USA Finding Its Stride at the Perfect Time Ahead of Gold-Medal Rematch vs. Canada
The United States defeated Finland 4-1 to advance to the gold-medal game against North American rival Canada on Wednesday (Thursday in Beijing).
The win over Finland was the most complete game by the U.S. all tournament. Will the momentum carry over for the Americans to defend their Olympic title against the top-scoring offense in the tournament?
Finding Their Stride
The U.S. had difficulty in the quarterfinals against the Czech Republic but ultimately won 4-1 to advance to play Finland in the second semifinal. One of the most noticeable differences for the U.S. was on special teams.
The United States is 6-of-26 with the player advantage. But things might be changing for the better if the win against Finland showed us anything. Defender Cayla Barnes scored the team's opening goal on the power play Monday night against Finland.
Barnes and the rest of the blue line were put to the test against Finland, which came as no surprise to them.
“I think we’re at a great place. Our backs have been up against the wall a couple times and we’ve had to really dig deep and find ways to score. I think it’s been really great. We’ve grown a lot.”
What It Takes to Win Gold
The road to the gold-medal game has been very different for the United States and Canada. The U.S. is the reigning Olympic champions but Canada is the best team on paper. The Canadians set an all-time tournament record of 54 goals scored and have seven players with 10 or more points through six games.
The Americans struggled to find their identity at times against the Czech Republic and Finland. Meanwhile, Canada battered both Sweden and Switzerland on the way to the gold-medal game. The key is cashing in on chances: The United States has dominated in shots on goal against its opponents, but it doesn't mean anything if you can't turn that into goals. The U.S. outshot Canada 53-27 in their preliminary-round matchup but came out on the losing end despite the shot advantage.
How Will Things Play Out in the Final
For the United States to win over Canada, it must dominate puck possession. The number of shots the Americans post per game suggests they have the puck on their stick a decent amount. They can rely on their speed and strength to pepper opposing goaltenders at will. However, the Americans need to get the Canadian defense moving. That only comes from controlled puck possession combined with clinical passing. Their game thrives when they combine a strong and direct style of hockey with more finesse and skill.
A big key to possession is winning faceoffs and other puck battles. Head coach Joel Johnson felt Finland dominated faceoffs Monday night, and that will be a place of emphasis for the team going into the gold-medal game.
Defensively, the U.S. needs to push Canada to the outside. Canada can score on the breakaway as well as with its surgical passing below the dots. The American defense will be working overtime to body up and guard against Canada’s ability to get tips and deflections.
“When we played [Canada] the first time, I thought we played good, but we didn’t generate great opportunities to score,” Johnson said.
Another Chapter of the Best Rivalry in Sports
It’s the game many predicted and the game most want to see with a gold medal on the line. Canada against the United States for Olympic gold. Last Winter Games, the two teams played to an overtime shootout.
The USA broke a 20-year Olympic gold drought in 2018 and has never won back-to-back golds. Even without the added theatrics of a USA-Canada game, this is something the USA has been training and waiting for. There’s no holding back.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. In an Olympics final, everything’s on the line,” captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “Everyone’s gonna have to take their game up a notch, and that happens naturally through the adrenaline of the moment.”
