Team USA vs. Slovakia results, score: Americans roll to blowout win, set up gold medal clash with Canada

Team USA dispatched Slovakia with ease, notching a 6-2 win in the semifinals of the 2026 Winter Olympics. That sets up the gold medal matchup everyone has been waiting for as the U.S. will face off against Canada on Sunday morning.

Right from the opening puck drop, the U.S. was in full control, and Dylan Larkin picked up right where he left off against Sweden. Larkin took a pass from defenseman Zach Werenski and flew into the offensive zone to rip a shot past Slovakian goalie Samuel Hlavaj, which set the tone for the rest of the game.

Speaking of Werenski, that assist was one of three he registered against the Slovakians, bringing his Olympic point total to five.

Another American standout, Jack Hughes has been buzzing around the offensive zone all tournament, and he was at his best on Friday. Hughes notched a pair of goals — both in a dominant second period effort — and the first one was a work of art.

Hughes moved in from the point, deked Tomas Tatar to the ice and lifted a shot over the shoulder of Hlavaj.

The U.S. held a 5-0 lead at the second intermission and rolled victory in the final 20 minutes. Connor Hellebuyck did allow a couple of late goals to Juraj Slafkovsky and Pavol Regenda, the first time he’s allowed more than one goal in a start in Milan, but those only served to make the score a bit more respectable.

The Americans will now turn their attention to the Canadians in a rematch of the 2014 gold medal game, as well as the 4 Nations Face-Off final last year.

Jack Hughes is rolling

Hughes is a dynamic player whose career has been derailed by injuries at various points, but he has superstar potential when he’s healthy and playing at his peak. That’s what we’ve seen out of him in Milan, and today was a great example of what he brings to the Americans, particularly in the offensive zone.

A moment before he scored his jaw-dropping goal, Hughes actually started the play by freezing every Slovakian on the ice. He then slipped the puck to Zach Werenski at the point, got it back in motion and had every Slovakian flat-footed. Tomas Tatar made the mistake of going all out to close the large gap between himself and Hughes, and that proved to be a mistake.

Hughes was a member of last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off team, but he didn’t make much of an impact, so the U.S. was counting on a bounce-back from him in Milan. Hughes has done that and a lot more with six points in five games, and those numbers probably even downplay how well he’s played.

Special teams are special

Special teams played a big role in this game, due in large part to the Americans’ general lack of discipline through the first two periods. Team USA took four penalties in those 40 minutes, and the penalty kill completely shut down the Slovakian power play. The U.S. penalty kill is now a perfect 15-for-15 in these Olympics, and that unit will likely come in handy against a Canada team with a loaded power play.

On the man advantage, Team USA capitalized on one of its five opportunities, but Jack Hughes’ second goal came right as a power play expired. The U.S. has now converted on 28.6% of its power play opportunities, which is second only to Canada. That said, Tage Thompson left the game due to precautionary reasons for injury, and he’s scored two of his team’s goals on man advantage.

In a one-game setting, special teams can make an outsized impact. That’s good news for the U.S., which has been executing well in those situations.

Team USA rounding into form

The U.S. hit a couple speed bumps early in the tournament from slow starts against Latvia and Denmark and then an overly conservative third period against Sweden. Those performances created questions about the Americans’ chances of winning gold. This performance against Slovakia quieted some of them.

Team USA faced an inferior opponent, sure, but it did what it should have. It dominated the game with all four lines rolling, and the Slovakians never presented anything resembling a threat. The same can’t be said for Canada, which has needed late comebacks in each of its last two games to keep its gold medal hopes alive.

You can see the chemistry forming for the Americans. Eichel and the Tkachuk brothers work well together on the forecheck, Jack Hughes and Dylan Larkin have developed a dangerous connection and the loaded blue line has found its rhythm at both ends of the ice. If you believe in a team peaking at the right time, the last few days bode well for Team USA in the gold medal game.