The identical catastrophe that flirted with Canada early within the day was sniffing round Staff USA on Wednesday. However like their archrivals, the Individuals had been in a position to sidestep it and transfer on within the Olympic match in coronary heart–pounding vogue in Milan, Italy.
After the US allowed a late equalizer in regulation, Quinn Hughes stored the Individuals’ gold medal hopes alive with an extra time purpose at 3:27 of the additional session to carry Staff USA to an exciting 2-1 victory over Sweden within the quarterfinals. The artful, sublimely expert Minnesota Wild defenseman took a drop move from Matt Boldy and circled out excessive earlier than slicing sharply into the excessive slot. In entrance of Gabriel Landeskog, he ripped a wrist shot previous goalie Jacob Markstrom (38 saves) the off the submit and in.
“You simply need to choose and wait on your spot .I felt like I had one on the backhand earlier. I really feel like I’m fairly good in open house, so I’m simply attempting to create a shot for myself and I used to be ready to do this,” Hughes instructed NBC.
Surviving the intestine punch of Mika Zibanejad’s tying purpose with 1:31 left in regulation was no small feat.
“It’s exhausting,” stated Hughes. “I don’t need to say it’s devastating since you’re nonetheless within the recreation but it surely’s like ‘right here we go” and also you’ve obtained all that stuff happening in your head. However we’ve obtained guys who’ve received Cups and gone deep, received some awards and are superstars within the league. You simply need to depend on that pedigree. You’re enjoying Sweden, who can beat anybody on any given day. Yeah, it’s powerful after they rating with 90 (seconds) left.”
That ended a white-knuckle day of hockey. The US now advances to the semifinal in opposition to match Cinderella Slovakia on Friday
Earlier within the day, Canada escaped what would have been a mammoth upset after they tied David Pastrnak’s Czechia group late within the third interval after which received it extra time on Mitch Marner’s backhander, sending them to Friday’s semifinal in opposition to Finland, who additionally superior with an extra time win over Switzerland.
Whereas Slovakia and Finland could have one thing to say about it, the dream matchup of US-Canada within the remaining remains to be on the board.
“It’s actually particular,” stated Hughes. “You understand how exhausting it’s to get right here and we’re sending probably the greatest nations dwelling, if not the most effective. It’s going to be powerful, for positive.”
The primary interval was scoreless and evenly performed, with the 2 groups every getting 10 photographs on internet. The US had the one energy play within the first 20 minutes however may neither convert nor create sustained stress. In truth, most of their probabilities had been one-and-done with little net-front presence in entrance of Markstrom.
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was enjoying his first recreation with out the bubble that he’s been carrying since getting back from the damaged jaw he suffered on November 15. He wasn’t shy in getting bodily, both, as he delivered a few huge hits within the first interval and all through the sport.
One of many Swede’s high defensemen, Victor Hedman, dressed and was on the bench however didn’t play within the first interval. It was introduced later that he had suffered a decrease physique damage throughout warmups. That allowed Hampus Lindholm, a late damage substitute, to see his first Olympic motion.
Because the motion wore on within the second interval, it was clear that the US wouldn’t have a simple time in opposition to the detail-oriented Swedes. The Tre Kronor obtained the primary nice likelihood of the sport when Gabriel Landeskog made a terrific backhand move to Lucas Raymond for what regarded like a backdoor tap-in, however Connor Hellebuyck flashed the left pad for a terrific save.
Each save felt large as a result of the prospect of attempting to come back again in opposition to the Swedes, at all times sturdy defensively, was not an appetizing one.
And at 11:03 of the second, the Individuals lastly broke the ice. Dylan Larkin beat Bruin Elias Lindholm in a faceoff to the suitable of Markstrom and headed to the online. From the highest of the zone, the sport hero’s brother Jack Hughes blasted a shot that Markstrom may have stopped simply if it had gotten via. However Larkin was on the high of the crease to deflect it previous the netminder for the 1-0 lead.
The Yanks then began to push the play from there the remainder of the interval. They outshot the Swedes, 20-8, within the second. However Markstrom stood tall to maintain the Swedes inside putting distance. The US had a late energy play on a Hampus Lindholm penalty, however Sweden managed to kill it off to get to the third interval down by only a purpose.
The US was challenged early within the third when Vincent Trocheck tripped Landeskog to offer Sweden its first energy play however the Individuals had been in a position to kill it.
The Swedes, nevertheless, obtained some leap from the person benefit and, mixed with the Individuals’ willingness to simply chip out the puck more often than not, they spent a lot of the interval contained in the US zone. With 2:30 left in regulation, Adrian Kempe practically tied it up when he had a clear shot from the slot however he hit the submit.
However with 1:31 remaining in regulation, the Swedes did knot it up. With Markstrom pulled for an additional skater, Raymond despatched an incredible diagonal move to Zibanejad, who blasted a one-timer via Hellebuyck’s shortside, off the close to submit and in.
“I used to be shocked that it obtained via, really,” stated Hellebuyck, who made 28 saves within the win. “It took me a second to comprehend the way it really obtained via me as a result of I believed I made an ideal push and beat it. I simply put it behind me. That’s all you are able to do in hockey. You’re not going to have a shutout each single night time. The primary factor you are able to do is simply try to win. And that’s what I did.”
Certainly, the US was in a position to shake that off, regain its composure and prevail.
