Two teams with differing expectations meet in the first round of the knockout stage, as Lucas Raymond and Sweden take on Latvia in the men’s playoff qualifiers at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

In a showdown between three members of the Canucks organization, it was Teddy Blueger and Anri Ravinskis who came out victorious with Latvia taking a 4–3 win against Germany. Latvia’s first win of the tournament came with a different goaltender in net, as former Canuck Artūrs Šilovs started for his team today.

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.

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.

McAvoy, Swayman, Jokiharju and Korpisalo are all still in the running for an Olympic medal ahead of Friday’s semifinal meetings. The gold-medal game is scheduled for Sunday at 8:10 a.m. ET; the bronze-medal game will be on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Team USA plays against Latvia in men's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics today. Fans can watch this game for free online.

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