usa hockey: Quinn Hughes' overtime winner sends U.S. to Olympic semifinals

Quinn Hughes finished a tense quarterfinal duel with a 3-on-3 overtime goal 3: 27 into the extra session, lifting the United States to a 2-1 victory over Sweden and a berth in the Olympic semifinals. The win ends a tight, defensive game that swung on a handful of high-leverage plays and outstanding goaltending.

How the game unfolded

The decisive sequence came in sudden death overtime when Hughes found space and finished to end a game that had been locked at 1-1 through 60 minutes. The U. S. opened the scoring midway through the second period when Dylan Larkin tipped home a point-blank redirection off a Jack Hughes shot. That lead held until late in the third, when Sweden pulled its goaltender and Mika Zibanejad converted the extra-attacker chance with just 1: 31 remaining to force overtime.

Sweden was missing a veteran presence on the blue line after a key defenseman was ruled out with a lower-body injury sustained in warmups. The absence reshaped matchup decisions and daily rotations for the Swedes, who still leaned heavily on their veteran netminder, who turned aside 37 shots and kept his team alive through the late stages.

Star performances and pivotal moments

Goaltending dominated the matchup. The U. S. netminder was steady from start to finish, turning aside several dangerous chances from Sweden’s top forward, who finished with five shots including multiple rush opportunities. A late first-period breakaway was stymied by a calm, technical save, and another back-door chance in the second was blocked with a sprawling pad stop.

Sweden’s starter, despite a heavy workload coming into the game, delivered 37 saves and matched the U. S. stopper shot for shot for long stretches. Those saves were critical, keeping the scoreline within reach until the extra-attacker goal in the final minutes.

On the American side, Larkin’s redirected tally underscored the value of net-front positioning and faceoff-winning strength—his line consistently created the highest-danger chances for the team. The Hughes brothers again factored prominently in the attack, combining with teammates who have trained together regularly in the off-season to build chemistry evident on the Olympic ice.

Head coach Mike Sullivan after the game: "It was a great hockey game and I could not be more proud of our guys. We beat an excellent hockey team in Sweden. We'll enjoy tonight, and then turn our attention to Slovakia. "

What's next: a quick turnaround and a semifinal test

The United States advances to face Slovakia in the semifinals on Friday (ET). Turnaround clocks will be tight; recovery, matchup preparation and managing minutes for veteran players who have seen heavy workloads will be priorities in the next 48 hours.

For Sweden, the loss ends a campaign hampered by late-game misfortune and untimely injury. Their path out of the tournament will shift to reflection on late tactics and how the roster adapts when a top defenseman isn’t in the lineup.

For the U. S., the overtime victory adds momentum and pressure in equal measure: momentum from surviving a top-tier opponent in a knockout setting, and pressure to maintain the defensive discipline and goaltending edge that proved decisive. The semifinal will present a different challenge in style and pace; the Americans will need the same combination of goaltending resilience, clutch finishing and special-teams composure to keep their medal hopes alive.