Crosby-less Canadians rally past Finland to punch their ticket to gold medal game

The Olympic men's hockey semifinals got underway connected Friday morning, and the opening people was a heavyweight clash betwixt Canada and Finland.

Both the Canadians and Finns made it this acold acknowledgment to OT thrillers successful the semi-finals, but for Team Canada, the triumph came astatine a cost. Captain Sidney Crosby was injured connected a deed from Czechia's Radko Gudas and near the crippled early.

Canada’s Shea Theodore (27) celebrates with teammates aft scoring Canada’s 2nd extremity during a men’s crystal hockey semifinal crippled betwixt Canada and Finland astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan. Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 20, 2026. (Petr David Josek/AP Photo)

Just a small earlier puck driblet connected Friday, it was announced that helium would beryllium retired of the lineup against Finland.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

This was the past quality Canada needed against a precise bully Finnish squad that plays mode much physically than Finnish teams successful Olymipcs past.

The Finns opened the scoring toward the extremity of a accelerated and carnal opening framework with Mikko Rantanen lighting the lamp conscionable seconds into a Finnish powerfulness play aft Canada's Sam Bennett got the gross for goaltender interference.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros came up large aggregate times arsenic the Canadians got overmuch much rubber connected nett than the Finns did.

Special teams continued to beryllium a large communicative successful the 2nd arsenic we got our archetypal sensation of the Crosby-less Canadian powerfulness play aft Sebastian Aho was called for interference, but things went disconnected the rails successful a hurry.

Finland stunned Canada by managing to wide the puck retired of their portion and outpouring Nashville's Erik Haula for a shorthanded breakaway, which helium buried to spell up 2-0.

Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) scores Canada’s 3rd extremity during a men’s crystal hockey semifinal crippled betwixt Canada and Finland astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan. Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 20, 2026. (Petr David Josek/AP Photo)

ALYSSA LIU BREAKS TEAM USA'S 24-YEAR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL DROUGHT IN WOMEN'S FIGURE SKATING

About 10 minutes later, Finland's Anton Lundell took a high-sticking penalty, and — would you believe? — peculiar teams were the communicative erstwhile again, lone this clip it was successful Canada's favor.

Lundell's Florida Panthers teammate Sam Reinhart deflected a Cale Makar changeable from the constituent to get escaped of that goose ovum for the Canadians.

Canada continued to bring the pressure, and with conscionable nether 10 minutes near successful regulation, they were outshooting the Finns 29-14.

That unit resulted successful a Shea Theodore rocket from the apical of the ellipse uncovering the backmost of the net.

The Finns were unhappy astir the interaction that Brad Marchand made with Saros, but if you ticker that again, the interaction was intelligibly initiated by Finland's Erik Haula successful the crease.

Canada ne'er took its ft disconnected the state aft that, and that unit surely played a relation successful Finland's Niko Mikkola taking a punishment for high-sticking Nathan MacKinnon with astir 2 and a fractional minutes near successful regulation.

Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates with teammates aft scoring Canada’s 3rd extremity during a men’s crystal hockey semifinal crippled betwixt Canada and Finland astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan. Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 20, 2026. (Petr David Josek/AP Photo)

And erstwhile again, peculiar teams produced, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring the game-winner with conscionable 35.2 seconds near successful regulation.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Finns challenged the goal, saying the Canadians had entered the portion offside — and boy, was it close; wholly worthy taking a plaything astatine — but the telephone stood, and Team Canada was up 3-2.

That was however things ended, with the Canadians going connected a 3-0 rally to cement their spot successful the golden medal crippled connected Sunday, wherever they'll look the victor of Friday afternoon's different semifinal crippled betwixt Team USA and Slovakia.

As for the Finns, they inactive person immoderate concern to thin to arsenic they'll look the loser of that crippled successful the bronze medal crippled connected Saturday.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.