Olympic Ice Hockey

It may require another miracle to stop Russian athletes from claiming gold in men's ice hockey.

Running roughshod over a field devoid of NHL players, the 2018 Winter Olympics favorite has outscored its opposition by 17 goals over five games. Following a dominant 3-0 semifinal victory over the Czech Republic, the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) look poised to claim their first gold medal since winning as the Unified Team in 1992.

Germany will earn its highest finish in Olympic hockey history regardless of the gold-medal game's outcome. The surging underdog, which did not qualify for the 2014 Sochi Games, has never notched higher than bronze.

After stunning Canada in the semifinals, Germany has the opportunity to cement another major upset. 

                

Men's Hockey Gold-Medal Game: Germany vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia

When: Saturday, Feb. 24 at 11:10 p.m. ET (Sunday at 1:10 p.m. in Pyeongchang, South Korea)

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBC Olympics

          

Preview

A final match can't get much more lopsided than this.

Germany has mounted off an highly improbable run despite scoring as many goals as it allowed (14). Before winning three consecutive games by one goal apiece, it escaped group play with two losses and one overtime win over Norway, one of two nations (the other being host nation South Korea) eliminated without a triumph.

Having scored 335 points for six teams over his 12-year NHL career, Christian Ehrhoff leads the way for the Germans in terms of experience. The 35-year-old defenseman has deposited one goal and one assist during the Winter Olympics.

Following the semifinal upset over Canada, the veteran reflected on the team's monumental accomplishment, per Rob Arthur of the Toronto Star: "Everybody still talks about 1976 and [West Germany] winning the bronze medal, and now for the next 50 years they're going to talk about us. It's the greatest day in German hockey."

While shunning the NHL closed the gap, other teams still sent more high-class talent to Pyeongchang. Per NBCOlympics.com's Nathan Clark, forward Marcel Goc is the only other member of Germany's roster who has played in more three NHL games.

The Russians, meanwhile, wield NHL icons Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, who have respectively recorded five goals and five assists at the Games. Both veterans could wind up in the Hall of Fame, but the 25-year-old Nikita Gusev has posted a team-high eight points.

Along with possessing significantly superior offensive firepower, the Russians also brandish a goalie edge. KHL star Vasily Koshechkin has aptly shielded the net, recording two shutouts—both in the last three games—and a .951 save percentage. 

Per the KHL's official Twitter page, the OAR's Mikhail Grigorenko praised his teammate's consistently stellar performance:

#OAR Mikhail Grogorenko on the play of goalie Vasily Koshechkin (31 saves, 2nd shutout):

"He has been our best player this tournament. He has played every game and he is making a lot of saves and he made key saves tonight."#PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/Y62EckrCGw

— KHL (@khl_eng) February 23, 2018

Perhaps Germany does not need a miracle, but it will at least require some luck. The Russians are faster, stronger and far more skilled skaters than their unlikely gold-medal adversary. Germany will need to steal another one-score victory without controlling puck possession.

Don't count on power plays opening a window. While Germany has received an tournament-high 26 power-play chances, the Russians have successfully thwarted 19 of their 20 short-handed situations.

Germany has already defied the odds, but its Cinderella story will probably end with a silver medal. That still marks a major triumph for a nation not expected to visit the podium.

Canada ice hockey star Jocelyne Larocque has issued an apology after she removed her silver medal following her team's loss to the United States in the Winter Olympics final.

The Canadians were left heartbroken after the defeat to their bitter rivals, as they lost in a shootout with the teams tied 2-2 after overtime. 

Following the game, Larocque was seen taking off her silver medal and has received some criticism for the action.

As shared by Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star, she has since explained her decision to do so:

From hockey’s Jocelyne Larocque, who removed her silver medal. pic.twitter.com/6AjR3FyCZb

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) February 23, 2018

Here's the moment in question, per the NBC Olympics Twitter account:

Canada's Jocelyne Larocque took off her silver medal immediately after receiving it. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/wS6s9ulmoA pic.twitter.com/CcjiKOd58W

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2018

Per Martin Belam of the Guardian, some Twitter users said Larocque "embarrassed" herself by removing the medal after the presentation, although some leapt to her defence following the loss. Journalist Marc Dumont backed her following the criticism:

re: Jocelyne Larocque, yes, she took off a medal. Not ideal. But she also dedicated a huge chunk of her life representing her country. It involved hard work and sacrifice. One emotional moment shouldn't outweigh years of dedication. Calling her an embarassment to Canada is low.

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 23, 2018

The general manager of Canada's national programs, Melody Davidson, said she understands why the hockey star did what she did.

"Emotions run high at the Olympic Games and never more so than in a gold-medal game, but at all times we expect our team to act professionally and demonstrate sound sportsmanship," she said.

The incident triggered some memories of what happened after the recent final of the World Junior Championships in January, when another beaten hockey star wasn't content with silver.

