The United States has advanced to the 2026 Winter Olympic ice hockey semifinals after a hard-fought 2-1 overtime victory against Sweden in the quarterfinals.
Star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was instrumental in the win, making 28 saves on 29 Swedish shots. His stellar performance provided a foundation of confidence for the entire American team.
"Unbelievable," said USA forward Matt Boldy after the game. "When you have a guy like that back there, it kind of stems confidence throughout the whole group." Hellebuyck now leads the tournament with a .958 save percentage.
Dylan Larkin and Mika Zibanejad scored in regulation before Quinn Hughes netted the overtime winner. The USA will now face Slovakia in the semifinals on Friday, moving one step closer to their gold medal goal.