Team USA honors late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau after Olympic gold win
After winning Olympic gold, Team USA hockey honored late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau by carrying his jersey and inviting his kids onto the ice.
The United States is in danger of going from a 2025 gold medal to missing the quarterfinals after Latvia pulled off a big upset at the men’s hockey world championships.
Latvia (six points) moved past the Americans (five) into fourth place − the cutoff line to advance − with a 4-2 victory on Saturday, May 23.
The USA badly outshot Latvia in the first two periods, tying the game on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal. But Latvia had the better chances in the third period and took a 2-1 lead on a Deniss Smirnovs goal. Sandis Vilmanis scored two empty netters, surrounding a Mathieu Olivier goal, to make it 4-2.
Kristers Gudlevskis made 45 saves and was named Latvia’s player of the game. Tkachuk (goal, assist) was the top USA player.
The Americans, who have only two returnees from last year’s team, fell to fifth place. They face seventh-place Hungary and third-place Austria and probably will need two wins and help from Latvia, which faces last-place Great Britain and Hungary.
USA TODAY provided live updates from the USA vs. Latvia game at the IIHF men’s hockey world championship. Here are highlights:
A big upset by Latvia, which moves into fourth place with the win. The USA is below the cut line for the quarterfinals with two games left. After being badly outshot, Latvia had the better chances in the third period for the win.
It’s 4-2 Latvia after another empty net goal.
Mathieu Olivier scores a 6-on-5 goal after a Matthew Tkachuk pass. Latvia 3, USA 2
Sandis Vilmanis scores into the empty net with 1:02 left. Latvia 3, USA 1
The Americans have the extra skater on with 2:13 left.
2-1 Latvia.
Renars Krastenbergs is called for hooking. Devin Cooley is forced to make a big save after a Justin Faulk turnover. Matthew Tkachuk is stopped on a rebound and Cooley stops a 2-on-1 Latvia break. Power play is over.
2-1 Latvia. The Latvians are outshooting the USA 6-4 in the period and have had several good chances in addition to the goal.
Devin Cooley makes the initial save on a Rudolfs Balcers shot but Sandis Vilmanis picks up the rebound, spins and feeds Deniss Smirnovs for the go-ahead goal.
He stops a shot from the point and a rebound in close to keep the game tied.
1-1 tie. The USA stays in fourth place if it wins. Latvia moves into fourth with a victory.
The Americans continue to outshoot Latvia badly and they connect in that period. Matthew Tkachuk gets the goal with eight seconds left in a power play after a USA faceoff win. The Florida Panthers star and U.S. Olympian arrived in Switzerland the day before the USA-Germany game and picks up his first goal and first point in his second game. “Definitely more energy,” he told TSN about how he feels. Shots are 36-11 through two periods.
Matthew Tkachuk breaks through for the USA’s first goal with a deflection in front. It comes on the USA’s 34th shot of the game. Oliver Moore and Danny Nelson get the assists. USA 1, Latvia 1
Haralds Egle scored against Devin Cooley at 8:47 to give Latvia the lead. The USA outshot Latvia 18-5 in the first period but couldn’t beat Kristers Gudlevskis, a 2013 Lightning draft pick who played three NHL games.
USA vs. Latvia: How to watch, stream
Date: Saturday, May 23
Time: 6:20 a.m. ET
Location: Swiss Life Arena (Zurich, Switzerland)
TV: NHL Network
Streaming: Fubo and certain tiers of Sling carry NHL Network.
