USA cruises past Germany 5-1, locks up No. 2 seed and likely draws Sweden in Olympic quarterfinals
The United States finished the preliminary round unbeaten, beating Germany 5-1 in Milan to close out Group C and claim the No. 2 seed in the single-elimination stage. Auston Matthews paced the Americans with two goals and an assist as the roster that entered the tournament among the favorites continued to sharpen its form ahead of knockout play.
Matthews leads methodical win; depth contributes
Captain Auston Matthews was the catalyst in a performance defined more by suffocating structure than by an all-out offensive eruption. Matthews set up Zach Werenski for a late first-period goal, then added a power-play marker early in the second and finished with an assist. Zach Werenski, Brock Faber and Tage Thompson also scored, while Matthew Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson each had two assists. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves to close out the group stage.
Coach Mike Sullivan praised the captain’s two-way commitment, saying the team draws confidence when its top players work in both zones. Matthews’ line with Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy—tattooed with potential but uneven early—showed incremental improvement with better chemistry and sharper reads in the offensive zone. Boldy supplied significant shot volume across the night, helping sustain pressure that limited Germany’s chances.
Seeding sets up heavyweight quarterfinals; Sweden waits in the wings
With Canada earning the overall No. 1 seed, the United States slots in at No. 2 by virtue of goal differential. That placement secures a bye past the qualification round but likely hands the Americans a tough quarterfinal: the winner of the play-in between Sweden (No. 7) and Latvia (No. 10). Sweden’s surprising drop to the play-in bracket means the U. S. could face a top-tier opponent immediately, rather than a lower-ranked team.
Players sounded unfazed by bracket math. Matthew Tkachuk emphasized the group’s focus on winning the night rather than obsessing over seeding, noting the team’s priority was to go 3-0 in group play and avoid extra games. Jack Eichel added that the squad’s best hockey is still ahead, a sentiment reinforced by the steady improvement of lines beyond the top six.
The qualification games are scheduled for Tuesday (ET), with quarterfinals set for Wednesday (ET). Those matchups have the potential to produce medal-level collisions early in the bracket: a matchup between the U. S. and Sweden would amount to a heavyweight clash long before semifinals and finals.
Knockout keys: goaltending, special teams and depth
As the tournament turns single elimination, three elements will matter most for the Americans. First, goaltending consistency—Hellebuyck delivered a composed night in net, and sustaining that level through sudden-death hockey is critical. Second, special teams could swing tight games; the power play provided a timely Matthews tally in Milan. Third, depth scoring and line chemistry will decide whether the U. S. can outlast elite opponents in back-to-back knockout rounds.
Germany, eliminated from top-seed contention, will head into a qualification matchup with France looking to advance, while Switzerland and Italy square off in the other play-in with the winners set to meet higher seeds. For Team USA, the next meaningful test arrives after the play-ins: a single-elimination quarterfinal in Milan that could be the real start of the medal chase.
