Team USA Dominates Latvia 5-1 in Olympic Opener/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Brock Nelson scored twice as the United States opened the Milan Cortina Olympics with a commanding 5-1 victory over Latvia. Canada blanked Czechia 5-0 behind Jordan Binnington’s shutout, while Switzerland and Germany also secured opening wins. The NHL’s Olympic return showcased elite talent and early tournament dominance.
Brock Nelson Leads USA Past Latvia Quick Looks
- Team USA defeated Latvia 5-1 in Olympic opener.
- Brock Nelson scored twice; four players recorded two assists each.
- Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves in net.
- The U.S. outshot Latvia 38-18.
- Canada beat Czechia 5-0 with Jordan Binnington’s shutout.
- Switzerland shut out France 4-0; Germany topped Denmark 3-1.
Deep Look: Team USA Dominates Latvia 5-1 in Olympic Opener
The United States opened the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in emphatic fashion, overpowering Latvia 5-1 in a game that underscored the depth and firepower of a roster stacked with NHL talent. Led by two goals from veteran forward Brock Nelson, the Americans controlled possession, dictated tempo and overwhelmed Latvia after an uneven first period.
The U.S. goal celebration song — “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd — echoed repeatedly inside the arena, though two apparent tallies were erased following coach’s challenges. Despite those brief setbacks, the Americans never lost composure.
“We believe in the depth we have,” winger Jake Guentzel said. “There’s good players on every line. That’s just where American hockey is right now.”
After a strange opening frame that featured video reviews and a brief Latvian equalizer, Team USA found its rhythm. From the second period on, the ice tilted decisively in America’s favor. The United States outshot Latvia 38-18 and limited quality scoring chances, requiring goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to make just 17 saves.
“I felt like we controlled the play,” center Jack Eichel said. “We’re going to continue to get better every game in this tournament, every period in this tournament. That’s our goal, and it’s a good start for us.”
Nelson’s second goal highlighted the Americans’ creativity and puck movement. An odd-man rush turned into a dazzling display of passing — Jack Hughes to Quinn Hughes to Matthew Tkachuk, back to Jack Hughes and finally to Nelson, who tapped the puck into an open net with 11.1 seconds left in the second period. Latvia goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, under relentless pressure throughout the game, could do little to stop the sequence.
“I don’t think there’s much to do,” Merzlikins admitted. “If that guy wouldn’t score, probably the other guy would score.”
Brady Tkachuk opened the U.S. scoring less than six minutes into the game, marking the country’s first goal of the Olympic tournament. Tage Thompson extended the lead with a power-play backhander, validating coach Mike Sullivan’s decision to place the 6-foot-6 winger on the top unit.
Four goals on 32 shots chased Merzlikins from the net before the third period, replaced by Arturs Silovs. But the change did little to slow the American attack. Captain Auston Matthews welcomed Silovs with a power-play goal, assisted by Eichel and Quinn Hughes. Eichel, Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes and Matthew Tkachuk each recorded two assists, reflecting the balanced offensive production.
“I just think the depth that we have, it showed,” Brady Tkachuk said. “You just see the buy-in of every line playing the right way.”
The United States will face Denmark next before concluding preliminary-round play against Germany, seeking to build momentum toward medal contention.
Canada Shuts Out Czechia Behind Binnington
If the United States made a statement, Canada may have reinforced its status as tournament favorite. Canada blanked Czechia 5-0 in a dominant display highlighted by Jordan Binnington’s 26-save shutout.
Macklin Celebrini, the youngest player on Canada’s roster at 19, scored the country’s first Olympic goal since NHL players returned to the Games. He deflected a Cale Makar shot past Lukas Dostal with 5.7 seconds remaining in the first period.
“Our intentions were really good with the way we played,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “Just a matter of building off of that.”
Canada’s depth was equally evident. Mitch Marner set up Mark Stone with a perfectly weighted saucer pass, while Bo Horvat added a breakaway goal. In the third period, Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon combined for a highlight-reel power-play goal that left Dostal helpless.
“Two of the best players ever to play passing it to me is cool,” MacKinnon said after finishing the tic-tac-toe sequence.
McDavid finished with three assists, including one on Nick Suzuki’s goal that capped the scoring at 5-0.
Switzerland and Germany Secure Wins
Switzerland also opened strongly, defeating France 4-0. Timo Meier scored twice in the third period, while veteran goaltender Leonardo Genoni turned aside all 27 shots he faced.
Damien Riat and J.J. Moser scored early to give Switzerland control, allowing the team to dictate pace for much of the game.
Germany topped Denmark 3-1 behind 37 saves from Philipp Grubauer. Tim Stützle scored twice, and Leon Draisaitl netted a goal just 23 seconds into his Olympic debut.
With NHL talent back on Olympic ice, the opening round of men’s hockey delivered speed, skill and star power. Early performances from the United States and Canada suggest a potential collision course later in the tournament, echoing last year’s high-profile international matchups.
For now, Team USA has taken its first confident stride in Milan, fueled by depth scoring, disciplined defense and a statement victory to open the Games.
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