Canada beat Finland 3-2: Nathan MacKinnon’s late goal powers team to 2026 Olympic gold medal final

Canada delivered another heart-pounding performance in the Milano Cortina 2026 men’s hockey semifinals, overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat Finland 3-2 on Friday night. Nathan MacKinnon’s dramatic power-play strike with 35.2 seconds remaining sealed the comeback and booked Canada’s spot in Sunday’s gold-medal showdown.

Finland strikes first, build early lead

Finland, the defending champions from Beijing 2022, jumped out to a commanding 2-0 advantage. Mikko Rantanen opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period. Erik Haula then extended the lead with a short-handed tally in the second, silencing the red-and-white clad crowd at Santagiulia Arena.

Canada’s response was slow but steady. Playing without injured captain Sidney Crosby, the team leaned on its star-studded lineup, including Connor McDavid.

Canada’s relentless pressure sparks comeback

The tide turned in the second period as Canada dominated possession, outshooting Finland 14-3. Sam Reinhart got Canada on the board with a clever tip-in off Cale Makar’s shot, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Momentum carried into the third. Shea Theodore tied the game at 2-2 with 9:26 left, blasting a shot through traffic that beat Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros. The goal ignited the Canadian bench and fans after a tense stretch.

MacKinnon’s heroics seal the win

The decisive moment came late. After Nathan MacKinnon was high-sticked by Niko Mikkola, Canada earned a power play. Moments earlier, Saros robbed MacKinnon with a sharp blocker save.

Connor McDavid, showing elite vision, threaded a perfect saucer pass over penalty killer Roope Hintz’s stick to MacKinnon. The Colorado Avalanche star fired a shot short side, with Macklin Celebrini providing a key screen. The puck found the net with 35.2 seconds left.

Finland challenged for offside, but the video review upheld the goal. MacKinnon’s tally completed the comeback from two goals down.

Canada’s path to gold

This resilient performance marks another escape for Canada after earlier close calls. The stacked roster, featuring stars like McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, and young standout Celebrini, broke through Finland’s defensive trap with persistence and skill.

Canada now await the winner of the second semifinal between the unbeaten United States and Slovakia.