2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey: United States and Canada Cruise, Germany Stays Alive, Sweden Dominates
Day three of women’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics brought us a clearer picture of the group standings-and a few standout performances that could shape the playoff picture. With all teams now having played at least one game, Group A is starting to settle into its expected pecking order, while Group B is shaping up to be a dogfight for those final playoff spots.
Germany 5, Japan 2 (Group B)
Germany came into Saturday’s game knowing exactly what was on the line: win, or face a steep climb to the quarterfinals. And they responded with urgency.
Boston Fleet forward Laura Kluge was the engine behind Germany’s offensive outburst, racking up four points in a dominant performance. She set the tone early, and her chemistry with Nicola Hadraschek-who notched two goals and an assist-gave Japan fits through the first two periods. (Yes, Hadraschek is the former Nicola Eisenschmid-hockey fans may remember her brother from his stint in the Canadiens system.)
By the midway point of the second period, Germany had built a commanding 5-0 lead. Japan made a late push with two quick goals before the second intermission and even opened the third period on the power play, but couldn’t build on the momentum.
Goaltender Sandra Abstreiter turned away 20 shots to earn her first career Olympic win and keep Germany right in the thick of the Group B playoff race. With this result, Germany, Japan, and Italy are now locked in a three-way battle for the final two quarterfinal spots from the group.
Sweden 6, Italy 1 (Group B)
This one was a statement win from Sweden.
Ranked sixth in the world, Sweden showed why they’re the class of Group B. Italy has been building steadily as a program, but this was the kind of game that shows the gap still exists between the top of Group B and the rest.
Sweden controlled the pace from the drop of the puck, but Italy hung in for a period, trailing just 1-0 after 20 minutes. Things opened up in the second, with Sweden scoring twice to stretch the lead to 3-0. Italy answered quickly to make it 3-1, but Hanna Olsson responded just 79 seconds later, snuffing out any chance of a comeback.
Sweden added two more in the third to close it out, and Ebba Svensson Traff got the nod in net again over Emma Söderberg-a sign that she may be locking down the starting job. Lina Ljungblom (of Montreal) chipped in an assist in just over 12 minutes of ice time, continuing her solid two-way play.
Sweden now sits atop Group B and looks poised to finish there, barring a surprise.
United States 5, Finland 0 (Group A)
After a norovirus outbreak delayed Finland’s Olympic debut, the Finns finally hit the ice-but ran into a U.S. team that looked every bit like a gold medal contender.
The Americans dominated from start to finish, outshooting Finland 49-11 and controlling possession for long stretches. Megan Keller led the way with a goal and two assists, showcasing her ability to jump into the rush and quarterback the power play.
Hilary Knight etched her name into the history books again, scoring to tie the record for most Olympic goals by an American woman. With this likely her final Olympic appearance, she’ll have a chance to break that record in the coming days.
In net, Aerin Frankel earned her second straight shutout, looking calm and composed behind a stifling U.S. defense. Hayley Scamurra (Montreal) finished +1 in just under 11 minutes of action, contributing on both ends of the ice.
Considering the circumstances, Finland’s effort was admirable. They dressed a full lineup, but it’s fair to assume not everyone was at 100 percent. Still, they kept the scoreline respectable against one of the tournament’s powerhouses.
Canada 4, Switzerland 0 (Group A)
Canada had to wait 48 hours longer than expected to start their Olympic campaign, but once they got going, they looked like a team eager to make up for lost time.
Despite outshooting Switzerland heavily in the first period, Canada couldn’t solve Saskia Maurer, who was outstanding in net. The Swiss goaltender stopped 51 shots in total and kept her team in it longer than anyone expected.
Eventually, the pressure broke through. Natalie Spooner opened the scoring on a second-period power play, and Canada added two more power play goals in the third-Sarah Fillier and Julia Gosling each converting-before Daryl Watts capped things off with an even-strength tally.
Emerance Maschmeyer didn’t have to do much, but she made all six saves asked of her to record her second career Olympic shutout. That puts her in elite company as one of just four Canadian women with multiple Olympic shutouts.
Marie-Philip Poulin and Erin Ambrose each chipped in with assists, while Claire Thompson had two. Watts and Fillier also picked up helpers to go along with their goals. Kati Tabin made her senior tournament debut, logging just under 10 minutes and registering two shots.
“We were a bit antsy, a bit panicked early,” said head coach Troy Ryan. “That’s to be expected in your first Olympic game, especially with the delay. But we settled in, and we’re happy with where we’re at.”
Poulin echoed the sentiment: “We’ve been waiting for this game-it’s been a long 48 hours. We’re happy, but we want to keep getting better.”
Looking Ahead: Group Format, Stakes, and What’s Next
This year marks the final time women’s Olympic hockey will use the current group format, which separates the top five and bottom five teams into Groups A and B, respectively. All five teams in Group A automatically advance to the quarterfinals, while only the top three from Group B move on.
That setup means Group A’s round-robin games are more about seeding and rhythm than survival. The quarterfinal matchups will see A1 face B3, A2 vs. B2, and so on-with the likely result being Canada and the U.S. drawing one of Japan, Germany, or Italy, depending on how Group B shakes out.
The third-place team in Group A will almost certainly face Sweden, while the fourth and fifth will get a rematch in the quarterfinals.
But change is coming. Starting with the 2026 World Championships, women’s hockey will adopt a "snake" seeding format similar to the men’s World Juniors-something that should make its way to the Olympics by 2030.
With the middle tier of European teams continuing to close the gap, the current format feels increasingly outdated. And once Russia returns to international play, the competitive landscape will only get tighter.
Sunday’s Stakes
Sunday’s schedule brings one game with clear implications: Sweden vs. France.
France needs a win to stay in the quarterfinal hunt. A Swedish victory would lock up the top spot in Group B.
The group stage is winding down, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. But if Saturday showed us anything, it’s that there’s still plenty of hockey left to be played-and a few teams ready to shake up the script.