Helsinki, Finland – Justin Faulk scored his second goal of the game with 22 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the United States to a 3-2 win over Kazakhstan at the 2012 World Championship.
Facing a winless Kazakhstan team, the Americans probably expected a far easier game, considering they came away with a 10-0 victory in the previous meeting.
But Friday's contest required overtime when Talgat Zhailauov tied it with 4:06 left in regulation. Faulk, who put Team USA up 2-1 early in the third, won the game off a feed from Max Pacioretty.
J.T. Brown potted the other American goal, while Richard Bachman stopped 17- of-19 shots.
Vitali Kolesnik played well in defeat, recording 47 saves for Kazakhstan, including 16 in a scoreless first period.
Brown and Konstantin Pushkaryov traded second-period tallies. Pushkaryov lit the lamp while United States captain Jack Johnson served a charging penalty.
In Stockholm, Petr Caslava scored two goals and Jakub Stepanek stopped 20 shots for the Czech Republic in a 6-0 rout of Italy.
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