Canada rallies previous Finland to earn spot in gold-medal recreation

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The Olympic males's hockey semifinals bought underway on Friday morning, and the opening course was a heavyweight conflict between Canada and Finland.

Each the Canadians and Finns made it this far due to OT thrillers within the semi-finals, however for Crew Canada, the win got here at a price. Captain Sidney Crosby was injured on a success from Czechia's Radko Gudas and left the sport early.

Canada’s Shea Theodore (27) celebrates with teammates after scoring Canada’s second objective throughout a males’s ice hockey semifinal recreation between Canada and Finland on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 20, 2026. (Petr David Josek/AP Picture)

Just a bit earlier than puck drop on Friday, it was introduced that he can be out of the lineup in opposition to Finland.

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This was the final information Canada wanted in opposition to an excellent Finnish workforce that performs far more bodily than Finnish groups in Olymipcs previous.

The Finns opened the scoring towards the top of a quick and bodily opening body with Mikko Rantanen lighting the lamp simply seconds right into a Finnish energy play after Canada's Sam Bennett bought the gate for goaltender interference.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros got here up large a number of instances because the Canadians bought way more rubber on web than the Finns did.

Particular groups continued to be an enormous story within the second as we bought our first style of the Crosby-less Canadian energy play after Sebastian Aho was referred to as for interference, however issues went off the rails in a rush.

Finland shocked Canada by managing to clear the puck out of their zone and spring Nashville's Erik Haula for a shorthanded breakaway, which he buried to go up 2-0.

Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) scores Canada’s third objective throughout a males’s ice hockey semifinal recreation between Canada and Finland on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 20, 2026. (Petr David Josek/AP Picture)

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About ten minutes later, Finland's Anton Lundell took a high-sticking penalty, and — would you imagine? — particular groups have been the story as soon as once more, solely this time it was in Canada's favor.

Lundell's Florida Panthers teammate Sam Reinhart deflected a Cale Makar shot from the purpose to do away with that goose egg for the Canadians.

Canada continued to carry the stress, and with just below ten minutes left in regulation, they have been outshooting the Finns 29-14.

That stress resulted in a Shea Theodore missile from the highest of the circle discovering the again of the web.

The Finns have been sad concerning the contact that Brad Marchand made with Saros, however should you watch that once more, the contact was clearly initiated by Finland's Erik Haula within the crease.

Canada by no means took its foot off the fuel after that, and that stress actually performed a job in Finland's Niko Mikkola taking a penalty for high-sticking Nathan MacKinnon with round two and a half minutes left in regulation.

Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates with teammates after scoring Canada’s third objective throughout a males’s ice hockey semifinal recreation between Canada and Finland on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 20, 2026. (Petr David Josek/AP Picture)

And as soon as once more, particular groups produced, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring the game-winner with simply 35.2 seconds left in regulation.

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The Finns challenged the objective, saying the Canadians had entered the zone offside — and boy, was it shut; completely value taking a swing at — however the name stood, and Crew Canada was up 3-2.

That was how issues ended, with the Canadians occurring a 3-0 rally to cement their spot within the gold medal recreation on Sunday, the place they're going to face the winner of Friday afternoon's different semifinal recreation between Crew USA and Slovakia.

As for the Finns, they nonetheless have some enterprise to are likely to as they're going to face the loser of that recreation within the bronze medal recreation on Saturday.