After a shaky start, the Americans found their rhythm behind Jack Eichel and Brady Tkachuk, scoring five of the final six goals to secure a 6–3 win and stay undefeated at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
MILAN — It wasn’t a masterpiece, but it was another win.
Team USA shook off a sluggish start and overwhelmed Denmark 6–3 on Saturday, preserving its unbeaten record in preliminary-round play at the 2026 Winter Olympics. What began as another uneasy opening period quickly transformed into an emphatic reminder of the Americans’ depth and firepower.
Trailing 2–1 after 20 minutes, the United States needed a spark — and found it in a familiar place. The line centered by Jack Eichel alongside brothers Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk tilted the game in a span of seconds.
Off an offensive zone faceoff early in the second period, Brady Tkachuk pounced first, wiring a wrist shot through traffic to level the score. Before Denmark could reset, Eichel mirrored the sequence from the opposite circle. Another clean draw, another loose puck, another decisive release — this one blasting past Danish netminder Mads Sogaard to hand the Americans their first lead of the afternoon.
The surge was timely, because the opening frame once again exposed defensive looseness. Jeremy Swayman, drawing the start with Connor Hellebuyck getting the day off, endured a frustrating gme. Two of Denmark’s three goals were preventable, none more glaring than a long-range effort from Nicholas Jensen that drifted in from center ice and slipped over Swayman’s shoulder — a momentum-jarring moment that briefly energized the underdogs.
But the Americans dug deep and seized control of the game.
Noah Hanifin delivered the eventual game-winner with determined persistence, following his own blocked attempt and sliding the rebound through Sogaard’s pads. From there, the depth advantage took over. Jake Guentzel and Jack Hughes added third period insurance, capping a dominant stretch in which the United States outscored Denmark 5–1 after falling behind.
The result positions the Americans firmly in the race for a top two seed entering the knockout stage. An undefeated preliminary run is now within reach, with a showdown looming against Leon Draisaitl and Germany on Sunday afternoon — a final test before the medal round begins. Then, we'll see who's truly the best in the world.