In that match, Sweden's beaten captain Lias Andersson immediately took off his silver medal and tossed it into the crowd, as we can see here courtesy of HockeyWebCast's Robert Soderlind:

Team Sweden Captain Lias Andersson wasn't happy with the Silver as he threw it to the stands, the guy who caught the silver medal was wearing THREEE jerseys.  pic.twitter.com/iyPUT6C5Lc

— Robert Söderlind (@HockeyWebCast) January 6, 2018

In other sports and competitions, the culture surrounding runners-up prizes is different, too. 

Indeed, in the 2017 soccer Under-21 UEFA European Championships, Spain player Hector Bellerin was mocked on social medai for keeping his silver medal on after their loss to Germany while other members of his team removed them immediately, per Glen Williams of the MailOnline.

The loss was a galling one for Canada, as they had won the last four Olympic golds prior to the 2018 Games. 

The United States earned their first gold in the event since 1998 after the thrilling win. Goalkeeper Maddie Rooney was the hero, as her save from Meghan Agosta clinched the title for Team USA.

Germany and the Olympic Athletes from Russia form the unexpected pairing for the 2018 Winter Olympics men's ice hockey gold-medal game in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The Russians were expected to be in Saturday's championship contest given their incredible roster, but no one predicted the Germans would advance past the quarterfinals, let alone entertain any thought of a surprise run to the final.

On their road to the gold-medal game, the Germans earned their first Olympic hockey victories over Sweden and Canada in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

While Germany has been busy knocking off the titans of the sport, the Russians cruised to a pair of knockout-phase wins.

The Olympic Athletes from Russia are the favorites to win gold, but Germany has given us reason to believe one more upset is in the cards.

                    

Date: Saturday, February 24 (Event takes place on Sunday, February 25 in Pyeongchang)

Time: 11:10 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

                

Russians Enter with a Ton of Confidence

Since losing 3-2 to Slovakia at the start of pool play, the Russians haven't been stopped. 

An 8-2 victory over Slovenia got the ball rolling for the star-studded squad, and the momentum continued in the 4-0 triumph over the United States.

The Olympic Athletes from Russia have been as perfect as they could be in the knockout phase, with a 6-1 win over Norway and a 3-0 victory against the Czech Republic under their belts.

A lot of attention has been paid to the Russian attack because of Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk's presence, but the defense deserves credit as well.

In their past 180 minutes of hockey, the Russians have conceded one goal. They flexed their defensive muscle in the semifinals, as they withstood 31 shots from the Czechs to earn a shutout.

Goalie Vasili Koshechkin isn't getting the attention he deserves because of the stars on the Russian roster, but his teammates are more than aware of how well he's playing, as center Mikhail Grigorenko demonstrated, per Dan Evans and Mark Trevelyan of Reuters.

"He's been our best player this tournament," Grigorenko said. "He's just been making a lot of saves. He made some huge saves tonight, and he was good."

The formula for victory Saturday is to put pressure on the opposing net and for Koshechkin to shut down any attack in front of the Russian net.

It sounds simple, but that's the framework for success the Russians have used since losing their opener.

                       

Germany Looking to Complete Cinderella Story

The most unexpected success story at the Olympics continued Friday, as Germany survived a late rush from Canada to earn a 4-3 win and a spot in the gold-medal game.

Germany goes into the final with nothing to lose, as it will be a massive underdog against the roster with the most talent at the Olympics.

The Germans displayed resiliency in each of their knockout-phase games, as they beat Switzerland, Sweden and Canada by a goal each.

Friday's semifinal victory over Canada may have been the most stunning triumph of the tournament, as Germany rattled off three second-period goals in a nine-minute span and then moved into a defensive shell.

Germany's semifinal success is even more shocking when you realize it had one shot in the third period, during which Canada battered the net with scoring opportunities.

Though not wearing the "C," Christian Ehrhoff, 35, is the leader of the squad, as he boasts a decade of NHL experience with six different teams.

Entering the gold-medal game, the Russians will receive most of the attention, but Germany shouldn't be counted out given its terrific team play, which has been the catalyst for the team's three upset victories in the knockout phase.

                          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Germany shocked Canada in the 2018 Olympic hockey tournament semi-finals on Friday, running out to a three-goal lead and staving off a furious comeback in a 4-3 win.

The Germans proved efficient in front of goal, converting a good percentage of their shots, while the Canadian power play struggled tremendously throughout the match. Penalties didn't help, and the scorer of Cananda's first goal, Gilbert Brule, was given a game misconduct.

The Olympic Athletes from Russia had already qualified for Sunday's final with a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic.

            

Recap

Derek Roy fired the first chance of the match on goal just a few minutes into the contest following a poor giveaway, but veteran goalkeeper Danny aus den Birken made a fine save with his glove.

The 33-year-old stopper was kept busy early, with Wojtek Wolski also launching a prodding shot.

Canada's power-play unit struggled in the first period, with several poor spells, and after Rene Bourque took a faceoff violation in a four-on-four situation, it set up a five-on-three spell for the Germans. They promptly took full advantage, as Brooks Macek―from Winnipeg, Manitoba―deposited the puck into the net for the opener.

Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star couldn't believe it:

Germany leads Canada in the Olympic semi-final, 1-0. Well, I've never written those words together before

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) February 23, 2018

Roy had a golden opportunity to tie things up before the end of the first period, but he failed to hit the target on the breakaway.

Goaltender Kevin Poulin was put to work early in the second period, and he had no chance against Matthias Plachta, who took a great pass from Patrick Hager at the circle and fired home to double the lead.

Per Josh Clipperton of the Canadian Press, the favourites were in serious trouble:

Matthias Plachta roofs a shot over Poulin. 2-0 Germany. Canada in crisis. #Pyeongchang2018

— Joshua Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) February 23, 2018

Losing to a powerhouse Russian team in the final would be one thing, falling to Germany in the semis would be something entirely different for Canada. #Pyeongchang

— Joshua Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) February 23, 2018

Things got even worse for the Canadians in the second period. Frank Mauer had all kinds of space in the slot, going face-to-face with Poulin after some good passing and putting the puck away to give the Germans a 3-0 lead.

The Canadians soon pulled one back through Brule on the power play after Yannic Seidenberg gave away a silly penalty. His one-time finish was exactly what Canada needed, even if they still had a mountain to climb.

But disaster struck again thereafter, with Patrick Hager tipping in Germany's fourth goal.

Brule didn't help matters by checking David Wolf to the head, getting a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

CBC's Devin Heroux's reaction to Brule's ejection summarised the uphill struggle Canada would have to reach the gold-medal game:

It’s a five minute major assessed to Canada’s Gilbert Brule.

And it’s 4-1 Germany.

Oh boy.

— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) February 23, 2018

Arthur took a good look at the replay of Brule's hit and agreed with the decision to toss him:

Gilbert Brule thrown out for a check to the head. That is a disgraceful play. What a debacle.

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) February 23, 2018

Canada were able to kill the five-minute major, but with a three-goal deficit, they seemed a lost cause entering the third period.

They scored early in the third, as Mat Robinson crashed the net to put a second goal away for his team.

There was hope:

It’s 4-2 now and the comeback has started.

— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) February 23, 2018

Almost immediately after the puck dropped, the Germans earned a penalty shot, but Dominik Kahun couldn't work the puck past Poulin.

Canada went in a desperate search of more goals, pushing forward and earning a power play halfway through the period. Roy's hopeful effort was deflected into the net, bringing his team within a single goal of tying things up.

Another power play followed with nine minutes left, and offsetting penalties even led to four-on-four hockey. But Germany's penalty-kill unit was on point. Canada coach Willie Desjardins made the decision to pull the goalie with just over two minutes left.

It was all for naught, however, as the Germans held on for the win.

Germany will face the Olympic Athletes from Russia in the final on Sunday. Canada, meanwhile, will face the Czech Republic in the bronze-medal game on Saturday.

The Olympics Athletes from Russia advanced to the final of the men's ice hockey final at the 2018 Winter Olympics after they defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 on Friday at Gangneung Hockey Centre. 

Nikita Gusev and Vladislav Gavrikov netted goals in quick succession in the second period to steer the Russians into a deserved lead, while Ilya Kovalchuk slotted into an empty net late on in the clash.

Canada will face Germany in the other men's hockey semi-final later on Friday to determine who will go up against the Russian athletes for the gold medal in this year's event.

The Olympic Athletes from Russia held their own early on in the first period and outlasted their opponents after conceding the first power play of the match, with Mikhail Grigorenko penalised after they had too many men on the ice.

Petr Koukal returned the favour when he incurred a penalty for high sticking, but the Russians too failed to make their man advantage count after striking the post just prior.

A tense tug-of-war endured for the remainder of the opening period, although the Russians led the shot count nine to six at the time of the first interval.

Despite having fewer chances on goal, one could argue it was the Czechs who had the superior opportunities, although sports writer Liam Morgan hailed a strong contingent of Russian fans as a factor:

At semi-final of men’s ice hockey between #OAR and Czech Republic at #Pyeongchang2018. By no means full but plenty of Russians in the house https://t.co/EfD5FWTrex pic.twitter.com/1RcK965mRD

— Liam Morgan (@LMorgan21) February 23, 2018

The match was reduced to a four-on-four when Czech player Roman Cervenka and Russian Kirill Kaprizov got into a scramble early in the second period, penalised for interference and a high stick, respectively.

The Russian athletes finally drew first blood when Pavel Datsyuk showed good nous to switch play from the right, leaving Gusev to fire in high from a tight angle on the other flank, per hockey writer Stephen Whyno:

SCORING. Nikita Gusev scores to give #OAR a 1-0 lead on #CZE. Just a laser from one of KHL's top scorers at 7:47 of second.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 23, 2018

The Czech Republic unsuccessfully challenged that breakthrough after feeling their goalkeeper was impeded, but things went from bad to worse when, after the restart, the Russians doubled the lead through Gavrikov.

A quick counter created an overlap for the Russians, who again swept from right to left through Grigorenko and Ivan Telegin, with Gavrikov finishing smartly.

