Connor Hellebuyck delivered a goaltending efficiency for the ages, however each netminder wants just a little assist at occasions.
And within the third interval of the USA’s heart-stopping 2-1 additional time win over the Canadians in Sunday’s gold medal sport, the UMass Lowell product turned to a different Hockey East product, Bruins defenseman and former Boston College Terrier Charlie McAvoy, for some game-saving help.
The Canadians threw every thing at Hellebuyck with the rating tied 1-1. A go-ahead objective for Canada appeared inevitable. At one juncture, former Bruin Brad Marchand threw the puck towards the web. In a scramble, Tom Wilson received the puck and he had Hellebuyck down and out. He flipped it over the netminder, however McAvoy was there on the objective line to dam it together with his chest after which scoop it with each palms away from hazard with out closing both one on the puck.
It was an enormous second within the sport, which was ultimately gained on Jack Hughes’ golden goal lower than two minutes into additional time to carry the People to a 2-1 win and their first gold medal since 1980.
And it was fairly a second for McAvoy. The Lengthy Seaside, N.Y., native grew up within the U.S. Nationwide Group Growth Program. Final 12 months on the 4 Nations event, McAvoy performed a monster sport when the People beat the Canadians early within the event in Montreal however was sidelined for the championship sport in Boston with the shoulder damage that grew to become dangerously contaminated and value him the remainder of the season.
He was overcome by emotion when Hughes’ objective went in.
“I can’t wait to see the footage of what occurred after we scored, as a result of it was an entire blackout, who I used to be hugging, the place I used to be going. I don’t know what occurred,” McAvoy informed reporters in Italy. “It was euphoria, man. I can’t even clarify what I used to be feeling. Simply pure pleasure.”
There have been loads of native ties to this win. Millis and Boston Faculty product Matt Boldy scored the sport’s first objective. McAvoy’s Bruins teammate Jeremy Swayman, who gained a sport within the tourney, additionally took house the gold. Wilbraham native and BC alum Invoice Guerin was the GM and, in reality, took some warmth when he left scorers Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson off the roster.
And behind the bench was Mike Sullivan, son of Marshfield and BU and McAvoy’s father-in-law. Sullivan went to bat for Guerin.
“The group was constructed with character in thoughts,” mentioned Sullivan, the previous Bruins and present Rangers coach who gained two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh. “There are whiskey drinkers and milk drinkers. And we received numerous whiskey drinkers.”
