USA advances to men’s Olympic hockey finals after big win over Slovakia
The United States is off to the gold medal game after a convincing 6-2 victory over Slovakia in the second semifinal game.
Slovakia will meet up with Finland in the bronze medal game at 2:40 PM ET on Saturday, while the U.S. will challenge Canada for gold on Sunday at 8:00 AM ET.
The win marks USA’s third championship game appearance of the NHL era. They haven’t beaten Canada in any of the two previous matchups, but have 11 medals in tournament history. America has won gold twice, coming in 1960 and 1980. USA finished seventh and fifth in 2018 and 2022, respectively, while Slovakia is looking to win bronze for the second straight event.
The Americans got off to a good start, with Dylan Larkin scoring at 4:19. A late first-period marker from Tage Thompson made it 2-0, with the Slovaks looking defeated to close the frame. A pair of goals from Jack Hughes and another from Jack Eichel would make it a 5-0 game, while Juraj Slafkovsky scored the lone Slovak goal into an empty cage. Brady Tkachuk would finish the scoring to make it 6-2, capping off a dominant effort.
Here’s a look at the top performers from the second semifinal:
Slovakia
#20 Juraj Slafkovsky, RW (Montreal Canadiens): The Slovaks looked invisible for most of this one. But if anyone was going to score, it was going to be Slafkovsky. It was a bit of a gift while Connor Hellebuyck was out of the crease trying to play the puck. But Slafkovsky will take it as he continues to strengthen his case to be named one of the top forwards in Italy.
USA
#74 Jaccob Slavin, D (Carolina Hurricanes): There’s nothing sexy about Slavin’s game, and that’s exactly how he likes it. He’s so defensively responsible, and Slovakia’s fastest forwards couldn’t seem to figure it out. Slavin is big, strong, smart and rarely makes a mistake. He didn’t play as much as someone like Quinn Hughes, but every time he hit the ice, he made sure to keep the Slovaks away from getting anywhere near the net.
#9 Jack Eichel, C (Vegas Golden Knights): Eichel had a goal, an assist and five shots in a very dominant effort for the smart forward. His confidence with and without the puck is very obvious, and he’s the glue that keep the Tkachuk brothers tied together. Eichel will need to be great against Canada, but with the tournament he has had, it shouldn’t be much of an issue.
#21 Dylan Larkin, C (Detroit Red Wings): Larkin has gotten better with every single game. He scored a goal, had another three shots and was easily the fastest forward on this American team. After not playing a ton of meaningful hockey early on, Larkin has proven to be a threat to get the puck into the attacking zone every time he hits the ice. He loves playing down the middle, but doesn’t lose many battles along the perimeter, either.
#72 Tage Thompson, LW (Buffalo Sabres): Thompson scored on a great shot late in the first period, and it proved to be bigger than most could have imagined. From there, the Slovaks looked defeated, as the Americans took full control in the eventual blowout. Thompson is excellent in front of the net because most defenders can’t seem to handle someone his size. As a bottom-six forward, Thompson has been a huge addition to the American lineup after missing the 4 Nations Face-Off.
#86 Jack Hughes, RW (New Jersey Devils): Hughes has been one of USA’s most dangerous forwards. Seriously, when Hughes has the puck, you just have to keep watching. He was greedy today, scoring a pair of goals to help put the game way out of reach. He’s so shifty, and his ability to dominate in open ice was unmatched by the Slovaks. He’s clearly playing with confidence at the right time.
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