Canada rallies previous Finland, advances to gold medal recreation at 2026 Winter Olympics: Reside updates and response – The New York Instances

Males's Olympic Ice Hockey
2026 Olympic
Hockey
LIVE
5m in the past
Commercial
dwell
Up to date 14m in the past
Canada has overwhelmed Finland 3-2 after trailing 2-0 to advance to the gold medal recreation in males’s hockey on the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning aim on an influence play with 35.2 seconds left.
Finland jumped out to a 2-0 lead because of a power-play aim from Mikko Rantanen and a short-handed aim from Erik Haula, however Canada fought again by way of objectives from Sam Reinhart and Shea Theodore.
Canada was with out captain Sidney Crosby attributable to an damage he suffered towards Czech Republic within the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Share your response with us at live@theathletic.com.
Canada awaits the winner of immediately's second semifinal between the US and Slovakia. Puck drop is developing in 20 minutes at 3:10 p.m. ET. You may comply with our dwell buildup and protection of that recreation here.
Finland head coach Antti Pennanen talking after the sport about why he challenged the third Canada aim and never the second: “I believe (the third) aim was offside from our aspect. It was a good scenario and a tricky name, however we thought it was offside.
“The (second aim) was a very good aim, a very good name.”
Drew Doughty talking about Canada desirous to win immediately's recreation for the injured Sidney Crosby: "Earlier than the sport, it’s one thing we talked about. We would like Sid to have one other alternative to play and hopefully win one other gold medal."
Canada head coach Jon Cooper talking after the win: “It was robust. We gave them a faceoff aim then we gave them a shorty. We gave them two freebies and towards Finland you’ll be able to’t give these up because it’s so exhausting to attain towards them.
“We acquired a giant first aim so we might take a breath, we had been solely down one. We solely gave up two or three photographs within the interval.
“I assumed that if we acquired the subsequent one I’d like our probabilities. Fairly thrilling recreation however they’ve given their coach coronary heart palpitations.”
On what it will imply for NHL gamers to win Olympic gold: “NHL gamers haven’t had the flexibility to play within the Olympics since 2014, that’s 12 years. A few of these youngsters had been in diapers then.
“They’ve by no means been a part of this. There’s a lot pleasure. The hockey has been so nice and so shut. That’s why the Olympics are distinctive. There’s nothing prefer it on the earth. It’s what you sit up for each 4 years.”
Connor McDavid talking about advancing to an Olympic gold medal recreation: “It’s wonderful. A loopy recreation. Two loopy video games to get thus far. I really feel extremely grateful to be within the closing.”
On immediately's comeback win: “Only a sluggish grind. Slowly however certainly we discovered a method. Going two down isn’t ideally suited, particularly towards such a workforce like Finland.
“It took all 40 minutes, 60 minutes, to get it performed.”
A number of of Finland's gamers had been requested after the sport about now taking part in for the bronze medal.
Juuse Saros: "It's nonetheless a medal. You need to carry one thing dwelling. Clearly we're going to present every little thing we've acquired."
Joel Armia: "There's one recreation left, so we're going to only overlook about this and transfer on."
Eetu Luostarinen: "Clearly it sucks, however we nonetheless have a recreation and we’ll attempt to take all the main focus and go play that one."
Erik Haula, who scored Finland's second aim short-handed, talking after the defeat: “I’m disillusioned, unhappy, upset. Lots of feelings. I really feel flat. I don't know the best way to clarify it. It's exhausting to really feel something proper now.
"We misplaced. They're going to the gold medal recreation, and we're going for bronze. I don't really feel something.”
On his aim: “It was a damaged play. I had a very good learn on it. I used to be in a position to step on all the best way and are available in full pace. I hit the blue line and was in a position to make a very good run.”
Mikael Granlund talking after the loss: “We performed towards a extremely good workforce. We acquired an ideal begin, acquired the lead. We had been defending rather well all through the sport, however clearly they acquired a few objectives on the ability play.
“I'm actually pleased with all of us, however on the similar time, we acquired an opportunity. We actually did. We performed nice hockey towards a extremely good workforce. We had been a bit brief tonight. That is hockey."
On the bronze-medal recreation: “We'll be prepared for that one.”
Mikko Rantanen, who scored Finland's first aim, talking after the sport in regards to the problem of defending towards Canada for thus lengthy: “They had been pushing exhausting, Juuse Saros was making massive saves, and we had been defending exhausting, however I believe they acquired us within the second. We needed to defend a lot we didn't have the legs to go play some offense.
"We had a few seems within the third, however they had been pushing exhausting, and clearly their energy play made a distinction as nicely.
“We tried, however whenever you defend for 25 to 30 seconds in your defensive zone, there's not one man on the earth who can go on offense after that. They had been simply coming at us. The third interval was tighter, however they had been nonetheless pushing exhausting and located a method.
“I'm pleased with each man, how we battled and defended actually exhausting. I’m simply pleased with each man, however the defeat doesn't make us completely satisfied now in any respect.”
