Olympic Hockey Day 8 Recap: USA, Canada Advance to Highly Anticipated Gold Medal Matchup

Two teams would compete for a spot in the gold medal game, the other two for bronze as Canada kicked off another hockey-filled day with a morning matchup against Finland as USA took on Slovakia in the afternoon. While one game would be close and carry some of the intensity from the thrill that was day 7, USA made light work of the Slovaks as they ran out of gas early and let things get ugly towards the end.

Canada vs. Finland

• Canada was buzzing out the gate and had a golden chance to get on the board early but a big save from Juuse Saros kept it scoreless. An impressive rush from Connor McDavid set up the pass to Macklin Celebrini for a one timer but Saros was quick enough to get to the other side of the crease ahead of it.
• Through the first half of the period, two things were evident. Both sides were looking to make plays with the puck, and both teams were bringing a ton of physicality. This was seemingly working in Finland's favor as Canada was playing a little behind their expected pace.
• With just over ten minutes to go, Team Canada was called for the first penalty of the game as they were caught with too many men on the ice. Ironic considering the Czechs got away with one that resulted in a goal against Canada in the qualifying round.
• No harm no foul for Canada as they held the Finns without a shot on goal through the two minute advantage.
• Some Florida Panthers drama in the final minutes of the opening period. Sam Bennett took the puck to the net and crashed hard into Saros after he made the save. Bennett's teammate Niko Mikkola was involved in the collision and was quick to his goaltenders defense by going after Bennett. And of course, fellow Floridian Brad Marchand also had to get involved in the chaos, albeit mainly verbally.
• This immediately cost Team Canada as Mikko Rantanen fired a quick wrist shot off the face-off to put Finland up 1-0 with the power play goal.

• Worth noting, Rantanen has more goals against Jordan Bennington than any one else in the NHL.
• Shots after the opening period were tied at seven with the Finns up 1-0.

• Team Finland would take their first penalty of the contest three minutes into the second as Sebastian Aho was called for interference. The advantage for Canada would actually benefit the Finns as Erik Haula ended up on a breakaway and picked up a shorthanded goal on a perfect forehand-backhand move. 2-0 Finland.

• The Finns may have unintentionally say back a bit which resulted in a push from Canada where they were out-shooting and out-playing their opponent. It also helped that they decided to stack a pair of lines, putting Nathan McKinnon with McDavid and Celebrini as well as Bennett in between Wilson and Marchand, a line I mentioned would be insane to have to go up against in our previews.
• With about six and a half to go, Canada went back to the power play as Marchand took a stick up high from his Panther teammate Anton Lundell. This time around, it would result in Canada scoring as Cale Maker let a shot go that redirected off the stick of the NHL's leader in power play goals, Sam Reinhart. 2-1 Finland.

• Aside from giving up the power play goal, the Finns weathered the storm as best they could but were being out-shot by Canada 22-11 after forty minutes of play.
• It took about five minutes for either side to register a shot on goal but everywhere you turned, the McDavid line was out there doing everything they can to work their magic. The Finns continued to look like they were simply just trying to survive but Lundell almost scored on their first shot of the period which gave them some life.
• Just after the midway mark of the third, Marchand caused chaos in front of Saros and a shot from Shea Theodore at the point made its way through to tie the game up 2-2. For a moment, there was a thought the Finns could challenge for goaltender interference but they ultimately decided against it.
• The longer this game went on, the more it felt like it was only a matter of time before Canada took full control, both on the ice and the scoreboard.
• With two and a half to go in the third, Finland was called for a high sticking penalty after MacKinnon came close to finding the back of the net on a backhander in the slot.
• Canada was throwing everything and anything to the net and with two seconds left on the power play, MacKinnon converted on a one timer thanks to a beautiful pass from McDavid. 3-2 Canada, their first lead of the game.

• The Finns ended up challenging this goal as there was a chance, albeit a slim one, that the Canadians were offside entering the zone. The challenge was unsuccessful which gave Finland a delay of game penalty and resulted in Team Canada punching their ticket to the gold medal round.

