USA Hockey Cruises Past Germany 5-1, Clinches Group C and Quarterfinal Bye

MILAN — The U. S. men's Olympic ice hockey team delivered a dominant performance in its final preliminary game, defeating Germany 5-1 at Milano Santagiulia Arena to secure first place in Group C and a direct path to the quarterfinals.

Matthews leads the way; Hellebuyck steadies the net

Team captain Auston Matthews was the driving force, finishing with three points on two goals and an assist. He opened his night by setting up Zach Werenski's late first-period strike — a wrister that beat the German goaltender with just nine seconds remaining in the period — and later converted a second-period power-play rebound to extend the lead.

Matthews added his second goal of the game in the third period, redirecting a shot from Jake Sanderson inside the crease to seal the scoring. The captain’s two goals and one assist underscored his impact on both the scoreboard and in generating momentum for the U. S.

Between the pipes, Connor Hellebuyck was steady and timely, finishing with 23 saves. His highlight came late in the first period when he flashed the glove with 3: 11 left to deny a high-quality chance and preserve the scoreless deadlock until Werenski’s breakaway marker.

Balanced attack and special-teams edge push U. S. past Germany

The Americans brought balanced scoring and physical play throughout the 60 minutes. Jake Guentzel nearly opened the scoring early in the game with a dangerous chance from the slot, and Brock Faber pushed the lead further in the second when his point shot deflected off the German goaltender and into the net.

Depth contributions continued in the third: Tage Thompson rifled home a one-timer off a feed from Dylan Larkin at 1: 55 to make it 4-0, and although Germany got on the board when Tim Stützle cut the margin to 4-1 midway through the period, Matthews’ late deflection restored a comfortable cushion.

The U. S. outshot Germany 37-24 and finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while the opposition was 0-for-3 with the man advantage. The combination of a steady goalie performance, opportunistic scoring and disciplined defense made the difference.

What’s next: quarterfinal timing and rest day

With the preliminary round concluded, the U. S. earned a bye to the quarterfinal round and will face the winner of the playoff between Sweden and Latvia. That quarterfinal is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 3: 10 p. m. ET at Milano Santagiulia Arena.

Head coach Mike Sullivan praised the effort, calling it the team’s most complete outing of the tournament and noting the importance of recovery before the knockout stage. The roster will have a day off to recuperate and prepare game plans for the quarterfinal opponent.

Sunday’s victory provided a strong statement as the knockout rounds approach: the U. S. team has firepower up front, a reliable backbone in goal and the defensive structure to support both. As the bracket tightens, those attributes will be tested anew in single-elimination play.