Canada rallied past Finland for a 3-2 win in the semifinal at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Now they are heading into the gold medal game of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the first for Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, and many others.
Finland struck first on a Mikko Rantanen power-play goal at 16:55 of the opening period. Erik Haula then scored short-handed at 3:26 of the second to give Finland a 2-0 lead.
Canada answered on the power play when Sam Reinhart tipped in a shot from Cale Makar at 14:20 of the second. The goal cut the deficit to 2-1 and shifted momentum. In the third, Shea Theodore tied the game at 10:34 with a point shot through traffic. Canada kept pushing and outshot Finland in every period.
With 36 seconds left, Nathan MacKinnon blasted home a power-play goal at 19:24. McDavid picked up his second assist of the night on the play.
Canada finished 2-for-4 on the power play, while Finland went 1-for-2.
Canada dominated the shot count 39-17, including 17-3 in the third period. The team also had fewer penalty minutes, taking four compared to Finland’s eight. Finland blocked lanes early, but Canada’s speed wore them down. The win sends Canada to the gold medal game with strong special teams and clear control of play.
Also read: Canada Announces Sidney Crosby Injury Update and Connor McDavid Move
Reactions to Canada’s Win in Semifinals
The Winnipeg Jets reacted, writing, “IT FEELS STRANGE TO SAY THIS BUT THANK YOU NATHAN MACKINNON 🍁”
The Colorado Avalanche reacted with, “The Dogg is the difference 🇨🇦”.
The Edmonton Oilers wrote, “CANADA CLUTCH‼️🇨🇦😤”
NHL reacted with, “CANADA IS HEADING TO THE GOLD MEDAL GAME 🇨🇦”.
So, the excitement was quite high after the comeback win.