U.S. males’s hockey crew cruises to 5-1 win over Latvia of their first recreation of 2026 Winter Olympics

The U.S. aim tune — “Free Chook” by Lynyrd Skynyrd — blared seven instances over area audio system on Thursday evening. Twice, the celebration was solely short-lived. 

Bouncing again from having a pair of objectives worn out by coach’s challenges, the U.S. opened the Olympics by rolling previous Latvia 5-1 in a dominant showcase of a number of the nation’s finest NHL gamers. Brock Nelson scored twice, 4 gamers had two assists apiece, and there was manufacturing up and down the lineup.

“We imagine within the depth we have now,” winger Jake Guentzel stated. “There’s good gamers on each line. That is simply the place American hockey is true now.”

After a bizarre first interval with a few video critiques and a tying aim by Latvia, the Individuals discovered their groove and for lengthy stretches barely let their opponents have the puck. The U.S. outshot Latvia 38-18 and wanted starter Connor Hellebuyck to make solely 17 saves. 

“I felt like we managed the play,” heart Jack Eichel stated. “We will proceed to get higher each recreation on this event, each interval on this event. That is our aim, and it is a good begin for us.”

Elvis Merzlikins was underneath siege on the different finish, and after Nelson’s second aim he sat within the crease together with his head bowed in his lap. An odd-man rush turned a model of the Harlem Globetrotters on ice with cross after cross: Jack Hughes to brother Quinn to Matthew Tkachuk, again to Jack after which to Nelson to faucet right into a half-open web with 11.1 seconds left within the second interval.

“I do not assume there’s a lot to do,” Merzlikins stated. “If that man would not rating, in all probability the opposite man would rating as a result of I felt fully two open guys, and it is exhausting to save lots of one thing like that.”

Brady Tkachuk scored the primary U.S. aim of the event lower than six minutes in, and Tage Thompson roofed a nifty backhander on the facility play, making coach Mike Sullivan look good for placing the 6-foot-6 winger on the loaded prime unit. 4 objectives on 32 pictures was sufficient to chase Merzlikins, who was pulled to begin the third for Arturs Silovs.

Captain Auston Matthews welcomed Silovs to the Olympics with a power-play aim, assisted on by Eichel and Quinn Hughes. Every of them had two assists, together with Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Hughes.

“I simply assume the depth that we have now, it confirmed,” Brady Tkachuk stated. “I believed everyone performed an incredible recreation tonight. You simply see the buy-in. You see the buy-in of each line enjoying the best manner.”

Chatting with CBS Information after the sport, Jack Hughes famous that the smaller ice rink used within the Winter Olympics has not been a significant challenge.

“Speaking about it beforehand, you assume it will be a a lot greater deal,” Jack Hughes stated. “You realize, so, the rink’s fairly good. I am certain because the event will get alongside, the ice will get higher. Whenever you’re on the market, the scale is not too huge of a distinction.”  

And requested by CBS Information concerning the NHL’s in-season pause through the Olympics, and whether or not he believes Olympic hockey is healthier, Thompson responded: “I simply assume it is best on finest, you recognize, I believe any time you are taking all the very best hockey gamers and having them symbolize their nation, there comes one other degree of delight once you put on your colours. And clearly, the depth will get heightened.”  

The U.S. performs Denmark on Saturday evening earlier than wrapping up the preliminary spherical 24 hours later in opposition to Germany.