U.S. defeats Canada in overtime thriller to claim Olympics gold medal

Late in this third period, multiple players collapsed around U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and the puck was tapped around until it was lifted above Hellebuyck's pads and nearly went in for a 2-1 lead, only for Charlie McAvoy of the U.S., who was backstopping his goaltender, to knock the puck away with his glove.

This game has been decided by only inches.

Wow!

Canada has had plum chance after plum chance in the third, and its latest miss may have been the most devastating.

Nathan MacKinnon was only a couple feet away from the net with the left side completely open ... and he somehow completely missed putting a shot on goal, instead hitting the side of the net.

Macklin Celebrini had a breakaway opportunity off a blocked shot, but Connor Hellebuyck made another great save, this time with his right leg to prevent the go-ahead goal.

Devon Toews had a clean shot at an open puck in the crease, but somehow Connor Hellebuyck managed to deflect the shot with his stick, preventing what should have been an easy goal for Canada.

That chance could loom large over this third period.

During the second intermission, NBC's Kathryn Tappen interviewed Team USA's Dylan Larkin. She asked: What is the message to the team heading into the third period, with the gold-medal game tied 1-1?

"What is there to say?" Larkin said. "Twenty minutes and give it all you have. There's nothing to say before. Let's make it a special period."

The much hyped gold-medal game is living up to expectations so far.

We’ll be tied as we head to the final period, and the intensity on the ice is seemingly dripping through the television right now. Canada currently has a 27-16 lead in shots on goal, putting the U.S. on its heels over the last 20 minutes.

It’s going to be a well-earned victory for whoever can pull this one out.

Wayne Gretzky said before the game that the U.S. needed to play physically against Canada, and the intensity of this game has been obvious since the opening period. The latest example came with three minutes left in the second period when Canada's Cale Makar took a shot that was saved, then was slashed on the hand. That led to pushing and shoving with the Americans, with the Tkachuk brothers in the middle of a huge scrum behind the net.

The players took that level of physicality to the limit that the Olympics allows. The tournament is played under IIHF rules, and players who fight earn a major penalty as well as an automatic game misconduct, meaning an ejection.

Makar got his revenge a few minutes later when he scored from the right side to tie the game.

The second period ended with yet another scrum, with players punching and shoving in front of the benches.

And Canada has finally broken through!

Cale Makar took a pass from Devon Toews and ripped a wrister from the right slot just inside the far post.

It’s 1-1 with less than two minutes to go in the second period.

Playing with a high level of desperation, Canada has lived near the net in the second period. The Canadians have opened up a 24-15 lead in shots on goal with only three minutes to go in the second, but they don’t have a goal to show for it for now.

Finding itself in a precarious situation with Canada holding a two-man advantage after Charlie McAvoy and Jake Guentzel of the U.S. earned penalties, the U.S. successfully killed off both penalties midway through the second period and is now back at full strength.

Halfway through the second period, Canada has a five-on-three advantage for the next minute. Dangerous moment here for the Americans.

A golden opportunity was just fumbled by Canada. Connor McDavid had a breakaway and a fantastic scoring opportunity, but he lost control of the puck as he tried to get to his backhand and didn’t even get a shot off.

Fortunately for Canada, they are now on a power play.

Here we go! The U.S. leads, 1-0, entering the second period.

During the first intermission, NBC’s Kathryn Tappen interviewed Team USA’s Matt Boldy, who has the only goal of the game so far.

About six minutes into the first period, Boldy had created a one-man breakaway. He flicked the puck into the air, and then batted it up again as he split two Canadian defenders, Cale Makar and Devon Toews, two of the best defenders in the world, and then beat Canada's goalie Jordan Binnington.

On that sequence, Boldy said: “Somehow [the puck] just stuck with me and got lucky on the goal.”

After the first 20 minutes, he thought the U.S. should have had more than one goal, too. “I think we’ve played a great tournament," Boldy said. "We’ve had a lot of chances that haven’t gone in. I think we’re due to get a couple.”

Matt Boldy's goal six minutes into the first period is the difference in this game so far after the opening 20 minutes. Canada has taken eight shots, one more than the U.S.

Matt Boldy of Team USA celebrates scoring a goal in the first period. Jamie Squire / Getty Images

The U.S. couldn't take advantage of its 5-on-4 advantage during a two-minute power play, getting off two shots. Less than a minute remains in the opening period now.