Bo Horvat started the match on Canada’s high penalty-killing unit with Brandon Hagel. The rationale on the time was that Horvat had Canada’s greatest faceoff numbers within the NHL this season, he performed nicely on the penalty kill with the New York Islanders this season, and with Anthony Cirelli’s late damage, Canada wanted a companion for Hagel.
“He’s our greatest faceoff man on each side of the ice,” Canada assistant coach Pete DeBoer, who runs the penalty kill, stated simply earlier than the match. “He’s performed a extremely good job on the Island. I talked to Bob Boughner and he’s been superb there the primary half, so we’re going to begin with that. However Hagel and Cirelli had been two of the very best on the earth; that they had nice chemistry. So I don’t know if we are able to rebuild that, however we’re going to begin with that.”
Horvat entered this recreation with a team-best 61 p.c success fee within the faceoff circle, so in that sense, he was dwelling as much as the teaching employees’s expectations. However Nick Suzuki has primarily changed Horvat as Hagel’s main penalty killing companion and on Finland’s first energy play of the sport, Horvat didn’t contact the ice.
Sam Bennett has been identified to collide with the odd NHL goalie. Sorry, Maple Leafs followers, we needed to. However his goalie interference penalty within the opening interval was ill-advised. Self-discipline is paramount at this stage of the Olympic match. One single penalty might be the deciding consider a detailed recreation. With Bennett within the field after he collided with Saros, Rantanen ripped a one-timer high nook for a 1-0 Finland lead. So it was certainly a pricey penalty.
Josh Morrissey was dominated out once more for Staff Canada and it will possibly’t be understated what a loss that’s been for the workforce on this match. He’s their second-best defenseman after Cale Makar. His loss has hampered what was speculated to be Canada’s shutdown pair once more with Colton Parayko, because it was on the 4 Nations Face-Off final yr. Morrissey went the complete hour at observe on Tuesday on the eve of the quarterfinals and it certain appeared as if he was on the mend. However he missed that recreation, then skipped Thursday’s non-compulsory observe earlier than as soon as once more being scratched for Friday’s semifinal. Not ideally suited.
Staff Canada has rotated just a few defensemen with Parayko since his absence. It was Thomas Harley’s flip Friday, which actually makes probably the most sense as Harley and Morrissey share the same ability set. That left Travis Sanheim and Drew Doughty because the third pairing for Friday’s recreation. Sanheim pinched in a few occasions within the opening interval to create some seems for Canada.
Down 2-1 and on the lookout for offense, Staff Canada made a tangible adjustment to open the third interval. With Finland collapsing down low a lot whereas defending the online, the Canadians began utilizing their level males extra, on the lookout for level photographs to get suggestions or rebounds. It lastly led to Shea Theodore’s blast from the purpose getting by way of and beating Saros high nook to tie the sport 2-2.
The Finns paid the worth for his or her rope-a-dope method after going up 2-0 within the second interval. They sat again method an excessive amount of, attempting to guard a lead with an excessive amount of time left within the recreation. The photographs had been 14-3 Canada within the second interval alone.
A typical theme amongst our readers is that Finland performed too defensively after taking the 2-0 lead.
Marcus B.: Finland misplaced that recreation the second they scored that short-handed aim. You may’t simply play protection towards the Canadians with how wonderful they’re. Silly penalty on the finish however they shouldn’t be in that place to start with.
Michael M.: Nearly felt inevitable.
John M.: That was method too shut for my liking. The Finns are a tricky out!
Keyser S.: Finland ought to have realized the lesson from USA sitting again in taking part in protection will permit a workforce too many probabilities on offense.
Nameless: Finland went to sleep after the primary interval.
There’s positively a variety of chatter on social media in regards to the Shea Theodore aim and whether or not or not it ought to’ve been challenged. Martin Biron, a retired NHL goalie, appeared to suppose the Finns ought to’ve challenged the aim.
Right here is his rationale:
💬: “IIHF guidelines are extra strict and sure Marchand will get pushed into Saros however 63 went to the crease on his personal first. Finland’s solely approach to win this recreation was to maintain it 2-1.”
Connor McDavid stated Sidney Crosby was across the workforce within the room at intermissions, dissecting and determining options for Canada.
Nathan MacKinnon speaks about scoring the game-winning aim and taking part in within the gold medal recreation:
💬: “It felt nice. We had a variety of good alternatives, a variety of good battles to get the puck again.
💬: “It’s every little thing. It’s the gold medal at an Olympic Video games. We’re very fortunate to be right here and it’s an ideal alternative. Now we have acquired to be prepared.”
Two Canadian gamers had been on these gold medal successful groups for Canada in Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014. That might be Sidney Crosby and Drew Doughty, every chasing their third Olympic gold.
In fact, we don’t know Crosby’s standing but for the gold medal recreation.
Finland legend Teemu Selanne, a four-time Olympic medalist, thought the penalty towards Niko Mikkola for high-sticking Nathan MacKinnon that led to MacKinnon's game-winning aim was "embarrassing" for the referees.

source