(WGR Sports Radio 550) - What a year it has been for Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson.
The 28-year-old was among the group to help life the United States to the nation's first gold medal at the Winter Olympics since 1980, beating Canada in the Gold Medal Game on Sunday, 2-1 in overtime.
It was Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) who was the hero for the Americans on Sunday, scoring the Golden Goal in the 3-on-3 overtime.
After Canadian defenseman Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) stepped up at the blueline, Hughes tapped the puck by him and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets) chased it down. Being the gifted passer he is, Werenski made no mistake setting up Hughes, who found space in-behind Makar and Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) for the game winner.
Hughes' shot beat Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues) through the five-hold to secure the victory.
Thompson scored the Golden Goal himself at the 2025 World Championship for Team USA, and now has an Olympic gold medal less than a year later.
Thompson is looking to complete the hat-trick by making the Stanley Cup playoff this season for the first time in his career.
Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan (New York Rangers) put Hughes on the wing with Thompson and Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings) during the overtime win over Sweden, and they’ve been the team’s best line since. Things just never clicked with Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets) or Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth) on that line.
Even without the injured Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Team Canada was the much better team in this game.
However, U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) was simply amazing not only in the Gold Medal Game, but throughout the tournament.
Hellebuyck has always been a fantastic regular season goalie, but has had his problems in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 58 playoff games, he’s 24-34 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. I think Hellebuyck runs out of gas in the playoffs is because he plays over 60 games in net almost every season in Winnipeg, but both his performances in the Olympics and the 4 Nations Face-Off show he can live up to being a Hart Trophy winner in the big spots.
While Hellebuyck didn’t win the 4-Nations tournament with the U.S., he was still great, going 2-1-0 with a goals-against average of 1.59 and a save percentage of .932.
In the Olympics, the 32-year-old was 5-0-0 with a 1.18 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage.
In the Gold Medal game, not only did Hellebuyck make 41 saves, he also assisted on the overtime goal.
To say Hellebuyck stole this game for Team USA would be an understatement.
His best save came in the third period with the score tied at 1-1 when it looked like Canadian defenseman Devon Toews (Avalanche) had a wide-open net in the crease to score. However, Hellebuyck reached back with his stick to keep it out.
Hellebuyck also stopped the tournament’s top two scorers on breakaways: McDavid and Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks).
With as poorly as they’ve played in the NHL the past few years, I thought Team USA made a huge mistake by putting Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller - both of the New York Rangers on this roster. However, they both proved me wrong.
In the second period, the Americans had to kill off a 5-on-3 for 1:33. Those two, along with Brock Nelson (Avalanche), Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild) and Larkin killed it off. Hellebuyck also had to make one brilliant save on a Celebrini one-timer.
Trocheck and Miller were the team’s main penalty killers, and Teams USA killed off all 17 penalties against them in the tournament.
Makar did score Canada’s only goal from the right faceoff circle in the second period, but he was partially responsible for both of Team USA’s goals.
When Matt Boldy (Wild) gave the Americans a 1-0 lead in the first period, he split both Avalanche defensemen - Makar and Toews - to break in alone on Binnington.
I mentioned how well Hughes played with Thompson and Larkin. After practice on Sunday, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff mentioned how Thompson may have had Team USA’s best scoring chances.
On the first, Larkin set him up in front and Binnington stopped him. On the second, Hughes found him in front, Thompson put on a move and went to the backhand, but was in too deep and hit the side of the net.
In six games this Olympics, Thompson netted three goals an assist for four points.
Before practicing on Sunday, the Sabres were in the locker room watching the game together. Alex Tuch was very close to being on Team USA, and he noted the Canadians on the team got awfully quiet after Hughes goal.
"We were outnumbered in there, but we got the last laugh. It was awesome," said Tuch following practice.
Tuch had said there were no hard feelings in not making the team, and he had no problems cheering for Team USA throughout. After the puck went in, he admits he was stunned.
"I was in a little bit of shock," he said. "I feel like it was a crazy game, but USA winning was really special. I was really happy for those guys, and so happy and proud of Tage. I thought he was awesome over there."
With the season Mattias Samuelsson has had, many felt the Sabres defenseman should’ve been on the Olympic team. Samuelsson has been part of the USA program growing up, which made watching this game special.
"I was pretty fired up. Super happy for Tage, but USA Hockey as a whole," said Samuelsson after Sunday's practice. "I’ve been a part of some of the lower level teams, and the pride that comes with it, so it’s huge for USA Hockey."
In 2019, Samuelsson was on Team USA for the World Junior Championship and was teammates with both Hughes brothers - Quinn and Jack - as well as Josh Norris.
As far as practice, Ruff said Rasmus Dahlin was on his way back to Buffalo from Sweden on Sunday, and will practice with the team on Monday.
As far as Zach Benson goes, Ruff says he is fighting a mysterious ailment that has nothing to do with the upper-body injury he suffered just before the Olympic break. He adds they’re trying to get clarity on it.
"He’s doing OK," Ruff said. "We’re going to get more information on him tomorrow. He had some workup done on him, and we’re hoping we’re going to get positive news. I was in yesterday and talked to him, and physically he’s feeling good. He’s just got another issue he’s dealing with that we’re trying to get him through."
As far as him playing in New Jersey, Ruff says that’s really not feasible.
"He hasn’t practiced with us. He’s been skating on his own, so I think that would be a stretch," he said. "I think the Florida games [Friday and Saturday] still could be an opportunity, if we get good news tomorrow."
Practice on Sunday was at Harborcenter, and there is a tournament going on over there. There are quite a few TVs around the outside of the rink, and I have to tell you when Team USA scored in overtime, the place went crazy. That included the coaches and goaltenders who were watching through the glass.
The team, itself, was still in the locker room in the arena, watching it together and came over right when it was over.
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