Kinkaid, USA earns second victory at 2018 IIHF Worlds

After a career season with the New Jersey Devils, which saw him play 41 games earning a 2.77 GAA and .913 save percentage and notching 26 wins, netminder Keith Kinkaid was invited to play for Team USA at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark.

"I woke up Monday morning [after we were eliminated from the playoffs], with a text from Ray saying US was interested in having me and I hadn't thought about it being a real possibility until then," said the 28-year-old who also represented USA at the 2016 world championship in Russia. "I was excited to extend my season and gladly accepted. The confidence and excitement to play for my country played a huge role in my decision to come."
Joining him in the battle to be USA's starter was Montreal's Charlie Lindgren and Carolina's Scott Darling.
"I talked with [USA general manager] Bill Zito after I committed and they were glad to have me," Kinkaid explained, "I knew I was going to have to prove myself to be the starter, but they said I'd have an opportunity and the rest was up to me."
After a strong showing in two periods of play during Tuesday's exhibition win against Denmark, Kinkaid was tabbed as USA's starting goaltender against Canada to open the tournament on Friday afternoon at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark.
"When I found out I was starting, I was obviously happy and wanted to make an impact for my team off the bat against a skilled Canada team," he said. "Letting up an early goal isn't the plan, but that's happened a few times to me this season and it doesn't phase me."
Canada scored just 47 seconds into the game and extended their lead to 2-0 just 12 minutes later, as Kinkaid was constantly peppered with shots. USA battled back to pull within one before the first intermission and shifted the momentum early in the second to take a 3-2 lead. The contest ended regulation tied at four, despite the 40-17 shot differential in favor of Canada.
"It's definitely a good thing for me to face a bunch of shots," Kinkaid said. "You feel more into the game and get in a flow instead of waiting long periods of time waiting for something to happen. I felt good out there."
In front of a raucous danish crowd and with Frederik, the crown Prince of Denmark, in attendance, USA defeated Canada with a 5-4 shootout win, earning two points in the Group B standings.
"With the shootout, you just want to stay patient and make them make the first move. Especially against these high skilled players. Fortunately it worked out for me," said the Long Island native. "I felt really good about my game. Still an adjustment to the wide ice and small posts, but just getting in the flow of a game again was good for me and, hopefully as the tournament goes on, it gets better."
Kinkaid finished the game with 40 saves, including five more in the shootout and was named Player of the Game for USA.
"Early in the game we struggled and they took it to us early," said USA head coach Jeff Blashill (Detroit). "I thought Keith was great, kept us in the game when it was 2-0. I think we got better as the game went along and built our game. I thought we were better in the third, for sure, but in the end, Keith was our best player."
Dylan Larkin (Detroit) had two goals in the game, but gave Kinkaid all the praise after the win.
"Keith played great," he said. "He was unbelievable, but we have to play better in front of him going forward in this tournament. We can't just rely on him to make those big saves. We have to play better defensively as a team, but he definitely deserved to be the Player of the Game."
Kinkaid followed up that performance with a 20-save shutout against Denmark on Saturday night as USA collected three more points in the standings with a 4-0 win.
As they look ahead to their next game (Germany, Monday 10 a.m. ET, NHL Network), Team USA wants to embrace this opportunity for personal and professional development and improve as a team every game, but they are also playing for pride, just not necessarily their own.
"We have a solid group here and a real talented one that can do some damage," Kinkaid said. "And, obviously, playing for JJ is huge."
Jim Johannson was the assistant executive director of USA Hockey, was part of selecting national teams at all levels of the game for over a decade - including as the general manager of the US Olympic team this year - and was influential in developing USA Hockey into what it is today. He passed away suddenly in late January.
"He gave me my first opportunity two years ago to represent my country and has given so many others an opportunity as well," Kinkaid explained. "He's done so much for this program to get it where it is, internally and externally, and we all want to make him proud and go home with a gold medal."