MILAN (AP) — The long-awaited but never guaranteed showdown between the U.S. and Canada for gold in men’s hockey at the Olympic Games is on.
Jack Hughes scored two goals, including one highlighted by an individual effort, and the Americans reached the final by beating Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinals on Friday night.
They meet tournament favorite and top-seeded Canada for the title on Sunday, a year after the North American rivals played two memorable matches against each other at the Confrontation between 4 countries.
That NHL-organized event ended a nearly decade-long drought without an international tournament featuring the world’s best hockey players. Three fights in the first nine seconds of the first meeting put the 4 Nations in the spotlight, and their epic final that Canada won in extra time only increased anticipation for the Olympics.
After Canada has done its part By rallying to beat Finland earlier in the day, the US had no problems against the Slovaks made an unlikely run and were simply overmatched. They will compete against the Finns for bronze on Saturday night, looking for just the second hockey medal in the country’s history, after clinching the first with a third-place finish in Beijing in 2022.
The US is playing for gold after the semi-finals were much easier than the quarter-finals against Sweden overtime was necessary to survive a scare. Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Hughes and Eichel scored the four goals on 23 shots that chased Samuel Hlavaj out of the Slovakian net midway through the second period.
Thompson, one of only one handful of newcomers who did not play in the 4 Nations, left later in the second after blocking a shot. He was stopped the rest of the way, according to the NBC broadcast.
Petr David Josek/Associated Press
Hughes got his second just after a power play ended, and Brady Tkachuk scored on a breakaway with just over nine minutes left to provide some breathing room.
Goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck did his job as his teammates defeated Slovakia by a significant margin. Everything he has done at the Olympics has validated coach Mike Sullivan’s decision to go with Hellebuyck as the American starter over Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.
The US last reached the final in 2010 when it lost to Canada in extra time after Sidney Crosby’s famous golden goal. Crosby’s status is uncertain this time get injured will not play against Finland in the quarter-finals on Wednesday and Friday.
