The U.S. women's hockey team will play for gold for the third straight Olympic Games after crushing Finland 5-0 in Sunday's semifinal.
The Americans got off to a quick start when Gigi Marvin cashed in on a pass from captain Meghan Duggan 2:25 into the first period. That early goal seemed to set a tone for the rest of the game. Finland struggled to leave their defensive zone with control of the puck all night.
USA, on the other hand, never stopped pressing. The U.S. team caused havoc on the forecheck all game and found a way to create turnovers and draw penalties throughout the game. Toward the end of the first, Dani Cameranesi scored after making a great read in Finland's zone.
USA left the first period leading 2-0, but the game had a much different feel to it than that score might suggest.
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After several big stops by Raty in the first half of the second period, USA scored two power-play goals separated by just 34 seconds. Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson struck first on a 5-on-3 with a one timer. Moments later, Hilary Knight scored her first goal in Pyeongchang with a deft deflection to tip a slap shot past Raty, giving USA a commanding 4-0 lead with 6:05 left in the second period. Just 45 seconds into the third period, Cameranesi struck again, this time on the power play.
Team USA's special teams play was a huge story line tonight. Before tonight's game USA had just one power-play goal in Pyeongchang. They will enter the gold-medal game Wednesday night with a red-hot power play and full confidence in their offense's ability to deliver.
Goalie Maddie Rooney was challenged in the third period by Finland, but she preserved her shutout and remained focused after facing only two shots in the first period. The 20-year-old netminder has worked her way to the top of head coach Robb Stauber's depth chart. Will it be her between the pipes against OAR or Canada when the gold medal is on the line? Only time will tell. But for now, Team USA will watch and wait what happens with the other semifinal. They'll play the winner for gold.
Sporting News contributor Mike Murphy provided live scoring updates and highlights. See how the game unfolded below. (All times Eastern.)
Full results: USA 5, Finland 0
Third period: USA 5, Finland 0
Shots on goal: USA 38, Finland 14
1:16 a.m. ET - The final buzzer sounds. It's a shutout for Maddie Rooney and a 5-0 statement win for Team USA over Team Finland. Head coach Robb Stauber's team controlled this game from the first puck drop.
1:13 a.m. ET - Naisleijonat has looked better in the past few minutes, but it's simply too litte, too late. Finland has just 14 shots on net with two minutes left in regulation here.
Canada will (almost certainly) beat OAR, and while the CAN/USA game will be much different, this is exactly the kind of game USA needed before the GMG.
— Hannah Bevis (@Hannah_Bevis1) February 19, 2018
1:09 a.m. ET - Big sliding stop by Maddie Rooney on Finland's Venla Hovi. That may have been Finland's best scoring chance in over 20 minutes of play.
1:04 a.m. ET - Emma Nuutinen hits the post for Finland. Her line has looked solid all night, but the breaks simply aren't going Finland's way.
1:02 a.m. ET - The shots are currently USA: 34, Finland: 12. The Americans hit a crossbar just moments ago after Knight tipped a slap shot while parked in the slot. Finland needs to find a goal here, even if just to feel better about this game when they play for bronze against OAR or Canada.
12:55 a.m. ET - Defender Ronja Savolainen has returned to the game for Team Finland.
12:51 a.m. ET - Another power play goal for Team USA. It's Dani Cameranesi's second goal of the game and her third goal against Team Finland in the tournament. It's now 5-0 in favor of the Americans. That was a devastating goal for Finland to allow 45 seconds into the third period.
12:49 a.m. ET - The third period is now underway. Team USA jumps right into the action on the power play with big Hilary Knight parked in front of the net.
Team Finland has 9 SOG against Team USA and is trailing 4-0 after 2 periods.
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) February 19, 2018
They have taken 6 penalties.
Noora Räty has an .862 Sv% (this isn't on her).
USA is leading in faceoffs 27 to 13.
Finland needs to be a different team in the 3rd period. A much different team.
Second period: USA 4, Finland 0
Shots on goal: USA 29, Finland 9
12:34 a.m. ET - Monique Lamoureux nearly makes it a 5-0 game with a power move similar to the one she made against Finland in the preliminary stage, but she is hauled down and earns her team a power play. A truly dominant period from Team USA.
12:29 a.m. ET - Hilary Knight gets called for a penalty after taking the body on Jenni Hiirikoski. It's time for some open ice and 4-on-4 hockey.
12:27 a.m. ET - Yet another penalty called on the Finns, this time it's defender Isa Rahunen heading to the box.
12:23 a.m. ET - USA gets ANOTHER power play goal. This time it's superstar Hilary Knight with a picture perfect deflection in front of the net. And just like that it's 4-0 USA, Räty is clearly frustrated. She slammed her stick on the crossbar after Knight's goal.
