Auston Matthews Finds His Groove as Team USA Rolls Into Quarterfinals
There’s no shortage of swagger on this Team USA men’s hockey roster. From the Tkachuk brothers to Jack Eichel, personalities are big and bold.
But it’s the quieter presence of Auston Matthews-calm, calculated, and cold-blooded in the offensive zone-who’s wearing the “C” on his chest. And if Sunday’s 5-1 win over Germany is any indication, the Americans are more than fine with that.
Matthews turned in a statement performance, scoring twice and adding an assist as the U.S. clinched its group and earned a bye into the quarterfinals. The Americans will now await the winner of Tuesday’s Sweden-Latvia qualification playoff, with a spot in the semis on the line. After finishing group play 3-0 and outscoring their opponents 16-5, the U.S. is rolling-and Matthews is heating up at just the right time.
“Now It Gets Real”
“We played a solid three periods,” said defenseman Brock Faber, who also found the net in the win. “There’s stuff we need to clean up, but overall I thought we got better as the tournament went on.
That’s what it’s all about. Now it gets real.”
He’s right. The group stage is in the rearview.
The pressure ratchets up from here, especially with Canada looming on the other side of the bracket. The Canadians also went 3-0, but did it with a staggering +17 goal differential.
They’re the top seed and will face the winner of Czechia vs. Denmark in the quarters.
Sullivan Shakes Things Up
U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan made a few notable lineup changes before the Germany game. Clayton Keller drew into the forward group, while Kyle Connor sat.
In goal, Connor Hellebuyck returned to the crease, with Jake Oettinger backing him up. Jeremy Swayman, who had a shaky outing against Denmark, was the odd man out.
The move paid off. Hellebuyck looked locked in, stopping 23 shots and holding Germany scoreless until late in the third.
Against a German team led by NHL stars Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stützle, and Moritz Seider, it was arguably the Americans’ toughest test of the group stage. But they passed it with authority.
Tkachuk’s Verbal Jab, Matthews’ On-Ice Response
Germany nearly got to the first intermission in a scoreless tie, and for much of the opening period, the U.S. was still trying to find its rhythm. A power play miscue saw Matthews and Jack Hughes collide in their own zone, leaving the puck dangerously exposed in the slot. Fortunately for Team USA, Germany couldn’t capitalize.
But with just 8.7 seconds left in the first, the Americans broke through. Quinn Hughes battled along the boards and kicked the puck loose to Matthews, who fired a cross-ice dart to Zach Werenski. The defenseman wasted no time, snapping a shot through Seider’s legs and past Maximilian Franzreb to make it 1-0.
That goal flipped the momentum-and gave Team USA a jolt heading into the second.
Meanwhile, the always-fiery Matthew Tkachuk had his own moment, chirping Draisaitl with a mic’d-up zinger: “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” A clear reference to Draisaitl’s Oilers falling to Tkachuk’s Panthers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.
“Some guys you have to play harder than most-physically and maybe after the whistle, too,” Tkachuk said postgame. “But I thought our line, especially Eichel, did an unbelievable job giving him and their line nothing tonight.”
Matthews Scores Twice, U.S. Pulls Away
Early in the second, Franzreb did his best to keep Germany in it, flashing the glove on a Dylan Larkin shorthanded bid and stoning Eichel on a breakaway just after he exited the penalty box. But the pressure eventually cracked the Germans.
On the ensuing power play, Matthews made it 2-0, redirecting a Quinn Hughes shot off his skate and past Franzreb. It wasn’t pretty, but it counted-and it gave the U.S. some breathing room.
Later in the period, Faber’s high shot looked like it was sailing over the net, but Eichel’s stick fake caused just enough confusion. Franzreb misjudged it, whiffed on the glove save, and the puck dropped behind him for a 3-0 lead.
Tage Thompson added a rocket from the high slot early in the third to make it 4-0, and Matthews capped his night with a second goal off a slick feed from Jake Sanderson. Stützle finally broke Hellebuyck’s shutout bid with 8:38 left, but by then, the game was well in hand.
Quarterfinals Up Next
With group play in the books, the Americans now turn their attention to Wednesday’s quarterfinal. The opponent is TBD, but the mission is clear: keep building, keep clicking, and keep Matthews in rhythm.
If the U.S. is going to make a serious run at gold-and potentially go through powerhouse Canada to get there-they’ll need their captain leading the charge. Based on Sunday’s performance, he’s more than ready.