USA vs. Slovakia

• This game got off to the kind of start you might have expected as USA was all over the Slovak's completely dominating possession and peppering Samuel Hlavaj.
• Just over four minutes in, Slovakia got caught in a bad change and Zach Werenski sent Dylan Larkin on a break to the net where he fired a wrist shot right past Hlavaj to give USA a 1-o lead.

• Slovakia would get a break as Charlie McAvoy bumped into Hlavaj, giving his team the first power play of the outing. Slovakia got some looks with the man advantage but the Americans had the better chance on a shorthanded rush where Larkin was robbed by Hlavaj.
• This was becoming another hard hitting game as both the Americans and Slovaks were throwing the body every chance they got.
• USA went back to the penalty kill with about eight minutes to go as Werenski sent the puck over the glass for a delay of game call. The Americans did a good job of keeping Slovakia to the perimeter which resulted in them going 0-for-2 on the man advantage.
• As the period went on, the Slovaks were continuing to battle and were slowly but surely, generating more offense. Their best chance of the period came on a bouncing puck in the slot but shortly after, took their first penalty of the game as Jack Hughes was tripped up in the defensive zone.
• It took the Americans 16 seconds to find the back of the net as Tage Thompson finished on a remarkable one timer off a pass from Jack Eichel. 2-0 USA heading into the first intermission.

• Slovakia was taking every opportunity they had to try and get under the skin of the Americans, specifically the Tkachuk brothers. Martin Fehervary went after him following a whistle early in the second which drew another Slovakia penalty within the first minute of play.
• A beautiful passing play nearly resulted in another USA goal but shortly after, Auston Matthews was called for a hooking penalty to bring play to 4-on-4.
• While neither team would convert there, Slovakia got another power play shortly after as McAvoy was called for high sticking Tomas Tatar.
• The Slovaks continued to generate opportunities with the puck but the longer this game went on, the more it looked like they were running out of gas early. Shortly after they returned to even strength, Fehervary went back to the box as he was called for holding.
• Slovakia came out of the penalty kill unscathed but with just under nine minutes to go, USA found the back of the net. At least for a brief moment in time. A nice pass from Matt Boldy found Jake Guentzel in front but Guentzel had blatantly redirected the puck with his skate, resulting in the goal being waved off.
• About a minute later, USA converted for real this time. Just an incredible individual effort from Jack Hughes resulted in him firing a shot to the back of the net, making it 3-0 USA.

• They wouldn't stop there as 19 seconds later, Jack Eichel walked into Hlavaj's crease, pulling off a nice move to extend their lead 4-0. That would put an end to Hlavaj's night as Slovakia made a goaltending chance afterwards.
• To make matters worse for Slovakia, they took another penalty with under four minutes to go. While they technically came out of it unscathed, Jack Hughes picked up his second of the night just seconds after. 5-0 USA.
• In terms of actually hockey, Slovakia was going down without a fight but in the literal sense, they weren't as Patrik Koch threw a bit of a cheap shot at Larkin for interference and delivered a slash that went uncalled as Larkin went down. Koch played one game in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes in the 23/24 season.
• It felt like it was all but over as USA was looking to ease their way out of this one but five minutes in, a careless mistake from Connor Hellebuyck behind his own net cost him the shutout as Juraj Slafkovsky had a wide open net to shoot at, making it a 5-1 game.
• Brady Tkachuk would have a pair of breakaways later in the period and while Stanislav Skorvanek would shut down the first one, he would finish on the second to make it a 6-1 game.

• With under seven minutes to go, Pavel Regenda ended up on a breakaway of his own to pick up another goal on the States, making it a 6-2 game.
• As time dwindled, things continued to get ugly as a crowd gathered along the boards. Matthew Tkachuk and Erik Creak were both given ten minute misconducts and became early exits in this one. Brady Tkachuk was given a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Slovakia a power play to close things out.

• That would do it for this one as USA dominated the Slovaks to advance to the gold medal game which is set for Sunday morning at 8 a.m. Slovakia will take on Team Finland tomorrow afternoon with a bronze medal on the line.