When you're dealing with a pesky opponent, you need your nation's best to fend off your adversary. For Team Canada, they can call upon Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid to do the job. For the Americans, they could call upon the Vegas Golden Knights to make the magic happen.
That was especially true on Saturday as Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin had a goal each in a 6-3 victory over Denmark. The United States also got goals from Brady Tkachuk, Matt Boldy, Jack Hughes, and Jake Guentzel. While the win sounds nice from an American perspective, there was some trouble in paradise.
For example, Jeremy Swayman was awful on Saturday, even allowing a neutral-zone goal from Nick Jensen in the first period. The Danes took a 2-1 lead, leaving the United States reeling from a surprisingly slow start. Boy, doesn't that sound familiar?
Luckily, the United States could rely upon two Golden Knights to carry the load. That meant being offensively aggressive and attacking the net, which the two Vegas stars did. Yes, we're talking about two Golden Knights carrying the load on Saturday. Here's what the two Vegas stars did that helped the United States win.
Death, taxes, and Jack Eichel picking up the slack for the United States
If there was any argument for Jack Eichel to be Team USA's future Captain, Saturday's game was a perfect example. The Golden Knights' gigastar had a goal and an assist with six shots on goal. He was all over the ice against Denmark, providing plenty of offense for the Americans.
The game also showed that Eichel is having no problems creating scoring opportunities with the Tkachuk brothers on his line. He can create assists wherever he stands, whether it's off the faceoff or entering the slot. That line can compete with Canada's (or anybody's) best, making them a legitimate threat.
If there's solace for Golden Knights fans, it's that their gigastar does extremely well when the lights are bright. Vegas already knew this when Eichel went on his first Stanley Cup playoff run in 2023. That's coming to the forefront again, with this occurrence happening during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin contributes a goal for the United States!
You won't believe this. But Noah Hanifin scored for the United States on Saturday. He scored a goal by squeaking the puck past Mads Sogaard in the second period, putting America up 4-2.
Overall, it was a nice day for the defenseman with three shots on goal to go with his goal. He was effective at attacking the net and was aggressive throughout the night. It made life easier for the United States, especially with the netminding being subpar.
Of course, this is nothing new for Hanifin, who's dealt with this problem throughout the 2025-26 season. He's used to having netminders like Adin Hill play out of position and let one slip by. But that's why the Boston native is great for this spot: he can pick up the team in certain spots.