MEN MAKE IT TO SEMIFINALS
Four teams in hunt for Olympic gold
That it took place in a half-empty building in a hockey-indifferent country halfway around the world couldn’t dull the significance of Canada’s latest big win. That Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos and the other greats were preparing for various NHL assignments didn’t matter, either.
Not on a night when a hard-working group of their lesser-known compatriots did it the hard-nosed, Canadian way and earned a spot in the Olympic semifinals with a grinding 1-0 win over Finland.
Yes, after the quarter-final victory, prospects of an Olympic three-peat for a proud hockey nation are still alive and building in momentum.
For many of those wearing the classic Canadian red uniform with black trim for the high-stakes clash at the Gangneung Hockey Centre, it was the biggest game of their careers. And what a thrill it must have been for players that never dreamt of being in the Olympics until the NHL backed out.
“It’s a great moment. I didn’t even hear the buzzer,” said forward Chris Lee of MacTier, Ont. — 37 and with no NHL experience.
“We were still battling in front of the net and slashing guys and trying to do whatever it takes to get the puck out.”
Weariness and relief gave way to bedlam as the clock hit triple zeros and Canadians spilled onto the ice celebrating its biggest win yet.
After gradually seizing control following a frustrating first period in which they managed only four shots on goal, the Canadians got on the board just 55 seconds into the third when a bullet Maxim Noreau slapshot found the top left corner before Finnish goalie Mikko Koskinen could even move.
And shortly after the contest ended, the road to gold got even smoother as Germany upset Sweden in another quarter-final match. That means Canada will face the Germans in one semifinal Friday, with the Olympic Athletes from Russia taking on the Czech Republic in the other.
It was that kind of night for Canada, who in the words of captain Chris Kelly “played to its identity.”
The first period was a frustrating struggle as the Finnish trap confounded the Canadians, but they opened up the ice in the second, firing 18 shots and rerouting the momentum. A slick faceoff win by Eric O’Dell keyed the Moreau opportunity, and his laser shot was all Canada would need.
“It’s not going to be high-scoring games moving forward,” Kelly said. “For us to have success, we have to play good defensive hockey and we know that. We embrace that. That’s something we enjoy playing in those tight games. The miles on the faces after a hard-fought 1-0 win was … you could tell how good we felt.”
Though the Germans will provide a physical test, Canadian players were quietly pleased at avoiding the Swedes and facing a team that played overtime games in back-to-back nights.
As predicted, the tournament was wide open at the start and, with four teams remaining, Canada is resolutely in the hunt.
“We’ve played hard,” coach Willie Desjardins said.
“I think that’s the way we expected to play. We know that’s the only way we can be successful. We know we’ve got no easy opponents.”
There was grit all over the ice for the Canadians, starting in net where Kevin Poulin came on in relief of injured starter Ben Scrivens 4:17 into the second.
Poulin was sharp, making 15 saves, including a handful in desperation time late in the game.
And in the final minutes, with the Finnish net empty, there were flying bodies and blocked shots all over the Canadian defensive zone.
“It was one of those games where we had to just keep grinding,” said Derek Roy of Rockland, Ont.
“We had guys literally jumping in front of shots with their face. Just to be able to go and pay for a medal is a great feeling.”