Grades, questions from Team USA’s Olympic hockey win vs. Latvia

Team USA has won its first game in the 2026 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament by defeating Latvia with a final score of 5-1.

The contest was not without some drama, as the first round included two successful Latvia coach challenges that wiped American goals off the board.

However, after that, the snow seemed to bend the Americans’ path and goals. taze thompson, auston matthews and a pair from brock nelson There were differences.

Here’s what we learned in the opener, along with the overall team grade and big questions to consider ahead of Team USA’s matchup against Denmark on Saturday.

Takeaway 1: Who did it better, Hughes or Tkachuks?

If every team wants to win, it has to rely on certain players. Team USA is no different and that’s what makes both brothers Hughes and Tkachuk so important.

Let’s start with the Hughes brothers. quinn Might be the most important player on the roster. He is a top-pairing defenseman who can be relied upon in every situation. This was on display against Latvia, as he finished with a team-high 21:29 of ice time and recorded two assists. jack Started the game on the fourth line and also finished the game with some assists.

What about tkachuks? Physicality was a theme Thursday, and Tkachuks is at the center of why it was a factor. But there’s more to his game than just damaging power forwards. That’s why they were in the top row jack eichelWhich produced a combination that used size, pace and skill to cause Latvia many issues throughout the game. Brady while scored the opening goal of the game Matthew A pair of assists were added.

Takeaway 2: Does Mike Sullivan have to make any decisions about his lines?

We will soon learn about Brock Nelson’s personal exploits here. Because Nelson’s contributions showed how America got a lot from its fourth line. Nelson anchored the line featuring Jack Hughes and JT MillerAnd he had two goals (and maybe more).

The younger Hughes brother had a few assists while Miller’s contribution is a little more complex. Miller set up Quinn Hughes for a first-period goal which was one of two that were disallowed. He was also in front of the net for the second disallowed goal which was called back due to goaltender interference. Miller had the most ice time of the three, a little over 12 minutes, while each of his teammates finished their first games with a little over 11 minutes.

Will we see some changes in the games against Denmark and Germany, or will Sullivan stick to what’s worked?

Everything’s coming Brock. Nelson. #winter Olympics pic.twitter.com/yy7xGkXiR0

– NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) 12 February 2026

Takeaway 3: The fatigue factor

One of the underlying themes of the 4 Nations face-off was speed, especially in the final game with Canada and the US.

That momentum was a factor in the first four minutes of this game, as part of an approach that saw the U.S. defeat Latvia in many ways. That pace combined with physicality and puck possession ultimately eliminated Latvia from a team that tied the game at 1-1, struggling to hold on for the final 40 minutes. There were penalties. There were goals that came from those penalties. Those long shifts were what allowed the US to command in such a way that it was why it was able to score four unanswered goals.

Can the US do this against other teams? It’s possible against other countries with a mix of NHLers and non-NHLers, but what we saw from Canada on Thursday suggests they’ll be able to keep up.

Player of the game: brock nelsonCenter

He scored two goals. he also had two goals About scored; One was deflected off the post, and one was disallowed due to goalkeeper interference.

Either way, Nelson had one of the most memorable and arguably strongest performances of any player for Team USA.

Naturally, the conversation about Nelson’s game is going to center around his goal contributions. But there is also an issue about the position he was always in despite being able to use his 6ft 4in frame to create openings in a physical game against Latvia.

Will the US score even more goals against Denmark?

With two strong contenders to capture the gold medal, one eye will be on Team USA and the other on Canada in this preliminary round.

Canada took first place with a dominant 5-0 win over Czechia, turning all attention to the United States heading into Thursday’s clash. The answer was a 5-1 win.

Now it remains to be seen whether Team USA can continue this in their next match against Denmark on Saturday. The Danes were playing the same team as the United States and lost to Germany 3–1, despite the fact that they finished with 38 shots.

Overall Team Grade: A-

The only real blemish for Team USA in their opening game was the only goal allowed due to a net-front scramble. But beyond that, the Americans controlled every aspect of their early game.

Those disallowed goals, along with Latvia’s game-tying goal, got off to a slightly shaky start. But four unanswered goals — plus how the U.S. flexed its skills and strength — made it very difficult for Latvia to find openings.