Quinn Hughes strikes in overtime to send USA into Olympic semi-finals

Quinn Hughes struck a dramatic overtime winner to send the United States into the semi-finals of the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament with a thrilling victory over Sweden.

The Vancouver Canucks captain delivered the decisive moment in the extra period to secure a meeting with Slovakia in the last four.

It keeps American hopes of a gold medal alive in the first Games featuring active NHL players since Sochi 2014.

Hughes leads from the front

Hughes has emerged as the undisputed talisman for this star-studded roster.

The dynamic defenceman logged more than 27 minutes on the ice, controlling the tempo against a technically gifted Swedish side.

He averaged 56 seconds per shift, outworking every other skater on the ice including Sweden’s Erik Karlsson.

His winner came after he had already been on the ice for over a minute in the 3-on-3 overtime, finding space to launch the shot that ended the contest.

Larkin breaks the deadlock

After a cagey and scoreless opening frame, the game opened up in the second period.

Dylan Larkin broke the deadlock for the Americans, redirecting a shot to give his side a narrow advantage.

The Detroit Red Wings forward’s goal was the culmination of a period where the US outshot their opponents and generated consistent pressure.

Late drama and resilience

Tre Kronor proved worthy adversaries and refused to let the Americans coast to victory in regulation.

Sweden found an equaliser with just 91 seconds remaining in the third period to force the game beyond the regulation 60 minutes.

Despite the psychological blow of conceding so late, the US regrouped immediately to dominate the overtime session.

They will now prepare to face Slovakia, who have defied expectations to reach this stage, for a place in the gold medal game.