There are only two outcomes if you play in this game: joy, or devastation. That’s every championship, every final, every gold-medal showdown. But when it’s Canada and the United States for gold in women’s hockey, it’s different. They play elsewhere, but there is only really this. This is it.But this is why they play. After two periods Canada had a 2-1 lead, and the Americans were throwing every second of the four years of pain and work since Sochi at them. After regulation, in another overtime, it was the same. The American speed at 4-on-4 was terrifying, and Canada wasn’t handling the puck well, and the U.S. was better. Dani Cameranesci, tip wide. Megan Keller, wrist shot stopped. Shannon Szabados, in her third gold-medal game, was all that was holding them back.Read more:Bruce Arthur: ‘Beat them on the ice’: The rise of Brigette Lacquette, the first Indigenous woman on Canada’s Olympic hockey teamWomen’s hockey tournament will expand to 10 teams at 2022 OlympicsDave Feschuk: Drake puts spotlight on Canadian hockey player Sarah NurseAnd then Marie-Philip Poulin, the twice-golden girl, went after a puck like a demon and drew a penalty with 1:35 left, and that was all that got Canada to a shootout. And after five rounds it was all tied, 2-2, and the gold hung in the balance. Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson undressed the great Szabados, back and forth, and it was down to Meghan Agosta. What a goal.And Agosta was stopped by American rookie Maddie Rooney, and the Americans, finally, won their first Olympic gold medal since 1998, 3-2. A shootout was a shame, but say this: the Americans were the better team. They were robbed in Sochi, four years ago. And they deserved it.After dominating a 2-1 loss in the round robin the Americans said, we put some doubt in the Canadian minds. And Canada said, we have another gear. We’re ready. They won puck battles they had lost, ate up lanes that had been open. Szabados was Sha ...
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