As Canada crushed opponents into submission during group play at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the United States delivered wins in more modest fashion, which raised questions about whether Team USA is a true threat to the Canadians for the gold medal in men's hockey.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet delivered a theory Monday on the 32 Thoughts podcast about why there's a good chance the best is yet to come for the Americans in Italy based on the fuel provided by Matthew Tkachuk chirping Germany's Leon Draisaitl.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that one of the reasons the U.S. didn't look great in their first two games was because they didn't manufacture hate for either of those two teams. It just wasn't there," Friedman said about the Americans' wins over Latvia and Denmark. "All of a sudden Germany — A. they're a bit better and B. it's our third game of the round robin, we have to get going, and C. that whole Tkachuk-Draisaitl thing, all of sudden that was a completely different team."
Team USA may not be able to match the raw offensive talent of Team Canada, but there's a physical element that can help the Red, White and Blue drag the Canadians down into a fistfight if the rivals do eventually meet in the Gold Medal Game.
That's not guaranteed, of course. Barring an upset in the first knockout round, the United States is staring down a potentially difficult quarterfinal matchup against Sweden and, depending on how the reseeded bracket falls, it could also have to face Finland in the semifinals.
Yet, the Americans may finally be finding the mental edge necessary to play their best hockey.
"I saw a lot of people saying, 'No chance the U.S. beats Canada, no chance the U.S. beats Canada.' Again, it was early. You get yourself going," Friedman said. "But now the hate is there. I really thought that's a major reason they looked so much better in their third game. I think now we're gonna start to see who they really are, and the ferocity is there."
Team USA will face the winner of Sweden vs. Latvia in the quarterfinals, while Canada is set to battle either Czechia or Denmark for a spot in the tournament's final four.
Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson deserves more Olympic ice time as he provides an offensive spark for Team USA
The biggest concern about the Americans' decision to bring New York Rangers forwards J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck to the Games was the likelihood U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan, who also leads the Rangers' coaching staff, would feed them too many minutes.
Although that hasn't materialized to a problematic extent, the one player typically being impacted is Thompson, who was replaced by Trocheck in certain situations during pool play.
It doesn't feel like that's a wise plan moving forward
The Sabres superstar scored two goals to help the United States earn the No. 2 seed, and he's a player who can create individual offense out of nothing, as he proved at the 2025 IIHF World Championships by scoring the game-winning goal in overtime of the championship game.
Those type of game-changing moments are what typically turns the tide in the knockout rounds, which are tightly contested as teams focus on limiting mistakes. Nothing comes easy, and they'll be particularly true if the U.S. faces a Sweden-Finland-Canada gauntlet this week.
Thompson can be a difference-maker to an extent that's simply not possible for Miller or Trocheck. Taking shifts away from him could prove costly in the coming games.
For his part, the 28-year-old Arizona native, who's scored 59 points in 57 NHL games this season, is doing his best to enjoy the Olympic journey.
"It's been great so far," Thompson told Justin Felisko of USA Hockey. "That is the whole part of the experience staying in the village getting to know your teammates, hanging out. Tight living quarters, so hang out with the guys and get closer as a group."
Team USA's chances of capturing the gold medal rely heavily on being the toughest team in the tournament to play against. A relentless work rate and an elite compete level that's enough to beat any team in Italy, including Canada.
And few things are tougher to play against than a 6-foot-6, 220-pound power forward with high-end offensive skill and one of the best shots in the world.
That's why Thompson should be a key part of the U.S.' plans starting in the quarterfinal round.