USA defeat Canada in OT to win gold medal after Jack Hughes' game-winning goal

[p]The last time that the U.S. won the gold medal was in 1980 at Lake Placid - the year of the miracle on ice.[/p][embed guid="f669a993-360f-4eee-82bf-40e98747e540" url="https://x.com/NBCOlympics/status/2025601456204575000?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck recorded 41 saves in the USA's victory, a performance that will be described as the greatest of his career. [/p][p]The U.S. swept hockey at the Olympics, with both the men's and women's teams winning gold (both against Canada). [/p][h2]Game highlights + recap[/h2][p]The Americans came out of the gate hot, putting the pressure on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/dSsR389c/"]Canada[/a]'s first line of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcdavid-connor/0018zFz5/"]Connor McDavid[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mackinnon-nathan/dhMyX3sE/"]Nathan MacKinnon[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/celebrini-macklin/I7wgduSQ/"]Macklin Celebrini[/a].[/p][p]It wasn't until [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/GYgp4SO3/"]USA[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/boldy-matthew/Uo8KxuyO/"]Matthew Boldy[/a] broke the ice with what some considered the goal of the Olympics after splitting two Canadian defenders to put the Americans up 1-0.[/p][embed guid="e9d90ddd-6476-4801-9335-43893199d0d3" url="https://x.com/nbcolympics/status/2025563280899441056?s=61" social-type="twitter" /][p]After the Americans scored first, they would go on the first power play of the game after Canada's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/theodore-shea/zwr54Xsd/"]Shea Theodore[/a] was called for a two-minute minor hooking penalty. [/p][p]The momentum for Canada began to swing halfway through the first period, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hellebuyck-connor/Ek8g4Fm6/"]Connor Hellebuyck[/a] was a brick wall in net for the U.S. Both teams finished the first period with eight shots on goal each, but the stat sheet didn't represent how many shots both took as both poured it on during the first.[/p][p]Despite Canada coming out of the second period with all the momentum in the first half, the U.S. missed a couple of wide-open looks at the next as the score remained 1-0.[/p][p]McDavid had a breakaway chance with 11 minutes to go in the second, but Hellebuyck stood strong as he had been all game and denied him the opportunity to make it 1-1.[/p][embed guid="0f1699a4-1ee5-460d-837a-4cf954b325c5" url="https://x.com/nbcolympics/status/2025578001048469722?s=61" social-type="twitter" /][p]Canada not only had a chance just seconds later after they went on the power play, but they went to a 5-3 man advantage after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guentzel-jake/Mq78JKxK/"]Jake Guentzel[/a] was called for holding and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcavoy-charles/G6fOVXzb/"]Charlie McAvoy[/a] for hooking.[/p][p]But Hellebuyck, once again, held strong and didn't let a single shot by. The U.S. was a perfect 18-for-18 on the penalty kill in the Olympics at that point.[/p][p]After an onslaught of pressure in the second, Canada finally got on the board with a snipe from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makar-cale/0QC5qYg0/"]Cale Makar[/a] with under two minutes left to go. [/p][embed guid="a794d999-4eb3-49b8-8e6a-0c5fa0eaf525" url="https://x.com/nbcolympics/status/2025582288927375432?s=61" social-type="twitter" /][p]The U.S. would have a perfect opportunity to take the lead late in the third after Canada's Sam Bennett received a four-minute double-minor penalty for high-sticking. [/p][p]Jack Hughes would be called for a minor tripping penalty, making it 4-on-4 for 49 seconds before Canada went on the power play with 1:10. The U.S. killed yet another power play, making it a perfect 19-for-19 in the Olympics.[/p][p]With one minute left in regulation, neither team found the net. [/p][p]Hellebuyck not only had the game of his life, but he also made the save of his life after stopping what would've been the deciding goal for Canada.[/p][p]Then, it all ended after Hughes sent home the game-winner in overtime to give the USA their first gold medal since 1980. [/p][embed guid="81e1daf3-eef5-454a-8d0c-58737d100204" url="https://x.com/NBCOlympics/status/2025589461816414537?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]