By Trevor Stynes
MILAN, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Jack Hughes will be remembered for decades to come after scoring the overtime winner which earned the United States their first men’s Olympic ice hockey gold medal since 1980 and they have goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to thank for keeping Canada at bay.
Hellebuyck made 40 saves over the 60 minutes as Canada laid siege to the U.S. goal in search of an equaliser, and when he was finally beaten the Americans held out in the final period to force overtime.
At the medal ceremony, the loudest cheers were reserved for Hellebuyck and Hughes – the fans appreciating their goalie’s efforts as much as his teammates after the final buzzer.
“Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck,” Hughes said.
“He was our best player tonight, by a mile. Unbelievable game, Unreal game by our team. That’s just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there.”
‘SUPERSTAR’ GOALTENDING PERFORMANCE
Teammate Matthew Tkachuk also credited the goaltender with the victory.
“We’re going to be talking about this performance for generations. It was an all-time performance from a superstar at his position,” Tkachuk said.
“If we don’t have him, we don’t win.”
Hellebuyck underwent knee surgery in late November and has often come in for media criticism over his playoff performances for Winnipeg Jets, but the 32-year-old put all of that behind him at Milano Cortina.
“At the time, though, it was scary moments having a big injury, and there was some doubt whether it was going to affect my game, but that process played its way out,” Hellebuyck said.
“Those critics, they can keep writing, but they don’t understand goaltending. They definitely don’t understand my game.
“I know what I’m putting forward, and I know what I’m building. You know these are the moments that prove it.”
Time and time again Hellebuyck stood like a brick wall against the Canadian onslaught, and early in the final period pulled off an incredible save to deny Devon Toews, reaching back with his stick to somehow block a close range shot.
“It’s not my first stick save in my career,” Hellebuyck said.
“It’s probably the biggest moment to make a stick save. But when I’m rolling back and the puck’s not in the net, it’s just an overwhelming feeling of ‘I got this’.”
BROTHER HAILS NERVELESS HUGHES
Hughes lost some teeth earlier in the game before scoring the winner, and like Hellebuyck, the 24-year-old forward had his fair share of injuries in the lead up to the Games.
“I remember when he got injured last year in Vegas, and he was just crushed,” teammate and brother Quinn Hughes said.
“For him to make that impact, I’m not surprised, because when I look around the room before overtime, there’s probably three or four guys that look at him like, ‘that guy’s not nervous’.
“He wants to be that guy. And I felt that way about Jack, just a special guy, happy it happened to him, and just my best friend, but also a special player.”
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, Lori Ewing and Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Alison Williams)
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