Team USA advances to Olympic men’s hockey semifinal after exhilarating overtime winner

Heart rates grew sky-high in Milan and throughout the United States, but the Americans survived in their quest for men’s hockey gold.

Quinn Hughes, of the Minnesota Wild, scored in overtime to give Team USA a gritty 2-1 victory over Sweden on Wednesday, advancing them to the men’s Olympic hockey semifinal.

Both goalies pitched shutouts through the midway point of the game, but with just under nine minutes left in the second period, Jack Hughes’ wrister was deflected by Dylan Larkin, and it scooted by Hughes’ New Jersey Devils teammate, Jakob Markstrom, to put the Stars and Stripes up 1-0.

The Swedes were buzzing in the third period, all while the Americans were somewhat neutralized. But they were unable to get the puck in the back of the net, including a shot by Adrian Kempe that went off the post with about 2:30 to go.

Sweden pulled Markstrom with roughly 100 seconds left, and 10 seconds later, they finally scored as Mika Zibanejad ripped a one-timer from Lucas Raymond to tie the game. Connor Hellyebuck had stopped 28 shots up to that point, but the game went to a 3-on-3, 10-minute sudden overtime.

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USA couldn’t connect on their first five shots of overtime, but on the sixth, Hughes rang one off the inside of the post that crossed the line to give the Americans the win.

The Americans will take on Slovakia, while Canada, who narrowly escaped being upset by the Czech Republic earlier Thursday, will go against Finland. Both Canada and Finland rallied back from deficits to win in overtime.

Out of the four games played on Thursday, three of them went into overtime.

The semifinal round will be played on Friday, with the times of each game to be announced. The winners of each game will go back to work on Sunday, the 46th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice,” for the gold medal game.

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