Shea Theodore's two-minute penalty for hooking has given the U.S. a power play advantage with less than three minutes to go in the first period.

Only six minutes into the first period, the U.S. leads Canada 1-0.

Matt Boldy made an incredible play to bat the puck to himself with his stick while under pressure from defenders Cale Makar and Devon Toews, then outskated the closest defender to reach the puck before pushing it past goaltender Jordan Binnington. That was the first shot by the U.S. all game.

Auston Matthews of Team USA warms up prior to the men's gold medal match against Canada today. Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

The much-anticipated gold-medal game between the U.S. and Canada has started. It's the final day of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and it ends with a showdown between two teams completely made up of NHL players.

Forty-six years to the day after he scored the game-winning goal to beat the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics, a seminal moment in U.S. Olympic history, Mike Eruzione told NBC's Mike Tirico before the gold-medal game that "this is the best USA team we've ever put on the ice," adding that "I really think we get it done" today against Canada.

"This is the most exciting U.S. hockey game I've been a part of," Eruzione said. "I had a chance to be with the team last night, had a chance to speak with some of the players. They are excited about this."

Eruzione said that during his visit with players, some asked him about the focus of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team the night before the win. Eruzione said he told them that "it's just a hockey game" and not to make it bigger than it is.

Sweden has taken gold in women's curling, beating Switzerland 6-5 in the gold-medal match in Cortina.

Sara McManus her Team Sweden teammates celebrate after winning the women's curling gold-medal match against Team Switzerland today. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Meanwhile, Switzerland prevented Germany from completing a sweep of the podium in men's four-man bobsled. The German sled piloted by Johannes Lochner took gold, Lochner's second gold medal of these Games after also taking gold in the two-man event.

One-hundred fifteen of the 116 gold medals on offer in these Games have now been handed out. There's just one more gold medal up for grabs.

This will be the sixth time Team USA and Canada have faced off in Olympic competition with NHL players being present. Team USA's solitary win came in 2010, when Team USA beat Canada 5-3 in group play.

Team USA players warm up prior to the men's gold-medal match against Canada today. Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images

Canada has won the other four matchups with NHL players, most recently in the semifinals of the 2014 Sochi Games, with Jamie Benn scoring the only goal of the match to send Canada to the gold-medal game. They went on to beat Sweden for gold, and Team USA lost out against Finland for the bronze medal. Canada has beaten Team USA in both of its gold-medal matches against each other, winning gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, and on home ice in 2010.

More recently, Team USA and Canada met with NHL players on the ice in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. They played twice, with Team USA winning 3-1 in group play in a match best remembered for three fights in the first nine seconds of the match. Canada went on to get revenge with a 3-2 overtime win in the final — three-time NHL MVP Connor McDavid scoring the winner for Canada on that occasion. McDavid will captain Canada today in Sidney Crosby's absence.

Speaking with NBC's Mike Tirico before today's gold-medal game between Canada and the U.S., hockey icon Wayne Gretzky said he believes the U.S. needs to play physically, but not recklessly. If the U.S. can stay out of the penalty box, Gretzky believes U.S. chances increase.

Gretzky also believes that the U.S. will come out physically because of the Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew.

A huge roar goes up in the crowd in Milan as the two teams skate onto the ice for their warmups.

The gold-medal match is getting closer!

Team USA and Canada warm up before the game today. Peter Kneffel / dpa/picture alliance via Getty I

Mike Sullivan, the head coach of the U.S. men's ice hockey team, chats with Mike Tirico about the gold-medal game vs. Canada and how his team has rallied a nation behind it ahead of the monumental matchup.

Big news ahead of Team USA vs. Canada: Canada's captain and all-time leading goal scorer, Sidney Crosby, has been ruled out of today's gold-medal match.

Crosby suffered a lower-body injury in Canada's quarterfinal against Czechia, and he has not recovered sufficiently to play any part against Team USA despite practicing with the team yesterday.

Defenseman Josh Morrissey is also out for Team Canada.

Eileen Gu claimed her third career Olympic gold medal in the women's freeski halfpipe, landing a huge third run to defend her title.

Feb. 22 will forever be a date etched into the history of American ice hockey.

