Despite a last minute scare, Team USA managed to advance past Team Sweden in the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, winning 2-1 in overtime thanks to a Quinn Hughes goal. The USA led for nearly 30 minutes after a second period goal, but Sweden managed to get on the board with an extra attacker with just 1:31 left in regulation. Three Carolina Hurricanes Will Play For Medals At 2026 Winter Olympics The Americans probably could have finished out the game in 60 minutes though if they had just followed one simple principle: play Jaccob Slavin when you want to protect a lead. Slavin had another great showing on the international stage, logging 18:10 (an Olympic high) in the win. The Carolina Hurricanes star defenseman just has a way of erasing plays with such ease and he was able to neutralize quite a few Swedish chances, including a 2-on-1 late in the game. The crazy thing is that Slavin got a piece of the initial shot, the rebound popped back out to the other guy and then he got a piece of that one too. He's one of the best defensive defensemen in the entire NHL and the more he plays on this type of stage, the more clear that becomes. Now he'll try and help the Americans advance to the gold medal match as they are set to face Team Slovakia in the semifinals. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECENT ARTICLES Milan Winter Olympics Men's Ice Hockey Schedule: When To See Your Favorite Carolina Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/milan-winter-olympics-men-s-ice-hockey-schedule-when-to-see-your-favorite-carolina-hurricanes] From Naptime To Prime Time: How One Phone Call Changed Everything For Newly Olympic Bound Seth Jarvis [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/from-naptime-to-prime-time-how-one-phone-call-changed-everything-for-newly-olympic-bound-seth-jarvis] Which Olympians Have Ties To The Carolina Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/which-olympians-have-ties-to-the-carolina-hurricanes] Jordan Staal Providing Valuable Depth Scoring, Power Play Boost For Carolina [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/players/jordan-staal-providing-valuable-depth-scoring-power-play-boost-for-carolina] Have Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho Finally Clicked For Carolina? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/have-andrei-svechnikov-and-sebastian-aho-finally-clicked-for-carolina] Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2fc97c03-6cff-45e8-ae59-23b0632dfa24.jpeg] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwmeDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
