usa hockey: Quinn Hughes OT Winner Sends Team USA Past Sweden in Quarterfinal

Quinn Hughes capped a tense quarterfinal with a 3-on-3 overtime goal 3: 27 into extra time, lifting Team USA to a 2-1 victory over Sweden and into the Olympic semifinals. The clash was defined by goaltending duels, late drama and a last-minute equalizer from Sweden that forced the extra session.

Hughes ends it in sudden death; U. S. advances to face Slovakia

Hughes finished the decisive play in overtime, steering the puck home to send the Americans through to a Friday semifinal (ET) matchup with Slovakia. The winning strike completed a tight, low-scoring contest in which both goaltenders were tested repeatedly.

Dylan Larkin opened the scoring midway through the second period with a redirection from close range. The goal came off a Jack Hughes point shot that Larkin expertly tipped in after winning a key faceoff and finding space in front of the net. The U. S. carried that 1-0 lead into late in the third, only to see Sweden pull its goalie and Mika Zibanejad finish a scramble by poking in the equalizer with 1: 31 left on the clock.

Goaltending duel and key absences shaped the game

Connor Hellebuyck was steady for the U. S., making several timely saves that kept Sweden at bay until the extra-attacker tally. He stood tall on high-danger chances and absorbed a barrage from one of Sweden’s most dangerous forwards throughout regulation and overtime.

On the other side, Jacob Markström turned aside 37 shots and was central to Sweden’s resistance. He had to take the start despite having played the night before in a playoff-round win, and his workload kept Sweden within striking distance. Sweden also played without veteran defenseman Victor Hedman after he suffered a lower-body injury in warmups, a loss that altered their defensive posture and lineup balance.

Lucas Raymond proved a persistent threat, ending the night with multiple shots and several dangerous rushes. Hellebuyck denied him on a breakaway late in the first and again on a high-danger backdoor chance early in the second, moments that swung momentum back toward the Americans.

What it means for Team USA and next steps

The victory keeps the United States on the gold-medal path and preserves a deep, well-balanced roster that has leaned on experienced NHL talent. Coach Mike Sullivan praised his players’ effort after the game, calling it a great hockey match and expressing pride in how his team handled a matchup with a top international opponent. He said the squad would enjoy the win before turning focus to Slovakia.

Line combinations that featured the Hughes brothers and Dylan Larkin provided much of the offensive push, with Larkin’s experience and faceoff dominance repeatedly creating chances. Defensively, the U. S. relied on structured zone coverage and Hellebuyck’s composure in one-on-one situations to neutralize Swedish rushes.

Looking ahead to the semifinal on Friday (ET), the Americans will need to recover quickly and fine-tune special teams play; the late equalizer exposed how costly a lapse can be against elite opponents. For Sweden, questions now center on the health of key veterans and how coaches will reconfigure the lineup after missing Hedman.

In a tournament already delivering tight, heroic games, this quarterfinal provided another intense chapter — one decided by a single skillful finish in sudden death and the goaltending that made it possible to reach that moment.