MILAN — Whenever Brock Faber was on the ice, the USA defenseman skated over to his goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, after every whistle.
“I was telling him he’s the best in the world,” Faber said after the United States men’s hockey team ended a 46-year gold medal drought with a 2-1 win over Canada at Santagiulia Arena.
“He’s a stud. And he knows that. We all know that. And I just kept telling him, ‘You’re the best in the world.’ He would just smile and say, ‘I know.’”
Hellebuyck was, in fact, the best goaltender in the world Sunday night.
Team USA may not be leaving Milan with gold medals around their necks if not for his heroics over 60-plus minutes against one of the most dangerous Canadian teams ever.
Stopping 41 of the 42 shots he faced, Hellebuyck — after delivering in big moments all tournament — peaked at the right time.
No one was more dialed in than Hellebuyck, who tracked the puck well all game and was almost always in perfect position to make any Canadian shot 10 times harder.
He denied Connor McDavid on an uncontested breakaway.
He stonewalled Macklin Celebrini on another breakaway.
When Devon Toews had a wide-open net on the doorstep, Hellebuyck got his stick in the way and the puck slid through the crease.
He stood tall during a 93-second 5-on-3 Canada power play, which featured arguably the most unfair group of players to ever comprise a man-advantage unit.
The one and only goal he gave up Sunday night came later in the second period.
Cale Makar ripped his second goal of the tournament far side on Hellebuyck to tie it at 1-1 heading into the second intermission.
Through a scoreless third period, Hellebuyck stopped 14 shots and never faltered.
“He channeled his Jimmy Craig tonight,” Charlie McAvoy said. “He was unbelievable. He had so many saves, time and time again. Like the one in the third on Toews, we’re going down the bench saying ‘That’s the one.’ The TSN Turning Point. And then he made a couple more. There were times in this game for sure when we were on our heels. It’s hockey. You need good goaltending and we got it. He’s the best player in the league, and we have him on our side.”
Hellebuyck has long been criticized for a perceived inability to step up in big games.
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His playoff demons — especially on the road — are haunting.
There was no doubt, however, who the best goaltender in the world was after this Olympic tournament.
“Oh my gosh, they’re going to be talking about this performance for generations,” Matthew Tkachuk said of Hellebuyck, who finished with 131 total saves and a tournament-leading .956 save percentage.
“It was an all-time performance from a superstar at his position. It’s gonna go down as one of the best performances of all time — it has to. Right up there with Jimmy Craig, all the great United States goaltenders. In the NHL, whatever type of hockey, whatever goaltending performance you want to talk about, that’s right up there. If we don’t have him, we don’t win.”