On Friday (Feb. 20), Team USA battled Slovakia in the second semifinal at the 2026 Winter Olympics to determine which team would play Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday (Feb. 22). This game wasn’t much of a battle, as the United States cruised to a commanding 6-2 victory.
USA opened the scoring 4:19 into the opening frame. Dylan Larkin walked in and sniped a 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 courtesy of Jack Hughes and Jack Eichel. Then, Hughes added his second of the game to take a 5-0 lead into the intermission.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
The Slovaks got on the board five minutes into the third period courtesy of Juraj Slafkovsky. The Montreal Canadiens forward continued to produce for his country as he scored his fourth goal of the tournament, walking in and beating goaltender Connor Hellebuyck glove-side.
However, Brady Tkachuk made it 6-1 after receiving a breakaway pass and going backhand through the five-hole. But Slovakia never gave up, as they scored with under seven minutes remaining. Pavol Regenda had a breakaway and went backhand to forehand before beating Hellebuyck over the glove. That was all the offense as this game was never really close. Here are four takeaways from this commanding USA win.
USA Out-Skilled Slovakia
Team USA was clearly the better team on paper, and they showed why. The skill gap between these two nations is fairly large, and that was evident on USA’s third and fourth goals. Hughes made a nifty move, beating the defender before sniping a shot upstairs, over the glove. Then, Eichel received a pass from behind the net and outwaited goaltender Samuel Hlavaj before going backhand, past the netminder.
The Americans controlled the play and dominated, as expected. Every player on Team USA plays in the NHL, whereas only seven Slovaks are in the NHL. The Slovaks were outmatched and couldn’t keep up with the elite American squad. The United States had a commanding 39-24 shot advantage.
Jack Hughes Was Fantastic
Hughes had an outstanding game, culminating with 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 was in the right spots to generate offense.
Injuries have plagued the New Jersey Devils forward for his whole career, but when he’s playing, he’s elite and arguably a top-10 player in the NHL. He’s so shifty and creates time and space with his speed and quick hands. He should see more ice time in the gold medal game because he deserves it.
Auston Matthews Couldn’t Buy a Goal
Despite scoring six goals, Auston Matthews didn’t factor in any of them during his 19:08 of ice time. He had four shots and a lot of scoring chances. He hit a few posts and just missed on some one-timer opportunities. His teammates tried setting him up, but it wasn’t meant to be. He was robbed quite a few times. Even though he couldn’t score, his teammates bailed him out and provided the offense.
USA Is Looking For Redemption Against Canada
This is the highly anticipated rematch we’ve all been waiting for. Team USA will face Team Canada for the gold medal. Last February in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the Americans beat Canada 3-1 in the preliminary round before losing to the Canadians 3-2 in overtime in the championship game. Now, they look for redemption on the biggest international stage.
The Canadians have had the Americans’ number during the last two Olympics involving NHL talent. In the 2014 Sochi Olympics, USA lost 1-0 to Canada in the semifinals. They also lost the 2010 gold medal game in Vancouver, courtesy of Sidney Crosby’s historic golden goal. The United States has a chance to create its own history in 2026.
They have elite goaltending, stingy puck-moving defensemen, and offensive firepower who can go head-to-head against Canada’s elite forward group. USA has the team to get the job done, but will they seize the moment? This game has the makings of an all-time classic.
