Adding yet another chapter to one of the fiercest rivalries in sports, Team USA and Team Canada will face off in the Olympic women’s hockey gold medal game at the Wukesong Sports Center in Beijing, China, on Wednesday night at 11 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
On the call for the gold medal game is Kenny Albert (play-by-play), A.J. Mleczko (analyst), Angela Ruggiero (studio analyst) and Leila Rahimi (reporter in Beijing).
PREGAME
The U.S. women’s hockey team looks to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals tonight as they face Canada.
Victories over Czechia and Finland helped get the U.S. to this point while Canada routed Sweden and Switzerland by a combined score of 21-3 to reach their seventh straight Olympic gold medal game.
Some pre-game reading:
• X-Factors to watch during the gold medal game
• Savannah Harmon's unexpected path to the U.S. Olympic team
• On Her Turf's live updates of U.S. vs. Canada
Here are the lines for both teams:
UNITED STATES
F
Kendall Coyne-Schofield - Hannah Brandt - Hilary Knight
Alex Carpenter - Abby Roque - Amanda Kessel
Dani Cameranesi - Kelly Pannek - Grace Zumwinkle
Hayley Scamurra- Jesse Compher- Abbey Murphy
D
Lee Stecklein - Cayla Barnes
Megan Keller - Savannah Harmon
Jincy Dunne - Megan Bozek
Caroline Harvey
G
Alex Cavallini (starter)
Maddie Rooney
View social media post: https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1494157550241075204
CANADA
F
Sarah Nurse - Marie-Philip Poulin - Brianne Jenner
Melodie Daoust - Sarah Fillier - Natalie Spooner
Emily Clark - Blayre Turnbull - Rebecca Johnston
Jill Saulnier - Emma Maltais - Laura Stacy
Jamie Lee Rattray
D
Jocelyne Larocque - Renata Fast
Claire Thompson - Erin Ambrose
Michael Zandee-Hart - Ashton Bell
Ella Shelton
G
Ann-Renée Desbiens (starter)
Emerance Maschmeyer
FIRST PERIOD
0:00 - We're underway! For the fourth straight Olympics, it's the U.S. vs. Canada in the women's hockey gold medal game.
1:15 - An early chance for the U.S. but Amanda Kessel's effort goes just wide of Desbiens' net. The U.S dominated the shot count during their preliminary round matchup, but could only muster two goals. If numerous chances come their way again, they must cash in facing a Canada offense that has outscored opponents 52-8.
4:56 - The U.S. had its best chance off the stick of Hannah Brandt, but the post got in the way of opening the scoring for the defending gold medalists.
7:15 - GOAL! CANADA 1-0. The U.S. cannot clear the puck out of its zone and pays dearly. Kendall Coyne Schofield's clearance attempt is knocked down at the point my Melodie Daoust. Her shot attempt is blocked in front and the puck bounces out to Natalie Spooner, who buries it behind Alex Cavallini.
7:15 - The U.S. is challenging the call for offside and it looks like this one will come back.
View social media post: https://twitter.com/NBCSportsHockey/status/1494165638373326852
7:15 - NO GOAL! The game remains 0-0 after the successful challenge by U.S. head coach Joel Johnson.
7:50 - GOAL! CANADA 1-0. This one will count. Canada wins an offensive zone face-off and it's Sarah Nurse, leading scorer in the Olympic tournament (5 goals, 17 points) with the re-direct to take the lead.
View social media post: https://twitter.com/OnHerTurf/status/1494166220471513091
11:36 - Wasting pucks is hurting the U.S. through the first half of the period. Turnovers are costing them possession and being careless with passes is leading to offside calls and icings -- the last of which led to the face-off that resulted in Nurse's goal.
13:06 - How good has Sarah Nurse been this tournament? Her 17 points ties Hockey Hall of Fame Hayley Wickenheiser for most in a single Olympic tournament. Wickenheiser set the record during the 2006 Torino Games when Canada topped Sweden for gold.
14:24 - Canada leads 7-4 in shots and is doing a good job limiting the U.S. chances after their 53-shot effort in the preliminary round meeting. As I mentioned, the U.S. is not helping themselves with some sloppy play trying to create.
14:33 - A 3-on-2 transition fails to test Desbiens as Abby Roque's shot from the side boards is easily stopped by the Canada net minder.
15:02 - GOAL! CANADA 2-0. Death, taxes and Marie-Philip Poulin scoring against the U.S. The Canada forward scores his sixth goal in a gold medal game to double the lead to 2-0. More sloppy play from the U.S., this time starting from behind their own net. Poulin, being the legend that she is, helped forced the turnover, then wins a short puck pursuit and her shot goes off Cavallini and into the net.
View social media post: https://twitter.com/OnHerTurf/status/1494169546453831681
15:26 - Coyne Schofield takes a delay of game minor to put Canada on the power play.
17:26 - The U.S. plays a strong penalty kill and prevents Canada from extending their lead further.
20:00 - That's it for the first 20 minutes. Canada holds a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Sarah Nurse and Marie-Philip Poulin.
