Rangers stars ‘pretty f*****g proud’ to help United States win Olympic gold
Amid such a bleak and dismal season, the New York Rangers had a golden moment to celebrate Sunday. That’s because four thousand miles away from Broadway, Rangers stalwarts J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck helped the United States defeat Canada 2-1 in overtime of the men’s gold medal hockey game at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
It’s a historic victory for the United States, their first Olympic gold medal in 46 years, since the Miracle on Ice in 1980 at Lake Placid. For the Rangers, it’s an extremely proud moment since their coach Mike Sullivan led Team USA to gold with the help of his assistant David Quinn, and general manager Chris Drury was part of the U.S. management group.
For childhood friends Miller, the Rangers captain, and Trocheck, a Blueshirts alternate captain, this was a dream come true. Top-six forwards with the Rangers, they accepted less ice time and fourth-line roles with Team USA, and were rewarded with gold medals around their necks after Jack Hughes’ overtime goal 1:41 into overtime sealed this memorable championship over Canada.
“I’m pretty f*****g proud, I’ll be honest,” Trocheck told reporters postgame. “Yeah, we heard all the talk, that we shouldn’t be here … We were able to come here and we had a job to do, and it was to be good penalty kill guys, face-off guys, character guys. We took that role and we ran with it.”
With Miller and Trocheck as their top penalty-killing forwards, the United States finished the tournament a perfect 18-for-18 on the PK. That included killing off all three Canada power plays in the gold medal game.
Trailing 1-0 midway through the second period, Canada had 1:33 worth of a 5-on-3 power play. Though they managed five shots on goal, Canada didn’t score, with the Rangers forwards teaming up to help the U.S. survive.
In the third period, with the score tied 1-1, Hughes took a high-sticking penalty at 16:37 during a United States power play — which ironically was drawn by the New Jersey Devils center when he was high-sticked in the mouth by Sam Bennett, who received a double minor. The teams played 4-on-4 for 49 seconds before Canada had 1:11 worth of a power play.
Because Canada kept the puck in the U.S. zone the entirety of the power play in the final minutes of the game, neither Miller nor Trocheck got on the ice during the PK. Instead, Brock Nelson and Dylan Larkin were the United States forwards on that crucial and successful kill.
Trocheck had one 12-second shift in overtime, losing a defensive zone face-off, but with zero negative outcome. Miller didn’t get on the ice in OT, but came flying off the bench along with his teammates after Hughes buried a Zach Werenski pass off an odd-man rush for the Golden Goal.
“I told the guys, ‘If we score, I’m first guy [off], I’m kicking people off the bench. I hope I didn’t kick anybody, but I lost my mind,” Miller said afterward.
Miller and Trocheck were linemates Sunday, mostly with Nelson until Sullivan juggled lines in the third period. Miller recorded two shots on goal — including one late in the first period directly off a Trocheck face-off win in the offensive zone. The Rangers captain logged 12:20 TOI and finished the tournament without a point.
Trocheck won six of 11 face-offs and logged 11:22 TOI. His lone shot on goal came midway through the third period, when he got an in-tight opportunity that was denied by Jordan Binnington. Trocheck had three assists at the these Olympic Games.
Connor Hellebuyck was sensational in goal for the United States, stopping 41 of 42 shots, beaten only when Cale Makar tied the score with a right-circle blast at 18:16 of the second period. Matt Boldy opened the scoring for the U.S. at 6:00 of the first period, beating Jordan Binnington on a sensational rush.
