There were plenty of Bolts to track on Thursday at the 2026 Winter Olympics in preliminary men’s hockey play, and they filled the scoresheets throughout the day.

The action started with a multi-point performance from defenseman J.J. Moser, who led Switzerland to a 4-0 win over France.

Brandon Hagel then helped Canada to a shutout win over Czechia in the second game, and forward Jake Guentzel played a part in Team USA’s 5-1 defeat of Latvia and Lightning teammate Zemgus Girgensons later in the day.

In the other late game on Thursday, Wojciech Stachowiak earned his first career Olympic point by assisting on the game-winning goal for Germany in a 3-1 win over Denmark and Tampa Bay winger Oliver Bjorkstrand.

SWITZERLAND 4, FRANCE 0

Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser made an immediate impact in his Olympic debut, contributing a goal and assist to co-lead Switzerland in scoring in a 4-0 preliminary victory over France on Thursday.

Switzerland grabbed a 1-0 lead less than a minute into the game on the power play, and Moser doubled the lead just past the three-minute mark with a wrist shot.

New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier scored two goals in the third period, the second of which saw a primary assist by Moser.

Moser and Meier co-led Switzerland on offense, and goalie Leonardo Genoni finished with a 27-save shutout.

Scoring Summary
First period
SUI 1, FRA 0
00:55 Damien Riat (1) – Sven Andrighetto, Philipp Kurashev – PP

SUI 2, FRA 0
3:06 J.J. Moser (1) – Michael Fora

Shots on goal: SUI 16, FRA 11

Second period
None.

Shots on goal: SUI 14, FRA 8

Third period
SUI 3, FRA 0
10:08 Timo Meier (1) – Roman Josi, Dean Kukan

SUI 4, FRA 0
16:13 Meier (2) – Moser, Kevin Fiala

Total shots: SUI 43, FRA 27

TBL Player Summary

J.J. Moser (SWI): Goal, assist, 15:39 TOI, 3 SOG, +2.

CANADA 5, CZECHIA 0

Lightning coach Jon Cooper and forward Brandon Hagel also started perfect in Italy with a shutout victory over Czechia.

Canada broke a scoreless game in the final minute of the first period off the stick of one of the younger players at the tournament. Forward Macklin Celebrini deflected Cale Makar’s point shot into the net with six seconds left for a 1-0 lead.

Mark Stone then buried a chance at the net following a saucer pass from Mitch Marner 6:40 into the second period for a 2-0 lead. Bo Horvat added to the score with a breakaway goal late in the frame.

A power-play tally and a redirected goal in the third period allowed for the 5-0 final score. Connor McDavid led all players with three assists, and goalie Jordan Binnington made 26 saves.

Scoring Summary
First period
CAN 1, CZE 0
19:54 Macklin Celebrini (1) – Cale Makar, Connor McDavid

Shots on goal: CAN 11, CZE 11

Second period
CAN 2, CZE 0
6:40 Mark Stone (1) – Mitch Marner, Sidney Crosby

CAN 3, CZE 0
17:26 Bo Horvat (1) – Brad Marchand, Thomas Harley

Shots on goal: CAN 12, CZE 11

Third period
CAN 4, CZE 0
7:42 Nathan MacKinnon (1) – McDavid, Crosby – PP

CAN 5, CZE 0
13:22 Nick Suzuki (1) – McDavid, Harley

Total shots: CAN 36, CZE 26

TBL Player Summary

Brandon Hagel (CAN): 14:33 TOI, 2 SOG, +1.

USA 5, LATVIA 1

Not even a pair of disallowed goals in the first period could stop Team USA from a winning start in Italy. The United States exploded after a first period that ended with a 1-1 tie, going on to beat Latvia 5-1.

Brady Tkachuk gave Team USA a 1-0 lead 5:29 into the game with a shot off the post from the right circle.

