Quinn Hughes cements historic record in Olympic matchup between Team USA and Team Sweden

The Minnesota Wild blue-liner pushed his assist streak to four straight games, and that “every night” consistency is the scary part.

On Wednesday, Hughes picked up another helper as the Americans jumped Sweden 1-0 in the quarterfinal, keeping his run alive when the games finally got tight.

That gives Hughes 0-5-5 in four Olympic games, cementing the most assists by an American defenseman in an Olympic tournament with NHL participation.

The wild historical twist is the comp. NHL Public Relations noted Hughes tied Nicklas Lidstrom’s 2002 mark for the longest assist streak by a defenseman at a Winter Olympics with NHL participation.

Here’s the post that kicked the whole thing off.

Hughes isn’t just collecting second assists, either. He’s driving breakouts, pulling forecheckers out of lanes, and slipping pucks into the middle before defenders can set their feet.

When he’s on the ice, Team USA’s attack looks like it has an extra forward. That’s what elite skating and instant decision-making does from the blue line.

You can feel American fans getting that dangerous mix of belief and nerves, because we’ve seen Olympic dreams crack before, and this time the talent is real.

The chemistry is obvious with Jack Hughes, too. On the Larkin goal versus Sweden, both Hughes brothers touched the play, and it looked easy.

Tactically, it’s the stretch element that hurts opponents. Back off, and Hughes walks the line and finds a seam; pressure him, and he spins out and resets.

That’s why the “most assists” thing matters. It’s not a trivia stat, it’s proof the puck is running through him in medal-round hockey.

Now the next test is whether opponents start hard-matching top checkers against his shifts, or if they try to take away his first pass with a layered forecheck.

Either way, Team USA is in a good place, because when your defenseman is dictating pace, your top-six plays faster without forcing it.

The tournament is down to the games that live in your stomach, and Hughes is still playing like it’s his natural habitat.