{"id":65201,"date":"2026-02-13T02:05:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T02:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/u-s-mens-hockey-team-cruises-to-5-1-win-over-latvia-in-their-first-game-of-2026-winter-olympics\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T02:05:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T02:05:39","slug":"u-s-mens-hockey-team-cruises-to-5-1-win-over-latvia-in-their-first-game-of-2026-winter-olympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/u-s-mens-hockey-team-cruises-to-5-1-win-over-latvia-in-their-first-game-of-2026-winter-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. men&#8217;s hockey team cruises to 5-1 win over Latvia in their first game of 2026 Winter Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>The U.S. goal song \u2014 &#8220;Free Bird&#8221; by Lynyrd Skynyrd \u2014 blared seven times over arena speakers on Thursday night. Twice, the celebration was only short-lived.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bouncing back from having a pair of goals wiped out by coach&#8217;s challenges, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/tag\/hockey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">the U.S.<\/a> opened <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/feature\/milan-winter-olympics-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">the Olympics<\/a><\/span> by rolling past Latvia 5-1 in a dominant showcase of some of the country&#8217;s best NHL players. Brock Nelson scored twice, four players had two assists apiece, and there was production up and down the lineup.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We believe in the depth we have,&#8221; winger Jake Guentzel said. &#8220;There&#8217;s good players on every line. That&#8217;s just where American hockey is right now.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\">\n<p>      <span class=\"img embed__content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/13\/037d6574-44ec-4f44-a07d-e9ca904d7f15\/thumbnail\/620x414\/4c9570a64bcbe6ddf624613e661af192\/gettyimages-2261331643.jpg#\" alt=\"U.S. men's hockey \" height=\"414\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/13\/037d6574-44ec-4f44-a07d-e9ca904d7f15\/thumbnail\/620x414\/4c9570a64bcbe6ddf624613e661af192\/gettyimages-2261331643.jpg 1x, https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/13\/037d6574-44ec-4f44-a07d-e9ca904d7f15\/thumbnail\/1240x828\/9247b0fe9bd8939b614c19508b89b8e3\/gettyimages-2261331643.jpg 2x\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__caption\">Brock Nelson of the United States celebrates his goal with teammates during the men&#8217;s Group A match against Latvia in the Winter Olympics at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 12, 2026, in Milan, Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                Maryam Majd \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After a weird first period with a couple of video reviews and a tying goal by Latvia, the Americans found their groove and for long stretches barely let their opponents have the puck. The U.S. outshot Latvia 38-18 and needed starter Connor Hellebuyck to make only 17 saves.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I felt like we controlled the play,&#8221; center Jack Eichel said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to continue to get better every game in this tournament, every period in this tournament. That&#8217;s our goal, and it&#8217;s a good start for us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Elvis Merzlikins was under siege at the other end, and after Nelson&#8217;s second goal he sat in the crease with his head bowed in his lap. An odd-man rush became a version of the Harlem Globetrotters on ice with pass after pass: Jack Hughes to brother Quinn to Matthew Tkachuk, back to Jack and then to Nelson to tap into a half-open net with 11.1 seconds left in the second period.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s much to do,&#8221; Merzlikins said. &#8220;If that guy wouldn&#8217;t score, probably the other guy would score because I felt completely two open guys, and it&#8217;s hard to save something like that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\">\n<p>      <span class=\"img embed__content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/13\/7bb4ff76-b618-4050-ba32-1a84add083fd\/thumbnail\/620x414\/5b74aa5eea6ef855b90a9d8a4b9d95f6\/gettyimages-2261325990.jpg#\" alt=\"Ice Hockey - Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Day 6 \" height=\"414\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/13\/7bb4ff76-b618-4050-ba32-1a84add083fd\/thumbnail\/620x414\/5b74aa5eea6ef855b90a9d8a4b9d95f6\/gettyimages-2261325990.jpg 1x, https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/13\/7bb4ff76-b618-4050-ba32-1a84add083fd\/thumbnail\/1240x828\/4931e175074eb45852bb85929c6a11dd\/gettyimages-2261325990.jpg 2x\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__caption\">Arturs Silovs of Team Latvia reacts after conceding a goal to the U.S. in the third period of their Group A match in the Winter Olympics at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 12, 2026 in Milan, Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Brady Tkachuk scored the first U.S. goal of the tournament less than six minutes in, and Tage Thompson roofed a nifty backhander on the power play, making coach Mike Sullivan look smart for putting the 6-foot-6 winger on the loaded top unit. Four goals on 32 shots was enough to chase Merzlikins, who was pulled to start the third for Arturs Silovs.<\/p>\n<p>Captain Auston Matthews welcomed Silovs to the Olympics with a power-play goal, assisted on by Eichel and Quinn Hughes. Each of them had two assists, along with Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Hughes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I just think the depth that we have, it showed,&#8221; Brady Tkachuk said. &#8220;I thought everybody played a great game tonight. You just see the buy-in. You see the buy-in of every line playing the right way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to CBS News after the game, Jack Hughes noted that the smaller ice rink used in the Winter Olympics has not been a major issue.  <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Talking about it beforehand, you think it would be a much bigger deal,&#8221; Jack Hughes said. &#8220;You know, so, the rink&#8217;s pretty nice. I&#8217;m sure as the tournament gets along, the ice will get better. When you&#8217;re out there, the size isn&#8217;t too big of a difference.&#8221; \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And asked by CBS News about the NHL&#8217;s in-season pause during the Olympics, and whether he believes Olympic hockey is better, Thompson responded: &#8220;I just think it&#8217;s best on best, you know, I think any time you&#8217;re taking all the best hockey players and having them represent their country, there comes another level of pride when you wear your colors. And obviously, the intensity gets heightened.&#8221; \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/winter-olympic-games-schedule-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">The U.S. plays Denmark<\/a><\/span> on Saturday night before wrapping up the preliminary round 24 hours later against Germany.\u00a0<\/p>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n<\/section>\n<p>  <!-- data-recirc-source=\"chartbeat\" --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"component list recirculation component--type-recirculation  component--type-recirculation-collection\">\n<div class=\"component__heading-wrapper recirc\">\n<h3 class=\"component__title\">Milan Winter Olympics 2026<br \/>\n                          <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/feature\/milan-winter-olympics-2026\/?intcid=CNI-00-10aaa3a\" class=\"component__view-more component__view-more--lg\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\"><br \/>\n                More<br \/>\n                <svg viewbox=\"0 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