Norway will help U.S. work out kinks

Things actually will get easier for the U.S. men's hockey team Thursday.

It seems a bit backward - as the tournament progresses, the games are supposed to get more difficult - but the Americans get a reprieve of sorts with Norway across the ice in Vancouver this afternoon.

The young American squad worked out some of its kinks, some of its nerves, in a 3-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday, the first Olympic game for all but three players on the U.S. roster. The game wasn't very pretty - not like the 8-0 shelling Canada gave Norway on Tuesday night - but the Americans are not going to win the pretty ones.

U.S. coach Ron Wilson can spend today's game tinkering a bit, if he so chooses. His team has plenty to work on: The top line of Zach Parise, Paul Stastny and Patrick Kane had lots of speed, but didn't accomplish much. The Americans' inexperienced defense looked out of sync, too aggressive in joining the rush at times, too passive in the defensive zone at other times. Goaltender Ryan Miller was barely tested. And the Americans had only 24 shots on goal in the face of the Swiss' trapping style.

"We have to shoot the puck more and maybe be a little more selfish," Wilson told reporters in Vancouver after Tuesday's win.

Norway's players were already a bit frustrated even before they took the ice on Tuesday against the Olympic hosts and hockey favorites.

Norway's lone North American-based player, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, could not play Tuesday because of passport issues.

The Norwegians managed to keep their opener with Canada scoreless for a period before the onslaught came. They play a similar style to the Swiss in clogging the neutral zone, but they're not nearly as physical. That means skilled forwards like Parise and Kane - not just the grinders like David Backes, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Callahan - should be able to find room to operate.

Sunday is the real test of the preliminary round for the United States when it faces Canada in what should decide who gets a bye into the quarterfinals. Norway won't provide much of a preview for that game if, as expected, it doesn't put up much of a fight, Wilson's squad will need the two days of practice before the Canada game more than it needs the game with Norway.

But there is one important aspect if the U.S. team comes out of today's game with a lopsided win. Goal differential is a tiebreaker for medal-round seeding, so blowouts are encouraged.

So this probably will be easy Thursday. That's probably not the best way to go into the heart of the Olympic tournament, but the Americans will have to take away whatever they can from a meeting with Norway.

Some confidence, perhaps, and fewer mistakes. Plus lots and lots of goals.