U.S. Cruises Past Germany to Finish Group Play Unbeaten, Draws Likely Sweden Test in Quarterfinals
The United States completed a perfect run through the preliminary round with a methodical 5-1 victory over Germany in Milan on Sunday night ET, locking up the No. 2 seed for the single-elimination phase. Auston Matthews led the way with two goals and an assist while Connor Hellebuyck steadied the net with 23 saves as the Americans advanced without dropping a game.
Unbeaten group finish and seeding realities
The win sealed a 3-0 record for the Americans and an automatic bye into the quarterfinals. Even with the dominant result, the team never chased seeding math: they would have needed an unlikely 10-goal margin to overtake the top seed, so the focus remained squarely on finishing strong and building momentum. Captain Auston Matthews stressed growth and chemistry as the primary takeaways, while his line mates and defensemen highlighted tightening play on both ends.
Goal differential ultimately left the U. S. second in the bracket, but that position brings no easy outs. The Americans will face the winner of the qualification game between Sweden and Latvia on Wednesday (ET) if Sweden advances, a matchup many expect. The qualification games run Tuesday (ET), quarterfinals are Wednesday (ET), semifinals Friday (ET) and the medal games conclude Saturday and Sunday (ET).
Key contributors and a stabilizing goaltender
Matthews' two-goal, one-assist night was the centerpiece, but the performance had several important supporting notes. Matthew Tkachuk chipped in two assists and consistently set a physical tone; Zach Werenski opened the scoring with a smart finish off a Matthews cross-ice feed; Brock Faber and Tage Thompson also lit the lamp. Jake Sanderson and other defensemen moved the puck well, contributing to transition chances and limiting extended pressure in their own end.
In goal, Connor Hellebuyck delivered the type of confident outing the coaching staff wanted after a shaky start from the other starter the previous night. Hellebuyck tracked pucks crisply and absorbed traffic, allowing only a single goal on Tim Stutzle’s finish for Germany. The netminder's bounce-back performance drew praise from the bench and helped calm a team focused on sharpening details ahead of knockout hockey.
Looking ahead: Sweden looms as a stiff challenge
If Sweden emerges from its qualification matchup, the United States will meet a roster stocked with skill and familiarity from NHL matchups. U. S. players acknowledged Sweden’s depth and puck-moving ability and warned that this quarterfinal would be a true test of where the American group stands in terms of execution and discipline. Defenseman Zach Werenski noted the previous hard-fought meetings against the Swedes and emphasized the need to match pace and structure.
Coaching staff comments stressed the incremental improvements seen across the three preliminary games — better defensive reads, more consistent forechecking and improved special teams execution — but also made clear there is still work to do. The tournament’s single-elimination format means the Americans must bring their best game to each knockout contest; this group has shown the tools to do it, but obstacles are coming quickly.
For now, the mood in the U. S. camp is quietly confident. The team accomplished its short-term objective: finish group play unbeaten and avoid the extra qualification round. With key players finding form and goaltending stabilizing, the Americans head into the next phase aware that the path to a medal will include at least one matchup against a top-tier opponent — and that there is little margin for error in the days ahead.