As if conceding a second didn't anger the Czech athletes, their bench was left incensed when Kovalchuk incurred only a two-minute penalty for a knee on Jan Kolar, forcing the latter off the ice and out of the match:

#CZE forward Jan Kovar was down and in some serious pain and being attended to on bench. #OAR Ilya Kovalchuk to the penalty box for kneeing. Czech players are ticked off to say the least.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 23, 2018

No sooner had Kovalchuk returned to play than he was penalised again, this time for slashing, but the Czech Republic failed to make the power play count for a third time in the match and ended the second period under pressure from their opponents.

Vasili Koshechkin made a couple of superb saves for the Olympic Athletes from Russia, and the Czechs failed to do enough with the puck in possession to make an impact on the scoreboard.

The trailing side made a desperate lunge to score in the final minute but were punished for their decision as Kovalchuk converted into an open net with seconds remaining.

The Russian athletes were deserved victors and will compete for a gold medal for the first time in 20 years against either Canada or Germany.

The United States ended Canada's stranglehold on the women's ice hockey at the Winter Olympics on Thursday, as they secured a dramatic shootout win over their archrivals in the final.

After a 2-2 draw at the end of overtime, Team USA goalkeeper Maddie Rooney emerged as the hero for her side, saving Meghan Agosta's effort and sparking wild celebrations.

It meant Canada were forced to take silver for the first time in this event in five Games; they'd beaten the USA in three of those. Earlier in the day, Finland topped the Olympic Athletes from Russia 3-2 to win the bronze medal.

Here's a recap of the results from Pyeongchang, as the United States secured a memorable victory at the expense of their fiercest rivals.

       

Ice Hockey Results

Gold medal match — United States 2-2 Canada (USA win shootout)

Bronze medal match — Finland 3-2 OAR

   

For the competition results in full visit the Pyeongchang 2018 website.

      

Glory At Last for Team USA

Whenever the United States and Canada come face-to-face in any sporting event, there's an edge. Mix that with the quality both of these sides possess, and the final was always going to be a thriller.

As noted by BBC Sport commentator Seth Bennett, what followed on Thursday at the Gangneung Hockey Centre was one of the most dramatic Olympic finals of all time:

I 've been very privileged to commentate on a lot of very exciting sporting occasions over the last 20 years, but that women's final may have been the best. Congrats #USA on gold, commiserations #Can That was world class sport. #bbcolympics @KennethJKenneth was just brilliant too

— Seth Bennett (@Sethb45) February 22, 2018

Hilary Knight put the United States ahead in the first period before Haley Irwin and Marie Philip-Poulin turned the match around for Canada after the interval. Then, in the third frame, Monique Lamoureux-Morando levelled for the States.

Following a tense and scoreless overtime period, the winners of gold were to be determined by a shootout. 

In it, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson gave the United States the advantage, before Rooney made the decisive save from Agosta.

Here's the winning moment, per NBC Olympics:

Good as #Gold pic.twitter.com/rC9IHVT0bn

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2018

Meanwhile, ESPN's Chris Peters paid tribute to the goaltender, who had already made 29 saves in the match before the shootout started:

The Maddie Rooney statue is being constructed in my backyard right now. It is made of sticks and bald eagle feathers (they were gifts from a bald eagle) and a little bit of scotch tape, but it's going to be great.

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) February 22, 2018

"I just took each player one at a time," said the 20-year-old stopper after her heroics, per Greg Wyshynski of ESPN. "When it came down to one shooter to win it, I just said, 'It's one more save, and then it's a gold medal.'"

Indeed, the celebrations were understandable from the United States, as they haven't won gold in this event since 1998. And having lost two finals to Canada in overtime in recent Games, they would've been fearing the worst late on.

While it was delight for USA, it was heartbreak for Canada, as they had come so close to yet another Olympic title.

As noted by SB Nation, while they picked up silver medals, the Canadian players weren't quite savouring the moment:

Canada’s Jocelyne Larocque was not happy when she received her silver medal.

She took it off as soon as she got it.#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/AFml05ymuT

— SB Nation (@SBNation) February 22, 2018

Indeed, having been so dominant in the event for so long, the dejection of many of the team's players was understandable. To lose to the United States would've made this one even more difficult to swallow.

Per Rodger Sherman, it was a tough day for Canada at the expense of their major rivals in two of the country's most popular sports:

Canada in women's hockey: gold 2002, gold 2006, gold 2010, gold 2014, lost to USA 2018

Canada in men's curling: gold 2006, gold 2010, gold 2014, lost to USA 2018

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) February 22, 2018

On Wednesday, Finland capped off an excellent tournament with victory in their bronze-medal match with OAR, staving off a third-period fightback from the Russian players.

Petra Nieminen, Susanna Tapani and Linda Valimaki were on the scoresheet for the Finns, as they pushed into a 3-1 lead. Lyudmila Belyakova made things nervous for Finland late on, although they were eventually able to see this one through.

