USA women's hockey team brings Olympic gold back home in OT thriller over Canada
The women's hockey gold medal is coming back to the United States.
The Americans came back from a late deficit to win a 2-1 thriller in overtime over their archnemesis in Canada.
The Americans started the second period on a power play from a penalty at the end of the first, but it was Canada who scored shorthanded for the first goal of the game. It was the first goal the Americans allowed in the knockout stage, ending a stretch of three hours, 52 minutes and seven seconds of shutout hockey.
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The Canadians got on the power play late in the third while still keeping the Americans scoreless, but the U.S. was able to kill it off with just over four minutes to go. With the puck in Canada's zone and about 2:30 to go, the Americans pulled their goalie, and the risk proved worthy, as captain Hilary Knight deflected a wrister from the top of the zone to tie the game and eventually force overtime. After regulation, shots were 29-28 in favor of Canada.
Four minutes and seven seconds into the overtime period, Megan Keller pulled off a nifty move and squeaked the puck past the Canadian goaltender to preserve the gold. It’s the Americans’ first gold medal since 2018.
Team Canada lost two games throughout the Olympics, both to the United States, who went undefeated.
Seven of the eight gold-medal games in Olympic history have been between Canada and the U.S., with the Americans winning three of those.
Canada and the United States have also met in the gold-medal game at 23 of 24 IIHF Women’s World Championships and 21 of 23 4 Nations Cups since international play started in 1987. Excluding the pandemic, the last time the two countries did not face off in a gold-medal game in any international tournament was 2019, and before that, 1993.
Canada settled for bronze in the 2019 World Championship, while the U.S. defeated Finland. It remains the only year Canada did not finish with gold or silver, while the U.S. streak of playing for gold is still intact.
Canada, though, has only earned gold or silver in the Olympics, while the Americans had to settle for bronze in 2006.
Knight's goal made her America's all-time leading goalscorer and points leader. She recently got engaged to speedskater Brittany Bowe.
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