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.

Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond continued his impressive start to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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