Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) - What a year it’s been for Tage Thompson. New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored the Olympic Golden Goal on Sunday in 3-on-3 overtime to lead Team USA to a 2-1 victory over Canada and the first men's hockey gold for the U.S. since 1980.
The Sabres center scored the Golden Goal himself at the World Championship for Team USA and now he also has an Olympic gold medal. 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 put Hughes on the wing with Thompson and Dylan Larkin during the overtime win over Sweden and they’ve been the team’s best line since. Things just never clicked with Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets or Clayton Keller of the Utah Mammoth on that line.
Even without the injured Sidney Crosby, Team Canada was the much better team in this game, but Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was simply amazing in this game and throughout the tournament. He’s always been a fantastic regular season goalie, but has had his problems in the playoffs. Both his Olympic performance and his 4-Nations Faceoff performance shows he can live up to being a Hart Trophy winner in the big spots.
Hellebuyck didn’t win the 4-Nations, going 2-1-0, but he was great. He had a goals against of 1.59 and save percentage of .932. In the Olympics he was 5-0-0 with a 1.18 goals against and .956 save percentage. In 58 Stanley Cup playoff games he’s 24-34 with a 2.90 goals against and .903 save percentage. In my opinion he runs out of gas in the playoffs because he plays over 60 games in net almost every season.
In the Gold Medal game not only did Hellebuyck make 41 saves, he also assisted on the overtime goal.
To say he stole this game for Team USA would be an understatement. His best save came in the third period when it looked like Devon Toews had a wide open net in the crease, but Hellebuyck reached back with his stick to keep it out. He also stopped the tournament’s top two scorers, Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini on breakaways.
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 on this roster, but they both proved me wrong. In the second period the Americans had to kill off a 5-on-3 for 1:33 and those two New York Rangers along with Brock Nelson, Brock Faber and Larkin killed it off. Hellebuyck 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.
Cale Makar did score Canada’s only goal from the right faceoff circle, but he was partially responsible for both of Team USA’s goals. When Matt Boldy gave the Americans a 1-0, he split two Colorado Avalanche defensemen, Makar and Toews to break in alone on Jordan Binnington.
On the overtime goal, Makar stepped up at the blueline and Hughes just tapped the puck by him and to Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets to produce the 2-on-1. Werenski is a gifted passer and made no mistake setting up Hughes for the game winner.
I mentioned how well Hughes played with Thompson and Larkin. After practice on Sunday 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 and 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 Thompson netted three goals and 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 said the Canadians in the room got awfully quiet after Hughes goal,
“We were outnumbered in there, but we got the last laugh, so it was awesome.”
Tuch had said that 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 said he was stunned.
“I was in a little bit of shock, 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 he 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, 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 Tournament and was teammates with Quinn Hughes, Josh Norris, and Jack Hughes.
As far as practice, Lindy Ruff said Rasmus Dahlin was on his way back to Buffalo from Sweden on Sunday and will practice on Monday.
As far as Zach Benson goes, he is fighting a mysterious ailment that Ruff said has nothing to do with his upper-body injury and they’re trying to get clarity on it,
“He’s doing OK, 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 said it’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, 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 including 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.