Matt Boldy goal video: USA winger embarrasses NHL's best defensive pairing to score on Americans' first shot of game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The United States didn't necessarily start as aggressively as it wanted in Sunday's Olympic men's hockey gold medal game, failing to record a shot on goal through nearly six minutes, but the Americans' first shot of the day was a memorable one.
Matt Boldy burst past Cale Makar and Devon Toews, arguably the NHL's top defensive pairing with the Avalanche, to get an opportunity on Jordan Binnington and send one past the Blues goaltender to open the scoring.
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The goal put Canada in a hole for the third consecutive game. The Canadians trailed in their quarterfinal win over Czechia and semifinal win over Finland, so one goal alone didn't give the USA much breathing room.
Here's a look at Boldy's goal for the United States in the Olympic gold medal game.
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Matt Boldy goal video
Boldy toyed with Makar and Toews to get to the net six minutes into Sunday's game. Here's the full video:
THE USA STRIKES FIRST. MATT BOLDY PUTS THE AMERICANS ON THE BOARD. ‼️ pic.twitter.com/oO5Am72qa7
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026
If the United States wins, Boldy's goal will be played on highlight reels for a long time. The meaning of a goal in the gold medal game is undeniable, but the play itself was an outstanding display of offense by Boldy when the U.S. just wasn't generating many opportunities for itself.
Here's more to know about Boldy.
Who is Matt Boldy?
The 24-year-old Boldy is originally from Milford, Massachusetts and grew up in nearby Millis.
Boldy was selected 12th overall by the Wild in the 2019 NHL Draft and joined Minnesota's organization after two seasons at Boston College. Boldy has since developed into an offensive focal point for the Wild, scoring 31 goals in his first full season at the NHL level and posting a career-high 73 points in 2024-25.
As of the NHL's Olympic break, Boldy already has a career-best 32 goals and is averaging better than a point per game for the first time in his career.