After a USA goal was disallowed, Latvia tied the game on a rebound chance for Renars Krastenbergs following an initial shot by Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons. Girgensons earned an assist on the play for his first point of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Another apparent USA goal was overturned by a Latvia challenge, but the United States went on to break the tie midway through the second period on a backhand deke by forward Brock Nelson.

Tage Thompson made it 3-1 on the power play in the second period, shelving a backhand chance at the net. Nelson’s second goal of the game capped a solid passing play into the open Latvia net, making it 4-1 with 12 seconds left in the middle frame.

Captain Auston Matthews then cashed a power-play goal in the slot in the third period for an added cushion.

Five different players finished with multiple points for Team USA, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves. Jake Guentzel fired two shots on goal for Team USA.

Scoring Summary
First period
USA 1, LAT 0
5:29 Brady Tkachuk (1) – Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Werenski

USA 1, LAT 1
7:25 Renars Krastenbergs (1) – Zemgus Girgensons

Shots on goal: USA 15, LAT 9

Second period
USA 2, LAT 1
10:38 Brock Nelson (1) – Jack Hughes, Vincent Trocheck

USA 3, LAT 1
17:35 Tage Thompson (1) – Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes – PP

USA 4, LAT 1
19:48 Nelson (2) – J. Hughes, M. Tkachuk

Shots on goal: USA 17, LAT 2

Third period
USA 5, LAT 1
2:35 Auston Matthews (1) – Eichel, Q. Hughes – PP

Total shots: USA 38, LAT 18

TBL Player Summary

Jake Guentzel (USA): 13:20 TOI, 2 SOG, 2 PIM

Zemgus Girgensons (LAT): Assist, 19:19 TOI.

GERMANY 3, DENMARK 1

Syracuse Crunch forward Wojciech Stachowiak jumped in on the Olympic scoring on Thursday afternoon, earning an assist on the game-winning goal for Team Germany in a 3-1 win over Team Denmark.

Captain Leon Draisaitl scored 23 seconds into the game, the third-fastest goal to open an NHL-participated Olympic games. Denmark got the tying goal before the end of the first period from Oscar Fisker Molgaard, but Germany responded in period two.

Tim Stützle made it 2-1 on a shot from the right hashmark four minutes into the second period after Stachowiak won a puck battle behind the net to get the puck to JJ Peterka. Stützle then later banked a power-play goal off a Danish defender 10:02 into the period.

Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand led Denmark with seven shots on goal and ranked third with 23 minutes of time on ice. Bjorkstrand led a Denmark team that outshot Germany 38 to 26, but Philipp Grubauer got the win for Germany.

Scoring Summary
First period
GER 1, DEN 0
00:23 Leon Draisaitl (1) – Frederik Tiffels, Fabio Wagner

GER 1, DEN 1
13:09 Oscar Molgaard (1) – Nikolaj Ehlers, Jesper Jensen Aabo

Shots on goal: DEN 8, GER 5

Second period
GER 2, DEN 1
4:20 Tim Stützle (1) – JJ Peterka, Wojciech Stachowiak

GER 3, DEN 1
10:02 Stützle (2) – Draisaitl, Moritz Seider – PP

Shots on goal: DEN 11, GER 8

Third period
None.

Total shots: DEN 38, GER 26

TBL Player Summary

Oliver Bjorkstrand (DEN): 23:00 TOI, 7 SOG, +1.

Wojciech Stachowiak (GER): Assist, 16:28 TOI, +1.

What’s Next?

Another full slate of preliminary games awaits on Friday, three of which feature Lightning players.

Lightning captain Victor Hedman and forward Pontus Holmberg will look to help Sweden remain unbeaten when they face Finland in a Group B game at 6:10 a.m. ET.

Tampa Bay teammate Erik Cernak will represent Slovakia at the same time in a matchup against Italy.

France and Czechia will then play at 10:30 a.m. before Hagel and Cooper take on Moser and Switzerland in the 3 p.m. matchup.