MILAN — They were always headed here, the American and Canadian women.
It was always gold or bust.
One game, winner take all.
“It hasn’t been the easiest path, but this group has a ton of fight in them,” said Canada’s Renata Fast, still sweating after dodging a semifinal scare.
“It’s going to be a blood bath.”
All those qualifying tournaments and the two weeks of tuneup matches — including one shoulder-sinking, frightening-for-Canada preview — were merely necessary motions to endure before the one that matters between the only two teams considered for real.
Of the 14 Olympic gold and silver medals doled out in women’s ice hockey since the event began in 1998, Team Canada and Team USA have captured 13. (Only the ’06 Sweden side surprised with silver.)
Make that 15 of 16 come Thursday, when the two powers face off at Milano Santigiulia Arena and anything less than top spot on the podium will be a national disappointment.
“It’s gonna take a brave, courageous, gutsy effort in the final,” Canada veteran Brianne Jenner, 34, said. “We’ve been there before. We know how to do it. It’s just a matter of us showing up.”
Young, fast and deep, the U.S. has made quick, easy work of all comers here in Italy, devouring opponents the way reporters do late-night pizza slices.
Cruising through the Swedes 5-0 in Monday’s semis, Team USA (5-0) is a certified wagon, outscoring its opposition 31-1.
That includes a 5-0 shellacking of 2-seed Canada in the preliminary round, the biggest Olympic blowout of the rivalry and a performance that, built on a full year of U.S. wins, has affixed an underdog tag on the defending Olympic champs.
The reviews of Canada’s performance in this tournament have not been kind. So much so, the players are hunkering into a non-pandemic “bubble,” doing their best to stay off social media and focus solely on their teammates and a game plan that must improve.
As lopsided as last week’s gold-medal preview was, Canada did not have the ailing Marie-Philip Poulin in the lineup that night, and the Red and White submitted an equally decisive semifinal performance Monday, beating Switzerland 2-1 on a historic night.
The score was kind to the Swiss, who got outshot 46-8 but registered their best Olympic tally ever against the Canadians.
Poulin — hurting enough that she required a golf cart to ride from the room to the rink — buried twice Monday, including a lunging second-period rebound for her 19th-career Olympic goal, snapping countrywoman Hayley Wickenheiser’s record.
Alas, a North American steamrolling through the European nations is to be expected.
It’s only how they fare against each other that matters.
“It makes us more hungry,” Canada’s Julia Gosling says. “We haven’t won against them for a year. We’re ready to take that and heartbreak them.”
Matthew Tkachuk was one of several U.S. men’s team members who made it a point to take in that first U.S.-Canada, a showdown that morphed into a beatdown.
“I know it was a big game for both teams. Just really wanted to show my support for the women’s team. It was a great game,” Tkachuk said. “They’re defending very well. It seemed like they didn’t have to defend (that) night. They had to puck the whole game. So, it was dominant.”
Indeed.
The gaudy goal differential, the one measly goal against, the running Canada out of the barn… are these Americans the most formidable team yet?
“Yeah, I think so,” says Swedish defenceman Hilda Svensson. “I played against Canada when they were really good also. So, I would say those two.”
Hmmm… when they were really good. Past tense.
In the present, even with a GOAT like Poulin, the U.S. looms unstoppable.
“We’re definitely hitting a great stride right now,” American defenceman Caroline Harvey says. “We’re still always reaching for more, and we’re never complacent. So, that’s what’s so special about our group, and why we keep succeeding.”
Teammate Haley Winn says the Americans are prepared and eager for Thursday’s opportunity.
“The USA-Canada rivalry is so fun to play in,” Winn says, “but I think we kind of just took (the preliminary shutout) as a stepping stone.”
Now there’s gold on the line, the only medal that counts between these two foes.
“It’s like a completely different game,” Harvey says. “Now anyone can win, anyone can lose. So, I mean, definitely great confidence in knowing we can do that.
“But when Thursday comes around, there’ll be nerves, there’ll be excitement, there’ll be a lot of emotion in the building. So, just staying level-headed and knowing, like, we got it in the room, we got it on our team. But we just got to take care of business.”
Fast says it would be “silly” to not acknowledge that the Americans have found another gear lately. But that doesn’t mean Canada will bend the knee.
“It’s probably the most structured I’ve seen them play in the entire time I’ve played against Team USA,” Fast, 31, says. “But I still believe this group can play a certain way to have success against that.
“There’s no doubt we were not at our best in that (round robin) game. I think we looked a little timid at times, and (you can’t be) timid against a team that’s pretty fast and pretty skilled, so our group learned a lot from that.
“The team that shows up for the gold medal will be a team that’s going to be fearless and won’t back down.”
Can desire trump depth?
Can wisdom and wiles win the day over rapid youth?
“We’re gonna scratch, and we’re gonna claw,” Canada’s Laura Stacey, 31, asserted.
“We’re gonna do whatever it takes to win.”
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Fox’s Fast Five
• Here are a couple of Poulin’s teammates reflecting on her record-breaking feat.
Fast: “It’s what she puts in every single day. Her work ethic, it’s unmatched. That allows her to shine in moments like this. Very few people can be clutch after clutch after clutch, year after year after year, and it doesn’t just happen by fluke. She puts in the work, and that’s why we love her.”
Jenner: “She’s everything to this team. She’s our captain. It’s been awesome having her back in the lineup. All the girls were so excited to see her get that record. You know, it doesn’t matter to her, but on this team, we’re so happy for each other.”
Wait. Why doesn’t breaking the all-time Olympic goals record matter to her?
“Because we’re here to win a gold medal,” Jenner replies. “As a team.”
• “Caroline Harvey is like Bobby Orr. She was the best player on the ice, and it felt like by a lot. She was incredible,” Tkachuk said, after watching the first U.S.-Canada game and spending time with No. 4 at USA Hockey house. “What a great girl and an unbelievable player. She was awesome.”
Harvey blushes at the compliment.
“Yeah, he mentioned something to me about that. Crazy,” Harvey said. “(Orr) was phenomenal. He was a player that no one could ever replicate back in his day. But, I mean, it meant a lot coming from (Tkachuk).”
• Swiss netminder Andrea Braendli on her 46-shot workload: “A little less than 40-something shots would also be nice sometimes, you know, for the hips, for the groin and everything. But I can’t complain…. Being 2-1 against Canada shows we’re doing the right job.”
• U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel set a new Olympic record, posting her third shutout.
“What we’ve done so far is amazing,” Frankel said. “But obviously the job is not done yet.”
• Harvey compares the Milan experience to that of 2022 Beijing, which was played inside a bubble: “It makes a difference, definitely. Having your family and friends’ support, knowing they have your back. Even the people back home, just knowing the whole country has your back, we play for them. And it definitely helps us out there, and we can feel the energy within the building itself.”
