The Canadians will begin their Olympic women’s hockey title defence on Thursday afternoon in Milan, Italy. Once again, the Americans look to be the biggest barrier between Canada and another gold medal.
Team to open tournament against Finland on Thursday at 3:10 p.m. ET
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Some see them as the underdogs.
The Canadian women’s hockey team has lost its last six games to the rival Americans, dating back to last year’s world championship.
That includes a four-game Rivalry Series sweep that saw Canada outscored by the U.S., 24-7.
The Canadians are heading into the Olympics as the second-ranked team in the world, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
There’s no getting past the fact that Canada was outplayed, badly, at the Rivalry Series. Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin described it as “a hard look in the mirror for all of us.”