Jake Mozarsky
Team Canada has punched its ticket to the Olympic gold medal game following a gritty, come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Finland in Milan.
Erasing a two-goal deficit, the Canadians relied on a relentless third-period surge to dismantle the defending champions’ defensive structure. After Erik Haula’s shorthanded breakaway goal midway through the second period appeared to put the game out of reach, Canada responded with three unanswered goals, capped by Nathan MacKinnon’s one-timer with just 35.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
This victory was secured under the shadow of a significant absence: captain Sidney Crosby. The Olympic icon was forced to watch from the sidelines after sustaining a lower-body injury in the quarterfinal against Czechia. In his stead, Connor McDavid assumed the captaincy, leading a reshuffled lineup and setting a new Olympic record for points by an NHL player in a single tournament (13) with two crucial assists. While Crosby’s status for the final remains day-to-day, coach Jon Cooper expressed optimism, noting that Crosby has not yet been ruled out for Sunday’s quest for gold.
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Across the red line stood a Finnish team that was no stranger to the big stage. The defending champions had punched their ticket to this heavyweight clash following a stunning rally against Switzerland, and they brought that same disciplined, cold-blooded efficiency to the ice in Milan. For forty minutes, it was a pure collision of styles: Canada’s high-octane offensive desperation meeting a Finnish program that simply refused to break under the brightest lights.
Yet, as the final buzzer sounded, it was the Canadians celebrating a 3-2 victory. By the third period, the relentless pressure finally caused the Finnish structure to crack. Shea Theodore found the equalizer midway through the frame, and with only 35.2 seconds remaining, Nathan MacKinnon fired home the winner to complete the comeback and punch Canada’s ticket to the gold-medal game.
Here is the final box score from the game as Canada punched its ticket to the gold medal game.
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Jake Mozarsky joined The Sporting News as an Editorial Intern in August 2025 after earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University. He has previously written for Marquee Sports Network, Chicago This Week, Inside NU and The Daily Northwestern.
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