From the sports desk: U.S. vs. Canada for hockey gold, part two

Hello from Milan and Cortina, where the U.S. men’s hockey team blasted Slovakia 6-1, earning a trip to Sunday’s gold medal game opposite Canada.

Yes, the U.S. and Canadian men will play for the hockey gold medal, just days after an epic clash between the women’s teams.

Canada won gold in both 2010 and 2014, the last two Olympics, before this year, that featured NHL players. Team USA hasn’t won gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team. Our correspondents have it all covered below and at NBC News.

Catch it all streaming on Peacock. Live from Milan Cortina Less than five minutes into the U.S.

-Slovakia semifinal game, the Americans showed just why they might have what it takes to win the gold medal. During a Slovakia line change, Team USA’s Zach Werenski laced a pass to Dylan Larkin, who recognized the opportunity and was streaking open up the center of the ice. Before the Slovakian defense could recover, Larkin fired a shot past the Slovakian goalie.

Werenski and Larkin are old friends; they grew up together in Michigan. They have a chemistry that comes from playing with someone all your life. “Just trying to do the little things,” Larkin told NBC of his mindset.

“And chip in when I can.” Team USA pretty much dominated Slovakia from there. The Americans tallied five more goals, scored by Tage Thompson, Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk and two from Jack Hughes.

For much of the first semifinal, it looked as if Finland would take the other spot in the gold medal game. Finland led Canada 2-0 in the second period, when the tide started to shift in Canada’s favor. First, Sam Reinhart deflected a shot into the net.

Then Shea Theodore ripped a shot that beat Finland goalie Juuse Saros. The score was tied 2-2 in the final minute of the third period, when Connor McDavid zipped the puck cross-ice to Nathan MacKinnon, who found the back of the net. Canada had taken its first lead, 3-2, with 35.

2 seconds left in the game. “Those guys are so dominant when they get out there together, especially when they’re on the power play,” Canada’s Brad Marchand told NBC. “They want the puck on their stick in those moments.

And they show up every time.” Canada was playing without its captain, Sidney Crosby, who was out injured. But the team’s overall talent level showed through, as Canada outshot Finland 39-17.

The Canadians also had the confidence of knowing they had done this before. They had just overcome a late, one-goal deficit to beat Czechia in the quarterfinals. “Just got to keep pushing,” Marchand said.

“You could feel it. … It was a matter of time.” Athlete Spotlight As Nick Goepper began his third and final run of the freeski halfpipe final, he still had a chance at a gold medal.

Toward the end of the run, he went big trying to land a difficult trick — and landed hard on the side of the halfpipe before tumbling down it. Goepper stayed down for a while but walked off under his own power, flashing a thumbs-up to the crowd. NBC cameras overheard him saying he had “no regrets.”

Because at one point, Goepper didn’t seem likely to be there. Goepper previously won three Olympic medals in slopestyle skiing but said he suffered from depression and anxiety after finding success on the slopes. In 2023, he retired after feeling burned out.

The Indiana native returned months later, however, with a new discipline in halfpipe and — thanks to connections around him — what he considers much better mental health. “Whether it’s a coach or a friend or a girlfriend or whatever,” he said, “I need some people around in this little bubble that believe in me and that I can use as a support network.” Goepper finished fourth today in the freeski halfpipe, with a score of 89.

00 from one of his pre-crash runs. He was 2 points away from the bronze medal. Photo of the Day When to Watch It’s the second-to-last day of action here in Italy.

Elana Meyers Taylor seeks to get a medal to become the most decorated female U.S. Winter Olympian in the two-woman bobsled.

USA women take on Canada, again, this time in curling. Eileen Gu seeks her first gold of these Games in women’s freeski halfpipe. All times are in Eastern, and an asterisk signifies a medal event: Saturday, Feb.

21 4 a.m.: Bobsled, four-man, heat 14 a.

m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s ski cross seeding4:45 a.m.

: Freestyle skiing, mixed team aerials finals*5 a.m.: Cross-country skiing, men’s 50 km mass start classic5:57 a.

m.: Bobsled, four-man, heat 26 a.m.

: Freestyle skiing, men’s ski cross 1/8 finals6:35 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s ski cross quarterfinals6:54 a.

m.: Freestyle skiing, men’s ski cross semifinals7:10 a.m.

: Freestyle skiing, men’s ski cross finals*7:30 a.m.: Ski mountaineering, mixed relay*8:05 a.

m.: Curling, women’s bronze medal game, USA vs. Canada*8:15 a.

m.: Biathlon, women’s 12.5 km mass start*9 a.

m.: Speedskating, men’s mass start semifinals9:50 a.m.

: Speedskating, women’s mass start semifinals10:40 a.m.: Speedskating, men’s mass start finals*11:15 a.

m.: Speedskating, women’s mass start finals*1 p.m.

: Bobsled, two-woman heat 31:05 p.m.: Curling, men’s gold medal game, Great Britain vs.

Canada*1:30 p.m.: Freestyle skiing, women’s freeski halfpipe final*2:40 p.

m.: Men’s hockey, bronze medal game, Finland vs. Slovakia*3:05 p.

m.: Bobsled, two-woman, heat 4* That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.