MILAN — The greatly-expected, though not assured, U.S.-Canada contest for the championship in men’s hockey at the Olympics is now confirmed.
Jack Hughes netted a pair of goals, one of which featured a spectacular solo effort, as the Americans comfortably advanced to the championship match, overpowering Slovakia 6-2 in Friday night’s semifinals.
On Sunday, they are set to confront the tournament’s leading contender and highest-ranked team, Canada, for the crown. This comes a year after the North American adversaries engaged in two unforgettable contests during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The NHL-organized competition had concluded a nearly decade-long period without an international event showcasing the world’s premier hockey players. The initial encounter, marked by three altercations within the opening nine seconds, propelled the 4 Nations into the public attention. Subsequently, their legendary championship game, secured by Canada in overtime, only fueled the eagerness for the Olympics.
Having played their role earlier in the day by coming from behind to defeat Finland, Canada set the stage. Meanwhile, the U.S. encountered little difficulty against the Slovaks, who had embarked on an unlikely surge but were plainly outclassed. The Slovaks will now compete against the Finns for the third-place medal on Saturday night, aiming for only the second hockey medal in their nation’s history, their initial one being a third-place finish in Beijing in 2022.
The U.S. is vying for the championship following a significantly smoother progression through the semifinals compared to their quarterfinal clash against Sweden, where overtime was required to avoid an upset. Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Hughes, and Eichel tallied the four goals from 23 shots, a performance that forced Samuel Hlavaj out of Slovakia’s net beyond the halfway mark of the second period.
Thompson, who was among the few new players not featured in the 4 Nations, departed the ice later in the second period after intercepting a puck. Based on the NBC broadcast, he was subsequently kept off the ice for the remainder of the game.
Hughes netted his second goal moments after a man advantage concluded, and Brady Tkachuk converted a solo rush with just over nine minutes remaining to extend their lead further.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck performed admirably as his teammates registered significantly more shots than Slovakia. His entire performance at the Olympics has affirmed coach Mike Sullivan’s choice to select Hellebuyck as the U.S. starter, ahead of Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.
The U.S. most recently made it to the final in 2010, where they were defeated by Canada in overtime due to Sidney Crosby’s renowned decisive goal. This time, Crosby’s availability is in doubt after he sustained an injury in Wednesday’s quarterfinals and subsequently missed Friday’s game against Finland.