout was spoiled with less than five minutes to play in the game. On a Finland power play, a failed clear along the boards was taken by Michelle Karvinen and passed quickly across the ice to her streaking teammate, Susanna Tapani, for the tap in 3-1 goal past Vetter, who had no chance on the pretty play.

The U.S fired 43 shots at Raty in an all-around impressive showing against their Group A opponent.

The team gets back to work early Monday morning against their second Group A opponent, Switzerland, at 5 a.m. EST.