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It wasn’t great at first, but the US Olympics hockey team picked up the pace and showed why they are favorites to play for the gold medal.
After trailing 2-1 in the first half, the Americans cruised to a 6-3 victory over Denmark on Saturday at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
The Americans scored three unanswered goals to open the second half, with 4 Nations hero Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights) scoring.
Denmark, not going down without a fight, put the third goal on Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins) before the horn sounded.
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Brady Tkachuk of the United States Olympics, right, celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the first men’s ice hockey match against Denmark at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
It was false hope for them, however, because Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lighting) scored a goal, and Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) added another for good measure late in the third.
Both sets of brothers on the team — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack and Quinn Hughes — each had a point in the contest. Fourteen players had the Americans score with a different scorer each time the light went on.
Jack Eichel of the United States, second right, celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during the first men’s ice hockey match against Denmark at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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Swayman struggled early on, especially as Denmark’s second goal was scored at nearly center ice, but found his footing in the final two periods. Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) started in the first game, and Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars) may be in the lead in their next game.
The Americans had 47 shots on goal compared to 21 for Denmark.
The US concludes the first round on Sunday with a game against Germany at 3:10 pm ET. The Americans will once again be heavy favorites, and a win will put them in the playoffs.
The Americans can also go straight to the exit stage by losing more time. With the loss of regulation, their fate will be decided by the match between Canada and France and the points difference with Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
Brady Tkachuk of the United States, right, challenges Oliver Bjorkstrand of Denmark during the first men’s ice hockey match at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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But as heavy favorites against a German team with only eight NHL players, the US may not need to worry.
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