Canada seals stunning win over Finland to reach gold medal game

by · Mail Online

It required more effort than expected, but Canada’s men’s hockey team will play for a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Milan.

After falling behind 2-0 to Finland, Canada mounted a comeback to win the game 3-2 and set up a potential renewal of their rivalry with the United States.

Canada had won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which was the last time the NHL allowed its players to compete at the games.

In these Olympics, Canada once again leaned on their NHL superstars to guide them to victory.

After tying the game, a mad scramble of shots late in the contest saw Nathan MacKinnon finally sneak the game-winner past goalie Jusse Saros with just 35 seconds remaining to clinch their spot in the final.

They will play for gold against the winner of Friday's evening game between the United States and Slovakia. 

Nathan MacKinnon played the hero for Canada as his goal beat Finland to reach the final
MacKinnon's shot snuck past Finland's Jusse Saros on the near post with 35 seconds left
Finland took a 2-0 lead off goals from Mikko Rantanen (L) and Erik Haula (R) early in the game

Finland opened the scoring by taking advantage of a powerplay within seconds of earning it. 

After Canada's Sam Bennett was sent to the penalty box for goaltender interference, Finland's Mikko Rantanen scored just three seconds into their man advantage.

The second period did not start much better for Canada. Despite being short-handed, Finland's Erik Haula jumped on a breakaway chance, fooled Canada's struggling netminder Jordan Binnington, put the puck on his back hand and beat the goalie glove-side to go up 2-0 on just nine shots.

In need of an answer, Canada went on their second power play of the game and found their way on the board.

Defenseman Cale Makar ripped his shot from the point before Sam Reinhart tipped it past Saros to make it 2-1.

While a two-goal lead remains the most dangerous advantage in hockey, Canada took long to find the shot to square the game.

Finland seemed content to sit back and let the game - and the shots - come to them. It invited a laser-beam from defenseman Shea Theodore from the right circle that snuck in as traffic in front of the net blinded Saros.

The netminder immediately turned around to one of the two Canadian referees to appeal for interference after he was knocked down, but it was to no avail. 

A point shot from defenseman Shea Theodore tied the game up midway through the third
The puck entering the net after MacKinnon's game-winning goal for Canada
The Canadians are now in line for a gold medal game - potentially against the rival Americans

Despite the equalizer, Finland looked unprepared to try winning the game as Canada dominated puck possession. By games end, they'd only put up 17 shots compared to Canada's 39 shots.

The dam finally broke in the final moments of the game. It began when Finland's Niko Mikkola took a penalty for high sticking on MacKinnon.

The following two minutes became a shooting gallery as Finland attempted to white-knuckle their way into overtime amid a barrage of shots from an angry and hungry Canadian team.

Shot after shot came at Saros at a relentless pace and frequency the netminder could only barely manage.

And then, the death blow. With the Finns woefully out of position, Connor McDavid slipped a perfectly executed cross-ice pass to MacKinnon.

The Colorado Avalanche star one-timed the puck as Saros tried to protect his post. Saros didn't get there in time as MacKinnon's shot snuck past his arm and into the net to secure a Canadian win.