Gorgeous deflection goal by @HilaryKnight on the power play. That is her first goal of #PyeongChang2018
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) February 19, 2018
Hockey is funny sometimes. Team USA had only one power play goal in the PyeongChang Olympics before this game against Team Finland. They just scored two power play goals in 34 seconds (Jocelyne Lamoureux, Hilary Knight). #PyeongChang2018
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) February 19, 2018
12:20 a.m. ET - Jocelyne Lamoureux hammers the puck into the net on a one-timer. What a goal to give Team USA a big 3-0 lead. Great puck movement on that extended 5-on-3 from the U.S. Team, there was nothing that the Finnish goaltender could do on that one.
12:19 a.m. ET - Rosa Lindstedt in the box for cross-checking and this will be an extended 5-on-3 power play for Team USA. This is bad news for Finland.
12:17 a.m. ET - Sara Sakkinen gets called for elbowing after hitting Kendall Coyne up high, Team USA on the power play.
12:15 a.m. ET - Great shot and chance from Michelle Karvinen there, but Rooney was equal to the task. That was Finland's first real scoring chance in ages.
12:13 a.m. ET - Hilary Knight just misses a tap-in goal that would have given Team USA a 3-0 lead, but it goes wide. It's all USA right now.
12:07 a.m. ET - Noora Räty is keeping Finland in this game. She weathers another offensive flurry from Team USA. She's already made 17 saves in this one.
12:04 a.m. ET - Savolainen has not returned from the locker room. Finland will likely be without her for the rest of the game. Significant hole on Naisleijonat's blue line.
12:01 a.m. ET - The second period is underway. The Finns will be looking for a way to get more pucks on net in addition to finding a way to get the puck out of their own zone with control. They also need to turn things around on the faceoff dot; USA leads Finland 15 to 5 in draws.
First period: USA 2, Finland 0
Shots on goal: USA 11, Finland 2
Ok, I feel MUCH better about this game after that period. USA coming out with some jump and really clicking. Finland not playing poorly but their power play needs work.
— Hannah Bevis (@Hannah_Bevis1) February 19, 2018
11:44 p.m. ET - What a goal by Dani Cameranesi. She reads Finland's zone exit and picks it off - just a moment later it's past Räty. It's now 2-0 USA.
11:38 p.m. ET - Hiirikoski draws a penalty for Team Finland, Amanda Pelkey heads to the box. Big opportunity for Finland here to get some pucks on net. Thus far the Finns have just two shots in the game.
11:31 p.m. ET - Scary play here. A knee-on-knee collision between Meghan Duggan and Ronja Savolainen has brought this game to a hault. Savolainen appears to be hurt badly. The defender is putting no weight on her right leg and her teammates are helping her get off the ice.
11:27 p.m. ET - Räty smothers another USA shot and Finland kills off the penalty. She has looked sharp after that early goal by Marvin.
In the first nine minutes of the first period Team USA captain @mduggan10 has a primary assist, an open-ice takeaway, and has drawn a penalty. Safe to say she's on her game. #TeamUSA
— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) February 19, 2018
11:24 p.m. ET - Meghan Duggan draws a penalty and gets Team USA back on the power play. Team USA's captain picked the pocket of a Finnish forward and was rubbed out along the board in front of Finland's bench.
11:19 p.m. ET - We will have 30 seconds of 4-on-4 hockey, Kendall Coyne has drawn a penalty and evened things up. Michelle Karvinen sits in the box for Finland.
11:17 p.m. ET - A power play opportunity for Finland. The Finns' attack on special teams goes through superstar defender Jenni Hiirikoski. She will be on the ice for nearly all of the advantage.
11:14 p.m. ET - Just 2:25 into the first period and Gigi Marvin scores! It's 1-0 early for Team USA. Not the start that Finland wanted.
11:12 p.m. ET - The puck has been dropped and Team Finland gets the first shot of the game on net. Here. We. Go.
Pregame
11:08 p.m. ET - No surprise here, Noora Räty is in net for Naisleijonat.
10:55 p.m. ET - Looks like USA is going with 20-year-old Maddie Rooney in net. Veteran netminder Alex Rigsby is scratched.
Lineup for #TeamUSA vs. Finland with a trip to the gold medal game on the line! #WinterOlympics
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) February 19, 2018
Puck drop coming up in 1️⃣ hour on @NBCSN . Stream >> https://t.co/vpW3WsB638 pic.twitter.com/iFUzF3CpBw
Time: 11:10 p.m. ET
Location: Gangneung Hockey Centre
TV: NBCSN
Streaming: nbcolympics.com
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