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<\/a><\/p>\nCoach Mike Sullivan has not named a starter for the United States\u2019 opener Thursday against Latvia, but he said they have a plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve obviously talked about this stuff at length on what our approach is going to be and how we\u2019re going to go about it,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reality is we have three excellent goalies. They\u2019re all very capable. I think at the end of the day, performance will inevitably be the dictator. In a tournament like this, it has to be. And so, we have an idea going in of how we want to go about it and how we want to approach it and we\u2019ll go from there. I do think that performance matters, and so that will be part of it as the tournament evolves.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I will tell you is that we feel regardless of which guy we put in, we have three elite goaltenders, all of which will give us an opportunity to win. That we know. We\u2019ll do our best to make the best decisions for the team. That\u2019s a discussion we have with our goaltenders, and that\u2019s how we\u2019ll go about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hellebuyck still has the inside track because of his play at the 4 Nations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can understand the pace of play and the speed,\u201d he said. \u201cI know what\u2019s expected with the way we play and what\u2019s expected around me. There\u2019s some good takeaways, and other than that I\u2019m just going to enjoy every single day over here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team Canada<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s sit back and consider the Canadian goalie history at play when it comes to the NHL-populated Olympics: Patrick Roy in 1998, Martin Brodeur in 2002 and 2006, Roberto Luongo in 2010, Carey Price in 2014.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a lineage that we brought up with Jordan Binnington, Darcy Kuemper and Logan Thompson after practice Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s special,\u201d said Binnington. \u201cI think it\u2019s hit me more and more as I\u2019m here and just how big of a deal it is and what an honor it is, truly, to represent your country. Obviously some great names, great goaltenders have played for this organization and had success. History is such an important part of the game for you to understand what it takes and learn from their experiences and be inspired by moments they\u2019ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n
But at the same time, all three Canadian goalies understand that it\u2019s in fact because of that world-class goalie lineage that there\u2019s a narrative now about the drop-off at the position at these Olympics. They get it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, I think when you\u2019re saying the names that you were saying, those are Hall of Famers, so maybe that\u2019s where it all stems from,\u201d said Kuemper, smiling. \u201cBut we\u2019re really confident with the three of us, our union \u2014 we know what we\u2019re all capable of. We\u2019re just looking forward to get started here.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Thompson said it hadn\u2019t dawned on him the line of Canadian superstar goalies from past NHL Olympics that preceded the current trio.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are all pretty elite goalies. I didn\u2019t even think about that,\u201d he said. \u201cI guess it\u2019s cool to be a part with those names. Just want to make those guys proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no denying no one is fueling the doubters more than Binnington, whose struggles this season have opened him up to that. He ranks dead last in the NHL in goals saved above expected at minus-18.5, while Thompson ranks third at 17.9 and Kuemper 14th at 6.5, according to Money Puck.<\/p>\n
Team Canada\u2019s goalie consultant just happens to be the director of goaltending for the St. Louis Blues. So David Alexander knows all too well what the narrative is ahead of the Olympics regarding Binnington \u2014 because it was the exact same narrative a year ago before 4 Nations, an event in which Binnington proved the doubters wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the same storyline, yes,\u2019\u2019 Alexander told The Athletic after practice Monday. \u201cThat\u2019s one thing Binner and I talk about all the time: when the critics stop, you\u2019re not in a good spot. Because the reality is, any position worth holding, brings criticism. It\u2019s just the reality of it. The criticism is really affirmation, is what it is. When you\u2019re surrounded by noise, it should elevate you. And he\u2019s a guy that\u2019s got a good brain for that and is able to recognize those moments and he\u2019s done a great job handling it.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Binnington calmly answered the same old questions Monday. He gets it. And he insists he\u2019s not sick and tired of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no. I think that\u2019s what keeps me going in some aspects, is proving myself and seeing what I\u2019m capable of and seeing where I can take it,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s something I\u2019ve used as motivation. That\u2019s just part of sports is people are going to doubt you, and it\u2019s how you handle it. For me, it\u2019s just staying in my own process and building my game and trying to get better every day, every year and seeing where it takes me.\u201d<\/p>\n
His performances in Game 7 at Boston in the 2019 Stanley Cup and in the 4 Nations championship game in Boston last February speak to what Binnington can achieve when he channels it. Can he tap into that again here?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is experience, right?\u201d said Binnington. \u201cYou gain wisdom and knowledge from experience. At the same time, none of that really matters when it comes (to) game time. You\u2019ve got to do whatever you can to be ready for that moment. Just enjoy it, take it all in and leave it all out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team Canada won\u2019t say yet who will be the Game 1 starter. That\u2019s because the coaching staff hasn\u2019t even told the three goalies what the pecking order actually is, which all three goalies confirmed to be true Monday.<\/p>\n