MILAN — After falling behind for the second game in a row at the Olympics, having not trailed during group play, Canada found itself in an even tougher position in the semifinals against Finland.
Trailing by two goals against a team also filled with NHL talent, the tournament favorites remained unfazed.
“There wasn’t really any panic,” said center Nick Suzuki. “We knew we would get our chances eventually.”
As anticipated, the exceptionally skilled team in Milan capitalized on those chances. Sam Reinhart deflected Cale Makar’s shot to spark the comeback, Shea Theodore leveled the score with a shot through traffic, and Nathan MacKinnon secured the lead with just 35.2 seconds to spare, propelling Canada to the gold medal match with a 3-2 win on Friday night.
“You could definitely feel the sense of calm, having been through that before,” McDavid commented. “We knew we were in a tough situation, and we needed to find a way to get out of it. And we did.”
Makar expressed that he and his teammates felt more at ease down 2-0 against Finland than they did when they faced two deficits against Czechia in the quarterfinals, including being down with just seven minutes remaining.
This was evident. After Erik Haula netted a shorthanded goal early in the second period, Canada outshot Finland 31-8 for the remainder of the match.
Juuse Saros was outstanding in goal for Finland, and Canada coach Jon Cooper was mainly concerned about being shut out by an on-fire goalie. Reinhart’s goal with 4:40 left in the second period eased some of the tension, making it clear that the tide was turning.
“We definitely felt the momentum shift a little bit,” forward Sam Bennett remarked. “Our pressure was solid. It was a relentless drive, and we knew we would eventually crack them.”
Cooper was also pleased that his players didn’t wait until the final three minutes to tie the game as they had in the quarterfinals. Theodore’s goal came with 9:26 left in regulation after Brad Marchand ended up on top of Saros following a push from Haula.
“Brad’s being Brad, and I enjoy having Brad on the team,” Cooper noted about Marchand, who got nudged but made little effort to avoid falling into the opposing goalie.
Nathan MacKinnon took charge late in the game, looking intent and drawing a second high-sticking penalty from Niko Mikkola. During the resulting power play, McDavid delivered a perfect cross-ice saucer pass over penalty killer Roope Hintz’s stick to MacKinnon, who tucked the puck in short side through a tiny opening while Macklin Celebrini created a screen by jumping.
This goal was upheld after a video review, despite Finland challenging the play for offside.
“It was a five-man effort,” MacKinnon said. “Connor made an incredible play, Cale was doing his thing, and Reino did the same. I’m obviously thrilled one snuck in. Great pass.”
Canada made its comeback again without injured captain Sidney Crosby, who exited the quarterfinal game Wednesday night with what appeared to be a right knee injury. McDavid donned the “C” in Crosby’s absence and added two assists, breaking the record for most points by an NHL player in a single Olympics with 13.
“We’re a deep team with leaders throughout the lineup,” McDavid stated. “It doesn’t matter who wears the ‘C’ or who’s in or out of the lineup. Everyone can play a significant role and lead, and you witnessed that once more.”
Cooper mentioned that there’s still time to determine if Crosby can participate in the final on Sunday.
Canada’s stacked lineup, even in Crosby’s absence, ultimately pierced the Finnish trap that hinders players and intercepts the puck before opponents can press into the offensive zone. Instead of growing frustrated, some of the best players stepped up, with Celebrini taking almost every opportunity available.
Celebrini, the youngest player on Canada’s roster at 19, fired eight shots on goal himself. That’s nearly the same number of shots Finland had as a team in the second and third periods combined, which was nine.
“I’ve seen him play enough over time,” winger Mitch Marner said. “He’s got a wealth of skill and confidence. He’s not intimidated by high-stakes moments.”
The comeback kept alive the potential for an all-North America gold medal match, a year after Canada and the U.S. faced off in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off following their epic encounter earlier in that NHL and NHLPA-run tournament.
The U.S. still needs to fulfill its part to make that happen. The undefeated Americans faced Slovakia in the second semifinal on Friday night.
