Vincent Trocheck scored a pair of goals as the United States continued to build its lead and just about clinch a spot in the medal round, leading Slovakia 8-2 after 40 minutes.

The Americans had to start the period killing off the final 1:50 of Shayne Gostisbehere's slashing major, and after surviving that, they took advantage of their own man-advantages.

John Gaudreau's second goal of the game at 4:55 made it 6-2 at 4:55, and then Gaudreau set up Trocheck for a power-play goal at 6:16 to make it 7-2.

Trocheck, a Florida Panthers prospect, then scored his second to make it 8-2 at 10:00 of the period. He won a faceoff in the Slovakia end, skated to the net and scored off the return pass from Tyler Biggs.

The United States rediscovered its offensive groove when it needed it most, filling the net early and often against Slovakia to take a 5-2 lead after 20 minutes of the final Group B game for each team.

The winner of this game advances to the medal round, which begins Wednesday. The loser moves to the relegation round.

Jimmy Vesey, promoted to the top line after being the 13th forward for the first three games, led the charge with a pair of assists in the period.

The teams traded breakaway goals early, as the U.S. took a 1-0 lead on a Cole Bardreau goal, but just 14 seconds later Slovakia's Matus Matis tied it.

U.S. captain Jake McCabe put his team ahead when he pinched in and lifted a backhander off a nice pass from Vesey at 5:10. John Gaudreau made it 3-1 when he scored in close on a rebound at 9:00.

United States coach Phil Housley has switched one of his lines as his team faces Slovakia on Monday with a berth in the medal round on the line.

Jimmy Vesey, who had been the 13th forward in the first three games, will switch spots with Rocco Grimaldi and start on a line with John Gaudreau and J.T. Miller as the U.S. tries to re-discover its offensive touch. The team hasn't scored gotten a goal from a forward since the third period of its opening game against Germany.

John Gaudreau - J.T. Miller - Jimmy Vesey

Alex Galchenyuk - Sean Kuraly - Riley Barber

Blake Pietila - Cole Bardreau - Ryan Hartman

Mario Lucia - Vincent Trocheck - Tyler Biggs

Rocco Grimaldi

Canada forward JC Lipon has been suspended one game by the International Ice Hockey Federation and will have to sit out Sunday's game against the United States (4:30 a.m. ET, NHLN-US, TSN).

Lipon, a 2013 NHL Draft prospect, was assessed a major for a hit to the head/neck area and a game misconduct for a high hit on Slovakia's Tomas Mikus during Friday's game.

Canada will play Sunday with just 11 forwards, as Lipon joins Boone Jenner on the sideline. Sunday is the final game of Jenner's three-game suspension for a hit during a pre-tournament game against Sweden.

The United States did pretty well with six defensemen in its opening game at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, getting three goals from its blue-line corps in an 8-0 win against Germany on Thursday.

It's one below the maximum number allowed to play, but coach Phil Housley didn't sound like someone rushing to add anything to his roster.

The U.S. plays Russia (9 a.m., NHLN-US), last year's silver medalists, on Friday.

"We're going to talk as a staff tonight and digest this game, maybe make that decision tomorrow," Housley told NHL.com following his team's win against Germany. "Depending on any medical things going on with our team, I think we may make a decision."

There will be an interesting game within the game Friday when the United States faces Russia (9 a.m. ET, NHLN-US) in preliminary-round play at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Lining up opposite each other will be former teammates Nail Yakupov of Russia and Alex Galchenyuk of the U.S.

They played together from 2010-12 with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. In 2010-11, Yakupov was third in the league in goals with 49 and led all first-year OHL players with 101 points, while Galchenyuk was second with 83 points.

A knee injury kept Galchenyuk sidelined for all but two regular-season and six playoff games, while Yakupov had 31 goals and 69 points in just 42 games. At the 2012 NHL Draft, Yakupov was taken No. 1 by the Edmonton Oilers, while Galchenyuk went No. 3 to the Montreal Canadiens.

It was a balanced scoring effort as eight different players had goals as the United States defeated Germany 8-0 on Thursday in its opening game at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Linemates Alex Galchenyuk and Riley Barber had a goal and two assists each and their center, Sean Kuraly, had a goal and an assist. The U.S. also got three goals from defensemen in the win.

Goaltender John Gibson made 19 saves in two periods of play, with Jon Gillies finishing the shutout.

The U.S. scored in the first 20 seconds of each of the first two periods, and led 6-0 after 40 minutes.

The strong play the United States displayed in the first period stayed intact through the second as the U.S. scored three times and forced the play for most of the second to lead 6-0 after 40 minutes of action against Germany.

After scoring 19 seconds into the first period, the U.S. needed just 15 seconds to get its first goal in the second, as Alex Galchenyuk forced a turnover behind the German net and flipped the puck in front to Riley Barber to make it 4-0.

Shayne Gostisbehere's power-play one-timer from the right side made it 5-0 at 6:33, and then Ryan Hartman, a top 2013 NHL Draft prospect, scored on the rebound of a Blake Pietila shot off a 2-on-0 rush to make it 6-0 at 7:55. Cole Bardreau started the play going the other way in the neutral zone as Germany got caught on a line change. He spotted Pietila who broke in alone on Germany goalie Marvin Cupper and fired a shot from the left side. Cupper slid over to make the save, but the puck bounced right onto Hartman's stick on the right side, and he buried his chance.

United States coach Phil Housley couldn't ask for much more from his team in the first period of its World Junior Championship opener against Germany.

The U.S. scored three times in the first 10 minutes, took just one penalty and kept Germany without a shot for more than 13 minutes.

Sean Kuraly opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the game, and Jacob Trouba made it 2-0 at 8:30 with a shot from the point through traffic.

Alex Galchenyuk scored the prettiest goal of the game, and maybe of the tournament so far. The Montreal Canadiens prospect pulled the puck off the wall on the left side in the Germany end, curled back to the blue line, and when no German skaters tried to stop him, skated into the slot and fired a shot that beat Germany goalie Marvin Cupper over his glove at 9:54.

Here's the lineup the United States will go with against Germany for its opening game at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship:

John Gaudreau - J.T. Miller - Rocco Grimaldi

Alex Galchenyuk - Sean Kuraly - Riley Barber

Blake Pietila - Cole Bardreau - Ryan Hartman

Mario Lucia - Vincent Trocheck - Tyler Biggs

Jimmy Vesey