SECOND PERIOD
0:00 - Second period is under way. Talking to NBC during intermission, U.S. captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said they need to get more pucks Desbiens' way and take away her eyes with screens in front. You can't save what you can't see, right? Desbiens had an easy first period and wasn't tested much. Canada has shown an ability to lockdown games when holding a lead in this tournament. There's a big mountain to climb ahead for the U.S., but they certainly know what has to happen in order to get back into this game.
4:37 - The U.S. leads 2-1 in shots to start the second and continue to not challenge Desbiens. Canada is keeping the U.S. to the perimeter with their chances, allowing only low percentage opportunities.
7:28 - A 2-on-1 chance for Canada is stopped by Alex Cavallini's pad. Canada has continued to be quick on the transitions out of their own zone, with a handful leading to odd-player rushes.
9:08 - GOAL! CANADA 3-0. Poulin gets her second as Canada extends their lead to 3-0. The U.S. again fails to generate anything in the offensive zone, so Canada counters, started by Erin Ambrose flipping the puck into the neutral zone. There it was picked up by Sarah Nurse, who drove the puck into the U.S. zone to open up space for a Brianne Jenner one-timer, which Cavallini stops. But future Hall of Famer Poulin -- as she usually is -- is in the right spot to bank the rebound off Cavallini for the third goal.
View social media post: https://twitter.com/OnHerTurf/status/1494179106409361408
10:04 - The secondary assist from Nurse makes her the record holder for most points in a single Olympic tournament with 18, breaking a tie with Hayley Wickenheiser.
13:37 - If you want to understand just how bitter the rivalry is between the U.S. and Canada women's teams, here's a taste: "Every time we go against them, we want to make a statement and show them that they don't belong on the ice with us," said Canada forward Natalie Spooner earlier in the tournament. Spooner and her teammates have to be relishing this three-goal lead as the clock ticks down in the second period.
16:39 - GOAL! USA 3-1. Hilary Knight gets on the board for the U.S. shorthanded to cut the Canada lead to two. Hannah Brandt forced a turnover in the U.S. zone, which led to a 2-on-1 rush with Knight, whose first attempt was stopped by Desbiens but not her rebound. The goal is Knight's sixth of the tournament.
View social media post: https://twitter.com/OnHerTurf/status/1494182718858481665
17:55 - That's a huge goal for the U.S. to go into the intermission. The three-goal mountain they were facing is now down to two. That's much easier to process and prepare for mentally heading into the third and potentially final period of this tournament.
20:00- Two periods down, one to go, and a two-goal deficit for the U.S. to overcome. Canada is now 20 minutes away from its fifth women's Olympic hockey gold medal and first since the Sochi Games in 2014 following an epic come-from-behind win over the U.S.
THIRD PERIOD
0:00 - The third period begins with Canada holding a 3-1 lead. Marie-Philip Poulin's two goals give her 17 in her Olympic career, including 7 of the last 10 for Canada in gold medal games.
0:10 - Here's Jesse Compher's brother, J.T., as he arrived at T-Mobile Arena for Wednesday's Avalanche game against the Golden Knights:
View social media post: https://twitter.com/Avalanche/status/1494107275333554180
1:06 - The Hilary Knight family watch party picked up a bit after that late second period goal:
View social media post: https://twitter.com/BauerHockey/status/1494182971372302337
3:24 - The U.S. has come out in the third period pressing Canada well and forcing turnovers. The issue then, as has been for most of this game, is the lack of high-danger scoring chances. Ann-Renée Desbiens continues to have a mostly easy night.
4:21 - Alex Carpenter hits the post after the U.S. works the puck down low. Still over 15 minutes to play and promising signs from them down 3-1.
5:02 - Carpenter gets another chances moments later as the U.S. catches Canada a bit lost defensively, but her backhand attempt is stopped by Desbiens.
View social media post: https://twitter.com/OnHerTurf/status/1494189061321502722
6:09 - Some good passing between Knight and Coyne Schofield leads to another good chance for the U.S. Canada is trying to clamp down defensively and work the clock, but the U.S. are pressuring hard, trying to erase the deficit.
8:34 - Backs against the wall, desperation is bringing the best out of the U.S. They are playing this third period with plenty of pace and have been determined to create scoring opportunities on every shift. Getting consistent quality chances is what they'll need to turn this game around.
10:39 - Big chance here for the U.S. as Jocelyn Larocque takes a hooking penalty. The U.S. has scored on the power play in each game of this tournament.
12:39 - The U.S. power play fails to capitalize and is now 6-for-28 (21%) on the power play in these Olympics. Canada holds a 3-1 lead and is getting closer and closer to reclaiming gold.
16:30 - The third-period U.S. push looks like it's going to come up empty. Canada had locked down in the defensive zone and made Desbiens not have to work a lot for saves. The U.S. knew their game plan included getting plenty of shots on net, like they did in the preliminary round, but doing so from the perimeter, having shots blocked, and not even challenging the Canada net is going to be what does them in tonight.
16:52 - Down 3-1, U.S. head coach Joel Johnson has called goaltender Alex Cavallini to the bench to get the extra attacker and 6-on-4 advantage for the rest of the game.
18:35 - The U.S. will get a late power play as Poulin takes heads to the box. Timeout U.S.
19:48 - GOAL! USA 3-2. Amanda Kessel puts home a rebound in front after lots of action in front of the Canada net.
