Canada battles for gold after a nail-biting win, while lingering questions surround injured defenseman Josh Morrissey and captain Sidney Crosby.
It was another heart-racing showdown for Canada on the Olympic stage, this time against a determined Finnish squad that refused to back down. In a rivalry that has tightened in recent years, Finland once again pushed Canada to the brink, marking the fourth straight best-on-best meeting between the two nations decided by a single goal.
Canada entered the contest without star defenseman Josh Morrissey, who has been sidelined since the opening game of the Olympics with a lower-body injury. His absence was felt early as the Canadians struggled to contain Finland’s speed and structure.
The Finns set the tone in the opening period when Canada’s Sam Bennett crashed into Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros after driving hard to the crease, resulting in a power play. It took just two seconds for Finland to capitalize. Off the faceoff, Mikko Rantanen fired a quick shot past Canadian netminder Jordan Binnington to give Finland a 1-0 lead.
Finland continued to apply pressure in the second period. Even while shorthanded, the Finns stayed aggressive. After stripping the puck in their own zone, Joel Armia worked it up the boards to Erik Haula, who broke in alone and buried a shorthanded goal to extend the lead to 2-0.
Morrissey’s blend of defensive stability and offensive instincts was noticeably absent as Canada searched for answers. His ability to transition the puck and contribute offensively could have provided a spark while tightening up play in the defensive zone.
The Canadian offense finally responded late in the second period. Sam Reinhart tipped home a power-play goal to cut the deficit to one heading into the intermission.
The third period belonged to Canada. With sustained pressure and an uptick in physicality, the Canadians struck twice to flip the game and seize a 3-2 lead. From there, they locked things down defensively to secure the regulation victory and punch their ticket to the gold medal game.
Following the win, head coach Jon Cooper reiterated that Morrissey’s Olympic run was not necessarily over, comments he first made after the group stage. With one game remaining, questions linger about whether Morrissey could return for the final. There is also speculation surrounding the status of Canada’s captain Sidney Crosby as the team prepares for its biggest test yet.
Canada will face the winner of the semifinal between the United States and Slovakia in Sunday morning’s gold medal game, scheduled for 7:10 a.m. CT. The Canadians will look to continue their Olympic dominance and add another chapter to their storied international legacy.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.