By Steve Keating
BEIJING (Reuters) -There was no ‘Miracle On Ice’ for the China men’s ice hockey team, but neither was there the humiliation some had feared as the United States rolled to an 8-0 win over the Olympic hosts on Thursday in their Beijing Games opener.
With the National Hockey League pulling out of the Games due to a COVID-19 surge that created havoc with its schedule, the Olympic tournament has no clear favourite.
China had hoped the absence of NHL players would provide an opening to pull off the upset in their Olympic debut. But they were no match for a determined group of speedy young Americans also with something to prove.
“I give China lot of credit. The score may not seem it but it was a hard game for us today,” said U.S. coach David Quinn.
“They were physical, they made it hard for us to get on the inside,” Quinn said. “We didn’t back down, we kept coming, and … I’m really proud of the fact that I thought our third period was our best…
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