MILAN (AP) — The much-anticipated however by no means assured U.S.-Canada showdown for gold in males’s hockey on the Olympics is on.
Jack Hughes scored two objectives, together with one with a highlight-reel particular person effort, and the Individuals rolled into the ultimate by routing Slovakia 6-2 within the semifinals on Friday evening.
They’ll meet match favourite and top-seeded Canada on Sunday for the title, a yr for the reason that North American rivals performed two memorable video games towards one another on the 4 Nations Face-Off.
That NHL-run occasion ended a drought of almost a decade with out a world match that includes the very best hockey gamers on the earth. Three fights within the first 9 seconds within the first assembly put the 4 Nations within the highlight, and their epic remaining gained by Canada in extra time solely constructed the anticipation for the Olympics.
After Canada did its half by rallying to beat Finland earlier within the day, the U.S. had no bother towards the Slovaks, who made an inconceivable run and have been merely overmatched. They’ll face the Finns for bronze on Saturday evening, in search of simply the second hockey medal within the nation’s historical past after getting the primary with a third-place end in Beijing in 2022.
The U.S. is taking part in for gold after the semifinals have been a a lot simpler go than the quarterfinals towards Sweden, when extra time was wanted to outlive a scare. Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Hughes and Eichel scored the 4 objectives on 23 pictures that chased Samuel Hlavaj out of Slovakia’s internet previous the halfway level of the second interval.
Thompson, one in every of only a handful of newcomers who didn’t play on the 4 Nations, exited later within the second after blocking a shot. He was held out the remainder of the way in which, based on the NBC broadcast.
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Hughes obtained his second simply after an influence play expired, and Brady Tkachuk scored on a breakaway with simply over 9 minutes left to offer some extra respiration room.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck did his job as his teammates outshot Slovakia by a considerable margin. Every part he has finished on the Olympics has validated coach Mike Sullivan’s choice to go together with Hellebuyck because the U.S. starter over Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman.
The U.S. final reached the ultimate in 2010 when it misplaced to Canada in extra time on Sidney Crosby’s well-known golden purpose. Crosby’s standing is unsure this time after getting injured within the quarterfinals Wednesday and never taking part in Friday towards Finland.