For the first time in 46 years, since the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, the United States men's hockey team has won Olympic gold.
Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into 3-on-3 overtime in Sunday's gold medal game in Milan, Italy, taking a pass from Zach Werenski before snapping a shot past Jordan Binnington to lift the Americans to a 2-1 win over Canada and their third-ever Olympic gold.
In regulation, the story of this one was USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who emphatically answered every question about his performance in big games by stopping 40 of the 41 shots he faced, several of which were highway robberies.
The U.S. opened the scoring just six minutes into the game, on their first shot on goal of the game. Matt Boldy, a native of Millis, Mass. who played two years at Boston College, made a great play to flip the puck between Cale Makar and Devon Toews before racing in on Jordan Binnington and finishing on the backhand.
Canada took control of the game in the second period, though, and tied the game 1-1 heading to the third. The Americans survived an extended 5-on-3 in the middle of the period – with one of the penalties being a hook by Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy – but got outshot 19-8 in the frame and couldn't hold on until the 40-minute mark. Makar, a UMass product, tied it with 1:44 left in the period, closing in from the right circle and snapping a shot past Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck, the former UMass Lowell star, was the single biggest reason the U.S. managed to get to overtime in the first place. He made 14 saves in a scoreless third period and stopped 40 of the 41 shots he faced in regulation. The two biggest in the third was an unbelievable diving paddle save on Toews, and a breakaway save on Macklin Celebrini. In the first period, he had also turned aside a Connor McDavid breakaway.
The U.S. got a golden opportunity to win the game in regulation when Canada's Sam Bennett got called for a four-minute double-minor high-stick on Jack Hughes with 6:34 remaining. The Americans couldn't capitalize, though, and then Hughes took a high-sticking penalty of his own to give Canada a late power play for 1:11. Celebrini had a couple great looks, but Hellebuyck once again stood tall.
McAvoy also saved a goal in the third period, getting in behind Hellebuyck on a mad scramble to stop a shot.
In a touching moment after the game, Team USA honored the late Johnny Gaudreau, the former Boston College Eagle who may very well have been a part of this team had he and his brother Matthew not been killed by a drunk drive in August 2024.