On this day 46 years ago, the U.S. men's hockey team pulled off arguably the biggest upset in Olympic history, beating the heavily favored Soviet Union 4-3 at the 1980 Lake Placid Games in a match that will always be known as the "Miracle on Ice."

With a team made up entirely of college players, the U.S. trailed the Soviet Union 3-2 heading into the third period. The Soviet Union, at that time, had not lost an Olympic match in 12 years and featured some of the world's best players. Mark Johnson leveled the match before Mike Eruzione scored to hand the U.S. a 4-3 lead with 10 minutes to go. The U.S. held on to win to complete the upset in one of the most iconic moments in American sporting history, going on to beat Finland to clinch the gold medal.

Team USA is chasing a first Olympic gold in men's ice hockey since then.

“The U.S. has never won a gold medal without a member of my family. This is probably going to be my only shot,” forward Brock Nelson, whose uncle Dave Christian was a part of that 1980 team, told NBC News’ Peter Alexander.

Now, Team USA has another chance to add another piece of ice hockey history to the date of Feb. 22.

It was always going to be a nail-biter in the women’s 50km cross-country skiing race. In the final Olympic race of her career, Team USA's Jessie Diggins was involved in a five-way battle right to the finish line for bronze. But it wasn't quite to be, with Diggins stumbling on the final climb of the race to allow Switzerland's Nadja Kaelin to edge out a sprint to the finish line. Diggins finishes fifth, five seconds behind Kaelin. Diggins also had a stumble during a change of skis after the second lap of the race, which cost her time.

Jessie Diggins reacts after crossing the women's cross-country 50km finish line today. Javier Soriano / AFP via Getty Images

After the 31-mile race, Diggins collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. It's been an incredible Olympic career for Diggins, who left everything out there on the course this morning. Her Olympic career finishes with four Olympic medals, including a gold in the team sprint at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

Sweden's Ebba Andersson ran away with the race to win gold, over two minutes ahead of Norway's Heidi Weng, who took silver.

Amid all the social media noise, Eileen Gu is inevitable. Gu has claimed gold in the women's halfpipe, becoming the most decorated Olympic freeskier of all time. It is her sixth career Olympic medal and her third gold.

China's Eileen Gu celebrates her victory after winning the women's freeski halfpipe final today. Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP via Getty Images

Gu improved to a score of 94.75 on her third run, running the same tricks as her second run but with greater height off the halfpipe and perfecting her grabs. That run set the benchmark for Li Fanghui and Zoe Atkin to beat in their final runs. Both improved on their third runs, but Li could only tally up a 93.00 for silver and Atkin, Gu's fellow Stanford student, a 92.50 for bronze.

Gu fell to the ground in celebration as her gold medal was confirmed, before running over to the Chinese fans in attendance and hugging her mom and her coach.

We're getting toward the closing stages of the women's 50km cross-country race. Sweden's Ebba Andersson looks as though she is running away with it for the gold medal, and Norway's Heidi Weng looks relatively assured of silver, but there is quite a battle going on for bronze, with Team USA's Jessie Diggins among the pack chasing third place.

Jessie Diggins competes during the women's cross-country 50km race today. Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP via Getty Images

With 13 km to go, Diggins is right behind Norway's Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes in a five-way battle for bronze. A reminder, this will be Diggins' last ever Olympic race, with the four-time Olympic medalist set to retire from the sport at the end of the season.

That's huge from Eileen Gu! She punches the air after landing a textbook run, finishing up with back-to-back alley-oop grabs as she scores 94.00 to move to the top of the leaderboard. And the scariest thing for the rest of the field? There is definitely room for her to land some of the tricks earlier in her run cleaner in her final run. A sixth career Olympic medal is pretty much guaranteed for Gu.

Eileen Gu after competing in the second run of the women's freeski halfpipe final today. David Ramos / Getty Images

But what color will that medal be for Gu? Some of her competitors have started to bring out their biggest tricks. Gu's Chinese teammate Li Fanghui is also into the 90s — she scores 91.50 with her run to put China 1-2 for now. Zoe Atkin also looks as though she's going bigger, getting the biggest amplitude of anyone so far during her second run. She definitely looked as though she was going to improve on her first-run score, but she fell late in her run, with both skis coming off. She's slowly back up to her feet, but she's now down to third.

