By STEPHEN WHYNO, AP Hockey Author
MILAN (AP) — Connor Hellebuyck couldn’t be doing significantly better halfway by the Olympics.
“Is there greater than 100%?” he requested with amusing after backstopping the U.S. past Germany within the round-robin finale. “I really feel good. It’s fairly sizzling on the market. I’m sweating loads now I’ve to face round and do a bunch of (interviews), so I’m going to relax now. I assume I’m at 99% proper now as we converse. However, yeah, I really feel good on the market.”
The Individuals be ok with him. Hellebuyck confirmed within the preliminary spherical why he’s the U.S. starting goaltender in Milan, main the event with a .952 save proportion and matching Canada’s Jordan Binnington for the very best goals-against common at 1.00.
“He’s the most effective goalies on this planet,” U.S. ahead Matt Boldy stated. “He’s assured. He desires to be within the internet. He desires to make the saves and to make an enormous distinction. He has the talents to again it up, however I believe that perspective and the way assured he’s in himself and in his recreation is I believe what makes him so nice.”
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United States’ goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck and his teammates arrive for a preliminary spherical match of males’s ice hockey between Latvia and america on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photograph/Carolyn Kaster)
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United States’ goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck and his teammates arrive for a preliminary spherical match of males’s ice hockey between Latvia and america on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photograph/Carolyn Kaster)
Hellebuyck began two of the three group-play video games and stopped 40 of the 42 pictures he confronted in opposition to Latvia and Germany. Jeremy Swayman was shaky in opposition to Denmark, however bounced again from allowing a goal from nearly center ice to get the win.
Jake Oettinger dressed as soon as because the No. 3 netminder, with coach Mike Sullivan repeatedly saying how robust a choice he and his employees had on the place with three choices nearly any nation would like to have.
It was at all times Hellebuyck. He was the man on the 4 Nations Face-Off final yr and is the reigning NHL MVP and Vezina Trophy winner because the league’s greatest goalie
“He’s received lots of trophies,” winger Jake Guentzel stated. “We really feel good with him again there.”
Not examined a complete lot by Latvia, Hellebuyck was there when Leon Draisaitl, Moritz Seider, Tim Stützle and Germany had high quality scoring possibilities. He allowed only one aim to Stützle, and Sullivan referred to as it Hellebuyck’s greatest recreation but.
“You might really feel his confidence from the bench simply watching him make the saves,” Sullivan stated. “When he’s at his greatest, my commentary of him is he has financial system of movement, and lots of pucks simply hit him, and he makes it look straightforward the way in which he squares as much as pucks, however his rebound management, he swallowed all the things. There was no rebounds for Germany to have a chance to create a subsequent play.”
Hellebuyck figures to be within the crease within the quarterfinals Wednesday evening when the U.S. faces the winner of the qualification playoff between Sweden and Latvia. He feels in a superb rhythm after enjoying twice in 4 days, with slightly little bit of relaxation earlier than the subsequent begin.
“There was a dialog about how we needed to go about issues, and this simply made essentially the most sense,” Hellebuyck stated.
It by no means made sense for anybody however Hellebuyck to be the U.S. starter, even when his season with the Winnipeg Jets was not going all that effectively. He has a 2.79 goals-against common and a .900 save proportion after a league-best 2.00 and a .925 in 2024-25.
None of that issues on the Olympics, the place his teammates are relying on Hellebuyck being the spine of what they hope is a deep run.
“I anticipate simply him being him,” defenseman Zach Werenski stated. “We now have full belief in him. I prepare with him within the summers. I understand how laborious it’s to attain on him persistently. He’s simply tremendous stable again there. He’s regular, doesn’t surrender a lot, doesn’t surrender any rebounds and it makes us have a relaxing presence in entrance of him.”
The U.S. is rolling into the quarterfinals after outscoring opponents 16-5. For all of the scoring expertise up entrance, the crew wants Hellebuyck to be at his greatest the remainder of the way in which given the problem stage ratcheting up.
That ought to not faze Hellebuyck.
“He has a lot enjoyable on the market, and I believe for us seeing that, it simply type of provides us a lift of confidence as a result of he’s simply so regular within the internet,” captain Auston Matthews stated. “By no means actually looks as if he’s in a panic or something. He’s simply in such good place and that’s why he’s the most effective on this planet. That’s a man that we’ve obtained lots of religion in again there.”
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
