On Friday (Feb. 20), Team USA battled Slovakia in the second semifinal of the 2026 Winter Olympics to determine which team would play Canada in the gold medal match on Sunday (Feb. 22). This match wasn’t much of a battle as the The United States recorded an impressive 6-2 victory.
USA opened the scoring 4:19 into the opening frame. Dylan Larkin came in and shot. Then Tage Thompson extended the lead with a one-timer on the power play, and they took that lead into the first intermission.
USA put the game away in the second period with two goals 19 seconds apart to make it 4-0 thanks to Jack Hughes and Jack Eichel. Hughes then added his second of the match to take a 5–0 lead into the break.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament
The Slovaks got on the board five minutes into the third period thanks to Juraj Slafkovsky. The Montreal Canadiens forward continued to perform for his country as he scored his fourth goal of the tournament. He walked in and beat goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with his glove.
However, Brady Tkachuk made it 6-1 after receiving a breakaway pass and backhand through the five-hole. But Slovakia never gave up as they scored within seven minutes. Pavol Regenda had a breakaway, moving from backhand to forehand before beating Hellebuyck over the glove. That was all the foul, because this game was never really close. Here are four lessons from this impressive US victory.
US outsmarts Slovakia
Team USA was clearly the better team on paper, and they showed why. The skills gap between these two countries is quite large, and that was clearly evident in the US’s third and fourth goals. Hughes made a nifty move, beating the defender before firing a shot upwards, over the glove. Eichel then received a pass from behind the net and goaltender Samuel Hlavaj waited before going backhand past the netminder.
The Americans controlled the game and dominated, as expected. Every player on Team USA plays in the NHL, while only seven Slovaks are in the NHL. The Slovaks were outmatched and could not keep up with the American elite team. The United States had a commanding lead of 39-24 shots.
Jack Hughes was fantastic
Hughes had an excellent game, highlighted by a two-goal performance despite only having 11:02 of ice time. He made a great move on his first goal and pounced on a rebound for his second. He was all over the ice and in all the right spots to generate offense.
Auston Matthews couldn’t buy a goal
Despite scoring six goals, Auston Matthews didn’t account for that during his 19:08 of ice time. He had four shots and many scoring opportunities. He hit a few posts and just missed a few one-time opportunities. His teammates tried to trap him, but it was not to be. He was robbed a number of times. Even though he couldn’t score, his teammates saved him and provided the offense.
The US seeks redemption against Canada
This is the long-awaited rematch we’ve all been waiting for. Team USA will take on Team Canada for the gold medal. Last February, the Americans defeated Canada 3-1 in the previous preliminary round in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament lost to the Canadians 3-2 in extra time in the championship game. Now they look for redemption on the biggest international stage.
The Canadians have had the American number at the last two Olympics involving NHL talent. At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the US lost 1-0 to Canada in the semifinals. They also lost the 2010 gold medal game in Vancouver, thanks to Sidney Crosby’s historic golden goal. The United States has the opportunity to write its own history in 2026.
They have elite goaltending, stingy puck-moving defensemen and offensive firepower that can match up against Canada’s elite forward group. The US has the team to get the job done, but will they seize the moment? This game has everything it takes to become an all-time classic.
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