Judd's Hockey Show - A Minnesota Wild Podcast
USA men's hockey team finishes preliminary round UNDEFEATED!
16 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: How did the USA men's hockey team finish the preliminary round?
It's Judd's Hockey Show. Welcome into a live version of Judd's Hockey Show, a post-Olympic game, US 5, Germany 1. The pool play is done. It is, of course, Judd. It is Jesse Pierce, ordinarily joins us on Wednesdays, but always welcome because she brings a lot when it comes to the... the United States hockey program, including these glasses, which are absolutely fantastic.
I expect that you're going to do the show with those on. Talk about rose-colored glasses and, of course, A.J. Fredrickson as well. And so the preliminary stuff is done now. The U.S. beat, what, Latvia in the first game, Denmark on Saturday, and then Germany today. The grouping works like this if you don't know and you're curious. So... On Tuesday, we're going to have four games.
Chapter 2: What were the highlights from the USA vs. Germany game?
So four teams were seeded and get by through the first round. The first round will feature a game between Sweden and Latvia, the seven and ten seeds now. The winner of that game, because Sweden had a bad tournament, will play the U.S. then in the quarterfinal. So, Jesse, we'll start with you.
What did you think about what you saw the past, well, especially two days, because we did a show on the Bardown Beauty's channel after the Lafayette game. But the past two days, Denmark and Germany, and how confident are you? Because you have been very on the fence, despite your glasses. How confident are you right now in the U.S.
team as they try to get through to the very least, I think we expect, the gold medal game?
I mean, unfortunately for Minnesota Wild fans, but fortunately for U.S. fans, Philip Gustafson hasn't looked super great for Sweden. And I'm assuming naturally that Sweden's going to probably get past Latva in that the U.S. today against, let's start there first, most complete game I have seen them play yet in this tournament against Germany, who I think we were all in agreement with.
was going to be their toughest competition in this group, and you thought they should cruise through their earlier two games, and they kind of fell behind.
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Chapter 3: What concerns exist for the USA team heading into the knockout stage?
They looked off a little bit. The scoring wasn't there until the third period when all of a sudden they were like, oh, yeah, we should do this and put this damn thing away. They let teams hang around, whereas I thought they were very much in control against Germany today. A ton of fun. I think a lot of that goes to Connor Hellebuck, too. Obviously, he is your guy.
I don't think there's any question about that. Curious decision to go to Swayman yesterday. I still don't understand that, but I'm pretty sure that confidently put a nail in that coffin because I don't need to see him again during the Olympics at all. I really liked the U.S. game, so it gives me a little more confidence. I have been on the fence. I've been very nervous. I've been very worried.
mostly because I continue to watch Canada absolutely decimate their opponents and not even apologize for it, right?
Chapter 4: How did individual players perform during the preliminary round?
Like, Macklin Celebrini even gets his penalty shot. Like, they're just having fun toying. Like, this seems just like a good old time out there for them. Like, that's all. Let's score 10 goals. I liked the U.S. 's game today.
Tough draw, though, to have to either go against likely Sweden in that quarterfinals, who might be able to figure it out because they are one of the stronger teams, despite how they perform through the prelims.
Age, I got to think that we're going to see Jacob Markstrom, who played in the third pool play game.
for sweden it feels to me like unfortunately and we'll see how things go when he returns to his full-time employer the wild feels to me like gus has lost the net volstead still not playing so i gotta think markstrom from the devils is going to be the goaltender assuming that they get by latvia which i think they probably will against the u.s in that quarterfinal game
Yeah, I'm not sure. What's the correct word here? Has he been usurped? Is that the correct usage of that? Or I just benched him like Swayman was after that mysterious, weird decision to start Jeremy Swayman.
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Chapter 5: What potential matchups await the USA team in the knockout stage?
I was waiting for today for them to put up nine or like win by nine because they needed a 10 goal lead, I guess, or victory in order to force a tiebreaker. And that if they would have fell one goal short, we could have looked back to that
half ice blunder that stinker that howler that got past uh jeremy swimming but yeah i i would assume you know apparently for the record he's he's a colorblind guy and that's why he couldn't see the puck against the boards does he have to wear like color corrective content also this is the nhl and the olympics do they not have technology at this point like i see circulating on the internet people like first time seeing with color correcting glasses for colorblind he's an nhl player why do they don't have something for him
anyways um yeah stop the puck i mean yeah we all got problems stop the puck you're paid to stop the puck yeah um for you you assume you're gonna see team sweden after they i think very expectedly beat latvia that makes me nervous um the group play that i saw from the u.s obviously they win their group and today i think against a team like germany they looked pretty solid don't get me wrong but i would i i would be not true to myself in my like my thinking if
you look at the gold differential and how they played against the other two games they played. It's not like they were these world beaters. Denmark at one point was kind of hanging around with them. Latvia kind of gave them some trouble for that first night. I maybe can push that past that game.
