Olympic Hockey Day 10 Recap: Jack Hughes Golden Goal Gives Team USA First Gold Medal Since 1980

Ever since Team Canada beat Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off final one year ago, it felt like a rematch between the two was destiny. Team USA and the Tkachuk brothers have brought a physical game to Milan, while Canada has relied on playmakers like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Macklin Celebrini. Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby did not play due to a lower-body injury, while Tage Thompson sported the red, white, and blue after having left the team's last game for precautionary reasons.

In the low-scoring contest, Matt Boldy started the scoring with a beautiful breakaway. Cale Makar answered in the second to tie the game at 1-1. The next goal wouldn't come until overtime when Jack Hughes scored the game winner to give the United States its first goal since 1980.

First Period

• The first few minutes of play were relatively stagnant as the game remained scoreless. Both teams aimed to set the tone with a physical presence. Tom Wilson delivered a bone-crushing hit on Dylan Larkin while Canada also controlled puck possession early on.
• Team USA started the scoring as Matt Boldy carried the puck from his own blue line to Canada's goaltender Jordan Binnington and then proceeded to beat him with a backhand shot. Boldy made an incredible move with the puck to beat Cale Makar and Devon Toews to give Team USA the 1-0 lead on their first shot on goal.

• While Boldy's goal had the opportunity to swing momentum, Canada held strong for the remainder of the period. Canada kept the pressure on Connor Hellebuyck, trying to find the game-tying goal but was unable to before time expired in the first. A few times, Team USA had decent scoring chances but attempted to make one more pass instead of shooting the puck.
• The United States earned the game's first power play opportunity thanks to a hook from Shea Theodore. Team USA did a good job of keeping the puck in the offensive zone but was unable to extend their lead. Not long after the power play, the first period ended with Team USA leading 1-0, with each team having recorded eight shots on goal.

Second Period

• Canada came out hot in the second period with some strong looks, but the game remained tied. The top line of McDavid, Celebrini, and MacKinnon was the driving force behind most of Canada's early scoring chances in the second period.
• Brock Nelson had the best chance through 10 minutes of the period. Vincent Trocheck got a piece of the pass while Canada tried to break out of their own zone. After the tip, Nelson was one-on-one with Binnington, but he made the save.
• Connor Hellebuyck made an incredible save on Connor McDavid, who came in free on a breakaway. McDavid didn't give Hellebuyck his best shot, but the three-time Vezina winner tracked the puck well. The game could have very easily been tied with that strong scoring opportunity.

• With 10:05 left to play in the second, Canada got their first power play opportunity. 28 seconds into the period, they drew another penalty, which gave them a long five-on-three. Team USA successfully killed both penalties and remained perfect on the penalty kill in the tournament despite facing Canada's juggernaut of a power play down two skaters.
• With less than two minutes left to play in the period, Cale Makar finally broke Hellebuyck's shutout and tied the game at 1-1. After a struggle for the puck on the faceoff, Devon Toews came away with it and passed it to his NHL teammate Makar. Makar had plenty of space to work with before he beat Hellebuyck on his blocker side.

• Brock Faber nearly took USA's lead back with 30 seconds left in the second frame, but his shot hit two posts.

Third Period

• Early on in the period, Hellebuyck made an incredible stick save on Toews, who had a very open net. Hellebuyck's incredible focus and play with his stick was the only reason Team USA wasn't trailing.

• Canada carried their momentum from Makar's goal and generated nine of the first 10 shots on goal in the third period. The best chance for Canada came with about 11 minutes left in regulation, when MacKinnon missed a wide-open goal and hit the netting. It is incredibly rare to see MacKinnon miss a shot of such ease.
• Not long after, a loose puck in front of the net nearly ended in a Canada goal, but Hellebuyck, with some help from Charlie MacAvoy, continued to have an amazing game and put his country on his back. Hellebuyck made the initial save before MacAvoy got in the net himself and took over net minder duties for a moment.

• With 6:34 left to go in regulation, Jack Hughes drew a double minor on Sam Bennett for high sticking, which gave the United States a four-minute power play in the back half of the third period. The high stick caused Jack Hughes to lose some of his teeth.
• While on the power play, Team USA could not capitalize despite the four-minute penalty. Binnington held strong, and Canada's penalty killers did a good job. During the second power play, Jack Hughes himself got called for a high stick, which sent out the Canada power play once again.
• Neither team scored during the nearly 50 seconds of four-on-four play. Once on the power play, the United States could not clear, while Canada had multiple incredible chances but could not capitalize.
• This gold medal game would have never been competitive if it wasn't for the play of Connor Hellebuyck. In regulation, he stopped 40 of 41 shots and registered a save percentage of .976. Binnington stopped all 25 shots on goal following Team USA's first shot on goal.

Overtime

• The overtime rules for the gold medal game were 20 minutes of three-on-three with no shootout. Another small change compared to the NHL is that teams defend the same nets as they did in the
• Right as overtime started, Quinn Hughes had a great shot off a pass from Boldy, but Binnington just got enough to keep it out.
• Not long after, Jack Hughes became an American hero with the golden goal. A great forecheck by Zach Werenski on MacKinnon got Jack Hughes the puck in great possession, and for the first time since the opening goal, Binnington let a goal in. Hughes went five-hole, and then the ice was filled with red, white, and blue gloves. Missing teeth couldn't stop Jack Hughes from becoming a hero.

• For the first time since the 1980 team, the United States of America has won gold. The score of the Four Nations championship was 2-1, but this time it goes in favor of Team USA in large part thanks to Connor Hellebuyck, who made 41 of 42 saves.