Canada storms back to beat Finland 3-2 — MacKinnon nets dramatic late winner to reach Olympic final
MILAN — Canada erased a two-goal deficit and stole the headlines in Milan, rallying past Finland 3-2 to reach the Olympic gold-medal game at the Milano Cortina Games. Nathan MacKinnon finished a late power-play sequence with a blistering shot 36 seconds before the final buzzer — a goal that survived an anxious Finnish offside challenge and sent Canada into the championship match.
A roller-coaster semifinal in brief – Final: Canada 3, Finland 2 – Location: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena – Decisive moment: Nathan MacKinnon goal, 0:36 remaining (power play; offside review upheld) – Canada’s captain Sidney Crosby did not play; Connor McDavid wore the C – Next: Canada vs. United States — gold-medal game, Feb. 22,
How the game unfolded Finland struck first when Mikko Rantanen converted a power play early, and later added a short-handed goal in the second to take a 2-0 lead. For long stretches it looked like Canada was on the wrong side of a classic semifinal script.
The momentum shift began on special teams. A Cale Makar point blast was nudged home by Sam Reinhart on the power play, pulling Canada within one and swinging the arena’s energy. Shea Theodore followed with a one-timer under 10 minutes left in the third, tying the game and setting the stage for the tense finish.
Goalies, saves and grit Goaltending mattered. Jordan Binnington made several timely stops during the comeback, finishing with 15 saves that kept Canada within striking distance. Finland’s Juuse Saros was peppered with shots and turned aside 36, but even his strong night couldn’t stop Canada’s late push.
The winning sequence — drama and review On a late Canadian power play, Connor McDavid’s feed created space for MacKinnon, who slammed the puck past Saros with 36 seconds remaining. A Finnish challenge for offside forced a stadium-wide pause; the video board held fans in suspense as officials reviewed the play. After the review, the on-ice call stood and the goal was awarded — a gut-punch to Finland and a hero’s moment for Canada.
Leadership without Crosby Sidney Crosby remained out with a lower-body injury, so Connor McDavid assumed the captaincy and orchestrated the comeback. McDavid picked up multiple assists in the game and continued to pile up Olympic points, while veteran defenders like Drew Doughty and others provided the stabilizing presence Canada needed. Youngsters, too, made their mark: 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini handled heavy minutes and helped balance the attack alongside established scorers.
What coaches will fix before the final Both sides said recovery and special-teams detail would be priorities ahead of the gold-medal clash. Expect Canada to fine-tune neutral-zone discipline and power-play execution; those areas swung the semifinal and could decide the final against a hungry U.S. squad.
Fan reaction and atmosphere Inside the Santagiulia Arena the noise level swung from near-silence to raucous celebration as the comeback took shape. Social channels lit up with support for injured players, praise for McDavid’s leadership and excited chatter about Canada’s blend of veterans and rising stars. In Cole Harbour and across Canada, the late goal produced spontaneous celebrations.
MILAN — Canada erased a two-goal deficit and stole the headlines in Milan, rallying past Finland 3-2 to reach the Olympic gold-medal game at the Milano Cortina Games. Nathan MacKinnon finished a late power-play sequence with a blistering shot 36 seconds before the final buzzer — a goal that survived an anxious Finnish offside challenge and sent Canada into the championship match.0
MILAN — Canada erased a two-goal deficit and stole the headlines in Milan, rallying past Finland 3-2 to reach the Olympic gold-medal game at the Milano Cortina Games. Nathan MacKinnon finished a late power-play sequence with a blistering shot 36 seconds before the final buzzer — a goal that survived an anxious Finnish offside challenge and sent Canada into the championship match.1