Quinn Hughes' overtime wrist shot sends U.S. to Olympic men's hockey semifinals
quinn hughes fired a rising wrist shot in overtime that beat Sweden’s goaltender and gave the United States a 2-1 quarterfinal victory, a result that advances the Americans to the Olympic semifinals and keeps their gold-medal chances alive.
Quinn Hughes' overtime wrist shot
The puck left Quinn Hughes’ stick with blistering speed and climbed as it approached the net before slipping past Jacob Markström’s left glove. The goal came with 6: 33 left in extra time and prompted an immediate celebration from the player and the crowd at the Milano Santagiulia arena.
Late Sweden equalizer and goaltending performance
Sweden tied the game late in regulation after pulling its goalie to gain a man advantage; a cross-ice pass led to Mika Zibanejad one-timing the puck into the net with 91 seconds remaining in the third period. The tying goal forced extra time after the Americans had taken the lead on a second-period deflection by Dylan Larkin off a shot from Jack Hughes.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck finished with 28 saves on 29 shots, including several significant stops that kept the U. S. in the game during regulation and created the chance for overtime resolution.
quinn hughes' postgame remarks and reaction
After the game, quinn hughes described relief and enjoyment being with his teammates, and he offered an emphatic expression of pride in representing the United States. His remarks followed the dramatic finish and were audible in the postgame setting.
Semifinal outlook and stakes
The U. S. will face Slovakia in one semifinal on Friday. A win in that game would guarantee the Americans a medal in the tournament; a loss would leave them competing for bronze. Canada and Finland meet in the other semifinal earlier the same day, preserving the possibility of a Canada–United States matchup later in the tournament.
From a practical perspective, the U. S. advances with momentum but also with a warning: the team needed extra time to solve Sweden, one of the tournament squads made up entirely of NHL players. The Americans are 4-0 in the tournament entering the semifinal, and that record now faces its stiffest test yet against a Slovakia side described by players as competitive, fast and playing with desperation.
Key takeaways
- Final score: United States 2, Sweden 1 (overtime).
- Overtime winner: Quinn Hughes, 6: 33 into extra time.
- U. S. goaltender: 28 saves on 29 shots.
- Next game: U. S. vs. Slovakia in the semifinal on Friday; a win guarantees a medal.
The victory offered both immediate relief and a clear path forward: the Americans move on to a high-stakes semifinal with medal implications, and the team will need to convert the momentum from the overtime winner into a disciplined performance against Slovakia. If the U. S. can reproduce strong goaltending and timely offense, the current run of results suggests they will remain in contention for the tournament’s top spots; if those elements slip, the margin for error will shrink significantly.
