At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Sweden delivered a performance worthy of its gold-medal aspirations, overpowering Latvia 5-1 in men’s ice hockey to build momentum ahead of a highly anticipated clash with the United States.
From the opening puck drop, Sweden looked every bit like the team many pegged as a tournament favorite. Balanced scoring, crisp puck movement, and steady goaltending defined a dominant outing that saw 10 Swedish skaters record at least one point.
Mika Zibanejad, William Nylander, and Gabriel Landeskog each recorded a goal and an assist, while Filip Forsberg and Adrian Kempe also found the back of the net. Playmaker Lucas Raymond orchestrated the attack with three assists, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 20 saves to secure his second win in as many starts after beginning the tournament backing up Filip Gustavsson.
For Latvia, Elvis Merzlikins stopped 23 shots, while Eduards Tralmaks scored the lone goal. The loss sends Latvia home from Milan with one win in four games.
Sweden’s surge began midway through the first period with a pair of goals just 41 seconds apart. On the opening tally at 10:55, Latvia’s Teddy Blueger attempted to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, but it ricocheted off Nylander’s skates to Joel Eriksson Ek. His shot deflected off Kempe’s right skate and slipped past Merzlikins for a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, Zibanejad fired a shot from the right point that deflected off Raymond in front. Landeskog corralled the loose puck, kicked it to his stick, and buried it at 11:36 to give Sweden a 2-0 cushion.
Sweden extended the lead to 3-0 at 7:36 of the second period when Forsberg redirected a slick pass from Erik Karlsson for his first goal of the Olympics. Latvia answered at 10:47 when Tralmaks pounced on a rebound in the slot and beat Markstrom to cut the deficit to 3-1, but that was as close as it would get.
Zibanejad restored control at 5:54 of the third period, finishing a 2-on-1 rush set up by Raymond to make it 4-1. Nylander capped the scoring at 13:18, taking another Raymond feed near the crease and lifting a backhand past Merzlikins.
Raymond’s three-assist night gave him seven helpers in four Olympic games, the most ever by a Swedish player in a single Olympic tournament featuring NHL players. He surpassed the previous mark of six set by Peter Forsberg in 2006.
The offensive balance was equally impressive. Three different Swedish lines accounted for goals, underscoring the team’s depth as it prepares for its biggest test yet.
Head coach Sam Hallam remained noncommittal about his starting goaltender for the showdown with the United States, noting Sweden’s confidence regardless of whether Markstrom, Gustavsson, or Jesper Wallstedt gets the nod. Veteran defenseman Karlsson echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the team’s belief in its structure and preparation.
Hallam also acknowledged the challenge ahead. Unlike several of Sweden’s earlier matchups, the U.S. roster will be comprised entirely of NHL players, eliminating any element of surprise.
With its most complete performance of the tournament, Sweden now heads into its clash with the Americans looking every bit like the gold-medal contender it was expected to be when the Games began.
