Team USA and Canada are on track to face off in the gold-medal game of the tournament. Both teams have been unbeaten thus far, with Team USA winning four straight matches and Canada narrowly escaping two tight contests.
In the preliminary round, Team USA was dominant, topping Switzerland 4-0 and Slovakia 7-2 to secure a spot in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Canada also impressed in Group B prelim play, shutting out Latvia 4-0 and barely beating Sweden 5-4 in the semifinal matchup.
Both teams have had their fair share of success in past gold-medal games. Team USA has won a staggering 11 out of their 16 appearances, while Canada has come up short just once before. Last year, Team USA beat Sweden 3-2 in overtime to claim their latest gold medal victory. They have won back-to-back titles five times before, including the last two years from 2014 to 2015.
The upcoming game will be their second meeting in the gold-medal game. The United States emerged victorious with a commanding 5-1 win over Canada back in 2005. However, Canada came back with a vengeance and won by a narrow margin of 3-2 in 2013. Their most recent encounter was during the preliminary round last year where Team USA secured an impressive win of 8-3 over Canada.
As they head into this final matchup, both teams are determined to come out on top and cement their place atop the podium.