The Hat Trick: Matthews Leads USA Over Germany As Keller Makes Olympic Debut

SALT LAKE CITY – The United States men’s hockey team wrapped up group play on Sunday with a commanding 5-1 victory over Team Germany as they clinched Group C with nine points.

Led by their Captain Auston Matthews, USA offered their most complete performance of the tournament, dominating a formidable opponent with a collection of premier NHL talent.

Here are the key takeaways from USA’s victory over Germany.

Clayton Keller deserves another shot after his impactful Olympic debut for USA

Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller’s Olympic dream was realized on Sunday night as the 27-year-old forward rotated into the lineup against JJ Peterka and Team Germany.

Despite being scratched for the first two games in Milan, 91 earned himself a spot on USA’s third line alongside Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson.

“Clayton is on this team for a reason…we know if we put him in the lineup that he’s a guy that can help us win,” head coach Mike Sullivan told KSL Sports following the win on Saturday.

 

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So, how did No. 91 perform in his Olympic debut?

Really strong.

Nothing flashy or overly dominant but a strong performance as he jumped into every play and made an impact with fresh legs.

“[I had] Lots of excitement, butterflies. My energy was there even though I haven’t skated a whole lot,” Keller told KSL Sports.

“I felt pretty good. Just tried to keep it simple, do all the little things right…the guys made it super easy for me to come in.”

Clayton Keller on his Olympic debut:

“Lots of excitement, butterflies. My energy was there even though I haven’t skated a whole lot.”

“I felt pretty good. Just tried to keep it simple, do all the little things right…the guys made it super easy for me to come in.” https://t.co/k16Bf12jOK

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 15, 2026

Offensively, Keller played his game as he handled the puck with confidence, facilitated into some dangerous areas and brought energy to a line that had otherwise been fairly quiet.

While he didn’t register a point on Tage Thompson’s third period goal, Keller still had an impactful shift as he entered the zone with pace, put a shot on net and then battled near the crease to keep the lane open as his linemate blasted one from deep.

IT’S TAGE THOMPSON TIME! Team USA adds another. ⚡️#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/jf5rQkPrCK

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2026

Defensively, he also utilized an active stick to deny passes, battled along the boards and helped his squad consistently clear the zone.

Again, nothing crazy, but a strong performance that should certainly spark some debate amongst the coaching staff as Kyle Connor has been an absolute dud.

Simply put, Keller deserves to stay in the lineup.

It’s Connor Hellebuyck’s net from here on out for Team USA

Following a highly questionable performance by Jeremy Swayman the night before, Connor Hellebuyck returned to the crease and commanded the pipes against Germany with 23 saves on 24 shots (95 percent).

Despite failing to register a shutout, it was obvious that Hellebuyck is the answer as the Germans struggled to beat him nearly all night.

Hellebuyck basically killed that last power play all by himself.

HUGE pad save to deny a blast and then a clutch stop with part of his glove to deny a goal.

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) February 15, 2026

Whether it was early in the game, on the penalty kill or down the stretch, Hellebuyck stood tall.

His behemoth 6-foot-4 frame was basically impenetrable as he stopped pucks high and low to keep his team ahead.

Notably, the U.S. goaltender was absolutely spectacular while his team killed a German power play as he kicked out his right pad to stop a blast and then flashed his glove to deflect a puck that otherwise would’ve ended up in the back of the net.

USA needs that kind of stability between the pipes.

Now that the preliminary round has ended, the competition gets significantly better and the United States will be tested.

Keeping Helleybuck in net gives them their best shot at a gold medal as he can make critical stopes against the likes of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and William Nylander among others.

Without question, it’s Hellebuyck’s net until proven otherwise.

Auston Matthews was worthy of his ‘C’ for the United States against Germany

Wrapping up group play, Captain Auston Matthews was absolutely electric for Team USA against Germany.

Registering two goals and an assist for his country, No. 34 offered his best performance of the tournament which should instill confidence in every American hoping to see gold.

Coming into the Olympics, many (including myself) questioned Matthews wearing the “C” in Milan.

Now, while his first two performances left a lot to be desired, Matthews silenced the haters with a complete game on Sunday as he was more than worthy of the captaincy.

What did that look like?

Passion, energy, urgency, creativity, vision and a strong presence in front of the net as he scored twice from that area.

Captain Auston Matthews CASHES in on the man advantage. 🇺🇸#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/tFrxMnhIIL

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2026

A two-piece combo for Auston Matthews. ✌️#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/vkQzJrWfJb

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2026

This is what the United States needs from their captain the rest of the way.

Energetic, imposing hockey in the offensive zone with eyes for the net and a willingness to throw his body around.

That’s what made him so impactful against Germany and that’s the type of performance that can lift the United States to their first gold medal in almost 50 years as his approach was infectious.

Matthews has an opportunity to cement his legacy forever in USA hockey and correct the widespread narrative surrounding his inability to effectively lead.

Leading his country to a gold medal would do just that.

What’s next for Team USA Hockey?

After defeating Germany, the United States Men’s hockey team will face the winner of Sweden and Latvia on Wednesday.

Puck drop is TBD.

Following their victory over Italy, the United States Women’s hockey team will face Sweden in the semifinal on Monday at 8:40 a.m. MT.

Both games will be available to stream on Peacock.

Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV. 

Follow @BagleyKSLsports