Latvia’s Teddy Blueger tried to make a pass out of his defensive zone, but the puck hit the skates of Nylander and went to the stick of Sweden teammate Joel Eriksson Ek, whose shot on goal hit Kempe’s right skate and went in for a 1-0 lead at 10:55.

Sweden will face Latvia in the men’s hockey qualification playoffs of the 2026 Winter Olympics at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, with puck drop at 3:10 p.m. ET and streaming on Peacock, and TV coverage on USA Network.

Severance is coming off an outstanding NHL season in which he went 235-155-21 (plus $2,022). He entered the Olympic break on a 26-12 roll on NHL money-line picks this season, returning $1,326 for $100 players. Anyone following his hockey picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Team USA's quest for its first Olympic men's hockey gold since 1980 began against Latvia at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, with the B/R staff on hand to deliver live analysis and reaction.

Sweden's Olympic campaign in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games is at a critical stage, with Victor Hedman emphasizing the importance of more physical play to prevent possible elimination at the hands of Latvia.

SportsLine's expert Mike Severance reveals his USA vs. Latvia picks for their Winter Olympics men's hockey matchup on Thursday

It’s been a long time coming for Latvia. They stunned Germany, 4-3, in men’s hockey on Saturday, marking their first win in the competition at a Winter Olympics since 2014, when they beat Switzerland.

Sweden and Latvia face off in the qualifiers in this men's ice hockey playoff matchup during the 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday.