Clayton Keller shines as Team USA reaches gold medal final after huge win at World Championships

Stockholm fans heard Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" repeatedly on Thursday, but it was Team USA who stole the spotlight at Avicii Arena. With a convincing 6–2 victory over Sweden, the Americans punched their ticket to the gold medal game at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship.Four of the NHL's newest franchise, the Utah Mammoths, players were big contributors to the big win.From the opening puck drop, the United States dominated the game. Having won a tight one against Finland in the quarterfinals, Team USA seemed quicker, more crisp, and more powerful against the host country. They took an early 4–0 lead in two periods and fended off Sweden's third-period push with two additional goals to seal the 6–2 victory.Logan Cooley kept on impressing. Utah Mammoth sensation now boasts 11 points in nine games, four of them goals and seven assists, second-most on Team USA. His Utah Mammoth teammate Clayton Keller is closely behind him with 10 points (three goals, seven assists).“I liked our start. We were simple. We knew how we had to start the game and how we had to play. So, I thought everyone chipped in and made an impact on the game today. We stuck to our game plan," Clayton Keller said after the victory.Michael Kesselring, Utah Mammoth defenseman and another key player contributed four points throughout the tournament. Forward Josh Doan contributed a single point. These impressive performances indicate just how much Utah's younger talent is contributing to the U.S. on the world stage.Also Read: Team USA’s Trevor Zegras Eyes Redemption At The 2025 IIHF World ChampionshipTeam USA will now face the winner of Switzerland vs. Denmark in Sunday’s gold medal game. The last time the U.S. won gold at the Men’s World Championship was in 1933 nearly 100 years ago. A win this weekend would be historic.It’s a good feeling. There’s one more game to win. We’re going to focus on tomorrow,” Keller said.When the tournament is over, eyes will shift back to Utah Mammoth's next big time June 27–28's 2025 NHL Draft. Utah gets fourth overall and their newest draft pick will be the first in franchise history to lace up the Mammoth home sweater on stage.In the meantime, Utah fans will be cheering loudly this Sunday, praying their players take home gold.