Sweden’s Mika Zibanejad (93) and United States’ JT Miller (10) chase the puck throughout the third interval of a males’s ice hockey quarterfinal recreation on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy.
Hassan Ammar/AP/AP
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Hassan Ammar/AP/AP
MILAN — For 5 terrifying minutes on Wednesday evening, the U.S. males’s hockey crew’s goals had been one aim away from ending far earlier than they’d hoped.
As a substitute, the Individuals will advance to the Olympic semifinals — and a assured probability to play for what can be the crew’s first medal since 2010 — after profitable an time beyond regulation thriller 2-1 within the quarterfinal recreation towards Sweden.
“We acquired guys which have received [Stanley] Cups and gone deep within the playoffs and superstars within the league, so I really feel prefer it’s a resilient group and a number of expertise. You simply choose your self again up, get able to go,” mentioned defenseman Quinn Hughes, who scored the game-winning aim 3:27 into additional time.
Within the first three video games in Milan, Workforce USA had scored 5 targets, then six targets, then 5 once more. However on Wednesday, towards a Swedish crew that had fallen unexpectedly to the No. 7 seed after getting upset within the preliminary stage of the Olympic match, the Individuals wanted heroics on the defensive aspect to remain alive.
U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who final 12 months was named the NHL’s most beneficial participant, saved all however certainly one of Sweden’s 29 photographs on aim. The one, although, got here with simply 91 seconds to play in regulation, on a one-timer from Sweden ahead Mika Zibanejad from the faceoff circle to tie the sport.
Then, a tense, fast-paced 3-on-3 time beyond regulation adopted, ending with the sudden-death aim from Hughes previous the outstretched glove of Sweden’s goaltender, Jacob Markstrom.
Afterward, U.S. teammate Matthew Tkachuk mentioned he wasn’t positive at first if the puck had gone in or bounced off the publish. “However as soon as I heard the roar and [saw] him begin to have a good time, it was positively the very best I’ve jumped since my surgical procedure,” joked Tkachuk, who underwent an operation final summer time to restore a torn adductor muscle and sports activities hernia. “So I may need to get the froth curler out afterwards.”
The Individuals took a 1-0 lead within the second interval when ahead Dylan Larkin redirected a rocket from ahead Jack Hughes (brother of teammate Quinn Hughes) over Markstrom’s shoulder.
However Workforce USA didn’t convert on a number of alternatives to pad that lead, resulting in a tense third interval because the Swedes mounted probability after probability earlier than their late-game equalizer.
“That is what occurs once you put two actually good groups collectively. You suppose that it should be a high-flying offense, but it surely’s truly fairly the other,” mentioned winger Tkachuk. “It took one man to make a play on the finish, and that was Quinn.”
The win means the U.S. males may have the prospect to play for a medal it doesn’t matter what occurs in Friday’s semifinal towards Slovakia. A win will ship the Individuals by way of to the gold medal match on Sunday, whereas a loss would set them up for Saturday’s bronze medal match.
“It may be an enormous, large take a look at for us,” mentioned Tkachuk. “Their goalie’s taking part in unbelievable. Our goalie is taking part in unbelievable. It may make for a hell of a semifinal.”
Canada survives its personal time beyond regulation recreation
On the opposite aspect of the bracket, Canada survived an upset bid by Czechia, who led 3-2 with lower than 8 minutes to play within the third interval. A loss would have been stunning; Canada’s roster is stacked with a lot of the sport’s greatest lively gamers, from three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner Connor McDavid to the 19-year-old phenom Macklin Celebrini.
“It is by no means enjoyable, you understand, six minutes left, them scoring a aim — however that is hockey. It is Olympic hockey,” mentioned Nathan MacKinnon. “We performed a fairly stable recreation. It wasn’t good, however ok.”
Workforce captain Sidney Crosby, who received Olympic gold within the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, left the sport within the second interval with a decrease leg harm after a pair of powerful collisions with Czech gamers. It was unclear if or when Crosby would return.
