Team USA cruises past Germany, clinches Group C and prepares for likely Sweden quarterfinal

MILAN — Auston Matthews led a composed American performance in a 5-1 victory over Germany on Sunday night at Santagiulia Arena, sending the United States through the preliminary round undefeated and into a quarterfinal bye as the No. 2 seed. The result secured a top position in Group C but means a likely showdown with Sweden in the single-elimination bracket.

How the game unfolded

The United States controlled the tempo from the opening minutes and finished with a 37-? shot advantage, eight of them from Matt Boldy. Matthews notched two goals and an assist, while defenseman Zach Werenski, Brock Faber and forward Tage Thompson also scored. Matthew Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson each chipped in two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 23 shots to close out the win.

Germany’s offense managed a single goal from Tim Stützle, and goaltender Maximilian Franzreb made 32 saves in defeat. The Americans came into the game knowing they needed a massive goal-margin swing to claim the No. 1 seed, but instead played with a measured focus: win the group and avoid the play-in games. "We just wanted to win so we could win the group, " Matthew Tkachuk said. "Seeding stuff, all that handles itself, right? You're going to play everybody if you want to win your ultimate goal. But our goal coming in was to go 3-0 in group play, check that box and move on, don't have to play in the play-in stuff. We accomplished that and we have a lot more to accomplish now. "

Coach Mike Sullivan praised Matthews’ all-around performance. "It's getting better with every game, and those guys are building chemistry, " Sullivan said, pointing to the captain's two-way commitment and leadership on the ice. Jack Eichel added a forward-looking note: "I think the best from our group is still yet to come. "

Seeding shakeup and the path ahead (all times ET)

The U. S. finished group play undefeated at 3-0 and with a plus-11 goal differential, which places it behind the top-seeded Canada (plus-17). That positioning hands the Americans a bye into the quarterfinals, but not an easy draw. Slovakia’s surprise first-place finish in Group B reshuffled expectations across the bracket and set up potentially marquee matchups early in the knockout phase.

Qualification games are scheduled for Tuesday (ET), with the winners advancing to meet the top four seeds in the quarterfinals on Wednesday (ET). The United States is slated to face the winner of the Sweden vs. Latvia play-in, meaning a Sweden matchup is the probable next test after Sweden fell to the No. 7 seed in preliminary standings. Other projected pairings include the top seed drawing the Czechia/Denmark winner and the remaining quarterfinals matching Slovakia, Finland and other qualifiers based on Tuesday’s results. Semifinals fall on Friday (ET), and the medal games take place Saturday and Sunday (ET).

What’s next for Team USA

With the group objective met, attention now turns to preparing for single-elimination hockey, where matchups and momentum both matter. The Americans will have a short turnaround: watch the qualification games on Tuesday (ET), finalize opponent scouting and then head into a quarterfinal on Wednesday (ET). The coaching staff must balance line tweaks against the need to preserve energy and sharpen special-teams execution.

Key positives for the U. S. include stronger chemistry among the top lines, a dependable performance from the goaltender and depth scoring beyond the stars. Areas to monitor are power-play efficiency — Germany went 0-for on the man-advantage in this game — and maintaining focus through tighter, higher-stakes play. "The confidence just continues to grow within our group, " Matthews said. "Each game we've taken steps in the right direction of where we want to grow our game going into the quarterfinals. It's good to see. "

As the knockout rounds approach, the simple truth remains: to reach the podium someone will have to beat a great team. For the United States, the climb continues Wednesday (ET), and the margin for error will shrink with every round.