A 5-1 victory over Germany on Sunday night served as a small step in the right direction. Auston Matthews scored two goals, Connor Hellebuyck further entrenched himself as the starting goalie and the U.S. finally seized control of the game in the latter two periods after being held scoreless for nearly the entire opening session.

Relive Team GB's 'Super Sunday' at the Winter Olympics, with gold medals won in team snowboard and skeleton events.

The U.S. men’s hockey team defeated Germany on Sunday at the 2026 Winter Olympics and earned a bye to the quarterfinals.

Sweden moved into the semifinal round Friday with a 2-0 win over Czechia. Win, and the U.S. will get a rematch in the next round against either Canada or Switzerland for the gold medal. Lose, and the U. S. will still get a rematch — but for the bronze instead.