Sidney Crosby got a silver medal in Canada's 2-1 loss to the U.S. on Sunday.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby earned a silver medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics after Canada lost 2-1 to the United States in overtime on Sunday.
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes delivered the golden goal for the United States, ending the country's 46-year Gold Medal drought in men's hockey. The goal also came on the 46-year anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" when the U.S. took down the Soviet Union in 1980.
Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski and made no mistake, beating Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington with a shot through the five-hole.
Matt Boldy opened the scoring for Team USA in the first period with a heck of a move, going right through Canada defensemen Cale Makar and Devon Toews. He finished the play in style, giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Makar later tied the game in the second period before Canada threw the kitchen sink at the U.S. in the third period, but goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stood tall and had the performance of a lifetime. He bought the rest of the team enough time and got the game to overtime, leading to Hughes scoring the game-winner.
Here are some of my other thoughts from this outstanding game and tournament:
- I can't say enough about how great Hellebuyck was for the United States. He had the label of being a "choker" from a lot of people due to struggles in the playoffs, but he squashed that narrative on Sunday, making 41 saves and finishing with a .976 save percentage.
He made the save of the tournament in the third period, robbing Toews with the paddle of his stick. It looked like Toews had a sure goal before Hellebuyck reached back to take it away. He finished the tournament with 5.92 goals saved above expected, far better than any other goaltender. He even got an assist on the game-winning goal.
Connor Hellebuyck (37) of the United States celebrates after defeating Canada in the men's ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images- Team USA's best players had to be at their best if they wanted to win this tournament, and they sure were. Even outside of Hellebuyck, both Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes were outstanding in every game, as were Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski, Matt Boldy, and Jaccob Slavin.
Slavin was a monster in his own zone on Sunday, showing why he's arguably the best defensive defenseman in the world. He did a great job blocking shots and getting his stick into shooting and passing lanes.
- I really liked Dylan Larkin's game once the preliminary games ended and felt he improved as the stakes rose.
- I also want to shout out Team USA's penalty kill, which was 100% during the tournament. That unit killed off more than a minute of a 5-on-3 against Canada on Sunday, which is nuts considering the firepower that Canada has on its top unit. I didn't like some of the roster decisions that USA general manager Billy Guerin made heading into this tournament (like Vincent Trocheck), but he came through on that unit. I'll eat all the crow on that one.
- It really stinks that Crosby wasn't able to suit up for this game. He tried everything in his power to play, but felt that he wasn't ready. We'll see how long he's out for, but I think he's going to come back with a vengeance once he's fully healthy.
This is still a Penguins team that has a real shot not only of making the playoffs but of getting home ice in the first round.
- This was a fantastic tournament, and we better not go another 12 years without NHL players in the Olympics. The hockey was top-notch, and everyone laid it all on the line for their respective countries.
The Penguins will be back in action this Thursday against the Devils.
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