MILAN — Already denied a goal and an assist by successful Latvian challenges earlier in the game, Brock Nelson couldn’t resist sending a message.
The American forward celebrated his go-ahead goal midway through the second period by playfully pointing at the net and signaling “good goal” to make the point that this one counted.
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“You never know how many looks you’re going to get, so when you have that happen, you’re like maybe tonight’s not my night,” Nelson said. “You just try to stick with it. All the guys were positive for sure.”
Nelson’s goal was the lid-lifter the U.S. men’s hockey team needed to seize control of the match and get its quest for Olympic gold off to an encouraging start. The Americans added two more goals by the end of the second period, salting away a 5-1 victory over Latvia on Thursday night in the opening match of group play for both teams.
“That goal by Brock was really big,” American defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “It felt like we were pushing and pushing, kind of waiting for the dam to break.”
The last time the U.S. men’s hockey team captured Olympic gold, a group of college standouts and minor-league nobodies engineered the Miracle on Ice. Forty-six years later, the Americans boast a star-laden roster composed entirely of NHL players and the belief that it is at last their time again.
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Their starting goaltender is the reigning NHL MVP and a three-time Vezina Trophy winner. Their group of defensemen includes four who appeared on ballots in last year’s Norris Trophy voting. Their attacking talent includes the likes of Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk. It’s the deepest, strongest roster at these Olympics besides Canada’s, which is somehow even more loaded.
Only six members of Latvia’s roster currently play in the NHL, but the U.S. entered Thursday’s matchup expecting a fight. Latvia is a proud hockey country with a history of punching above its weight class. At the 2023 World Championships, the Latvians won a surprise bronze medal, toppling the likes of Czechia, Sweden and the U.S.
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The opening period was an exasperating one for a U.S. team that put the puck in the back of the net three times yet skated off the ice with just a single goal.
Quinn Hughes thought he had put the U.S. ahead 2-0, but referees ruled that Nelson was offside during the buildup. Then, after a Latvian goal against the run of play, Nelson appeared to score on a deflection to make it 2-1, but referees ruled that minimal contact between J.T. Miller and Merzlikins in the crease was enough to be goaltender inference.
Annoyance turned to disbelief for the Americans late in the first period when U.S. attackers twice beat Merzlikins, only to have their shots clang off the post. First it was Nelson. Then it was Matthew Tkachuk. The older Tkachuk brother was so certain that he had scored that he began to raise his arms in celebration, only to put them on his head when he realized he had been denied. Linemate Jack Eichel also put both arms in the air, then quickly put them back down.
Credit the U.S. for bearing down and responding by dominating the second period. The U.S. limited Latvia to just two shots and peppered Merzlikins over and over until Nelson finally broke through.
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A deft Jack Hughes pass from behind the net set Nelson up all alone in front of the net with only Merzlikins to beat. Nelson stayed patient and made no mistake, deking the Latvian goaltender the wrong way and burying the puck into an open net.
The goals came easily for the U.S. after that. Tage Thompson went backhand over the shoulder of Merzlikins from a tight angle to make it 3-1. Beautiful tic-tac-toe passing set up Nelson for his second goal of the game barely a minute later.
Latvia changed goaltenders after the second period, not that it slowed the U.S. onslaught. Auston Matthews struck less than three minutes into the third period.
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The Americans are unlikely to face more resistance in their next group-stage game against Denmark on Saturday night. It might not be until Sunday against Leon Draisaitl and Germany that the U.S. is truly challenged.
If the Americans get this version of Nelson to lead their fourth line, it might be even longer than that.
“What could he have had, like four or five goals tonight if they wouldn’t have gotten called back?” Matthew Tkachuk said. “He was awesome.”
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