Brock Nelson proved the hockey world wrong with two-goal performance
One of the key players in the United States‘ win to open their Olympic journey was someone who many didn’t expect.
Forward Brock Nelson scored twice in the Americans’ 5-1 win over Latvia on Thursday, giving the team a solid start in the race for first in Group C.
Leading up to the Winter Games, some questioned USA Hockey’s decision to put the 34-year-old on the roster, wondering if he could be a useful option as the team pursues a gold medal. However, his performance against Latvia showed that he can be a contributor on a team filled with stars like Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Quinn Hughes.
On Thursday’s postgame edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News joined Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen to talk about Nelson’s impact on the U.S. roster.
Jonny Lazarus:
Stefen Rosner: After 4 Nations [last year], I thought he was looking at his age, 33-34 years old, against a lot of young guys. It’s just like you keep pace. However, this year he’s been unreal with Colorado in his first season there. He’s got 29 goals and he just showcased more of what he’s been doing the entire season. I know there were a lot of shots when he got he made the team over [Nick] Robertson…Brock Nelson, this year, has been a lot different than he was last year and it paid dividends.
Depth scoring matters…You shouldn’t be shocked, because this year, Brock has showed that age is just a number. … He’s rejuvenated, obviously…he’s the fifth member of his family to play for Team USA at the Olympics. That’s absurd. I’m sure that’s awesome. That’s pushed him harder. I think he [would’ve] had three goals, maybe five, you know. He had so many chances earlier in this game as well. He’s playing on the penalty kill. So, I just think a guy like Brock is not asked to be a savior like he was with the Islanders. With Colorado, he’s going to score probably 40 goals, but he’s a secondary and tertiary guy. For Team USA, he’s not there to score, but if he’s going to score, you need that. I get it’s lofty, I get that whole thing, but you want to see the stars rise to the occasion, they did. But when you win the gold medal, it’s about your depth coming through. Brock Nelson certainly has done a couple of things for Team USA to help them get the win.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…