It's a result that matches Finland's best performance in women's ice hockey at the Olympics, as they've won bronze twice before.

It was the biggest day yet for the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, as its skiers, snowboarders and hockey players helped their country win five medals on Thursday.

Team USA took home two golds and three silvers, including the gold medal in women's hockey for the first time in 20 years thanks to an epic shootout victory over four-time defending Olympic champion Canada. After collecting only 12 during the first 10 days of competition, the United States has added nine medals in the past two days to jump up to fourth place on the medal table.

Norway remains on top, both in terms of gold medals and overall hardware, but there's a major battle for second brewing between the Germany, Canada and the Americans.

Medals were handed out in 10 different events, with 15 different countries earning at least one medal on Thursday.

Here's an updated look at the 2018 Winter Olympics medal table following Thursday morning's results:

Recap

A day after the men's hockey team lost to the Czech Republic in a shootout, eliminating it from medal contention, Team USA's women found themselves in a similar situation. Except this time the Americans came out on top, beating Canada 3-2 to win its first gold medal in the sport since 1998 in Nagano, Japan.

That 🥇 medal feeling.

Congratulations, @usahockey!! 📸: @GettySport pic.twitter.com/DXmGJdmHNK

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 22, 2018

Forward Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson's deciding goal in the sixth round of the shootout, followed by goaltender Maggie Rooney's stop off a shot by Meghan Agosta, ended Canada's long reign in the sport. The Canadians had won the last four Olympic golds, with three of those coming against the Team USA.

1998: 🇺🇸
2002: 🇨🇦 
2006: 🇨🇦  
2010: 🇨🇦 
2014: 🇨🇦 
2018: 🇺🇸

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2018

The threat of high winds on Friday led officials to move up the women's combined event a day, doubling up the medals being handed out in alpine skiing along with the men's slalom. In both cases, notable competitors failed to finish the competition after missing gates in slalom events.

In the women's combined, that was American Lindsey Vonn, who led the field after the downhill portion but then did not finish the slalom in what was likely her final Olympic event. Teammate Mikaela Shiffrin earned the silver, bracketed by Switzerland's Michelle Gisin (gold) and Wendy Holdener (bronze).

The alpine combined podium!Congrats, ladies! 🌟

🥇 @michellegisin 🇨🇭
🥈 @MikaelaShiffrin 🇺🇸
🥉 @WendyHoldener 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/pROJ7HNDxS

— U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) February 22, 2018

The men's slalom was won by Sweden's Andre Myhrer, giving his country a sweep of the slalom golds after Frida Hansdotter won the women's event last week. Myhrer's victory came after Austria's Marcel Hirscher—who had already won gold in Pyeongchang in the giant slalom and combined—missed a gate in the first run, and giant slalom silver medalist Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway did the same in the second run.

Fourth #Olympics is the charm!

Andre Myhrer wins his first #gold in #PyeongChang2018... at 35 years old! pic.twitter.com/ZEKFG9KGFU

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) February 22, 2018

Switzerland's Ramon Zenhaeusern got the silver and Austria's Michael Matt won bronze.

Elsewhere in the snow, American David Wise shook off crashes on his first two runs to win his second straight gold in the men's freestyle skiing halfpipe. His score of 97.2 edged out teammate Alex Ferreira, who got the silver, while New Zealand's Nico Porteous grabbed the bronze.

Looks like the Wise family already has this year's holiday card picked out! pic.twitter.com/EHMuYlgGDH

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 22, 2018

Team USA won another snowboarding medal, its sixth of these Games, when Jamie Anderson followed up her gold in the women's slopestyle with a silver in big air. She finished second to Austria's Anna Gasser while New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott claimed bronze.

The final competition of Nordic combined, which mixes ski jumping and cross-country skiing, went the way the other events did: with Germany dominating.

The German team of Eric Frenzel, Vinzenz Geiger, Fabian Riessle and Johannes Rydzek beat Norway by nearly a minute in the 4x5-kilometer cross-country portion after starting six seconds behind bronze medalist Austria following the team large hill jumping was complete.

It was the third medal of 2018 for Frenzel, who won gold in the individual normal hill/10-kilometer and bronze in the individual large hill/10-kilometer that saw Ryzdek claim gold and Riessle silver.

Short-track speedskating also came to a close in Pyeongchang with three events, two of which featured record-setting times by the gold medalists. China's Wu Dajing set a world record in the men's 500-meter race, beating his own mark set earlier in a quarterfinal heat.

China finally wins its first gold medal @pyeongchang2018, as Wu Dajing's world record takes the men's 500m short track title. pic.twitter.com/RJdAMmZ0ea

— Mark Dreyer (@DreyerChina) February 22, 2018

South Korea's Hwang Dae-heon and Lim Hyo-jun took the silver and bronze, respectively, giving the host country six short-track medals.

Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands won the women's 1,000-meter race for her country's first-ever gold in that sport. The Dutch dominate traditional speedskating, with 41 gold medals, including six already in Pyeongchang.

