The United States beat Germany 5-1 but came up short of earning the top seeding from the preliminary stage of the men's Winter Olympic ice hockey tournament on Sunday, as they finished second-best to Canada heading into the knockout stages.

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

Here's what to know heading into the final day of the preliminary round of the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The United States are growing in confidence, captain Auston Matthews said on Sunday, as they advanced into the Olympic quarter-finals in Milan after clinching top spot in Group C with an easy 5-1 win over Germany.

Two fans who raised a flag of Greenland as the United States played Denmark in men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics say they did so as a gesture of European support for the island and for Denmark.

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

The 2026 Winter Olympics kick off their final week Sunday, with men's hockey taking center stage as both the favored Canada and United States teams continue their march toward an inevitable showdown.

Just as in the NHL, if an Olympic game is tied after 60 minutes, there will be overtime and a possible shootout. But there are differences in rules.