Brock Nelson scored twice, while Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Tage Thompson each added two assists in the United States' dominant 5-1 victory over Latvia in the Olympic men's hockey tournament opener. The U.S. outshot Latvia 38-18, showcasing their offensive firepower with Nelson's second goal coming late in the second period on a highlight-reel odd-man rush. Connor Hellebuyck made only 17 saves in net, while Latvia's Elvis Merzlikins was pulled in the third period after a shaky first period that saw the U.S. score twice via coach's challenges before Latvia tied it.

Captain Auston Matthews opened the scoring just six minutes in, and Thompson capitalized on a power play. This convincing win, following a 1-0 loss to Canada in the pre-Olympic tournament, sets a strong tone for the U.S. team's medal hopes as they prepare to face Denmark on Saturday and Germany on Sunday.