Nathan MacKinnon delivered a clutch performance in Milan on Friday, scoring the decisive goal with 35.2 seconds remaining to propel Canada past defending Olympic champion Finland 3-2 in men’s hockey semifinal action.
The NHL’s top goal scorer found the back of the net at Santagiulia Arena with just one second left in a power play opportunity, completing Canada’s remarkable rally from a two-goal disadvantage in the second period.
Sam Reinhart ignited Canada’s comeback effort with a crucial goal, while defenseman Shea Theodore delivered the third-period tying score to set up MacKinnon’s heroics.
Canada now awaits the outcome of Friday’s other semifinal matchup between the United States and Slovakia to determine their opponent for Sunday’s championship game. Finland will compete for the bronze medal on Saturday.
Despite entering as heavy favorites with their star-studded NHL roster, Canada has faced significant challenges in recent contests. The team required overtime to eliminate the Czech Republic in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round.
Canada’s situation became more complicated when captain Sidney Crosby sustained an injury in that previous game and was unable to participate Friday, leaving the team without one of their key offensive weapons.
The Canadians struggled early, managing only three shots on goal in the first half of the opening period. Finland capitalized when Sam Bennett received a penalty for goaltender interference.
Mikko Rantanen struck just three seconds into the resulting power play, and Finland extended their advantage early in the second period when Erik Haula converted a short-handed opportunity with a backhand shot.
“The start of the game, everybody’s so excited to play, and so amped up, so much adrenaline, it’s just kind of natural, you get a little bit of a feel out process,” said Canada forward Brad Marchand. “Some of these teams you haven’t played before. It’s kind of chess match.”
Canada began their resurgence during their next power play opportunity, as defenseman Cale Makar fired a shot through traffic that Reinhart redirected past the Finnish goaltender to cut the deficit in half. Theodore evened the score midway through the final period with a powerful slap shot from the point.
MacKinnon’s tournament-saving goal came off an assist from Connor McDavid in the game’s final moments, allowing Canada to avoid overtime. However, tension remained high as officials reviewed a potential offside challenge from Finland’s bench, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
The victory maintains the possibility of a North American championship showdown between two hockey powerhouses, marking the first Olympics since 2014 where NHL players have been permitted to participate in the Games.
