Canada snaps USA’s long shutout streak with first goal in gold-medal game

The Canadians have finally broken through against the United States.

Kristin O’Neill gave Canada a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal early in the second period of Thursday’s gold-medal game, snapping a long shutout streak by the Americans.

The USA had allowed only one goal in six tournament games entering the gold-medal matchup, with goaltenders Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips combining to post five consecutive shutouts. That included a 5-0 win over Canada in the preliminary round, the first time Canada had ever been shut out in women’s hockey at the Olympics.

The shutout streak lasted for 352 minutes and 21 seconds, which is longer than Brian Boucher’s modern NHL record of 332 minutes and one second in the 2003-04 season.

O’Neill’s goal also marked the first-ever short-handed tally the Canadian women have scored in an Olympic gold-medal game.