USA look to 'shape new generation' in hockey with gold medal match against Canada

[p]The Americans throttled [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovakia/ruzLVmAN/"]Slovakia[/a] 6-2 in the Milano Cortina Olympic ‌semi-finals on Friday to book their berth in the gold-medal game, where they will clash with familiar foe [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/dSsR389c/"]‌Canada[/a].[/p][p]They have a chance to summon echoes of the "Miracle on Ice," when a ‌group of amateur and collegiate players stunned the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/soviet-union/OhlqLddp/"]Soviet Union[/a] juggernaut 4–3 and became instant national ‌heroes en route to the 1980 gold.[/p][p][b]"The rivalry with Canada is obviously a ‌long battle and a long history," [/b]said forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nelson-brock/0lwG9VI6/"]Brock Nelson[/a], whose grandfather was on the 1960 gold medal-winning U.S. team and his uncle was on the famed 1980 championship roster.[/p][p][b]"(These are) two countries that ‌want to come out on top, have the bragging ⁠rights that they're the best country in ‌the world,"[/b] Nelson said.[/p][embed guid="49ab95f0-53e9-4a44-a50c-792877d13d9d" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9m-O4Q__qA" social-type="youtube" /][p]Reaching the final has already guaranteed the Americans their first Olympic ice hockey ​medal since Vancouver 2010, a run that ended in heartbreak, when Canada snatched gold 3–2 in overtime.[/p][p]Now, with gold finally within reach again, the U.S. ​has a shot at turning long-simmering frustration into history.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/columbus-blue-jackets/0vCzmbQ5/"]Columbus Blue Jackets[/a] defenceman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/werenski-zach/YPq8gg1P/"]Zach Werenski[/a] said he watched the Netflix documentary "Miracle on Ice: The Boys of '80" released earlier this year ⁠before travelling to Milan.[/p][p][b]"It definitely ​motivated me a little bit more,"[/b] Werenski said. [b]"And it's something not a lot of American hockey players have ever done. I think 36 players have ever won a gold medal for the U.S. in the Olympics, so we're aware of what's at stake.[/b][/p][p][b]"We're going to ‌embrace it, we're going to enjoy it, and this is why you play the game."[/b][/p][embed guid="5b5c1f33-c9d0-442f-a546-26b5f9f4d0d6" url="https://twitter.com/i/status/2024950588543254694" social-type="twitter" /][p]With NHL stars finally back in the Olympic fold for the first time since 2014, the pressure on this U.S. team is immense, and so is the opportunity.[/p][p]Team [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/GYgp4SO3/"]USA[/a]'s last win over Canada in a men's gold-medal final dates all the way back to Squaw Valley in 1960.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larkin-dylan/b1K98MUq/"]Dylan Larkin[/a], captain of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-red-wings/dnJdmCF0/"]Detroit Red Wings[/a] and one of the five goal-scorers in the semi-final, said he had been dreaming about playing for Olympic gold for the past year.[/p][p][b]"Not even going to go into how much I've ‌thought about it as a kid, but that was just a dream up until the ​4 Nations, it turned into serious thoughts,"[/b] Larkin said of last year's tournament, ‌won by Canada.[/p][embed guid="dd84f182-9524-4f97-bb79-9c754b2eec8f" url="https://twitter.com/i/status/2024942729709425102" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ottawa-senators/noTCHmWM/"]Ottawa Senators[/a] captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tkachuk-brady/dvZapuEC/"]Brady Tkachuk[/a] said a gold medal would not just be a victory for this team, it would be a seismic moment for American hockey.[/p][p][b]"There's 1980, there's the '96 World Cup — those moments grew the game so much and shaped our entire generation,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"Now we have a chance to ⁠do the same, to push the sport ⁠forward and make it even better ‌for the next generation."[/b][/p][embed guid="b1041737-3ac6-47a6-8cb7-ffb82dec2d78" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5USHN1f6CU" social-type="youtube" /]