Max Pacioretty believes that the United States' team-first mentality is the reason for their success at the Winter Olympics so far in the competition.
Team USA reached the last four in Sochi thanks to a comfortable 5-2 win over the Czech Republic, which has set up a meeting with Canada in the semi-finals.
"It starts off the ice," Pacioretty told ESPN. "Everyone on this team realises you have to play for the team and check your ego at the door. All of us are the top players on our team back home and you come here and you're asked to play different roles.
"You see everyone in the room, willing to go to the dirty areas, block shots, make hits. It's nice to see when you see a guy like Patty Kane backchecking as hard as he can across the ice. It kind of puts things in perspective."
Canada defeated the USA in the gold medal game in Vancouver four years ago.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
