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.

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.

Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Artūrs Šilovs posted a 26-save effort to help Latvia beat Leon Draisaitl and Team Germany in an Olympic preliminary round matchup

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.

After exciting preliminary contests, it's onto the playoff round for men's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The playoff stage begins early Tuesday with four qualification matchups before the quarterfinals take place on Wednesday.

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