Anaheim Ducks prospect Troy Terry is king of the shootout and the American Under-20 hockey team is the world champion.
Terry scored the only goal in a five-round shootout to give Team USA a 5-4 win against Canada at the World Junior Championships in Montreal.
“He’s just one of those game-saving kind of guys,” U.S. goalie Tyler Parsons told USA TODAY Sports. “For him to get another shootout goal is unbelievable. It’s something he won’t ever forget, and every guy on this team won’t forget.”
The day before Terry was 3-for-3 in the shootout to give Team USA a dramatic 4-3 win against Russia in the semifinals. Teammates have been jokingly comparing Terry to Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, who became a shootout legend at the 2014 Olympics when he went 4-for-6 in a shootout to beat the Russians.
This is the fourth time Team USA has won the tournament, and the third time the Americans downed Canada to win it.
“You have the best players in the country here so everyone is good in the shootout,” Parsons said. “They are all studs, but Troy is one of those guys who can come in high-pressure and help his team out.”
The hero for @usahockey one more time... @tterry28. #USAWJC #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/HgiFYGnSCQ
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 6, 2017
Parsons, a Calgary Flames prospect, is another one of those guys. He made 46 saves, including 17 in overtime. He gave up no goals in the shootout. It was a highly entertaining game with both teams playing with overflowing energy.
“Troy buried that goal and I knew what I had to do and I did it,” Parsons said. “I like the pressure. When the fans are cheering against me, it gets me going. It was really loud there tonight. Props to the Canadian fans because they made it a great atmosphere.”
One final save from @Tylerparsons22 won it! @usahockey #USAWJC #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Q5cuaKNLHy
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 6, 2017
The Americans (7-0) erased a 4-2 third-period deficit on goals by Kieffer Bellows (New York Islanders) and Colin White (Ottawa Senators) 2:23 apart. Bellows, son of former NHL standout Brian Bellows, had also scored earlier in the game.
“We came together as a team three weeks ago and we walk together forever,” said White, who led Team USA with seven goals in the tournament.
White was such a prominent figure in the tournament that the expectation is that the Senators will aggressively try to sign him as soon as his Boston College season is over.
This is an important win for the Americans because it gives them five medals in the last eight years. Being a consistent medal contender every year has been one of USA Hockey’s primary objectives.
“On Day 1, I came in here and didn’t know anyone,” said Parsons, a Michigan native who plays in the Ontario Hockey League. “We bonded for three weeks and now these guys are my brothers. Every time I put on a USA shirt I will remember this moment.”
