While on the bench, with the U.S. unexpectedly behind Denmark during the Olympic match, Jack Eichel, alongside his linemates Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, discussed their desire to turn the game around.
And that’s exactly what they accomplished.
Eichel capitalized on a faceoff win, netting a goal just one minute after assisting Brady Tkachuk’s goal, also from a faceoff. This stellar performance by their top line propelled the U.S. to a 6-3 victory against Denmark on Saturday evening, allowing them to maintain their undefeated record alongside Canada in the race for the men’s hockey tournament’s top seed.
Brady Tkachuk commented, “[We were] simply persevering and had faith in each other. The trust and conviction within our locker room truly highlight our character; we believed that by staying persistent, we would be pleased with the outcome.”
The U.S. recovered effectively after goaltender Jeremy Swayman conceded an unexpected goal from 95 feet out, just beyond the center red line, eleven minutes into the game. Swayman’s momentary lapse was ultimately negated by his skilled teammates, who rallied to render Nicholas B. Jensen’s long-range score, along with a somewhat weak goal from Phillip Bruggisser with 2.6 seconds remaining in the second period, ultimately irrelevant.
Swayman stated, “I’m incredibly proud of how composed this team remained. Our confidence never wavered, which is a crucial quality at this point in the tournament. The team regrouped, and we delivered.”
Brady Tkachuk’s and Eichel’s goals in the middle of the second period put the U.S. ahead. Defenseman Noah Hanifin then extended their lead, as his shot bypassed Mads Sogaard and gently crossed the goal line, giving them a much-needed cushion.
With just over 12 minutes remaining, Jake Guentzel blasted a one-timer past Sogaard. Jack Hughes then scored following a pass from Brock Nelson, after Sogaard was forced to leave due to injury and Frederik Dichow took his place.
Captain Auston Matthews provided the pass to Guentzel, while Zach Werenski – who had unfortunately deflected the puck into his own net for Denmark’s initial goal, credited to Nick Olesen – earned a secondary assist, finding a measure of redemption.
Loud “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chants from the heavily red, white, and blue-clad spectators resonated throughout the arena both at the start of the game and after each goal scored against Denmark, who began the match as significant underdogs.
Bruggisser commented, “We fought fiercely and exerted all our effort. Regrettably, it wasn’t sufficient, but they are an all-star caliber team, and we gave it our all.”
Having decisively beaten Latvia 5-1 in their opening game on Thursday night, fueled by two goals from Brock Nelson, the American team now holds six points in the standings, matching Canada’s total, as they approach the final day of the preliminary stage.
The U.S. will conclude its round-robin fixtures against Germany, while Canada is set to play 0-2-0 France. Should both teams secure regulation wins, the top seed for the single-elimination knockout stage will be determined by goal differential.
This report includes contributions from The Associated Press.