Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Team USA and Team Canada will once again do battle in what has become one of the most anticipated events of the 2018 Winter Olympics. The two teams will faceoff for the gold medal tonight. Puck drop is 11:00 p.m. ET.
“A battle for the ages, as usual,” said Team USA’s Brianne Jenner in an interview with CBC Sports. “It’s one of the best rivalries in hockey.”
U.S. forward Meghan Duggan thinks it’s even bigger than that. “I am biased, but I think it is the greatest rivalry in sport when you look at the history of how many gold medal games the two teams have played in,” Duggan told CBC. “It’s exciting to be a part of it. I’ve been fortunate to play in a lot of great games against Canada in my career.”
10 Notes From The Head-To-Head Series:
- Canada finished the preliminary round undefeated (3-0) advancing to the gold-medal game with a 5-0 win against the Olympic Athletes from Russia in the semifinal.
- The U.S. went 2-1 in the preliminary round and beat Finland 5-0 in its semifinal game.
- This is the sixth Olympic women’s hockey tournament and Canada and the United States have met for the gold medal five times.
- The U.S. will try to erase the horrific memory of a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in the gold medal game of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
- Canada is trying to win its fifth-straight Olympic title.
- Canada comes into the game holding the hotter hand having beaten the United States in each of their last six meetings.
- That said, the United States is the International Ice Hockey Federation’s No. 1-ranked team, having captured the past four world championship titles as well as the past three Four Nations Cups.
- While Canada defeated the U.S. 2-1 in the preliminary round, it could be argued the Americans were the better team in the contest, outshooting Canada 45-23.
- Dani Cameranesi leads the United States in scoring with three goals and five points in four games. Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson has three goals and four points and Kendell Coyne has two goals and three points.
- Canada has been led by the line of captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Melodie Daoust and Meghan Agosta, who have combined for seven goals and 15 points in four games. Daoust has three goals and three assists, Poulin two goals and three assists and Agosta two goals and two assists.
Jenner thinks back to the 2014 gold medal nailbiter in Sochi, and wonders if it could happen again. “I hope it doesn’t go quite like that,” Jenner said. “My mom will have a heart attack!”
By Jon Sorensen
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