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Ryan S. clarke
multiple authors
Two of the first three quarterfinal games of the 2026 Olympic men’s hockey tournament went to overtime, so should hockey fans be surprised if the same thing happened in the game between the United States and Sweden?
In the first tournament featuring active NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Games, Team USA entered the competition with the second-best gold medal tally behind Canada.
Team in third place? Sweden. And Trey Cronor proved to be a worthy opponent in this contest, scoring the equalizing goal with 1:31 remaining in the third period, before quinn hughes OT became the winner of the game.
What did we learn about Team USA on this challenging journey? Which players stood out the most – and what big questions remain as the team prepares to face Slovakia in the semi-finals?
Takeaway 1: Quinn Hughes may be Team USA’s most important skater
Scoring the game-winning goal in 3-on-3 overtime to advance to the semifinal round is the only act that is going to garner attention. But Hughes’ performance in his team’s latest win over Sweden confirms the fact that he may be the most important skater on Team USA.
Hughes entered Wednesday as the only skater on the U.S. roster to have logged more than 20 minutes in every game. He is playing against the opponents’ top line. He is controlling the pace of the game in a way that can tire the opponent out, while also allowing the US to find more opportunities at the net.
All this was seen against Sweden. They logged more than 27 minutes and averaged 56 seconds per shift. This was the most of any American player, and it was three seconds more than the Swede. eric carlson He had an average innings.
That’s what made their overtime goal even more powerful. Hughes was on the ice for the final 75 seconds. He took steps that forced Sweden to center joel erickson onewith his partner minnesota wildTo concentrate when he was closing in on the net. Then came the moment when Hughes found space and fired the shot that sent the United States into the semi-finals.
Quinn Hughes! USA wins! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/WxbCRKxPiO
– NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) 18 February 2026
Takeaway 2: Was Team USA a little too conservative in the third period?
We’ll discuss Team USA’s overall defensive performance here shortly. But why did the U.S. become more conservative in the third compared to its performance in the second period, when it was consistently creating scoring chances?
It’s worth acknowledging that the U.S. entered the second period Wednesday with a plus-7 scoring margin. dylan larkin’s goal pushed it to a plus-8 margin as part of a period in which the team established consistency. Larkin’s redirected salute was part of a push that saw the U.S. slowly get chances at the net front against Sweden. Seeing how the U.S. was able to attack the net gave confidence that there could be more of the same in the third period.
Dylan Larkin flies in and opens the scoring. 🇺🇸#winter Olympics pic.twitter.com/Lmu8uuDeij
– NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) 18 February 2026
And yet, Team USA finished with 20 shots overall in the second period and only four in the third period. Initially it looked like the US would be out of the quarterfinals with the first shutout of the round Mika Zibanejad Scored with 91 seconds remaining to force overtime.
In overtime, the U.S. finished with more shots — five — in a frame that lasted barely 90 seconds than the entire third period.
Takeaway 3: Was this the strongest defensive performance of the men’s tournament?
the pace really started Charlie McEvoy giving a hit Gabriel Landeskog. The next step was to prevent Sweden from scoring for the first six minutes. Even when the Swedes recorded a shot, it was an offering from distance. connor hellebuyck Turned aside with your blocker.
Everything Hughes and McAvoy did on the defensive end were complemented by efforts brock faber, jake sanderson, jacob slavin And Zach Werenskiwith noah hanifin Acting as a seventh defender when needed. America ahead JT Miller Abandoned his body on numerous occasions to block shots and remained the only ideal unit in the penalty kill men’s tournament. It has not allowed a power-play goal in 10 attempts.
And, of course, it helps to have Hellebuyck, who made 27 saves.
With that kind of consistency on a day when Germany allowed six goals, Canada overcame defensive failures to earn an overtime win over Czechia and a two-goal lead loss to Switzerland in overtime against Finland, showing the Americans are moving on to the next round thanks to a stellar defensive effort.
We’ve covered a lot about what made the oldest hughes brother Such an important player for Team USA in the grand scheme.
But when it came to this scope, what did they do against Sweden? Those are all things that make Hughes one of the best defenders – and one of the best players in the world.
He was vital to their defensive effort. He had an assist on his team’s first goal, was on the ice more than any other skater, and scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
Big question for the semi-finals
What lessons can be applied against Slovakia? Team USA had one of the strongest defensive performances of the tournament, but will now face an offensive juggernaut.
Slovakia continued what it has typically done at the Olympics, scoring six goals against Germany. The current bronze medal winners are fourth in terms of goals per game. This included scoring four goals against Finland and three goals in the defeat to Sweden in the opening round.
Replicating much, if not all, of what Team USA did against Sweden could be the difference between playing for gold or bronze.
Overall Team Grade: B+
The four shots recorded in the third period are the only thing keeping the U.S. from getting a high grade here. Even though the Americans only scored one goal in the second period, the frame appeared to provide them with an opportunity to score more goals before Sweden forced overtime with a late game-tying goal.
Still, Team USA’s defensive performance is one that sets a blueprint for moving forward to the gold medal.
