It’s the biggest hockey game in 16 years. The men’s teams for Canada and the USA face off for Olympic gold at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena at 8 AM on Sunday, February 22.
The last time the US and Canada played for gold – well, that was Thursday. But the last time the men did it was 2010, when Sidney Crosby‘s legendary golden goal lifted Canada to victory. The US and Canada met in the semifinals in 2014, when Carey Price‘s headstand shutout secured the win. (The last time the US beat Canada was round-robin play in 2010, a 5-3 win, when goalie Ryan Miller looked briefly like a future hall-of-famer.)
On Friday, the US blew out Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinal to earn their spot in the final. Canada narrowly beat Finland in their semifinal match, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to score the game-winning goal with 30 seconds left. Canada enters the gold-medal game as the top seed and will therefore get last change.
Sidney Crosby‘s status for the game is unknown; he suffered a knee injury in the quarterfinal. If he plays, he will retake the captaincy from Connor McDavid, who leads the tournament with 13 points in five games.
Update: Sidney Crosby will NOT play in the Gold Medal Game.
USA forward Tage Thompson is expected to play Sunday despite leaving the semifinal early after blocking a shot. Thompson’s father Brent, a coach for the Hershey Bears, will be in attendance after being granted a leave of absence.
A polite reminder: the puck should drop promptly after 8 AM ET. Get your coffee and settle in.
How to Watch
In the US, and if you’ve got NBC or Peacock, you’re in good shape. If you’re in Canada, then we’re not speaking to you for the next few hours. Here’s a full guide:
How to watch the Gold and Bronze Medal Games of the Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament
Lines
These are the projected lines as of 7:20 AM.
Team USA
Clayton Keller and Noah Hanifin are extras.
Team Canada
Sam Reinhart and Shea Theodore are extras.
Officials
It’s two NHL regulars calling the game, one from each country.
The one from Canada is named Gord, obviously.
1st Period
Puck is dropped in the biggest game in a long long time, and the puck is in Canada’s end a lot.
Macklin Celebrini is making Connor Hellebuyck work early.
Tom Wilson laid out Dylan Larkin behind the US net.
Binnington’d. US takes the lead. Thompson stops that.
1-0 USA
#12 BOLDY Matt scored for United States of America (Assisted by #34 MATTHEWS Auston and #43 HUGHES Quinn).
Tkachuk misses a layup. Which Tkachuk? Unsure. One of them though.
Brady Tkachuk follows that up with a brutal giveaway to Suzuki, who misses.
Auston Matthews breaks up a 3-on-2 from the McDavid line.
Brock Nelson draws a penalty from Shea Theadore. Hooking. (Kind of soft.)
Canada kills the penalty. Matthews had one great chance.
First intermission: USA leads 1-0. Shots were 8-8 that period after the US pressed late.
2nd Period
Canada has shaken up lines. Marner, MacKinnon, Stone together. Might have just been temporary.
Connor stops Connor in the second minute. Oh, Hellebuyck and McDavid, respectively.
Canada is pumping up the pressure, but Matt Boldy’s lost stick helps clear the zone.
Connor again stops Connor on a huge breakaway.
With Guentzel and MacAvoy in the box for a hold and hook, Canada has a five-on-three power play for about 100 seconds.
On the “must score” power play, Canada doesn’t.
Canada pushing again late in the second period. And more lost sticks by Team USA in their own zone.
Cale Makar cashes in on Canada’s sustained pressure.
CAN 1 - USA 1
#8 MAKAR Cale scored for Canada (Assisted by #7 TOEWS Devon).
Brock Faber hits two posts to keep it tied.
Second intermission: Shots are 27-15 Canada, but the score is tied.
3rd Period
The most important period of hockey this century is underway.
Devon Toews denied by the heel of Hellebuyck’s stick.
Now Hellebuyck stops Celebrini on a breakaway.
NBC shows us a clip of Brady Tkachuk urging his teammates to “be confident,” which would be undeserved on his part.
Almost halfway into the period and USA is looking forward to their second shot on goal of the period.
The US got away with a too-many-men penalty. Gord has put the whistle away.
It’s a super-sized American power play as Sam Bennett put a high stick on Jack Hughes that seems to have cost him some teeth.
Now Jack Hughes goes to the box. Canada will get a late-game power play after 49 seconds of 4-on-4.
Macklin Celebrini had two chances to win it. Nope.
3rd Intermission: Well, 3-on-3 will decide gold.
Overtime
Next goal wins.
Binnington stops Hughes 30 seconds in.
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