And then he delivered the winning goal. He flashed his broken teeth with a bloody smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt speaks volumes to the type of person he is, the type of player he is,\u201d said U.S. defenseman Quinn Hughes<\/a>, his brother. \u201cYeah, just an incredible moment.\u201d<\/p>\n This was validation for U.S. general manager Bill Guerin and his staff too. They were questioned entering the tournament for leaving home some of the top U.S.-born goal-scorers in the NHL. But they valued chemistry, and they slotted players into roles.<\/p>\n Two players some thought shouldn\u2019t have made the team — forwards J.T. Miller<\/a> and Vincent Trocheck<\/a> — helped the Americans go 17-for-17 on the penalty kill in the tournament. That included a 5-on-3 PK of 1:33 against Team Canada\u2019s fearsome power play in the second period and another PK of 1:11 late in the third.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team was built with personality in mind,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cWe were loaded with personality up and down our lineup. There are whiskey drinkers and milk drinkers, and we\u2019ve got a lot of whiskey drinkers on this team.\u201d<\/p>\n The players carried American flags around the ice, along with the No. 13 jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau<\/a>. They received their gold medals, sang the \u201cStar-Spangled Banner\u201d as the American flag rose to the rafters, and spoke to president Donald Trump via videoconference in the locker room.<\/p>\n \u201cThis game in a lot of ways was an inspiration to our country,\u201d Sullivan said.<\/p>\n It will inspire the next generation of hockey players in the United States, the way the \u201cMiracle on Ice\u201d team did in 1980, the way the World Cup team did in 1996, leaving a legacy for this group of Americans.<\/p>\n