Canada scores on late power play to edge U.S. as pre-Olympic women’s ice hockey tour hits the XL Center
Before Monday night, the U.S. and Canadian women’s hockey teams were 4-4 against each other in the last eight games between the international rivals dating to early 2020.
But the last few games, Canada has had the upper hand.
Monday night, in front of 4,121 fans at the XL Center, Canada’s Sarah Fillier scored her second goal on a power play with 3:58 left in the game to give the Canadians a 3-2 victory over the U.S.
“Obviously, a tough loss,” U.S. coach Joel Johnson said. “I thought we played pretty well. Certainly, in the first period, we would like to get a re-start but I thought the second half of the first period and the rest of the game was pretty good for us. But we’re never going to be satisfied with a loss.”
The U.S. trailed 2-0 early in the game but rallied and tied the score in the second period on an Amanda Kessel goal.
Last Friday, in the first international game the Americans had played in front of a home crowd in 622 days, the U.S. lost to Canada in Allentown, Pa., 3-1 in the first game of the My Why Tour, a series of 12 games leading up to the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in February 2022.
The U.S. and Canada played each other in the IIHF Women’s World Championship final in Calgary in August. Naturally, the game went to overtime, but Canada won, 3-2. The U.S. had won the gold medal in the previous six world championships.
U.S. hockey veteran Hilary Knight, a 2007 Choate graduate, was looking forward to playing Canada. The rivals will play each other seven times during the My Why Tour.
“It’s another game that presents an awesome opportunity to learn how to problem solve on the fly,” Knight said after practice Sunday. “It gives us sort of a measuring stick, where we are and where we want to go. I think that’s what every game is.”
Before Friday, the last time the U.S. had played on U.S. soil was Feb. 8, 2020, when the Americans beat Canada in overtime in the final game of the Rivalry Series in Anaheim, Calif.
Canada got onto the scoreboard early Monday night. Victoria Bach scored 36 seconds into the game to give the Canadians a 1-0 lead, and Fillier had Canada’s second goal — and her second goal of the series — less than five minutes later.
The U.S. countered with 7:28 left in the first period with Cayla Barnes scoring the Americans’ first goal on a power play. The Americans trailed 2-1 after the first period despite an 11-4 shot advantage.
“Obviously, we don’t want a slow start like that,” Barnes said. “But the way we responded is important. We have to find that the beginning of every game.”
Kessel tied it up for the U.S. 5:34 into the second period. But when Megan Keller got a penalty for high sticking with 4:38 left in the game, the Canadians took advantage of the power play to score.
Alex Cavallini played in goal the first night of the tour, and Monday, it was Nicole Hensley’s turn. Hensley had 17 saves.
The last time the two teams played each other in Hartford was during the Rivalry Series in December 2019, and the U.S. beat Canada, 4-1.
Lori Riley can be contacted at lriley@courant.com.
