Brock Nelson's two-goal performance leads Team USA to victory over Latvia in Olympic debut

Team USA is disconnected to a blistery commencement successful men’s crystal hockey astatine the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, arsenic they defeated Latvia, 5-1, to unfastened their play connected Thursday night.

While the squad is filled with young talent, it was the oldest subordinate connected the team, 34-year-old Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche, scoring doubly for the U.S. successful the 2nd play to pb the squad successful scoring.

Nelson was diligent with his archetypal goal, which broke a 1-1 necktie successful the 2nd play erstwhile New Jersey Devils prima Jack Hughes recovered him successful beforehand of the net, and Nelson dangled his mode astir Latvia’s Elvis Merzlikins successful nett for the 2-1 lead.

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Brock Nelson of United States celebrates his extremity with teammates during the Men's Preliminary Group A lucifer betwixt Latvia and United States connected time six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 12, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (RvS.Media/Robert Hradil)

Then, with little than 1 infinitesimal to play successful the second, the U.S. recovered themselves successful premier presumption to stroke the doors unfastened erstwhile Hughes got the puck again from Matthew Tkachuk.

As Hughes surveyed the ice, Nelson didn’t discarded immoderate clip with the one-time changeable from a nifty walk that recovered the backmost of the nett for his 2nd extremity of the period.

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Earlier successful the game, Nelson scored connected a beauteous extremity connected a changeable astatine the bluish enactment by Team USA. But Latvia won its 2nd situation of the archetypal play connected goals, arsenic referees determined goaltender interference affected the result.

Before Nelson’s called-back goal, Quinn Hughes was besides denied a extremity aft the Latvian seat challenged for offsides earlier the play. They were correct, and thus, the people remained 1-1.

Brady Tkachuk of United States observe his extremity connected time six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 12, 2026 successful Milan, Italy.  (Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images)

Brady Tkachuk, the member of Matthew, got things going earlier successful the game, though, arsenic helium potted a nifty wrister implicit the mitt of Merzlikins 5:29 into the game.

Things got interesting, though, erstwhile Renars Krastenbergs won the combat for the puck successful beforehand of Team USA’s nett conscionable implicit a infinitesimal aft the Quinn Hughes extremity was called back, hitting a backhand past Connor Hellebuyck for the score.

That was the lone discourtesy Latvia would earn, however, with Hellebuyck facing conscionable 18 shots to Team USA’s 38.

Tage Thompson and Auston Matthews were some power-play goalscorers for Team USA, with the former’s coming successful the 2nd play to marque it a 3-1 game, portion the second potted a point-blank changeable connected his successful the 3rd to seal the victory.

Brock Nelson celebrates extremity with Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Hughes by his broadside successful the 5-1 triumph implicit Latvia connected Feb. 12, 2026 astatine the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. (RvS.Media/Robert Hradil)

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Team USA did what it was expected to bash against Latvia, and they should beryllium heavy favored against the big Italian squad connected Saturday.

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