It wasn’t the beatdown they expected, but Team USA hockey defeated Denmark 6-3 on Saturday to remain undefeated at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The U.S. fired 47 shots on Denmark’s goalies, Mads Sogaard — who exited the game in the third period with an apparent injury — and Frederik Dichow. The U.S. sits atop Group C at the Olympics with two wins.
Jack Eichel had a team-high two points (one goal, one assist) as 13 different Americans got on the scoresheet.
A rocky start
The Americans got off to a poor start and trailed 2-1 at the first intermission. They surrendered the opening goal just 1:40 in after Zach Werenski failed to clear the zone.
But it was goaltender Jeremy Swayman’s mishap a few minutes later that became a talking point throughout the first half of Saturday’s game.
Danish defenseman Nicholas B. Jensen beat Swayman with a long wrist shot from center ice. Though replays suggested that the puck may have grazed the shin of American forward Matt Boldy, Swayman missed the puck. He had a clear view of Jensen’s shot and didn’t make the easy save.
As amNewYork’s Noah Strang suggested earlier, the Americans opted to rest Connor Hellebuyck in the first half of their back-to-back. The U.S. will face Germany on Sunday, and you’d have to assume head coach Mike Sullivan will give Jake Oettinger the backup duties in what will be the Americans’ toughest test of their preliminary slate.
Swayman surrendered another long goal late in the second period. In the middle frame’s waning moments, Danish defenseman Phillip Bruggisser scored on a point shot. Bruggisser’s goal came after Vincent Trocheck lost a late defensive zone faceoff, and J.T. Miller obstructed Swayman’s view of the shot.
American talent, depth prevails
The American talent finally tipped the scales in their favor in the third period, as Jake Guentzel buried a one-timer from the slot off a pass from captain Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes banked one in off Dichow to put the game out of reach.
Team USA initially took the lead on a couple of faceoff plays 0:57 apart midway through the second period, finished by Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel. Noah Hanifin scored what would stand as the game-winner as he squeaked a rebound through Sogaard late in the middle frame.
Team USA will look to clinch the top spot in Group C tomorrow, as they face Leon Draisaitl and Team Germany. One thing to note: Latvia and Germany are both 1-1, but the U.S. has the best goal differential thus far at +7. That matters in determining the final standings, so they’ll need to continue building on that Sunday to earn a bye to the quarterfinals.
Puck drop between the U.S. and Germany on Sunday is at 3:10 p.m. ET.
