Hughes carried the puck into the Sweden zone, skated along the left-wing boards and assessed his options. He passed the puck back to the left point to Boldy, his Wild teammate, then skated toward him.
Boldy knew what to do.
“Get it to Quinn,” Boldy said. “That’s usually the game plan when he’s out there. He’s so talented, not only to create shots but to create lanes and chances. I think the biggest thing is, he wants the puck. He wants to have it and make a difference, and I think that’s what makes him so great.”
Hughes took the puck and skated into the high slot. A left-handed shot, he put the puck on his forehand, created a shooting lane and fired just past the outstretched stick of Sweden captain Gabriel Landeskog and glove of Markstrom. The puck clanked off the right post and in.
“That was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” said Brady Tkachuk, a teammate and close friend. “I guess just the relief of scoring that goal but seeing it was him. I think it just shows why he’s one of the best defensemen in the NHL.”
Hughes played 27:31, by far the most on Team USA. No surprise. He leads NHL skaters in average ice time this season at 27:52. He has six points (one goal, five assists) in four games in the tournament, tied for the team lead with captain Auston Matthews (three goals, three assists).
“Glad he’s on our team,” Boldy said. “He’s an absolute animal, the guy you want to have the puck, and he stepped up big.”
And he’s not done yet. Next: The Slovaks in the semis.
“It’s going to be an extremely, extremely hard test,” Hughes said. “I mean, they’ve been rolling. They’re competitive. They’re fast. It doesn’t matter how many superstars you have or whatnot. It’s just, the desperation level’s so high. It’s Game 7 every night now.
“Yeah, we’ll have to be ready, but I’m sure we’ll get our feet up for the next day and then be ready to go.”