G-d Bless The USA and Jack Hughes! For the first time since February 1980, Team USA has won gold at the Winter Olympics in men’s ice hockey.

Sunday, in Milano, Italy, at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, Team USA and Team Canada met on the ice for a chance to compete for the gold medal. It was the third time at the Winter Olympics they’ve done so, with the previous times being 2002 and 2010. Both of those games went in Canada’s favor. The only previous times The U.S. has won Olympic gold have been in 1960 and 1980. That all changed on Sunday as Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime when Jack Hughes scored the golden goal 1:41 into the extra period.

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“We wanted to go through Canada and beat them,” Hughes told NBC after his game-winning goal.

Connor Hellebuyck opposed Jordan Binnington in net, just as they did 12 months ago in Boston, during the Four Nations Championship Game. Binnington got the better of Hellebuyck in that one. But, this time around, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced, while the one-time Cup champion stopped 26 out of 28.

Hits were flying early and often in this one. Tom Wilson steamrolled Dylan Larkin and nearly took out Quinn Hughes minutes later. 

Six minutes in, Matt Boldy was sprung by Auston Matthews. Boldy skated between Devon Toews and Cale Makar, somehow kept possession of the puck while batting it out of the air and backhanded it past Binnington to give The U.S. a 1-0 lead. Quinn Hughes was credited with the secondary assist, giving him his seventh helper of the tournament, which is the most ever by an American at the Olympics. 

Shea Theodore hooked Brock Nelson late in the period to send Team USA to the first power-play of the game, but the Canadians held firm and only allowed the Americans two shots on goal. 

Then, it was onto the second period and Canada took over the game, pushing the pace for the entire 20 minutes. At 9:27 of the middle period, Jake Guentzel was called for a holding penalty on Brandon Hagel. Then, 28 seconds later, Charlie McAvoy was called for hooking Cale Makar to give the Canadians a five-on-three power-play for 1:33. 

Connor Hellebuyck, along with Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller held down the fort and prevented Team Canada from scoring on their power-play. That meant The U.S. remained perfect on the penalty-kill at these Olympics, with a mark of 17-for-17.

But the pressure from Canada eventually became too much as Cale Makar wired a shot from the right face-off dot, just between Hellebuyck’s pad and blocker, at 18:16 of the second period, to tie the game 1-1.  Toews was credited with the lone assist. 

In the third period, Hellebuyck played the hero early and often, making an incredible blocker save on the goal line when Toews attempted to fire the puck into the wide-open net off a feed from Mark Stone. 

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Then, moments later, Hellebuyck stonewalled Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway to keep the game tied. 

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With 6:34 to go in regulation, Sam Bennett was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking Jack Hughes and drawing blood. It was Team USA’s best chance to build offensive momentum, but shortly after the first penalty expired, Hughes high-sticked Nick Suzuki to cause the teams to play four-aside for 49 seconds before Canada had a brief power-play of its own.

The U.S. once again killed off the penalty to remain perfect, 18-for-18 on the penalty-kill. Then, it was headed to overtime, just like in 2010 and just like at the Four Nations championship game last February. 

The overtime period was played at three-on-three, which is a change from 2010, when it was played at four-on-four. The three-on-three didn’t last long. 1:41 into the extra period, Zach Werenski corralled the puck below the right face-off circle and sent it cross-ice to a streaking Jack Hughes. The middle Hughes brother fired the shot past Binnington and ended 46 years of futility for The U.S., giving Team USA a 2-1 victory and a long-sought-after gold medal. 

“This is all about our country right now,” Hughes told NBC after the game. “We’re USA. So proud to win for our country.”

Hey, Siri, play Free Bird!