USA Beats Germany To Advance to Men's Hockey Quarterfinals at 2022 Winter Olympics

The United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics following a 3-2 victory over Germany.

The win also secures Team USA the top seed in the playoff round after the U.S. won all three of its preliminary-round games.

Only two minutes into the contest, the United States found itself behind by a goal. Patrick Hager capitalized on a power play and got his stick on a pass by Matthias Plachta to beat American goaltender Drew Commesso.

Steven Kampfer returned the favor later in the period when a penalty to Lean Bergmann put Team USA on the power play. Kampfer's slap shot eluded Danny aus den Birken in the German net.

The score remained deadlocked heading into the first intermission.

With 4:50 off the clock in the second period, Matt Knies was in the right place at the right time to poke home the United States' second goal. The Germans' review for interference prior to the goal was unsuccessful, giving the U.S. a 2-1 advantage.

While the United States was generally in control prior to the third period, a one-goal lead still left the team in a vulnerable position. Germany was only one shot away from turning the game on its head again.

Nathan Smith provided some much needed breathing room less than three minutes into the period. The puck got loose in the German zone, and Smith pounced with a backhand effort.

Smith's goal forced Germany to take the handbrake off and attack, but the Germans were unable to break down the U.S. defense. The United States also used its speed to press the puck-handler to prevent its opponents from building any momentum going forward.

Tom Kuhnhackl made things interesting after scoring with 2:29 left in the game. The game became frenzied in the final minute after Germany pulled its goaltender. The United States managed to hold on and deny the Germans' comeback attempt.

Heading into the Olympics, it was tough to gauge how Team USA would perform in Beijing with a roster missing the best American stars from the NHL. All but nine of David Quinn's players are 23 years old or younger.

So far, the U.S. has far exceeded everybody's expectations. The road to gold won't get any easier in the playoff round, but ending a drought that dates back to 1980 seems well within reach.