Team USA continued its flawless start to the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship with a dominant 6–0 win over Hungary on Sunday morning in Herning. Frank Nazar and Cutter Gauthier—both just 21 years old—each scored twice to pace a balanced American attack that has now gone back-to-back games without surrendering a goal.
Logan Cooley and Conor Garland chipped in a goal and an assist apiece, while goaltender Jeremy Swayman was perfect in his first tournament start, turning away all 19 Hungarian shots he faced.
“We’re playing smart, structured hockey, and letting our talent take care of the rest,” Garland said following the win (IIHF, 2025).
First Period
Hungary managed to hold off the Americans through the first half of the opening frame with active sticks and strong positioning. But the breakthrough came at 14:07 when Frank Nazar redirected a shot from Logan Cooley in traffic to get the U.S. on the board.
GOAL (14:07): Frank Nazar (USA) – Even Strength
Assisted by Logan Cooley, Conor Garland
Less than three minutes later, Nazar struck again, corralling a puck off the end boards and banking it in from a sharp angle.
GOAL (16:54): Frank Nazar (USA) – Even Strength
Assisted by Shane Pinto, Mason Lohrei
Matching roughing penalties were assessed shortly after, but the Americans carried a 2–0 lead into the first intermission, having outshot Hungary 13–4.
Period 1 Stats:
- Goals: USA 2, Hungary 0
- Shots: USA 9, Hungary 5
- Saves: USA 5, Hungary 4
- PIM: USA 4, Hungary 4
Second Period
Team USA extended their lead midway through the second as Cutter Gauthier buried a quick release from the right, set up cleanly by Matty Beniers and Will Smith.
GOAL (30:02): Cutter Gauthier (USA) – Even Strength
Assisted by Matty Beniers, Will Smith
Despite a brief surge in pressure—including a quality scoring chance from Hungarian captain Csanad Erdely—Swayman remained locked in between the pipes. The Americans controlled possession throughout and held a 19–4 shot advantage over the first two periods.
Period 2 Stats:
- Goals: USA 1, Hungary 0
- Shots: USA 19, Hungary 4
- Saves: USA 4, Hungary 18
- PIM: USA 2, Hungary 0
Third Period
Team USA wasted no time padding the lead. Just 13 seconds in, Gauthier rifled home another one-timer off a Smith feed, giving him three goals through two games. Less than a minute later, Garland slammed in a rebound to make it 5–0.
GOAL (41:13): Cutter Gauthier (USA) – Even Strength
Assisted by Will Smith, Alex Vlasic
GOAL (41:54): Conor Garland (USA) – Even Strength
Assisted by Shane Pinto, Frank Nazar
Logan Cooley rounded out the scoring at 54:26, finishing off a crisp pass from captain Clayton Keller in the slot.
GOAL (54:26): Logan Cooley (USA) – Even Strength
Assisted by Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson
Hungary did manage 10 shots in the final frame, but Swayman continued his steady performance to preserve the shutout.
Period 3 Stats:
- Goals: USA 3, Hungary 0
- Shots: USA 13, Hungary 10
- Saves: Swayman 10, Vay 10
- PIM: 0
Final Stats Summary
Final Score:
USA – 2 | 1 | 3 | 6
HUN – 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Shots on Goal:
USA – 39
Hungary – 13
Saves:
USA – 13
Hungary – 33
Penalty Minutes:
USA – 6
Hungary – 4
Players of the Game
Hungary: Henrik Nilsson (#27) – Steady defensive effort
USA: Frank Nazar (#91) – two goals and one assist
Standout Performers
- Cutter Gauthier: two goals
- Logan Cooley: a goal and an assist
- Conor Garland: a goal and an assist
- Will Smith & Shane Pinto: two assists each
- Jeremy Swayman: Shutout in tournament debut
Photo Gallery: United States vs Hungary – 2025 IIHF WM
Looking Ahead
Team USA will face their toughest opponent yet on Monday when they square off against Switzerland, who also boast a 2–0 record. Hungary, still searching for its first win, gets a day off before returning to action against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
Source:
IIHF. (2025, May 11). U.S. posts second straight shutout. International Ice Hockey Federation. https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2025/wm/news/67456/us_posts_second_straight_shutout
Discover more from Inside The Rink
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
