"Team USA men's hockey is just one step away from advancing to the gold-medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Quinn Hughes' heroics saved the day during Wednesday's quarterfinal, helping the Americans avoid a late collapse and setting up a semifinal against Slovakia. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET on Friday, as the two teams battle it out for a spot in the gold medal game."
"While Slovakia is home to just 5.45 million people, a population smaller than that of Minnesota, it cannot be overlooked. It has been one of the best teams so far at this tournament, knocking off Finland in the preliminary round and winning Group B. Canada and Finland are in the semifinal on the other side of the bracket. Many North American hockey fans are hoping for another chapter in the storied Canada-United States rivalry, especially after the heated 4 Nations Face-Off final last spring."
"They're large favorites on paper, but as many close matchups in the quarterfinal proved, that only matters so much. What your roster looks like on paper doesn't count for anything once the puck drops. The star American players have shown up thus far in the tournament. Jack Eichel has been great down the middle, Auston Matthews has been scoring while also being defensively responsible, and Hughes scored the clutch overtime goal against Sweden to make it this far."
Team USA reached the Olympic semifinals after Quinn Hughes scored an overtime winner in the quarterfinal against Sweden, preventing a late collapse. The Americans will play Slovakia in a semifinal with puck drop set for 3:10 p.m. ET on Friday. Slovakia, with 5.45 million people, upset Finland in the preliminary round and won Group B, showing strong tournament form. Canada and Finland meet in the other semifinal. Team USA features top players including Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews, and enters the closing rounds as favorites despite the unpredictability of single-elimination games.
Read at www.amny.com
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