Sweden’s Mika Zibanejad (93) and United States’ JT Miller (10) chase the puck in the course of 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 group’s goals had been one objective away from ending far before they’d hoped.
As an alternative, the People will advance to the Olympic semifinals — and a assured probability to play for what could be the group’s first medal since 2010 — after profitable an extra time thriller 2-1 within the quarterfinal recreation towards Sweden.
“We received 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 loads of expertise. You simply decide your self again up, get able to go,” stated defenseman Quinn Hughes, who scored the game-winning objective 3:27 into additional time.
Within the first three video games in Milan, Group USA had scored 5 targets, then six targets, then 5 once more. However on Wednesday, towards a Swedish group that had fallen unexpectedly to the No. 7 seed after getting upset within the preliminary stage of the Olympic match, the People wanted heroics on the defensive facet to remain alive.
U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who final yr was named the NHL’s most respected participant, saved all however considered one of Sweden’s 29 photographs on objective. 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 extra time adopted, ending with the sudden-death objective from Hughes previous the outstretched glove of Sweden’s goaltender, Jacob Markstrom.
Afterward, U.S. teammate Matthew Tkachuk stated he wasn’t certain 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 fun, it was positively the 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 might need to get the froth curler out afterwards.”
The People 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 Group USA did not 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 is going to be a high-flying offense, nevertheless it’s really fairly the other,” stated winger Tkachuk. “It took one man to make a play on the finish, and that was Quinn.”
The win means the U.S. males could 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 People by way of to the gold medal match on Sunday, whereas a loss would set them up for Saturday’s bronze medal match.
“It should be an enormous, enormous take a look at for us,” stated Tkachuk. “Their goalie’s taking part in unimaginable. Our goalie is taking part in unimaginable. It should make for a hell of a semifinal.”
Canada survives its personal extra time recreation
On the opposite facet 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 many of the sport’s finest energetic 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 already know, six minutes left, them scoring a objective — however that is hockey. It is Olympic hockey,” stated Nathan MacKinnon. “We performed a reasonably stable recreation. It wasn’t excellent, however ok.”
Group 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.
