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The United States men's hockey team will face Canada this Sunday in one of the most important games in its history. Although the team enters the gold medal match at the 2026 Winter Games as the underdog, some experts believe it has several things in its favor.
Team USA ice hockey has only two Olympic gold medals. The first was in Squaw Valley in 1960, and the second was the Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid in 1980.
As for the Canadians, this is the third time Team USA has faced them in an Olympic final. The previous two were victories for their northern neighbor:
- 5-2 in Salt Lake City in 2002
- 3-2 in Vancouver in 2010
Now, however, history could change.
USA has a real chance to beat Canada
Yardbarker analyst Adam Gretz identified four reasons why Team USA could beat Canada tomorrow at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
First, Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) is a better goalie than his Canadian counterpart, Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues).
Although Gretz admitted there's no way to know how a goalie will perform in a given game, "Hellebuyck is the superior goalie and one of the best in the world when he's at his best."
Second, there's defenseman Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild). Gretz noted that Hughes is capable of making the difference in this game, just as he has throughout the tournament.
Third, there's the potential absence of Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins). Crosby missed the semifinal against Finland due to injury and could also be absent from the final.
The United States arrives with its best team ever
Finally, the analyst asserted, this is the best team the U.S. has ever sent to a Winter Olympics. He recalled the defeat in Vancouver and last year's loss in the Four Nations tournament.
This team is better than both of them, and by a significant margin," Gretz stated. "They have the goaltending. They have depth. They have superstars all over the lineup. This is the team that can do it.
Tomorrow we'll find out if what Gretz says is true.