Naast goud op de 1000 meter is Suzanne Schulting met haar collega's ook de juichkoningin van deze spelen #Olympics #shorttrack pic.twitter.com/t0zaqb2IWh

— Marcus den Blanken (@markdbl) February 22, 2018

Canadian Kim Boutin got the silver, her third medal of these Games to go with bronzes in the 500-meter and 1,500-meter races. And in the men's 5,000-meter relay, Hungary set an Olympic record for its first Winter Olympic medal since 1980 by edging out China and Canada.

And in biathlon, Belarus won the women's 4x6-kilometer relay by more than 10 seconds over Sweden, with France taking the bronze. Both of Belarus' gold medals in Pyeongchang have come in biathlon.

Also on Thursday were the semifinals in men's curling, with the United States pulling its second upset of a Canadian team in the same day. Team USA beat the three-time defending Olympic gold medalists 5-3, advancing to its first-ever gold medal match on Saturday against Sweden.

Gold! We are playing for GOLD!!!!!!!!! #curling

— USA Curling (@usacurl) February 22, 2018

    

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

When the men's hockey tournament started at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, no one would have been able to correctly predict the semifinalists.

Canada and the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) seemed like locks to qualify for the medal round, the Czech Republic was seen as a bit of an outsider and Germany appeared to have zero chance of making it to the quarterfinals.

With Sweden and Finland out of the running for gold, the Canadians and Russians are on a collision course for a star-studded final if they knock off the Germans and Czechs, respectively.

Canada is the two-time defending Olympic champion, while the OAR have arguably the most talented roster in the competition.

Although a final between the Canadians and the Russians is expected, don't be surprised if we are delivered another unlikely twist during Friday's semifinals given the way the tournament has gone.

            

Friday's Ice Hockey Schedule (All Times ET)

Czech Republic vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia (2:40 a.m.)

Canada vs. Germany (7:10 a.m.)

Both games can be live-streamed on NBCOlympics.com.

              

Odds to Win Tournament

Olympic Athletes from Russia +225 (bet $100 to win $225)

Canada +275

Czech Republic +900

Germany +6,600

Odds per OddsShark.

             

Canada Shocked to Face Germany

When the knockout-phase bracket was released, Canada appeared set for a semifinal showdown with Sweden, but Germany threw a wrench into that plan with an overtime win over Sweden in the quarterfinals.

After their win over Finland in the final eight, the Canadians caught wind of Germany's result and had a bit of surprised reaction.

But as center Eric O'Dell noted after Canada's quarterfinal win, it doesn't matter who is in the way its path to the gold-medal game, per Stephen Whyno of the AP:

Eric O'Dell when told Germany upset Sweden: "Oh yeah? Perfe--it doesn't matter. We're ready for any team."

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 21, 2018

Canada didn't have any trouble with Switzerland and South Korea in Group A, and you could make the argument Germany possesses around the same level of talent as the two sides the Canadians beat by a combined score of 9-1.

While the 2014 Olympic champion comes in as the overwhelming favorite to advance to a third straight gold-medal game, the Germans are trying to write the ultimate underdog story and advance to a rare Olympic championship match.

At the beginning of the tournament, you would have been called fanciful if you predicted Germany's spot in the semifinals, especially as a result of a win over Sweden.

Former NHL player Marco Sturm has directed the German team to the unexpected semifinal berth thanks to contributions from an array of players.

At the 2015 IIHF World Championship, Canada defeated Germany 10-0, but that result came with a collection of NHL stars featuring for the former.

The playing field is leveled a bit given the lack of superstars on the Canadian roster, but their program is still deeper than Germany's.

If the game were decided on talent alone, Canada would win with ease. But the Germans have something special going as a team, and they shouldn't be counted out until Canada buries them on the ice.

                         

Czechs, Russians Enter Intriguing Matchup

Just like the semifinal at the top of the bracket, the showdown between the second-seeded Czech Republic and the third-seeded Olympic Athletes from Russia seems like it will be a lopsided affair given the talent on the Russian roster. 

Although they earned the No. 2 seed, the Czechs weren't expected to shine as much as the Russians, Canadians or even the Swedes or Finns, but they have earned their position in the semifinals.

A shootout win over Canada in pool play opened the door for success, and the Czechs survived a test in the quarterfinals by knocking off the United States in a shootout.

All of the focus on the Czechs comes on defense, as they have to limit the opportunities of a Russian attack led by Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Kirill Kaprizov.

That three-pronged monster at the top of the Russian attack has benefited from Nikita Gusev's distribution, as he's produced six assists over four contests, including a pair in the 6-1 win over Norway in the quarterfinals.

The one knock on the Russians is they haven't won any tight games at the Olympics, as they overpowered Slovenia, the United States and Norway in their three previous contests.

In their one close affair in pool play, the Russians fell 3-2 to Slovakia, but that loss could be attributed more to lack of preparedness and cohesion more than the Russians' ability to win close games.

If anything, the Russians used the opening defeat to Slovakia as a wake-up call since they have outscored opponents 18-3 in their most recent 180 minutes of hockey.

