Rangers’ Borgen has 2 assists in U.S. win at Worlds, before Olympic rematch
The United States will play Canada in the quarterfinals Thursday at the IIHF World Championship, thanks in part to a two-point effort from New York Rangers defenseman Will Borgen in a prelim finale Tuesday.
This set’s up a rematch of the gold medal game at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics in February, when the United States edged Canada 2-1 on Jack Hughes’ Golden Goal scored in overtime. That U.S. team was quite a bit more talented and star-laden than this one at the World Championship, but Team USA clawed its way into the quarters with a 4-1 victory over Austria on Tuesday, following a 7-3 win against Hungary the day before.
The United States was 3-1-0-3 in the prelims in Switzerland, and finished fourth in Group A with 11 points. Canada (6-1-0-0) topped Group B with 20 points, and gets to play the lowest seed from the other group as the knockout rounds begin.
Borgen had two assists Tuesday and has three helpers in seven games, so far, in the tournament. The Rangers defenseman set up Connor Clifton for the game-opening goal 5:34 into the first period.
In the second period, Borgen picked up the secondary assist when Paul Cotter put Team USA up 3-0 at the 1:07 mark. The 29-year-old sent a shot from the right point toward the Austrian net that was deflected by U.S. teammate Mathieu Olivier. The puck came right to Cotter, who buried the rebound from a tough angle.
Borgen had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 75 games with the Rangers this season. He had one multiple-point game, on March 2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets when he scored a goal and added an assist. On Tuesday, he had the two assists, recorded two shots on goal, was plus-2, and logged 15:45 TOI for Team USA.
Adam Sykora, Borgen’s teammate with the Rangers, picked up his first point of the tournament Tuesday, when Slovakia lost to Sweden 4-2. New York’s 21-year-old forward earned the primary assist on Martin Chromiak’s rush goal 4:54 into the first period to give Slovakia a 1-0 lead.
Sykora also recorded two shots on goal and logged 15:07 TOI.
