I don't buy the narrative of 18 year old kids, in peak condition, needing rest. I'm not aware of any injuries that would have healed significantly with an additional day of rest.
It's just an excuse.
US did outplay the Swedes. Was it by a 4-0 margin? Probably not, but they got some puck luck and Sweden couldn't finish.
I mean this is just a rediculous claim. An extra day of rest on the legs is massive in a short tournament like this. Being able to have the day off to rid your legs of any lactic acid is huge. Nobody recovers from any real injuries in a day, but a stiff neck isnt as stiff after 2 days, a charley horse loosens up more, swelling in any nagging injuries will go down...Any hockey player out there would understand