Team USA Overcomes Early Wobbles, Powers Past Denmark Behind Eichel, Tkachuk, and a Boston-Fueled Surge
In a game that was far more complicated than the final score suggests, Team USA leaned on its top-end talent - and a heavy dose of Boston college hockey pedigree - to secure a 6-3 win over Denmark in Olympic group play. The Americans had to claw back from an early deficit, overcome shaky goaltending, and find their rhythm before finally pulling away in the third period.
This wasn’t a wire-to-wire cruise. It was a test of resilience, and the U.S. passed - thanks in large part to the likes of Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk, and Noah Hanafin, all of whom found the back of the net in a second-period surge that flipped the game on its head.
Boston Roots, Big-Time Contributions
Four of Team USA’s six goals came from players with ties to Boston College and Boston University - a nod to the region’s deep hockey tradition and its impact on the national team. Eichel, a BU alum, was at the heart of it all, notching a goal and two assists.
Tkachuk, another former Terrier, added a snipe of his own. Hanafin, who played his college hockey at BC, buried the eventual game-winner in the second.
Matt Boldy, another BC product, got the Americans on the board in the first with a wraparound goal that showcased his patience and puck control. That goal briefly tied the game at 1-1, before Denmark stunned the U.S. with a long-range tally that exposed some early nerves in net.
Swayman Struggles, But U.S. Recovers
Jeremy Swayman got the call in goal for the Americans, but his Olympic debut didn’t go according to plan. Denmark scored just 1:40 into the game on a fluky sequence that saw a rebound bounce off Zach Werenski’s skate and through Swayman’s pads. Then came a rougher moment - a soft goal from the red line that sailed over his blocker and gave Denmark a 2-1 lead midway through the first.
Swayman admitted postgame that he lost sight of the puck due to a flash screen and the positioning of the boards, but he also owned the moment. “No matter how they go in, you have to step up and stop the next one,” he said.
To his credit, he did just that. While another late-period goal in the second - a blue-line blast with three seconds left - found its way past him, Swayman settled in for a clean third period.
Captain Auston Matthews had his goalie’s back after the win. “He knows we have his back,” Matthews said.
“Those are tough plays sometimes and they happen. Good on the guys to keep his spirits lifted and he hung in there well and played great the rest of the game.”
Turning Point: Faceoffs and Fast Releases
The game shifted in a matter of seconds during the second period. First, Eichel won a clean draw to Tkachuk, who wasted no time ripping a shot over Mads Sogaard’s blocker to tie the game at 2-2. Less than a minute later, Eichel found the puck on his stick again after a fortunate bounce off a draw and beat Sogaard short side to give the U.S. its first lead of the night.
From there, the Americans started to tilt the ice. Hanafin made it 4-2 with a second-chance effort that barely squeaked over the line. It was the type of gritty, second-effort play that defines tournament hockey - and it came at just the right time.
Still, Denmark wasn’t done. With seconds left in the second period, Phillip Bruggisser beat Swayman with a slap shot from the point, cutting the lead to 4-3 and injecting a bit of belief back into the Danish bench heading into the final frame.
Closing Time
The third period was all USA. The Americans locked in defensively, controlled possession, and got the insurance marker they needed when Matthews fed Jake Guentzel in the slot for a clean finish that made it 5-3.
Sogaard, who had held up well despite the barrage, had to leave the game midway through the period due to injury. Frederik Dichow stepped in, but the U.S. kept the pressure on.
Jack Hughes added the finishing touch when his centering pass deflected off Dichow and into the net at 14:27, sealing the win and finally giving the Americans some breathing room.
Looking Ahead
This win moves Team USA one step closer to securing a top spot in their group, but the road doesn’t get any easier. Germany awaits next, and the Americans will need to clean up some of the defensive miscues and goaltending uncertainty that nearly cost them against Denmark.
Still, there’s a lot to like here. The offense is clicking, the top players are stepping up, and the team showed it can respond to adversity - even when it comes early and unexpectedly. If this group can tighten things up in its own zone and get steadier goaltending, the ceiling remains sky high.
For now, chalk this one up as a gutsy win - not perfect, but plenty revealing. And with contributions from all over the lineup, especially from those with Boston ties, Team USA is starting to look like a team that’s finding its identity at just the right time.