Although they may not win by a five-goal margin like they did in the quarterfinals, the Russians should use their well-rounded attack to knock in three or four goals to see off the Czechs.

                

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

GANGNEUNG, South Korea — The journey to gold started four years ago, but the fight started in 2012. It started before Canada forward Marie-Philip Poulin scored two goals to seal the overtime comeback for gold against the United States women's hockey team in Sochi. It started well, well before they clinched their first gold medal in 20 years on Thursday, flipping the script and beating arch-rival Canada via shootout at Gangneung Hockey Centre.

The fight started when Hilary Knight pulled her car into a Star Market parking lot in Boston six years ago, crying, and needed to call home. She'd packed her bags after winning two national titles at Wisconsin and moved to New England to train full-time with Team USA. In a life in which she'd always had purpose—to maximize her time playing hockey, to play for the U.S. national team, to win an Olympic gold—Knight felt aimless, like the shopping carts being collected around her.

"I can't afford living in Boston," Knight told her mom.

"Can you get another job?" her mom asked.

"Mom, you don't understand," Knight said. "With what I want to do in this sport, I can't have another job. That takes away from what I'm trying to accomplish: an Olympic gold medal."

Golds are tough to come by when a national team lacks funding, as Knight discovered. The women scraped by on stipends and gave private lessons in their time off. Nothing had changed since 1998, when the U.S. last won gold, the first year women's hockey became an Olympic event. As the men's program grew, the women remained stuck within USA Hockey-imposed financial constraints. According to Kevin Allen and A.J. Perez of USA Today, they were being paid $1,000 per month in the six months leading up to the Olympics. The men's team never shared hotel rooms like the women and flew business class rather than coach.

So in March of 2017, the women announced a boycott of the IIHF Women's World Championship if USA Hockey, the sport's governing body, did not increase their wages. USA Hockey tried to put together a replacement team, but the women stood together as one. And they won.

They earned the same travel and insurance provisions as the men's national team and were granted salaries between $70,000 and $100,000 in an Olympic year, per USA Today. They could finally train without financial stress. Instead of worrying about paying rent or putting food on the table, the women could focus on the gold.

That's how Knight and 22 other American women accomplished their dream on Thursday, when the U.S. women's hockey team finally beat Canada, who'd beaten them in the last two gold medal games. And they did it by fighting for equality.

"This performance transcended our sport specifically, because we weren't receiving the right support for a gold medal-winning team," Knight said after the game. "This is what a gold medal-winning team looks like with the right support. We are taking steps in the right direction."

The gold medal, the very reason they put the careers at risk with a boycott, became theirs in the fifth round of the shootout. Head coach Robb Stauber turned to Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson for the final effort, and as the 28-year-old North Dakota native approached the net, she made the decision to go with a move she'd practiced over and over again. "Oops, I did it again," Lamoureux-Davidson calls the faked wrist shot/faked backhander/slide into the right side of the net. The puck slipped past Canadian goalie Shannon Szabados, and the attention shifted to American goalie Maddie Rooney.

Rooney smiled as the moment came, and her teammates pointed at her. All it took was one more.

"One more save," Rooney told herself. "One more save."

As Canadian forward Meghan Agosta approached the net, Rooney anticipated her five-hole move and made the stop before swiping the puck away again just for safety's sake. It was all over, and after Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" blared over the loudspeaker, after the national anthem played and the medals were awarded, the Americans struggled to come up with any words to describe how they were feeling.

"Just take a picture of my face. It's worth a thousand words," said forward Gigi Marvin. "I don't know what else to say other than joy, appreciation. It's just a snapshot of everything we've been through. I could speak for hours on what my team has overcome."

For so many of the Americans, the loss in Sochi was a fork in the road. Lamoureux-Davidson spoke after the game on Thursday about putting her family life on hold. Her twin sister, Monique Lamoureux-Morando, re-evaluated whether she had another Olympic run in her.

"The loss in Sochi was tough on us," Lamoureux-Morando said in September. "We were trying to figure out which ones of us were going to go for another four years."

Knight, who many consider the face of women's hockey in America, felt checked out. She couldn't quite envision another four years of training. Though she was the most marketable player in the game, with sponsorships with Nike, Red Bull and GoPro, Knight wasn't sure she could take heartbreak again.

"I thought I had done everything I possibly could to influence the game as best as I could, and I still was coming up short," Knight told Bleacher Report in September. "I continued to train, because I didn't want to be fully done. I happened to work at a camp and the U-22 and U-18 teams were playing, and I hopped over and I saw the younger kids. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I love this game. I can't give it up yet.' They inspired me to come back and continue to play."

When the American women needed to bring their best, they did by outshooting Canada 42 to 31 and dictating the pace of play. Lamoureux-Davidson led the way with five shots. When the Canadians appeared tired in the third period, the Americans still looked fresh and maintained possession in the offensive zone. Their speed advantage manifested when, down 2-1 in the third, Lamoureux-Morando broke away for one-on-one with Szabados, hit the twine top shelf and pushed the game to overtime.

