Olympic Supremacy on Line for U.S., Canada
When the Olympics started, the race for the women’s hockey gold medal figured to come down to Canada and the United States — just as it did in 2010, 2014, and 2018.
Coming into the tournament, Canada and the United States were co-favorites at -110 to win the gold medal.
Canada won the matchup in round-robin play 4-2 and scored 54 goals in winning its six games. Team USA is the second-highest-scoring team with 28 goals scored, which is 10 more than any other team.
Staying out of the penalty box will be goal No. 1 for the United States because Canada is converting on an incredible 45 percent of its power-play opportunities. As a point of reference, the Toronto Maple Leafs lead the NHL, converting at 31.5 percent on the power play.
It is a late start (11:10 p.m.) for those on the East Coast but this is a game worth staying up for.
For hockey fans watching in the U.S.:
NBC and Peacock will air the women’s gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada live on Wednesday at 11:10 p.m. ET.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) February 14, 2022
Team USA vs. Canada Betting Preview
- Game: United States (5-1) vs. Canada (6-0)
- Location: Wukesong Sports Centre, Beijing, China
- Day/Time: Wednesday, 11:10 p.m. ET
- Television: NBC
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| United States (W) | +1½ -170 | +165 | 5½ +125o |
| Canada (W) | -1½ +140 | -210 | 5½ -155u |
| Draw | +210 |
Team USA Believes Less is More
Since star forward Brianna Decker was knocked out of the tournament due to a leg injury, it was known that the United States wouldn’t have as deep of a roster to call upon.
Able to dress 20 skaters, the U.S. team would be down to 19 without the former Olympic gold medalist. In a semifinal win over Finland, the Americans did not play defensemen Jincy Dunne and Caroline Harvey. Forwards Grace Zumwinkle, Hayley Scamurra, and Abbey Murphy played for less than eight minutes.
Defensemen Megan Keller (27:18), Lee Stecklein (26:47), and Savannah Harmon (25:22) played heavy minutes while the top line of Hannah Brandt, Hilary Knight, and Kendall Coyne Schofield played more than 20 minutes as Team USA relied mostly on only nine forwards and five defensemen.
The No. 1 line has combined for eight goals and 12 assists. Harmon has contributed seven points, including two-goal,s as Team USA has four goals and 20 assists from its defensemen.
Those star players will be called upon as the Americans enter the game as the underdog.
Canada Leading Scorer Carries Family’s Winning Ways
Those backyard battles must have been something to watch in the Nurse family.
Canada forward Sarah Nurse, who is the leading scorer in the tournament with 16 points on four goals and 12 assists, grew up going against her cousins Darnell and Kia. Darnell is a defenseman for the Edmonton Oilers who is second in the NHL in time on ice per game while Kia was a two-time NCAA champion at Connecticut and a WNBA All-Star in 2019.
Sarah’s resume stacks up against anybody in a family that includes her uncle, Donovan McNabb, a longtime former NFL quarterback, and Richard Nurse, who played in the CFL.
She won a World Championship gold medal in 2021, a U-18 World gold medal in 2013, and a silver medal in the 2018 Olympics. She also scored the game-winning goal to lead Wisconsin to the NCAA title.
Nurse has plenty of help in the scoring department as the top six scorers in the tournament play for Canada. Marie-Philip Poulin has four goals and 10 assists, Natalie Spooner has three goals and 11 assists, Brianne Jenner leads the tournament with nine goals and four assists, Claire Thompson is the top-scoring defenseman in the tournament with 12 points while Sarah Fillier has eight goals and three assists.
Final GS Notes for Canada v Switzerland.
Sarah Nurse topped the tables with 4 assists, and 3 faceoff wins in 17.12 TOI. pic.twitter.com/T0FZCOstEy— Alyssa (@alyssastweeting) February 14, 2022
It is no wonder that the Olympic betting odds list Canada as the -210 favorite.
United States vs. Canada Head to Head
Canada won the most recent matchup 4-2 in the preliminary round as part of the undefeated run to the gold medal game. However, Team USA has the one thing that both teams want – the title of current Olympic champion thanks to a 3-2 shootout win over Canada in the 2018 gold medal game.
Canada did get a bit of revenge by winning the gold medal with a 3-2 victory over the Americans on an overtime goal by Poulin at the 2021 World Championships, ending a string of five straight titles by Team USA.
Ten times when Canada and the United States played for a tournament title, overtime was required — and it would surprise just about nobody if that is the case this time, either.
United States vs. Canada Prediction
Watching these games, it is pretty much impossible to go against Canada, which has steamrolled opponent after opponent, including outscoring Sweden and Switzerland by a combined score of 21-3 in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Team USA had to work a bit harder in 4-1 victories against the Czech Republic and Finland.
“These are the games that we live for,” U.S. captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said after the semifinal victory. “Everyone’s been so resilient through the pandemic with the ups and downs, the cancellations, postponements, and finding ways to train, and it’s for this moment. We’re going to empty the tanks, and this is what we came here to do.”
The last three Olympic gold medal games finished as 3-2 wins in overtime and with a total listed at 5½, taking the under might be a wise course of action for those who bet online.
- Pick: Under 5½ (-155)
- Pick: Canada -210
- Pick: United States +1½ (-170)
