olympic mens hockey: Quinn Hughes' OT goal sends USA past Sweden into semifinals
Quinn Hughes finished a tense, tightly contested quarterfinal by converting 3: 27 into 3-on-3 overtime as Team USA edged Sweden 2-1 to reach the semifinals of the Olympic mens hockey tournament. The victory advances the Americans to a Friday semifinal against Slovakia.
How the game unfolded
The matchup, which began in the afternoon local window at 3: 10 p. m. ET, featured two elite rosters built around strong goaltending and skilled forward groups. The United States struck first midway through the second period when Dylan Larkin redirected a point shot into the net off a feed from Jack Hughes, giving the U. S. a 1-0 lead. For long stretches the contest was a goaltenders' duel; both netminders turned aside dangerous chances and kept the game within one goal.
Sweden pushed back hard late. With their net empty, Mika Zibanejad forced overtime by scoring with 1: 31 remaining in regulation, pulling Sweden even and sending the game to 3-on-3 play. The extra-attacker goal was the only blemish on a defensive night for the Americans, who had done much of the heavy lifting through two periods.
Overtime and turning points
Three-on-three overtime rewarded the team that seized space and tempo first. Quinn Hughes found that moment, finishing a sequence to beat the Swedish goaltender 3: 27 into OT and sparking jubilant celebration from the American bench. The goal capped an intense matchup that saw excellent individual battles throughout the lines.
Connor Hellebuyck stood tall for the United States, making several high-quality saves that kept the scoreline favorable into the final minutes of regulation. On the other end, Jacob Markström delivered a heavy workload for Sweden with 37 saves, keeping his team alive until the very end despite fatigue from recent back-to-back appearances.
Implications and what comes next
The U. S. moves on to the semifinals, where they will meet Slovakia on Friday. The win will be a significant confidence boost for the Americans, who leaned on their defensive structure and timely offense in a knockout game environment. For Sweden, the loss will prompt reflection after an otherwise strong tournament showing; they were missing one veteran defenseman who sustained a lower-body injury during warmups and did not play, a development that altered their defensive depth.
Key storyline threads heading into the semifinal: the resilience of the American goaltending, the chemistry among the top forward lines—highlighted by the connection between Jack Hughes and Dylan Larkin—and how well each team manages fatigue and roster health in the final days of the tournament. The U. S. will aim to carry momentum from this narrow, hard-fought victory into Friday's matchup, while Slovakia will prepare to counter with its own tactical plan.
The quarterfinal offered a reminder that at this level margin is razor-thin: a redirected point shot, a late equalizer from an extra attacker, and one decisive play in overtime were enough to determine which team advanced. With the medal rounds now within reach, every decision from lineup choices to in-game adjustments will be magnified as teams chase Olympic hardware.
