Terry’s shootout goals top Russia
After Anaheim Ducks prospect Troy Terry scored his third shootout goal to put Team USA into Thursday’s gold medal game in the World Junior Championships, jubilant teammates started comparing him to T.J. Oshie.
“I wouldn’t put myself in the same category as him,” Terry told USA TODAY Sports.
But the comparisons to Oshie, a shootout hero against Russia in the 2014 Olympics, were appropriate because Terry’s shootout prowess beat Russia 4-3 in Montreal and ended the Russians’ dominance of the USA in this tournament.
“If you would have told me before the game that I would be the guy going multiple times in a shootout, I would not have believed you,” said Terry, a University of Denver sophomore.
The Americans will play Canada for the gold (8 p.m. ET, NHL Network).
The USA was 0-7 against Russia in world juniors elimination rounds before Terry’s heroics.
Said Terry: “We were trying to open a gate for future USA Hock- ey teams. This was big for our program.”
Oshie, then with the St. Louis Blues and now with the Washington Capitals, scored on four of six shootout attempts to beat Russia in the Sochi Olympics. Terry went 3-for-3 against Russia goalie Ilya Samsonov.
Under international rules, a coach can use the same shooter repeatedly after the original fiveplayer rotation. Under NHL shootout rules, coaches must use everyone on the roster.
Jeremy Bracco scored on Team USA’s fifth attempt to force a sixth round. Coach Bob Motzko went back to Terry because he looked smooth in beating Samsonov on his first attempt.
“I was definitely a little nervous. There was pressure on all the shots, but the first one wasn’t as pressure-filled,” Terry said.
In Round 6, Terry and Russia’s Denis Guryanov scored. In Round 7, Alexander Polunin hit the crossbar and Terry scored to win it. All three of his goals went between Samsonov’s pads.
U.S. goalie Tyler Parsons stopped four shootout attempts.
“The way he played the whole game was incredible,” Terry said. “He even took a shot to the head and was able to shake that off and still be our backbone.”