That may've been one of the best hockey games of all time--or at least in recent memory. In a back and forth, overtime thriller, Team USA defeated Team Canada 2-1 at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The pace and speed on display was otherworldly, and both teams executed their gameplans to a T. The difference maker, though, was in net: America's Connor Hellebuyck put on a goaltending performance for the ages, stopping 41 of 42 shots for a .976 save percentage (SV%) to win Gold for the US.
That does not mean, however, that Canada's netminder was at fault for the loss--on the contrary, Jordan Binnington was fine. He finished the Gold Medal game with a .929 SV%, stopping 26 of 28 shots en route to the Silver Medal. That was one of Binnington's better showings in Milan, and he finishes the tournament with a .917 SV% and 1.78 Goals Against Average (GAA)--much better statistics than his season with the St. Louis Blues. For all the worry and concern surrounding Binnington as Canada's starter, he more or less held up his end of the bargain, giving the team a chance to win every night and coming up big in most situations.
What derailed Canada was an inability to capitalize on their chances in the offensive zone; Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews are going to be seeing those wide open nets in their nightmares for weeks. There's also the questionable lineup decisions of bringing all of Brad Marchand, Tom Wilson, and Sam Bennett, the last of whom high sticked Jack Hughes late in the third period and had to sit for a double-minor penalty. The Canadians managed to kill both penalties, but those guys who play with an edge can cost a team in best-of-one tournaments like this.
It's disappointing that the two Blues on Team Canada, Binnington and Colton Parayko, will only be bringing Silver home to St. Louis, but that's still an impressive feat. Hopefully, Binnington's performance helps him get his season back on track--whether in St. Louis or elsewhere--as he proved once again that he can step up under pressure. Team Canada may have come in second, but the burden of the loss doesn't fall on Binnington's shoulders.