Overtime Heartbreak: USA Steals Gold Late
The Canadian women were 2:04 away from taking home the gold medal in Milan, until Hillary Knight tipped home Laila Edwards’ point shot to send the game to overtime. In the extra frame, the Americans’ speed was on full display with the open ice of the 3-on-3 format, allowing Megan Keller to find the winner four minutes into the sudden-death period.
Canada’s ‘Powerkill’ and Desbiens Nearly Seal It
Canada opened the scoring on a shorthanded goal less than a minute into the second period, as they used their infamous ‘powerkill’ to break the deadlock.
Laura Stacey was rewarded for her hustle in the neutral zone and broke out on a 2-on-1 with Kristen O’Neil before effortlessly finding her blade for the nifty finish. It was a very different meeting than the 5-0 victory for the USA in the preliminary round, as Canada leaned on their experience from previous gold medal games.
There was no open ice for tournament points leader Caroline Harvey to operate in, as Canada did an excellent job of playing to their strengths. They limited the grade-A chances the Americans got, Ann-Renee Desbiens stood on her head in the crease, and it looked as though they were going to ride their 1-0 lead to the gold medal.
Until the Americans pulled through. They needed an extra attacker to finally break Desbiens’ shutout, but the traffic in front of the net proved to be the difference. Canada then looked outclassed in the overtime period, giving Team USA their first women’s hockey gold medal since 2018.
Celebration and Devastation in the Aftermath
The tears were instant for both sides, as American head coach John Wroblewski was overcome with emotion while his women climbed over the boards to celebrate. Knight was immediately swarmed with embraces, equipment scattered on the ice around her, as the American women finally tasted the ultimate goal of Olympic glory.
The Canadians also found it hard to contain their emotions as Poulin, among others, were distraught on the bench. Stacey and her teammates “were minutes away from having gold medals around our necks”, making this an even tougher pill to swallow.
What This Result Means for 2030
Canada elected to bring much of their 2022 Beijing squad to Italy, while the United States prioritized the next generation of superstars.
Twelve players were making their Olympic debuts for the USA, including a real difference-maker in Edwards on the blue line. Knight, Abbey Murphy, and Alex Carpenter still did most of the heavy lifting, but it is abundantly clear that the Canadians were outworked and outmatched, and aren’t getting any younger after their silver-medal showing.
The United States will be a big favorite at the 2030 Olympic Games, but Canada now has four years to retool their squad.
Their 2026 silver medal was almost certainly the last we will see of their captain, Marie-Philip Poulin, and veteran leader Natalie Spooner, as it is time for them to hand the keys over to the next generation. Closing the gap on the ever-improving Americans will not be easy, as the seamless transition of power in the USA dressing room has already reaped its rewards.
For the Americans, it is time to celebrate across the country as they finally wrestled Olympic control away from Canada after nearly a decade of dominance at the World Championships. Is this the changing of the guard, or will the Canadians come back stronger than ever in four years? Those questions will be scrutinized another day, but for now, it is time to celebrate.
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