The third and final runs are coming up now.

With gold yesterday in freestyle skiing mixed aerials, Team USA clinched its 11th gold medal of these Games, the most the U.S. has ever won at a single Winter Olympics.

U.S. breaks record for its most gold medals won at a Winter Olympics

01:55

Eileen Gu gets it wrong on her first jump. She goes big, but on her landing, her shoulders are off balance, causing her to bail out of her run. She still has two more runs to nail a huge run.

Zoe Atkin reacts after competing in the first run of the women's freeski halfpipe final today. David Ramos / Getty Images

It's been a pretty conservative first run from much of the field. Great Britain's Zoe Atkin leads with a 90.50 after the first run, though she will still have much bigger tricks left in her locker to go bigger. Canada's Amy Fraser is second with a score of 85.00. Expect a score in the high 80s to get a podium spot and the gold position to go into the 90+ points mark.

After being delayed yesterday due to poor weather, the women's freeski halfpipe final is underway. The 11 competitors will have three runs on the halfpipe to put down the biggest tricks they can, with each skier's best run counting in their pursuit for gold.

Eileen Gu is the defending Olympic champion here.

Eileen Gu has become tied for the most decorated Olympic freeskier of all time during these Games. She has added two silver medals to her haul of two golds and one silver won in Beijing four years ago, and she is still only 22 years old. This morning, Gu has one more chance for gold at these Games as she goes in her strongest event, the halfpipe.

Eileen Gu warms up prior to the women's freeski halfpipe final today. Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

Gu has faced a social media firestorm throughout these Games over her 2019 decision to represent China, her mother's birthplace, rather than the United States. In Thursday's qualifying, Gu looked to land a statement run but clipped the halfpipe and fell in her first run. After coming within inches of crashing again in her second, Gu backed off to ensure a safe run, qualifying in fifth position.

Standing in her way for gold will likely be Great Britain's Zoe Atkin, the reigning world champion who also won gold at the X Games earlier this year. The pair have a lot in common — they are both American-born and Stanford-educated, and they both represent the nation of one of their parents. Atkin, born just outside of Boston, took top spot in qualifying with a stellar run, and with Gu spending time away from the sport during the last few years to focus on her studies, Atkin has emerged as the woman to beat.

The reigning world champion against the defending Olympic champion — this should be quite a battle.

This morning, Team USA's Jessie Diggins will race for the final time in her Olympic career in the women's 50km cross-country mass start.

Diggins, competing at her fourth and final Olympic Games, is the most decorated American cross-country skier of all time, having won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals across her storied Olympic career — with one of those bronze medals coming in the 10km race at these Games.

“My goal for the 50km is to simply do the best that I can in each moment, to be smart, and to truly enjoy the experience of putting on an Olympic bib for the last time with my family here to cheer me on,” Diggins wrote on Instagram ahead of this morning's race.

This is the first time women will race across 50km (31 miles) in cross-country's marathon event, with the distance upped from 30km to put the female athletes on par with their male counterparts. Sweden has dominated women's cross-country skiing at these Games, winning four of the five gold medals on offer.

Team Canada said two-time Olympic medalist Cassie Sharpe will not be able to participate in the women’s freeski halfpipe final after a hard fall.

Sharpe had earned a spot in the final with a good score during Thursday’s qualifying before she crashed on a run, slamming hard on her left side. She was briefly knocked out and needed to be stretchered off.

Her team said yesterday that “after a brief precautionary” hospital stay she had been released, but that she had not been cleared by doctors to get back on her skis.

There are still a few more medals to hand out on the final day of the Milan Cortina Olympics. Ending the more than two weeks of competition will be the USA vs. Canada gold-medal game in men’s hockey.

Then stick around for the closing ceremony, taking place in Verona.

All times are in Eastern, and an asterisk signifies a medal event:

4 a.m.: Bobsled, four-man, heat 3

4 a.m.: Cross-country skiing, women’s 50km mass start classic*

4:40 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, women’s freeski halfpipe final*

5:05 a.m.: Curling, women’s gold-medal game, Sweden vs. Switzerland*

6:15 a.m.: Bobsled, four-man, heat 4*

8:10 a.m.: Men’s hockey, gold medal, USA vs. Canada*

2:30 p.m.: Closing ceremony