MILAN — Jack Hughes took the Zach Werenski feed between the penalty boxes, pivoted toward the net and went to work.
He carried the puck into the offensive zone and pulled up at the half wall, surveying his options as two Slovak defenders stared him down. Not finding an open passing lane, despite a few shoulder shimmies, Hughes executed a quick give-and-go with Werenski at the blue line, freeing up some space for him in the high slot. Tomas Tatar made a run at him, and Hughes turned him inside out before sliding to the left circle and unleashing a nasty wrister through defenseman Martin Fehérváry and past goaltender Samuel Hlavaj, who could only flinch as the puck sailed by high on the far side.
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The American bench erupted. Hughes went down to one knee to celebrate. His teammates ran to join him. Yes, it seems like Team USA, a self-described “unfinished product” throughout this tournament, might just be a finished one.
“I think our game is peaking at the right time,” Hughes said.
Bring on Canada.
Because the matchup hockey fans have been waiting 12 years for is finally here.
The United States easily dispatched Slovakia in a 6-2 semifinal blowout on Friday night at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, setting up a superpower showdown with Canada in Sunday’s Olympic gold medal game. The biggest matchup on the world’s biggest stage, two All-Star behemoths jockeying for global hockey supremacy.
“It’s best on best, it’s what every American and Canadian grows up watching, grows up caring about,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “This is the pinnacle of the sport. This is as good as it gets.
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