It looked like Team USA was going to advance to the men’s hockey semifinals at the Winter Olympics, but Sweden had other plans, which gives us a lesson in why it can be never assume victory in hockey. Mika Zibanejad scored with 1:31 left on the clock on a shot by the goalie, sending the game into overtime. From there, Quinn Hughes became Team USA’s hero, launching a shot past Jacob Markstrom off a partial screen by Auston Matthews to give the USA the victory and advance to the semifinals.
It wasn’t a pretty victory, but pretty doesn’t matter. It was a back-and-forth game that took more than 60 minutes to finish, the third overtime game on Wednesday.
The first goal of the game came in the second half, courtesy of Dylan Larkin, who accurately deflected a shot from Jack Hughes to break through.
Sweden put up a huge fight, but strategically it was an expected performance from Team USA, who played a game that was an extension of what they’ve done for much of this tournament. Tough forechecking, combined with a disciplined defense that didn’t allow many quality chances against Connor Hellebuyck. It helped that Sweden booked this game with a strangely timid offense that too often wasted 50/50 scoring opportunities to try to make an extra pass, which worked in the USA’s favor, considering their defense was designed to hinder passing lanes and take away opportunities.
Team USA’s victory capped an unconvincing day of hockey in Milan, with Canada and Finland also needing overtime to outscore their opponents. It sets the United States up for a semifinal against Slovakia, which earned a beneficial draw in the quarterfinals to demolish Germany 6-2.
Of the remaining matches, there is no doubt that the United States has the most difficult path based on their style of play. Canada will face Finland in the semifinals, with whom it plays very well. Finland plays a delicate game that Canada can exploit, while Slovakia is the more physical team that can legitimately give the United States a run for its money. The next games will be on Friday with the semifinals, then the bronze medal game on Saturday night, before the games close with the men’s gold medal game on Sunday.