But as extra time began, all they could think about was the collapse four years ago.

"That sticks with you," Lamoureux-Davidson said. "It really does."

The locker room was calm. Four years ago, it had been quiet. But this time around, Knight said, the vibe was different: confident, prepared, excited. About a half hour later, they would become Olympic champions. Like with their boycott, their focus had become singular, and they were prepared to do everything to make it happen.

"They should make a movie on it," Knight said after with a laugh.

That movie might begin with the handwritten letter Knight wrote apologizing to her mom after the heartbreaking loss in Sochi, two years after the supermarket call.

"I was sorry that I put them through all of that, that they went through all of that stuff for us to lose," Knight said in September. "It doesn't feel like it's worth it right now, but hopefully we can come back and do something bigger."

After the game, Knight recalled the letter.

"I just got chills when you mentioned it," Knight said. "I felt so sad and heartbroken, and I let everybody down the last time through. That was the feeling after the last Olympics—so powerful to slip through your fingers."

Knight and the American women didn't let it slip this time. Rather, they grabbed the opportunity by the throat, to fight for a living wage, to fight for women's hockey, to fight for a gold-medal rematch. And with that gold finally draped around her neck, Knight fought back different tears than the ones six years ago in Boston. This was everything they'd ever worked for, on and off the ice. In as memorable of a gold-medal hockey game as has ever been played, Knight and her generation of women's hockey players had sealed their legacy.

"That was one of our goals, that off the ice, we grow and promote the game and try to inspire the next generation as best we can," Knight said. "We wanted to build a future for them, even better than what came before."

The Czech Republic and the Olympic Athletes from Russia haven't been at the top of the Olympic hockey podium much in recent history.

The Czechs, who earned the No. 2 seed in the elimination round, have one medal to their name since the 1998 triumph led by Domink Hasek and Jaromir Jagr.

Since the Soviet Union disbanded, Russia's best finish came in Nagano, Japan, when it lost to the Czechs in the gold-medal game. Russian athletes have one gold since 1992, but that came as part of the Unified Team in 1992.

After suffering a defeat in their opener this year, the Russians have outscored their opponents 18-3, including a 6-1 victory over Norway.

The Czech Republic survived a quarterfinal test from the United States and advanced through a shootout in which Petr Koukal was the player to score.

               

Date: Friday, February 23

Time: 2:40 a.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

Odds to win tournament (per Oddsshark): Olympic Athletes from Russia (+225; Bet $100 to win $225), Czech Republic (+900)

               

Czechs Calling on Francouz to Shine Once Again

Czech goalie Pavel Francouz was the star of the semifinal victory over the United States, as he stopped all five shots in the shootout.

The 27-year-old, who plays for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, conceded four goals in pool play against South Korea, Canada and Switzerland on the way to first place in Group A.

After the win over the United States, Francouz described how the Czechs are experiencing a dream tournament, per Reuters' Steve Keating:

"It was our dream before the tournament to go that far but I really hope it is not the end we can go farther if we keep playing like this. We are playing really good as a team, we’re blocking shots the guys are helping me. We didn’t play any easy games and I think it is making us more and more strong." 

Former Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and Arizona Coyotes winger Martin Erat is the most recognizable name on the roster for those watching in the United States.

Michal Repik and Jan Kovar have done the majority of the scoring for the second-seeded team, while Jan Kolar was one of two defenders to find the back of the net in regulation against the Americans.

Dominik Kubalik, Roman Cervenka, Kovar and Erat are a few of the scoring threats for the Czechs, who also have a collection of defensemen eager to contribute to the attack.

Look for the Czech Republic to utilize its well-rounded attack to throw the Russians off balance and strike for an early tally.

If that's the case, the Czechs will be on their way to their first gold-medal game since 1998.

               

Russians Enter With Impressive Scoring Record

In their four games in South Korea, the Russians have found the back of the net on 20 occasions, including a six-goal outburst against Norway in the quarterfinals.

While the goal difference between the Russians and their opponents appears to be a massive feat on paper, the achievement becomes less impressive when you consider their opposition.

Despite winning twice in Group B, Slovenia was never going to match up well with Russia, and it showed in the 8-2 pool-play contest between the two teams.

The 6-1 win over Norway came against an underdog fresh off the emotional high of beating Slovenia in overtime in the knockout round.

You could even argue the Americans weren't much of a test in the 4-0 Russian win to conclude pool play.

The biggest test by far comes Friday for the squad led by NHL veterans Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, who play in the KHL like the rest of their teammates.

Kovalchuk and Kirill Kaprizov have four goals each, while Nikita Gusev has dished out six assists in four games.

The Russians have the firepower to overwhelm any defense, but they won't be able to get by just on talent in the semifinals.

The Czechs are going to challenge the Russians on every shift and have a balanced attack that could cause trouble to the opposition defense.

Providing Kovalchuk, Kaprizov and others with scoring opportunities in the first period would be ideal as the Russians attempt to steal the momentum from the talented Czech side.

             

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Olympic.org.