But I would say they're super lucky that a team like Russia, a nation like Russia is not participating in these Olympics. Cause you would have to assume that another,
more than capable nation probably fits into their group if it's not russia um and you know creates a harder road to the number one seed but now being the number one seed kind of throwing away the the tire i should say throwing away the top top seed with canada just walking to the easiest road with the gold medal I'm a little nervous.
I'm a little nervous about how they might match up against a team like Sweden. Assumingly that they, they beat Latvia.
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Chapter 6: How does the USA team compare to other teams in the tournament?
I, I think they play a certain style of hockey that will make it a gritty, like hard fought game that isn't built to maybe get these massive goal differentials like they needed to today. So that's maybe the silver lining here is that
the makeup of the team isn't built for that, but I'm not super confident that they are going to like waltz into a gold medal game and compete for that top spot at the Olympics.
It doesn't feel like they are going to Jesse overwhelm a team like Canada is. And this could stop. I don't know. But for so far, it feels like everyone who plays the Canadians are overwhelmed. Yeah. And their group was, was better than certainly what, Latvia, Denmark, and Germany. But the U.S. feels like a team that's not going to overwhelm teams.
But what I will say about today's game, and I think Austin Matthews, who scored two goals today, brought this up between periods on the telecast, was it felt to me like the Denmark game... The U.S. looked like an all-star team that sort of had no connection.
Chapter 7: What strategies should the USA employ to succeed in the knockout rounds?
Today, it looked like they played like a team. Now, if you want them to blow teams out, I don't think that's coming. I thought that they might, but they clearly didn't. But all of that being said, I think to AJ's point, Jess, the best that you can hope for is that they can win sort of a one-goal game or a two-goal game.
And I will say now, in my opinion, the biggest difference between the four teams Nations Canadian team, and what we're seeing now is you have Macklin Celebrini, and they can put together, you know, John Cooper can throw out, and he did, a line of McKinnon
mcdavid and celebrini that should be legal so it is so like i but i don't see i don't see the u.s um winning by multiple goals against good teams i think though i think they might be able to win by a goal like against sweden but once they get to canada i have no idea because i mean you're exactly right this canadian team looks so good
It's line after line after line. Yes, that's one of their powerful lines. You've got Sidney Crosby on the next line. It's just a wave after wave that you're not going to be able to come up from. However, again, the U.S. still needs to get there. They're going to have to do it, like you mentioned, Judd, in those one-goal games. It's going to have to be gritty.
Chapter 8: What are the implications of the players' performances on future games?
I love that Austin Matthews kind of finally showed up, right? And now he's playing more into his game. I love the way that the Kachuks have played, and it's actually really ā helped the U S in so many ways. They're still being very physical, but they're not being stupid out there either. And I think having them on a line together has been really, really smart and effective.
And I maintain the defense continues to be outstanding. I got to give a shout out to our boy, Brock Faber too. That's, this is unbiased as well. He's had a hell of a tournament and you can just see the confidence surging through him. And, you know, it's something that you saw obviously in four nations.
You've seen him do it before this break toward, as we got closer to the break, but I just, I think he's had a really good tournament. So again, they're going to have to rely on that net front presence getting in the blue page, right? Like without question, I think that's how the U.S.
is going to win these games if they're going to face Sweden, especially because that's where Gus has also struggled. And the Swedish defense has struggled keeping guys from in front of the net. I mean, there's a lot of really good ways that the U.S., again, assuming they play Sweden in that quarterfinal matchup, could defeat them playing their style. Now, what goes beyond that?
it's tbd but um yeah the us is just they're they're built differently than canada every team is built differently than canada it's not fair but it's also kind of sick and fun to watch like i feel gross how excited i get watching them like they're just oh it's a great team no no don't feel bad right no they're phenomenal they're just a tremendous hockey team um your point about the chucks i think my piv my pivot for them is preliminary rounds is like
merge like put mercy rule numbers up like put as many pucks in the back of that as possible but once you get to the knockout rounds it's like it's one and done and i think that's where they're probably gonna shine more um because i
it's that gritty like head games the stuff between the plays that maybe you don't see or notice and granted we saw like the the mic'd up stuff or what was it the chirp that matthew could chuck through it little dry saddle which felt good such a drive by not needed didn't even hear him say leon but i knew immediately i'm like that's got to be who he's talking about when he's like oh he's the bridesmaid not the bride and it's like that's not gonna be for leon no it's so good so good i need it
He plays for Germany. Like I feel, I feel like bad for him for that sense. But yes, it's, it's the past two years, their Stanley cup history. That's a pretty incredible line. I think they're going to be difference makers in the best way possible. Like you said, Jesse, if they stay smart, because there's like, we've seen the Kachucks maybe go off the rails at times.
And you, you, you always kind of maybe can see them get tempted by that devil on their shoulder, like not taking another step too far. Take it one more step, like see how far you can get. But it's the stuff on top of the crease. Matthew could shock when he goes into the blue paint. And granted, I want to get on the record and say that goal that was called back.
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