Latvia vs USA

Latvia drew first blood at 7:38 of the opening period. Haralds Egle deflected a point shot from Kristaps Zile past USA netminder, with Martins Dzierkals also drawing an assist on the play. The early goal gave the underdogs a jolt of confidence, though the Americans dominated territorially from that point forward.

USA pressed hard for an equaliser, generating several high-danger chances, but Gudļevskis stood tall. The period also saw a flurry of penalties — Mathieu Olivier (holding), Ryan Lindgren (high-sticking), and Latvia's Andris Andžāns (cross-checking) all sat two minutes — but neither team could convert on the power play in the opening frame.

The Americans' pressure finally paid off at 33:49 of the second period. Matthew Tkachuk, one of only two returnees from the 2025 gold-medal-winning US squad, hammered home a power-play goal with assists from Olli Moore and Drew Nelson. The equaliser came with Latvia's Ralfs Mamčics serving a cross-checking penalty.

Tempers flared in the middle frame. Olivier picked up roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the same stoppage at 48:54, while Oskars Batna was also sent off for roughing. The chippy play reflected the growing stakes of a match with major quarter-final implications.

Latvia reclaimed the lead at 45:50 of the third period when Deniss Smirnovs finished a slick passing play initiated by Sandis Vilmanis and Rudolfs Balcers. The goal stood as the game-winner and sent the Latvian bench into a frenzy.

With time winding down and the USA pressing, Vilmanis — Latvia's lone NHL player, a Florida Panthers prospect — sealed the victory with a pair of empty-net goals. His first came at 58:18 off a feed from Batna, making it 3-1.

Mathieu Olivier pulled the Americans within one at 58:35, tipping a Tkachuk pass past Gudļevskis with the extra attacker on the ice. But Vilmanis answered immediately, firing into the empty net from distance at 58:55 to restore the two-goal cushion and put the game to bed.

"It's a huge win for us," Gudļevskis said after the match. "We knew they would come hard. They are the champions. But we stuck to our system, blocked shots, and when they made mistakes we punished them."

The victory vaulted Latvia (6 points) past the USA (5 points) into fourth place in Group A. However, Germany's 6-2 win over Austria later on Saturday pushed the Germans to seven points, meaning Latvia still sat fifth by evening's end. Austria hold third with nine points, while group leaders Switzerland (18 points) and Finland (15 points) have already secured their quarter-final berths.

For the United States, the path to the knockout round is now perilous. The Americans face Hungary on May 25 and Austria on May 26 — both must-win fixtures. The best-case scenario for the defending champions involves beating Hungary, hoping Austria loses to Finland, and then defeating Austria in the group finale to clinch fourth place on tiebreakers.

"We outshot them 47-22 and lost, that's the story of the game," said Tkachuk, who finished with a goal and an assist and was named USA's player of the game. "We've got two games left and we control our destiny if we win them both."

The 33-year-old netminder, who plays for Rīga in the Latvian domestic league, delivered a masterclass in positional goaltending. His 45 saves included several point-blank denials in the second period when the Americans were at their most dominant. Gudļevskis' calm presence allowed Latvia to weather extended periods of pressure and strike on the counter-attack.

Latvia continue their Group A campaign against Great Britain on May 24 before facing Hungary on May 26. The USA's must-win clash with Hungary takes place on May 25, followed by the group-stage finale against Austria on May 26. The quarter-finals begin on May 28 in Zurich.