Hilary Knight ties it, Megan Keller wins it in OT as U.S. beats Canada 2-1 for Olympic gold
In Milan, hilary knight redirected a Laila Edwards point shot with 2: 04 remaining in the third period to tie the gold-medal game, and Megan Keller scored four minutes into 3-on-3 overtime as the United States beat Canada 2-1 to claim Olympic gold.
Hilary Knight's tying goal turned the game
Knight's third-period deflection came after coach John Wroblewski had pulled the goalie and set up a late attacking chance; the timely redirect off Edwards' shot came with 2: 04 left in regulation and erased a 1-0 deficit that had held since early in the second period when Canada’s Kristen O'Neill scored short-handed. The 36-year-old is playing in her final Olympics, and that tying goal moved her into sole possession of the U. S. Olympic career records with 15 goals and 33 points.
Megan Keller finishes it in 3-on-3 overtime
The drama ended four minutes into a frantic 3-on-3 overtime when Taylor Heise sent a length-of-the-ice pass to a streaking Keller, who used a decisive move on a Canadian defender and then beat Ann-Renee Desbiens 1-on-1 to make it 2-1. Veteran teammate Lee Stecklein praised Keller's play, saying, "If you had to play against her and practice against her, Megan Keller can really do it all. " Keller's finish sealed the comeback and the gold medal for the Americans.
Goaltending, defense and the broader finish
U. S. goalie Aerin Frankel made 30 saves in the final and finished the tournament with a. 980 save percentage, becoming the first goalie in Olympic history to record three shutouts in a single tournament; the United States gave up only two goals over the entire Games, tying the 2006 and 2010 Canada teams for fewest allowed. Teammate Kendall Coyne Schofield called Knight's farewell run "poetic, " noting Knight's proposal to U. S. speedskater Brittany Bowe two days before the gold-medal match and the timing of the record-breaking strike.
The U. S. roster blended veterans and breakout players: Wisconsin seniors Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards combined for 18 points and logged the most ice time among U. S. skaters, and Edwards' point-shot setup directly led to the tying goal that changed the game's trajectory. After conceding only one goal earlier in the tournament, the U. S. defense held firm in the final periods to allow Keller's overtime winner to stand.
Knight has said these Games would be her last; with this gold medal and her Olympic records now in hand, she leaves as the most decorated player in U. S. women's hockey history. The team will celebrate the title in Milan before moving on from the Olympic schedule already announced, and officials and players have pointed to this tournament as the end of Knight's Olympic career.
