Only three teams remained undefeated in women’s hockey as of Tuesday (Feb. 10) at the Winter Games. Not only that, but two of them faced off in a classic rivalry game. Team Canada and Team USA met at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy for a preliminary round battle to see who would take a stranglehold on Group A.
Canada came into this at 2-0-0, while the US was at 3-0-0.
Related: 3 takeaways from USA’s 5-0 win over Finland in the women’s Olympic tournament
Team USA got two goals from Hannah Bilka, as well as others from Caroline HarveyKirsten Simms and Laila Edwards as they dominated most of the match. Canada often found themselves in penalty kick trouble and struggled to build momentum against the strong American defense. Team USA won this 5-0. Here are some insights from the game.
Harvey & Murphy remain red hot
It’s been a very balanced attack for the Americans so far, but two of the collegiate stars they have on the roster have really torn it up. Harvey and Abbey Murphy stood out as the best players in this match, as Harvey scored a goal and two assists, while Murphy had three helpers. They were monsters on offense, but they also contributed to the strong American defense that has given teams a good match so far.
Harvey has seven points from four games and Murphy has five. They both always seem to be the first players on the puck, among other young American players who have created a fast, powerful mantra for this team. Players like Edwards and Haley Winn are also young talents fueling this early dominance.
Desbien’s undefeated streak is broken
It was seven victories in a row at the Olympic Games Ann-Renee Desbiensa very impressive achievement. However, it all came crashing down against the big Americans on Tuesday, after they buried five goals on 27 shots to snap the streak that started at the 2018 Games. While it is still something to be proud of, the unfortunate way it ended may raise questions about Canada’s future.
After the fifth goal, Desbiens was pulled in favor of Emerance Maschmeyer with about eight minutes to play. Could we see Maschmeyer in goal again for Canada’s final preliminary match against Finland? If so, does that mean she is number one for the rest of the tournament? It will be up to head coach Troy Ryan whether or not he wants to make a quick change or prefer to trust his other goalkeeper with a little more experience.
Difficult to score against the US
Team USA’s solid defense is the main storyline through their first four games. They only allowed one goal in the preliminary match, defeated opponents 20-1. A combination of top-notch goaltending and lockdown defense from everyone in the lineup was the recipe for them to start the tournament. They fully showed that against Canada.
This American team has managed to neutralize all chances on the line and keep the opponents to the outside. They held a powerful Canadian team to just 20 shots and essentially zero chances with great danger. Their chances of winning gold look very good if they continue this trend in the medal round.
What’s next for the US and Canada?
Team USA will now get a bit of a break as they wait to see how the playoff round will develop and who their opponent will be. Meanwhile, Team Canada has one preliminary match remaining in Group A as it plays Finland on Thursday (February 12). Puck drop for the group stage finale is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. MDT.
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