The United States had a close call, but advanced to the semifinals thanks to an overtime goal.

The United States faced Sweden today, and…

It didn't go as planned. The team struggled to come out on top, even though they limited the Swedes to just one goal in 60 minutes.
Connor Hellebuyck was solid in goal for a rare time in a big game. That said… Mika Zibanejad scored late in the game, with just over a minute left to play. The New York Rangers player beat Hellebuyck with a truly perfect one-timer, and overtime was needed to determine a winner between the two clubs. Fortunately for the United States, Quinn Hughes stepped up and played the hero to send the Americans to the next round:

Quinn Hughes OT hero, Team USA beats Sweden 2-1.
Friday semifinals:
Finland vs. Canada
Slovakia vs. U.S.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 18, 2026

This means that Canada will face Finland in the semifinals.

In fact…

This means that there is still a chance to see a Canada vs. United States final. We all want to see a moment like this because we know the rivalry between the two countries… and because it always makes for entertaining games when the two nations meet on the international stage. More details to come…