4. F Auston Matthews and G Connor Hellebuyck, United States
Stats: 3 Goals, 2 Assists, 5 Points, +2 // 2-0, .952 Save Percentage, 1.00 GAA
Cheating here and putting two U.S. players in the same spot because both are almost in the same place in their careers. Auston Matthews and Connor Hellebuyck have been in the NHL for about a decade are both established stars, having each won the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP. They’ve also combined for one conference final appearance and couldn’t make enough of a difference in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off overtime finish against Canada.
But they’re both re-writing their narratives in Milan. Hellebuyck’s .952 save percentage is third best in the tournament, as he’s allowed just one goal in both of his starts on 40 cumulative shots. Matthews leads Team USA in goals (three) and points (five) after scoring two goals and an assist against Germany to close the round robin. If the U.S. wins its first men’s hockey gold since the Miracle on Ice, these two will be huge reasons why.