quinn hughes nets overtime winner as Team USA reaches Olympic hockey semifinal
Quinn Hughes delivered a sudden-death dagger Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET), scoring in overtime to give the United States a gritty 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Sweden and a spot in the Olympic men’s hockey semifinal.
How the game unfolded
The contest was tight from the opening puck drop, with both netminders blanking the scoresheet through the first half of the matchup. The breakthrough came late in the second period when Jack Hughes unleashed a wrister that was redirected by Dylan Larkin and caromed past Sweden’s Jakob Markstrom to put the Americans ahead 1-0. That goal stood until the closing stages of regulation.
Sweden pressed aggressively in the third period and nearly equalized on multiple chances, including a critical post by Adrian Kempe with about 2: 30 remaining. With roughly 100 seconds left, Sweden pulled Markstrom for the extra attacker. The move paid off 10 seconds later when Mika Zibanejad hammered a one-timer from a feed by Lucas Raymond to knot the score at 1-1. The game moved to a 10-minute, 3-on-3 sudden-death overtime session.
Overtime heroics and what it means next
Both teams struggled to connect in the early moments of overtime. The Americans missed on their first five attempts in the extra period, but on their sixth push Quinn Hughes fired a shot that beat the goaltender and caromed off the inside of the post across the goal line, triggering wild celebrations and sending the United States into the semifinal.
Goaltender Connor Hellyebuck finished with 28 saves in regulation, while the victorious side’s defensive effort and opportunistic offense proved decisive when it mattered most. The U. S. will now meet Slovakia in the semifinal stage on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026 (ET). On the other side of the bracket, Canada and Finland each advanced after overtime wins, setting up a highly anticipated matchup that same day.
Context and tournament implications
Thursday’s slate showcased the razor-thin margins in this Olympic tournament: of the four quarterfinals played that day, three were decided in overtime. The Americans’ win keeps their medal hopes alive and sets up a semifinal that will test depth, special-teams execution and goaltending under pressure. The winners of Friday’s semifinals will meet for gold on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 (ET) — a date that marks the 46th anniversary of the famous 1980 U. S. victory known as the "Miracle on Ice. "
While individual moments won the headlines — Jack Hughes’ second-period redirection, the late Swedish equalizer, and Quinn Hughes’ sudden-death finish — the tournament narrative remains centered on resilience and clutch execution. The Americans’ ability to survive waves of pressure and seize a decisive chance in overtime will be key as they shift focus to Slovakia and the looming task of navigating two more do-or-die games for a shot at Olympic gold.
