Team USA is Golden Again Following 2-1 Overtime Thriller

Team USA is golden again at the Olympics following a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory. Megan Keller was the hero for the Americans with a highlight-reel goal, toe-dragging around Claire Thompson before burying the puck past Ann-Renée Desbiens to secure the United States’ third Olympic gold medal.

The Canadians scored first and held onto that lead for 37:02, but U.S. hockey legend Hilary Knight would not be denied in her final Olympic game. She scored a late record-setting goal to send the game to overtime, where Keller then triggered a playing of Free Bird that no one on the ice will forget.

The United States blew Canada out in the preliminary round, but this game was a much more classic installment of one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Both teams showed up to play from the first puck drop to the final buzzer.

It was a fairly even first period, with both teams trading chances. However, Team USA looked jittery to start the game, uncharacteristically turning the puck over and taking two easily avoidable penalties, which tilted the ice a bit in Canada's favor. However, Aerin Frankel was up to the task, as was Desbiens when the Americans got their looks. It led to a scoreless first period, marking the first time in the tournament that the U.S. failed to score a first-period goal.

The United States started the second period with 1:46 left on a power play, but it was Canada that used it to open the scoring. Laura Stacey fed the puck to a streaking Kristin O’Neill, who pulled it around an attempted poke check from Frankel to open the scoring just 54 seconds into the period. The goal snapped the United States record-shattering shutout streak at 352:17.

The Americans picked up the pace in the middle of the period, but the jitters appeared to hang around, with missed nets on grade-A opportunities and more extra passes. They were still unable to crack Desbiens, leaving Canada to carry their one-goal lead into the final regulation period.

The teams continued to trade chances in the third. Then, with the clock ticking down, the Americans finally broke through. Head coach John Wroblewski took his time out with 2:23 remaining and pulled Frankel for the extra attacker. The U.S. won the ensuing face-off, and after getting set up with a few passes, Laila Edwards wired a shot towards the goal. Knight was posted out in front screening Desbiens, and she tipped the puck past her to tie the game at one and take sole possession of the all-time U.S. women’s Olympic hockey scoring record, in her record-tying 29th and final Olympic game.

The next two minutes passed without much fanfare, setting the stage for the third overtime frame in the last four women's hockey Olympic gold medal games. This marked the first one under the new 3v3, 20-minute, endless overtime format.

It did not take long for a champion to be crowned. Just over four minutes into overtime, Taylor Heise fed the puck to Keller, and the rest is history. Gloves, helmets, and sticks littered the ice as Keller was mobbed by her teammates to kick off a celebration that will surely last long into the night and beyond. 

While this was the United States’ worst outing of the tournament, the Americans earned their storybook ending. They outscored their opponents 33-2 across seven games, and never trailed until today. They were the clear-cut best team in the tournament, and the gold medal ensures that will forever be their legacy.