Nathan MacKinnon scores late as Canada beats Finland to reach the Olympic gold-medal game

MILAN (AP) — Falling down for a 2nd consecutive crippled astatine the Olympics, aft ne'er trailing passim radical play, Canada dug itself an adjacent deeper spread successful the semifinals against Finland.

Down 2 goals against an hostile besides afloat of NHL players, the tourney favourite did not look the slightest spot shook.

“There wasn’t truly immoderate panic," halfway Nick Suzuki said. "We were going to get our chances eventually.”

Then, the astir talented roster successful Milan buried those chances. Sam Reinhart deflected Cale Makar's changeable successful to commencement the comeback, Shea Theodore tied it connected a blast done postulation and Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead extremity with 35.2 seconds near to beforehand to the golden medal crippled with a 3-2 triumph Friday night.

“You could decidedly consciousness the consciousness of calm, having been done that before," McDavid said. “We understood we were successful a pugnacious spot, and we had to find a mode to get retired of it. And we did.”

Makar thought helium and his teammates were much comfy down 2-0 against Finland than erstwhile they fell down against Czechia doubly successful the quarterfinals, including with 7 minutes left.

It showed. After Erik Haula scored shorthanded to marque it a two-goal shortage aboriginal successful the 2nd period, Canada outshot Finland 31-8 the remainder of the way.

Juuse Saros was terrific successful nett for Finland, and Canada manager Jon Cooper was disquieted lone astir getting unopen retired by a blistery goaltender. Reinhart's extremity with 4:40 near successful the 2nd chopped immoderate of the tension, and it was wide the crippled was turning.

“We decidedly felt the momentum displacement a small bit," guardant Sam Bennett said. “We thought our unit was good. It was conscionable a relentless unit that we knew yet we’d beryllium capable to ace them.”

Cooper was besides gladsome his players didn't privation until 3 minutes near to necktie it similar successful the quarterfinals. Theodore's extremity came with 9:26 near successful regularisation aft Brad Marchand was connected apical of Saros pursuing a shove from Haula.

"Brad’s being Brad, and I similar to person Brad," Cooper said of Marchand, who got pushed but didn't bash overmuch to halt falling into the opposing goalie.

Nathan MacKinnon took implicit late, looking similar a antheral connected a ngo and drafting a 2nd high-sticking punishment connected Niko Mikkola. On the ensuing powerfulness play, McDavid sent a cleanable cross-ice saucer walk implicit punishment slayer Roope Hintz's instrumentality to MacKinnon, who sneaked the puck abbreviated broadside done a miniscule spread with Macklin Celebrini mounting a surface by jumping.

It held up connected video reappraisal aft Finland challenged that the play was offside.

“It was a five-man effort,” MacKinnon said. “Connor made an astonishing play, Cale was doing his thing, Reino aforesaid thing. Obviously blessed 1 squeaked in. Yeah, large pass.”

Canada came backmost again without injured skipper Sidney Crosby, who near the quarterfinal crippled Wednesday nighttime with an evident close genu injury. McDavid wore the “C" successful Crosby's lack and had 2 assists to interruption the grounds for the astir points by an NHL subordinate astatine a azygous Olympics with 13.

“We’re a heavy squad with leaders each up and down the lineup,” McDavid said. "It doesn’t substance who’s wearing the ‘C,’ who’s successful the lineup, who’s retired of the lineup. Everybody tin play a large relation and lead, and you saw that again.”

Cooper said there's inactive clip to determine if Crosby tin play successful the last connected Sunday.

Canada's stacked lineup, adjacent missing Crosby, yet broke done the Finnish trap that slows players down and intercepts the puck earlier an hostile tin spell heavy into the violative zone. Instead of getting frustrated, immoderate of the champion players connected the roster led the way, with Celebrini shooting conscionable astir each accidental helium had.

Celebrini, Canada's youngest subordinate astatine 19, enactment 8 pucks connected nett himself. That's astir arsenic galore shots connected extremity Finland had arsenic a squad successful the 2nd and 3rd periods combined, with nine.

“I’ve seen him play capable for a while," winger Mitch Marner said. “He’s got a batch of accomplishment and a batch of confidence. He’s not acrophobic of the large moments.”

The comeback kept live the anticipation of an all-North America gold-medal crippled a twelvemonth aft Canada and the U.S. met successful the last of the 4 Nations Face-Off pursuing their epic matchup earlier successful that NHL and NHLPA-run tournament.

The U.S. inactive has to clasp up its extremity of the bargain to marque that happen. The unbeaten Americans faced Slovakia successful the 2nd semifinal connected Friday night.

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