Quinn Hughes sent the United States men's hockey team through to the semifinals of the 2026 Winter Olympics with a dramatic game-winning goal in overtime of Wednesday's quarterfinal showdown with Sweden.
The Americans held a 1-0 lead for much of the contest but the game went to overtime after a goal by Sweden tied the game with just 1:31 left in regulation. The game, tied 1-1, went into a 10-minute three-on-three extra session where Hughes and the Americans regrouped, controlled overtime and pulled out the win.
Just before the game-winning play, Hughes waved off the American bench, which was calling for him to make a line change. It proved to be a good decision by Hughes, who used his skating and stick-handling to create just enough space for a powerful wrist shot that beat Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom.
Dylan Larkin, who played an exceptional game for the U.S., scored the other goal for the Americans as he turned in his best performance of these Olympics. Larkin started and finished his goal by winning and offensive zone face-off and getting to the front of the net for a deflection on a point shot. Larkin was also key in disrupting Sweden's only power play of the game, which came in the third period.
American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was nearly perfect as he turned away 28 of the 29 Swedish shots that came his way. His best save of the day was a robbery of Swedish winger Lucas Raymond in the second period. Raymond was all alone on the back door when Hellebuyck came sliding across to make a glove save and keep the game scoreless.
It took a dramatic finish, but Team USA is onto the semifinals where it will face Slovakia on Friday. Puck drop for that matchup is set for 3:10 p.m. ET.
The Quinn Hughes Effect
That's what Team USA was missing in the 4 Nations Face-Off last year, and it's why the team was so desperate in trying to push Hughes back from injury to play in that tournament. Hughes is one of the two best defensemen in the world, and he is a major difference maker when the puck is on his stick. Hughes played 27:31 against what is probably the third-best team in the world, assisted on the Americans' lone regulation goal and scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
Hughes skates so well -- and has such high awareness -- that he's rarely out of position defensively. On the rare occasion he is on his back foot, he has the ability to recover with no damage done. That's why coaches trust the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Hughes in every situation, whereas other defensemen of his stature may not get the same treatment.
That overtime period was a true showcase of everything Hughes has to offer from an offensive perspective. In an almost effortless fashion, Hughes is able to keep opponents at an arm's length when he has possession, toying with them until he finds a play to make. This play just happened to be the biggest in U.S. men's hockey since Zach Parise tied the gold medal game in 2010.
Dylan Larkin steps up
Through the first three games of these Olympics, Larkin didn't stand out much. It's easy to get lost in a tournament filled with the best in the world, but Larkin was so good for the Americans in the 4 Nations Face-Off that I was hoping to see more from him in the preliminary round. In this quarterfinal matchup, he was front and center.
Midway through the second period, Larkin started and finished his own goal by winning possession on the face-off and deflecting home a point shot. Larkin's line also created a couple more grade-A offensive chances but just couldn't bury them on Markstrom, who was outstanding. Defensively, Larkin put on a clinic, especially on the penalty kill. With the U.S. protecting a 1-0 lead in the third period, Larkin was deflecting pass after pass to frustratd one of the most dangerous power play units in the tournament.
Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews, contrary to what you may read on social media, have played well throughout the Olympics. If the U.S. can get Larkin to play like this every game as their third center, then it has a real shot to win its next two games and take home a gold medal.
Hellebuyck's heroics
There is no doubt about what Hellebuyck brings on a night-to-night basis in the NHL. He's arguably the best goalie in the world, and he gives the Winnipeg Jets a chance to win every game. It was an easy choice to make him Team USA's top goalie, even when there were a few other good candidates for the job.
Still, there are some questions about Hellebuyck when the lights are at their brightest. His last three playoff stints with the Jets have been nothing short of pitiful. Over his last 23 playoff games, Hellebuyck posted a .873 save percentage with 19.8 goals allowed above average, per Natural Stat Trick. Team USA needed him to be at his best when the pressure was on at the Olympics, and he delivered against Sweden.
On a couple of occasions in the quarterfinal, Swedish winger Lucas Raymond got behind the American defense, and Hellebuyck was there to make the save each time. The biggest stop of the game came in the second period when Raymond fired a quick shot off a backdoor pass and Hellebuyck slid across to make a spectacular glove save. If that shot went in, this game could have gone very differently.
Now, the U.S. will need a couple more superstar performances from Hellebuyck, who has to be brimming with confidence after this outing.
