Olympic Women’s Hockey: Team USA Dominates, Sweden Cruises, and Group B Wraps Up
Tuesday’s slate of Olympic women’s hockey brought four games, a few statement wins, and some serious movement in the standings-especially in Group B, which wrapped up round-robin play. We now know that the U.S. will face Italy in the next round, while Switzerland is locked into the bottom of Group A.
Beyond that? Still plenty to be decided.
Let’s break down what we saw on the ice.
Sweden 4, Japan 0 (Group B)
Sweden wasted no time setting the tone in this one. Just over five minutes into the first period, they were on the board-and they never looked back.
Josefin Bouveng led the way with a goal and an assist, as Sweden flexed their depth and puck control from start to finish. Japan, meanwhile, opted to start backup goaltender Riko Kawagushu in her first action of the tournament.
It was a tough assignment. She faced 26 shots and allowed four goals before being replaced by third-stringer Rei Halloran, who stopped all five shots she saw in the final 13 minutes.
Sweden finishes Group B play with a convincing win and momentum on their side. For Japan, it’s a learning moment in a tournament where depth and experience matter more with every game.
Germany 2, Italy 1 (Group B)
This one was tight from start to finish, but Germany found the late-game magic when it mattered most.
Laura Kluge played hero, scoring with just 1:29 left in regulation to lift Germany to a clutch 2-1 win over Italy. That goal not only sealed the game-it secured second place in Group B for the Germans.
Both teams traded goals in the second period. Emily Nix scored for Germany, while Justine Reyes answered for Italy. But it was Germany’s ability to stay composed down the stretch that made the difference.
Sandra Abstreiter was rock-solid in net, turning away 23 shots to preserve the win.
USA 5, Canada 0 (Group A)
This was the kind of game that turns heads.
Team USA delivered a commanding performance against their biggest rival, blanking Canada 5-0 in a game that was as one-sided as the score suggests. With Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin out of the lineup, the Americans took full advantage-and then some.
Hannah Bilka scored twice, Caroline Harvey added a goal and two assists, and Abbey Murphy dished out three helpers. Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms also found the back of the net as the U.S. offense clicked on every level.
Canada’s goaltending struggled. Ann-Renée Desbiens was pulled after allowing five goals on 27 shots, and Emerance Maschmeyer came in to stop the bleeding with six saves in relief.
It’s one of the more lopsided losses Canada has suffered in Olympic play, and it raises questions about their ability to respond without Poulin leading the charge. They’ve still got one more preliminary game-against Finland-and if they want another shot at the Americans, they’ll need to win two more games after that.
Aerin Frankel earned the shutout for the U.S., stopping all 20 shots she faced. Laura Stacey led Canada with four shots on goal, but the team as a whole struggled to generate sustained pressure.
Finland 3, Switzerland 1 (Group A)
Finland took control in the second period and never let go.
Vivvi Vainikka and Julia Liikala scored back-to-back goals to open the scoring, and while Switzerland made things interesting with a shorthanded goal from Alina Müller, the Finnish response was immediate. Just 35 seconds later, Sanni Vanhanen restored the two-goal cushion, and that was all she wrote.
Sanni Ahola made 13 saves in net for Finland, while Saskia Maurer was busy at the other end, turning away 28 shots for Switzerland.
With this result, Switzerland is now locked into the bottom spot in Group A. Canada, on the other hand, will need at least a point against Finland on Thursday to lock in a top-two finish and avoid a tougher path in the knockout rounds.
What’s Next
Wednesday marks the start of the men’s preliminary round, with Group B action getting underway.
Slovakia, led by Juraj Slafkovský, opens against Finland at 10:40 a.m. Eastern.
Later in the day, Sweden takes on Italy at 3:10 p.m. Eastern.
All eyes will be on whether Oliver Kapanen suits up for Finland-his presence could be a game-changer.
But for now, the women’s tournament is heating up. The U.S. looks like a juggernaut, Canada is searching for answers, and Group B has delivered its verdict. The knockout stage is coming fast-and every shift is about to matter even more.