Olympics
In a massive upset for Canadians, the Americans scored in overtime to win 2-1 yesterday in what was a gold medal game for the ages.
Matt Boldy would open up scoring for Team USA six minutes into the first period, with Cale Makar tying it up for Team Canada late in the second period. Both teams were held scoreless in the third period which would brought the tournament to a sudden death 3-on-3 overtime where Jack Hughes would bury a wrister and score the golden goal for Team USA.
Team USA dominated in the first period, but Canada would rally back over the next two periods ultimately outshooting the Americans 42-28. US goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who was awarded best goaltender of the tournament, had a stellar performance and was one of driving forces behind Team USA’s victory. Connor McDavid of Canada was named tournament MVP as well as best forward, while Quinn Hughes of the US was named best defenseman.
Fans have been waiting for this rematch since the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to bring gold home for the Canadians.
Like last year’s 4 Nation’s game, this matchup meant a bit more than usual due to ongoing political tension between Canada and the USA on the global stage. Canadians and Americans alike are familiar with rivalries across various sports; however, this one carries more significance with hockey often being referred to as “Canada’s game” and the rising talent and development of American-born players over recent years.
We got a taste of what this matchup would be like last year during the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament where Canada ended up beating the Americans, but this time with a few key differences.
Sidney Crosby, captain of Team Canada, sustained an injury in the quarter-finals against Czechia which would end up putting him out for the rest of the tournament. His on-ice presence, veteran leadership, and game-changing abilities were duly missed and ultimately could have been the difference between Silver and gold for Team Canada.
Quinn Hughes, widely considered one of the best defenseman of this generation, was not on last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster for Team USA. His puck-moving abilities rival those of Canadian defenseman Cale Makar on Team Canada, and in a game of slim chances with this close of a match-up, being able to move the puck effectively can oftentimes be the difference between winning and losing.
On Team Canada we saw two players with previous NHL-era Olympic Games experience–Sidney Crosby and Drew Doughty. On Team USA, no one on the roster came with NHL-era Olympic Games experience.
This tournament was riddled with controversies and questionable decisions–from game-altering referee calls, to Czechia almost beating Canada while having too many men on the ice, to Sidney Crosby’s injury, to the gold medal game being decided by a 3-on-3 format. For those familiar with the game of ice hockey, 3-on-3 is a drastically different format than the usual 5-on-5 due to the different pace and style of play.
Regardless, Team USA won this time with Jack Hughes scoring the biggest goal in almost half a century. It was the American’s first Olympic gold in hockey since the “Miracle on Ice” when the underdog Americans beat the heavily-favored Soviets in the 1980 Winter Olympics; however, this time without a miracle being needed.
