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Team USA Takeaways: How United States Set Itself Up For Gold Medal Bout vs. Canada

The United States men’s hockey team is headed to the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Tom Dierberger, Mike Kadlick|
The United States is headed to the gold medal game.
The United States is headed to the gold medal game. | Erick W. Rasco / Sports Illustrated

The United States is officially going for gold.

After a 6–2 victory over Slovakia on Friday afternoon, Team USA will now face off against Team Canada on Sunday morning with men’s hockey supremacy on the line.

MORE: Team USA Men’s Hockey Olympics History: Every Finish as 2026 Squad Chases Gold

So how did the Stars and Stripes get here? Here are a few takeaways from their 6–2 semifinal victory:

Connor Hellebuyck continues to stand on his head

Hellebuyck.
Connor Hellebuyck has been dominant in net for the United States. | Erick W. Rasco / Sports Illustrated

Despite allowing two third-period goals to Juraj Slafkovsky and Pavol Regenda, Team USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck was once again outstanding in this one.

Over three periods, the Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender stopped 22 of 24 shot attempts, adding to his Olympic-leading save percentage and goals against average. He's now allowed just five goals on 95 shots throughout the Games.

The Hughes brothers are powering Team USA

Hughes brothers.
Jack Hughes scored two goals for Team USA on Friday. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After Quinn Hughes sent the States to the semifinal with an unbelievable overtime goal against Sweden on Wednesday, it was his brother, Jack, who played hero against Slovakia. 

The younger Hughes was phenomenal on Friday afternoon in Milan, scoring two goals on four shots while notching a team-high +2 plus-minus while not taking a penalty.

If the U.S. keeps playing like this, the gold is theirs

Team USA.
Team USA is rolling through the 2026 Olympics. | Erick W. Rasco / Sports Illustrate

It’s no secret that the United States has been dominant throughout the 2026 Winter Olympics. Through five games, they’re a perfect 5–0 while outscoring their opponents in Latvia, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Slovakia a remarkable 24–8.

On the flip side, Canada also hasn’t lost yet in these Games, and is outscoring their opponents 27–8.  

Having said that, Team Canada did outscore France 10–2—skewing the numbers a bit—and also played two consecutive one-goal games against Czechia and Finland. The U.S., meanwhile, has dominated all but one contest over the last two weeks.

No matter how you slice it, we’re in for quite the treat on Sunday morning. Puck drop is set for 8:10 a.m. ET from Milano Santagiulia Arena.

Thanks for following along today with Sports Illustrated’s live coverage of men’s hockey at the 2026 Olympics! Here’s a look at our complete live blog from this one.

FINAL: Team USA 6, Slovakia 2

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is the Deputy News Director at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor’s in communication from St. John’s University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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