Phil Kessel helps US hockey rout Slovenia, earn spot in quarterfinals
SOCHI, Russia -- Phil Kessel scored two of his three goals in the opening 4:33 and became the first U.S. player with an Olympic hat trick in more than a decade, leading the Americans to a 5-1 win over Slovenia on Sunday.
The U.S. (3-0) earned an automatic spot in the quarterfinals.
Kessel scored 1:04 after the puck dropped, showing that the Americans didn't have a hangover after their emotionally charged shootout win over Russia on Saturday. His third goal midway through the second period made him the first U.S. player to have a hat trick at the Olympics since John LeClair did it on Feb. 15, 2002, against Finland.
Ryan Miller was 17.6 seconds away from a shutout, but Marcel Rodman scored. Miller made 17 saves in his Sochi Games debut. Miller got the start in place of Jonathan Quick, who got the day to rest.
CBSSports.com hockey writer Brian Stubits notes that Team USA can finish no worse than the third seed and no better than the second seed, guaranteed to be behind Sweden. The final seed will be determined by the Canada-Finland result later on Sunday.
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