The Next Miracle? How USA Men's Hockey Team Defeated Canada

No miracle needed.

OK, maybe other than Team USA goalie’s Connor Hellebuyck’s “how did he do that?” stop on Devon Toews to keep the score tied in the third period. Then again, that could simply a singular case of greatness among all the other examples in the thrilling 2-1 gold-medal overtime victory over Canada to cap the Olympic Winter Games on Sunday.

Yes, it’s a crying shame such a heavyweight battle for gold was decided in three-on-three overtime (although, let’s be real, it still is better than going straight to shootout) but so much of what the Canadians and Americans delivered was a game for the ages between the far-and-away best two teams facing off in the championship winner-take-all match.

The frenetic pace. The emotion. The anticipation of a singular moment making the all the difference.

It was all there.

And when Jack Hughes — the other Hughes brother on the team — delivered the winning tally 101 seconds into the extra period, a bloodied grin thanks to a handful of chipped and/or lost teeth from a late third-period high stick to the mouth set off celebrations for those in the red, white and blue and delivered agony to those donning the Maple Leaf.

It became all of the spectacles of sport at its best — all the way to celebrating with the two children of the late Johnny Gaudreau, along with his sweater for a team photo after the medals were presented.

Frankly, sign us up for a best-of-seven featuring those clubs.

The aftershocks will be wide-ranging, also. Undoubtedly, the Canadians will be zeroed in on revenge when the 2030 Olympics kick off in France. Rest assured, being punted from the perch after winning every best-on-best event over the last 30 years will stoke the fires of every player from the Great White North over the next quadrennial.

The singular focus we saw from the Americans out for revenge after losing last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off final in overtime will now fuel the other side in the border battle.

Then there is the impact to be felt at every part of the U.S.A., likely even bigger than the only other Olympic golds won by America, 1960 and the 1980 miracle team.

Whether it is to become the next Hellebuyck — the gold-medal game’s unquestionable biggest star with a 41-save outing that also included breakaway saves on Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini — the next slick skating Hughes or a Bruise Brother like Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, youngsters from all over the country have star players of all types to emulate in their dreams.

Star players who are winners and have the Olympic gold to prove it.

“This game in a lot of ways was an inspiration to our country,” coach Mike Sullivan told the media.

Regardless of what side of the border you are on, the golden game provided exactly what hockey fans had been dreaming of with the return of best-on-best at the Olympics.

That is no miracle. That is what hockey fans deserve.