Team USA hasn’t had its strongest performance at the 2026 IIHF World Championships, but the Americans bounced back in a big way on Monday as Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard played a big role in a vital win over Hungary.
Leonard, playing on a new-look fourth line with Tommy Novak and Max Plante, showcased his offensive prowess and wicked shot en route to a 7-3 win over Hungary, while also continuing to serve as a catalyst on the power play.
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The 21-year-old had his first goal early in the second period, getting the puck clean off the draw before driving to the slot and sniping the puck bardown to make it a 3-0 game. It marked his second goal of the tournament.
Leonard wasn’t done there. Late in the second on a power-play opportunity, he took a page out of captain Alex Ovechkin‘s book, scoring on a one-timer from the left circle to extend the lead to 5-1.
Through 11:39 minutes of ice time, Leonard finished the game with two goals and a plus/minus rating of plus-2, while leading the Americans with five shots on goal.
In six games at his first World Championship, Leonard has three goals, a shootout winner and 26 shots, the most on Team USA altogether and third-most overall in the tournament.
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The Americans have one final game of group play left, facing off against Austria on Tuesday in a must-win game to qualify for the quarterfinals, which start on Thursday.
Carbery & Murray Remain Perfect With Canada
Meanwhile, Spencer Carbery and Scott Murray, who are serving as coaches on Team Canada, remain undefeated after a 5-1 win for the Canadians over Slovakia.