[ad_1]
2024 World Championship
It all comes down to this. Tonight, the United States and Canada will face off for another gold medal.
Tonight comes the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Team USA takes on Canada as hockey’s biggest rivals return for the gold medal game. 22nd out of 23 tournaments.
Basics: Sunday, April 14, 2024 – USA vs. Canada – 5:00 PM EDT, Adirondack Bank Center, Utica, NY (NHL Network, TSN1, RDS)
what to expect
The preliminary round matchup between the two teams resulted in one of the most exciting 1-0 games in recent memory, with the United States winning a thrilling 1-0 in overtime. It was a fast, physical and goal-scoring battle, with both teams having multiple Grade A chances throughout the match. Expect more of the same tonight.
The United States enters this game having defeated Finland 5-0 in the first semifinal game yesterday. They scored two goals by the 40th minute, but sustained pressure seemed to finally break Finland, who poured in three goals in the third period. They have been doing well throughout the tournament, but their worst game was against Finland in the second half of the back-to-back. But they’re going to be a little bit of a fresh team tonight because of how they played in the early game yesterday, so I hope their play reflects that. All in all, look for them to prove that the overtime win earlier in the week wasn’t just a fluke and that the youth movement has made the team better.
Meanwhile, Canada enters the issue as follows 4-0 victory over Czech Republic In yesterday’s 7pm ET game. They dominated the Czechs in almost every aspect, outscoring them 47-9, but Czech goalkeeper Klara Peslarova was outstanding in the loss. Canada is used to playing back-to-back games, and all four games in the qualifying round will be played as one. So even though it’s been less than 24 hours since he played, he should be ready to hit the ground running again. Canada advanced to the qualifying round at last year’s tournament, but lost out on the gold medal to the United States in their home country. So expect them to repeat that pattern tonight and derail the Americans’ hopes of winning back-to-back championships.
Expectations are high for Canadian representative Anne Desbiens in goal. She had an incredible performance throughout the tournament and was a big reason why her first match went into overtime. She made a number of A-grade saves to keep the Canadians at bay, especially in the first period as the U.S. came up quickly. Plus, she’s already played one set in a row, so she’ll be well prepared today. She has a 3-0 record in the tournament with a GAA of 0.49 and a SV% of 0.976 (both of which place her 1st overall).
As for the American, expect it to be Aerin Frankel again. Frankel has no runs this tournament and has shutouts in four of five games. Like Deviance, Frankel was a big reason the first game went into overtime and missed many of Canada’s golden chances en route to victory. This will be the first time this year that she’s started both games of her back-to-back, but she’s usually at her best when the lights shine the brightest, so that should be okay. She has 4 wins, 1 loss, 0 draws and 0 losses in this tournament, with a GAA of 0.59 and SV% of 0.962 (both 2nd overall).
America is key to the game
Play as before. In the preliminary round meeting, the United States played a fast and disciplined game. They moved the puck well offensively while playing strong defense. They need to do the same today. Even if Canada’s power play isn’t as strong as expected, going into the box too often could spell disaster. Not only does Canada have a knack for solving things in the nick of time, but even if they don’t, the American players will tire out faster and be out of the game. On the other hand, when they come into the game and their offense is going well, I’m not sure even Canada can slow them down too much. They were very quick and good at moving the puck. So if we play that game again today and continue to play solid defense, we’ll have a chance to win another gold medal.
[ad_2]
Source link
