2026 Winter Olympics Men's Hockey Results, Live Highlights and Analysis for USA vs. Denmark
It was Showtime, Act II, for the U.S. men's hockey team.
The Americans took a second step toward their first Winter Olympics gold medal since 1980 with a 6-3 victory over Group C rival Denmark at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.
Team USA continues its busy weekend on Sunday with a game against Germany, which lost to Latvia, 4-3, earlier Saturday.
Germany beat Denmark, 3-1, on Thursday.
B/R's hockey staff was in position to take in all Saturday's game action and deliver live highlights and analysis. Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought or two of your own in the app comments.
Game Highlights vs. Denmark
1 of 5
Third Period
GOAL! Jack Hughes continues to excel at the Olympic tournament, as he gets credit for the United States' sixth goal.
GOAL! The US gets an important insurance goal, as Jake Guentzel snipes one off a one-timer at 7:24 of the third period.
Second Period
GOAL! The Danes get one back late in the period from Phillip Brugisser as another long shot beats Swayman at 19:57.
GOAL! The US is starting to pour it on with its third goal of the period, as Noah Hanifin's shot just gets over the goal line to make it 4-2.
GOAL! Jack Eichel gives the Americans the lead with an unassisted goal at 10:23.
GOAL! The USA gets back on even terms off the faceoff, as Brady Tkachuk tallies his second of the Olympics at 9:26.
First Period
GOAL! Denmark retakes the lead after a long-distance shot from Nicholas B. Jensen from center ice gets past Jeremy Swayman at 11:16.
GOAL USA! The United States evens it up with a great wraparound goal from Matt Boldy at 3:35.
GOAL for Denmark! A freak bounce ends up in the back of Jeremy Swayman's net at 1:40 of the first period, as Nick Olesen is credited with the goal.
Pre-Game
The lineups for today's matchup against the Danes
Final Takeaways
2 of 5
Adversity Overcome
Team USA faced more adversity than nearly anyone predicted.
But the Americans handled it well enough to escape with a 6-3 win and sole possession of first place in Group C, a slot they can clinch with a win over Germany on Sunday.
The top teams from groups A, B and C are guaranteed berths in the quarterfinals, to be played on Wednesday and followed by semifinals on Friday.
"It was a tough first period," analyst Ed Olczyk said, "but Team USA stayed with it."
Swayman Struggles Throughout
A 4-1 margin over the final two periods erased the struggles of Swayman, who allowed two goals on Denmark's first four shots early in the first period and three on its first 11 into the second, before stopping all 10 he faced across the final 20 minutes.
Still, it seems unlikely that he gets another starting call, given the presence of an as-yet-unused Jake Oettinger and Hellebuyck, who allowed one goal against Latvia.
"It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish," team captain Auston Matthews said. "He knows we had his back. Those are tough plays sometimes, and they happen. But he hung in there well and played really great the rest of the game."
USA's First Line is Rolling
Offensively, the first forward line of Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk and Matthew Tkachuk combined for two goals and four points, all coming in a crucial second-period stretch that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead that the Americans never relinquished thanks to subsequent goals by Noah Hanifin, Jake Guentzel and Jack Hughes.
The U.S. finished with a 34-14 edge in shots over the final two periods after a modest 13-7 margin in the first.
"A couple of huge goals from that line to get the confidence back and get some breathing room," Olczyk said. "As the game went on they had to get to their game. That changed everything."
Takeaways from the Second Period
3 of 5
OK, now that's more like it. Pretty much.
Team USA played like a heavy favorite and was rewarded for it in the second period, scoring a pair of goals in less than a minute at the midway mark to take its first lead and ultimately end the period with a 4-3 advantage.
The Americans had a 15-4 advantage in shots and won 13 of 15 offensive-zone faceoffs during a stretch.
The success in the dot led directly to the tying and go-ahead goals from first-liners Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel. Those two, along with linemate Matthew Tkachuk, combined for five points in the opening win over Latvia.
Brady Tkachuk's momentum-changing goal came after Eichel won a left-side offensive zone draw and drew the puck back to Tkachuk, who beat Sogaard inside the post to the blocker side at 9:26. Just 57 seconds later, Eichel took a right-side draw and grabbed the puck from a scrum before his wrister went in over Sogaard's glove.
Brady Tkachuk has two goals on four shots and is a plus-2 through five periods in Milan. And the 6'4", 226-pound winger's impact hasn't been limited to the scoresheet.
"He's not wearing a letter for Team USA, but you can see why he wears a 'C' for the Ottawa Senators," analyst Anson Carter said. "He does a little bit of everything."
Noah Hanifin's insurance goal at 17:23 made it three goals in a span of five shots for the Americans, though Denmark did narrow the gap with three seconds left when Phillip Bruggisser's shot from the blue line flew past JT Miller and eluded Swayman.
It was Swayman's third goal allowed on 11 shots.
"You need a save here from Jeremy Swayman," analyst Ed Olczyk said, "but you don't get it."
Takeaways from the First Period
4 of 5
The U.S. was perceived as a dominant force against a team with just a handful of current NHL players, but the first 20 minutes were pockmarked with reasons for concern.
Loose play on the back end—along with some bad luck—led to a Danish goal in the opening two minutes, and the Americans seemed to be squeezing the sticks a bit up front after Swayman's mistake provided what ended as a one-goal deficit after a period.
"It was not a good period for Team USA," analyst Ed Olczyk said.
Team USA held a 13-7 edge in shots and won 15 of 22 faceoffs, but got its lone goal when Matt Boldy took an outlet pass from Quinn Hughes, snatched his own rebound, and wrapped it around the right post after Sogaard strayed too far from the crease and couldn't get back.
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy told The Athletic before the game that the U.S. players had watched Ilia Malinin's disastrous long program on Friday night, during which the prohibitive gold-medal figure skating favorite fell twice and wound up in eighth place.
"We've talked a lot about not letting this opportunity get away from us every four years," McAvoy said. "So, I feel terrible for him that he didn't have his best day on the biggest day, but he'll get another chance. … To bring it back to us, we came here for one reason. We know we have to bring our best every single day."
Boldy, though, didn't seem too concerned. "It's a long game," he said. "We've just got to stay patient, get to our game."
Goaltending Gaffe
5 of 5
It seems like an embarrassment of riches.
But it's not worked out that way so far on Saturday.
Team USA's perceived edge in goal was dented a bit in the early going after Swayman, making his Olympic debut, allowed two goals on the first four shots he faced—including a particularly disheartening wrister from just inside center ice that eluded him at 11:16.
Swayman got the start after reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck faced 18 shots and made 17 mostly low-event saves in the Americans' 5-1 defeat of Latvia on Thursday.
The 27-year-old, in his sixth season with the Boston Bruins, was tied for fifth in wins (22) among NHL goalies at the Olympic break. But he was beaten by Denmark's first shot when it caromed off his pad and into the net after hitting defenseman Zach Werenski's skate.
The second goal was far worse, though, coming when Nicholas Jensen took a stride inside the red line and sent a shot toward the U.S. goal that Swayman failed to pick up through the air.
He leaned to his left and flexed his catching glove, but the puck headed straight over his right shoulder, leaving the rink-side analysts suggesting that he'd been tricked by the Danish player's eyes or lost the puck's flight in the dark color of the boards.
Swayman finished the period with five saves on seven shots.
"That's a terrible feeling," analyst Brian Boucher said. "He knew immediately that he couldn't see it, and at that point, you're just hoping it hits you."
Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger is also on the Team USA roster but has yet to play.
.jpg?w=600 "Post-Lawrence Trade Mock Draft 📝")
