Canada’s topsy-turvy Olympics continued on Friday as Germany stunned the nine-time Olympic champions 4-3 in the men’s ice hockey semi-finals. The defeat came a day after Canada’s women’s hockey team were denied a fifth-straight gold in a shootout against the US and amid the disappointment of missing out on curling medals.
Without their NHL stars, Canada were outplayed by coach Marco Sturm’s team, who now face an even stiffer test against the OAR in Sunday’s final. After winning back-to-back gold medals in Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, and three of the past four dating to 2002, Canada will play the Czech Republic for bronze on Saturday.
Canada have only settled for a bronze medal twice in 21 previous Olympic men’s hockey tournaments and took home gold or silver in each of the six finals with women’s hockey.
An uncharacteristically undisciplined Canada team coached by Willie Desjardins failed to pull goaltender Kevin Poulin or call a timeout when Germany went up 3-0 and 4-1. Poulin was starting because No1 goalie Ben Scrivens was injured in the quarterfinal against Finland. Poulin allowed goals from Brooks Macek, Matthias Plachta, Frank Mauer and Patrick Hager on 15 shots. Canada rallied late but could not level the score as they bore down on goal in the final seconds.
Canada lost in the quarter-finals in Turin in 2006 with NHL players on their roster, but this loss is still a blow for a nation that had already set a national Winter Games medals record with 27 in Pyeongchang. Canada won four gold medals in freestyle skiing and two in figure skating. Scott Moir, Tessa Virtue and Kelsey Serwa have been among Canada’s heroes while the curling and hockey teams came away disappointed.
The Germans didn’t even make the tournament at the last Olympics and prior to Pyeongchang hadn’t won a game at the Games since 2002.
The world’s best players aren’t at this year’s Games after the NHL stopped its athletes from leaving in the middle of the season.
