One player in particular cost Canada the gold medal in men's hockey

Team USA won fair and square today in the final against Canada.

Jack Hughes buried the game-winning goal just 1:41 into overtime, a heartbreaking finish for a Canadian squad that peppered the American net all afternoon. If not for Connor Hellebuyck and his 41 saves, this story ends very differently.

This led many Canadian fans to think about what could’ve happened if the roster was at full strength. Specifically, if Radko Gudas hadn’t injured Sidney Crosby.

The incident occurred during the quarterfinal against Czechia. Gudas, the Anaheim Ducks defenseman, delivered a heavy hit that forced the Canadian captain out of the tournament with a lower-body injury.

No one can argue that Crosby could have made the difference today.

But he had to watch from the sidelines as Canada struggled to find that one extra goal.

It is hard to say exactly what would have happened with number 87 on the ice.

However, Crosby was Captain Canada for a reason. His leadership in the locker room is unmatched, and his presence on the power play was sorely missed today.

He also has a reputation for coming up big in the important moments. The biggest moment, and perhaps his last at the Olympics for Crosby, was that final.

Instead, the gold goes south of the border for the first time since 1980. The Americans played a disciplined, heavy game, but the shadow of that Gudas hit looms large over this silver medal.

Canada found a way to the final, but they simply ran out of gas without their leader in the end.