Quinn Hughes scored the overtime winner as Team USA eked out a 2-1 win over Sweden in their Olympic men’s hockey quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Hughes walked in from the point and wired a wrist shot off the right post and in with 6:33 remaining in the three-on-three overtime period.
“At first, I didn’t know if it went post and in or post and out,” said U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk after the game. “But once I heard the roar and him start to celebrate, it was definitely the highest I’ve jumped since my surgery.”
The U.S. held on to a precarious 1-0 lead over the second half of the game after Dylan Larkin scored midway through the second period. Larkin tipped home a slap shot by Jack Hughes directly off a U.S. face-off win.
Connor Hellebuyck, the back-to-back winner of the Vezina Trophy, had stopped all 26 shots he faced before Sweden equalized with 1:31 remaining in regulation. The star goaltender ultimately stopped 28 of 29 shots.
Swedish forward Lucas Raymond threaded a pass across the offensive zone and Mika Zibanejad buried a one-timer to tie the score at one goal apiece and force overtime.
Yet, the extra frame was a lopsided affair as Sweden failed to register a shot on goal. Meanwhile, the Americans pelted Swedish netminder Jacob Markstrom with six shots in just under three-and-a-half minutes.
The U.S. now advances to play Slovakia in the semis, while Canada will play Finland after Mitch Marner’s overtime winner ended Czechia’s tournament earlier on Wednesday.
Puck drop for the Canada-Finland game will be at 10:40 a.m. ET/ 7:40 a.m. PT on Friday. The United States-Slovakia game will begin at 3:10 p.m. ET/ 12:10 p.m. PT. The semifinal winners will play for gold on Sunday morning.