Winter Olympics briefing: the tooth fairy brings gold as USA end 46-year wait

Winter Olympics briefing: the tooth fairy brings gold as USA end 46-year wait Jack Hughes lost his front teeth in men’s ice hockey final against Canada before scoring overtime winner I f the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony was a love letter to Italian heritage, the final day was a thunderous operatic finale, a crescendo of clashing sticks, soaring amplitude and the bittersweet tears of legends taking their final bows. As the sun dipped behind the peaks of the Dolomites for the last time this fortnight, the Olympic flame did not just flicker out – it was passed from the high-fashion streets of Milan to the ancient stones of Verona. The final day’s headline act was the men’s ice hockey final which the weight of a 46-year ghost. Pitting the United States against Canada, the contest fell exactly on the anniversary of the 1980 Miracle on Ice. There was no need for a miracle this time, just the surgical precision of Jack Hughes . After Matt Boldy opened the scoring in the first period, the game transformed into a goaltending masterclass by Connor Hellebuyck, who turned aside 40 Canadian shots in normal time. Canada, playing without the injured Sidney Crosby AKA Captain Canada, found an equaliser through Cale Makar late in the second, but the golden goal belonged to Hughes. In overtime, he slotted the puck home, securing a 2-1 victory and the first American men’s gold since Lake Placid. “Unbelievable game. Unreal game by our team,” said Hughes. “Just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there. That’s a great Canadian team, but we’re USA, we’re so proud to be Americans. Tonight was all for our country.” Hughes, who plays for the New Jersey Devils in the NHL, lost his front teeth before scoring the overtime goal after taking a high stick to the mouth from Canada’s Sam Bennett. “My first thought was to draw the penalty,” Hughes said. “Actually, my first thought was, I looked down the ice and saw my teeth and I was like, here we go again. I’m just ...