On Sunday, the Team USA hockey team triumphed over Canada with a narrow overtime victory in the gold medal game. It was a tightly-contested game throughout, with Team USA ultimately winning the contest thanks to an overtime goal from Jack Hughes, giving the country its first hockey gold medal in 46 years.
Meanwhile, it was a bitter pill to swallow for the Canadian national team, which was playing without superstar Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who was forced to miss this game due to a lower body injury he suffered earlier in the Olympics.
After the game, Crosby shared his brutally honest reaction to having to watch this game from the sidelines.
“It was pretty close. Ultimately, I wasn't able to go out there and do what I needed to do in order to help the team. At that point, you have to make a decision that's best for the group. It's not an easy one, but that’s hockey,” he said, per Pens Inside Scoop on X, formerly Twitter.
The Canadian national team sure could have used the help of Crosby, widely considered to be one of the greatest hockey players of his generation, on Sunday against Team USA.
Meanwhile, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg News heaped praise on the way Crosby carried himself after the game despite the frustration of not being able to play.
“Another example of how classy Sidney Crosby is: As an injured player, he didn’t have to come through mixed zone and certainly didn’t have to speak with media. He chose to do both. Gracious, as always. He’s one of a kind,” he reported on X.
Still, it was clearly a bitter pill to swallow for Crosby and his teammates.
