Grades, questions from Team USA’s Olympic hockey win vs. Denmark

The game was much more dramatic than many had predicted, but the result was a 6-3 win for the United States over Denmark.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

The U.S. now has two wins in two games, putting it atop the Group C standings heading into its Sunday showdown against Germany.

Team USA trailed 2-1 after the first period, before roaring back to score three in the second, and was able to keep Denmark at bay until the end, with Jake Guentzel and Jack Hughes providing insurance goals.

Here’s what we learned in the contest, along with an overall team grade and big questions to ponder before Team USA’s next matchup.

Takeaway 1: Is Jeremy Swayman built for this moment?

He didn’t play like it against Denmark. Boston’s netminder allowed three goals on just 12 shots, one being a center-ice strike by rugged Danish league defender Nick Jensen, and the other a point shot from another Danish league blueliner, Phillip Bruggisser, with less than three seconds remaining in the second period.

Breaking News from Emily Kaplan

Download the ESPN app and enable Emily Kaplan’s news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here.

It was a far cry from the near-perfect performance of Connor Hellebuyck in the USA’s 5-1 win over Latvia to open the tournament.

Swayman had plenty of time to rest and prepare for his first Olympics outing, and it could not, frankly, have gone worse from an individual perspective.

The U.S. is in a back-to-back situation with Germany looming Sunday, so Swayman wouldn’t have been back in the crease immediately anyway. But his shaky showing does put the USA’s goaltending depth under the microscope as the team steps into what should be its toughest stretch of games to a finish line (whatever that ends up being).

Takeaway 2: When the USA’s offensive attack starts flowing, it’s dangerous

Case in point: the connection from Auston Matthews to Jake Guentzel for the Americans’ fifth goal of the game, a beauty one-timer by Guentzel that drew an exuberant celebration from the Lightning forward.

PICK YOUR SPOT JAKE GUENTZEL. 😤 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/bQvPjsa5kq

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 14, 2026

What worked just as well — or even better — for the U.S. was how it got offensive contributions from all over. Whether it was Matt Boldy tying the game early on, or Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel turning clean faceoff wins into second-period goals, there was no single standout up front doing all that heavy lifting. That’s a good sign for the U.S. moving forward.

Takeaway 3: Jack Hughes looks pretty strong as a winger

Coach Mike Sullivan moved the New Jersey Devils pivot from his usual post to flank Brock Nelson instead (with J.T. Miller on the other wing). That shift has helped Hughes put together a solid two games to start this tournament. Hughes has more freedom offensively playing with Nelson, and it’s apparent from his energy and fresh bursts of speed that the change has done him some good.

Sullivan has had to manage everyone’s ice time — especially given how much talent there is to work with — but Hughes could be playing himself and his line into a few more shifts in games to come. There was some question around Hughes heading into the Olympics given his NHL season hasn’t reached Hughes’ usual dominant standards. He appears to be thriving with this new assignment. We might not have seen yet how good Hughes can be in this high-pressure setting.

Jack Hughes gives Team USA PLENTY of cushion. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/GPq8hbkHwk

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) February 14, 2026

Every skater has a job to do. The younger Tkachuk brother happened to perform his role exceptionally well Saturday. He is the Americans’ spark plug, their engine, their heart; whatever you want to call it.

Tkachuk is playing each shift as if it might be his last, and every single second of ice time means something to him. When he scored the goal to make it 2-2, it was as if he flipped a breaker for the U.S. that gave everyone else more pop.

Tkachuk’s infectious energy is sometimes overshadowed by his reputation as a physical force, but that might not even be what makes him such a contributor for Team USA. When his teammates are down, Tkachuk can be counted upon to pick them up. That’s something a winning team can always use.

Big question: How will the U.S. stack up on short rest against a slick German squad?

Latvia and Denmark were ideal opponents to ease Team USA into the tournament. What’s coming on Sunday with Germany could be the Americans’ first significant test.

All of ESPN. All in one place.

Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now

Leon Draisaitl is a superstar on his own, and Tim Stutzle was excellent in the Germans’ 3-1 victory over Denmark. The U.S. has its own set of superstars, but they’ll also have a task ahead of them in corralling some of the NHL’s top skaters on the other side of the ice.

There might also be adjustments that Sullivan wants to make — or ones he chooses to keep from Saturday’s win. Will there be substitutions for the U.S. outside of goaltending? Or is Sullivan ready to commit on who’s going to carry this group to the purported promised land?

The time for tune-ups is short, and it’s now, so Sullivan must feel confident in how he rolls out the U.S. skaters in one final rehearsal before the knockout round begins.

Overall team grade: A-

We have to dock the Americans a partial grade purely because of Swayman (those goals just can’t happen) and their second consecutive sloppy first period.

The U.S. executed well in just about every other aspect though, and ultimately handled the Danes as expected.

The Americans’ scoring depth has been truly shining, team defense was smothering in the second half against Denmark in particular, and the team just generally appears to be settling in with some fine chemistry. Now it’s about whether the players can take things up a notch against Germany and be at their most powerful when the quarterfinals get underway.