Team Canada Defeats Sweden 3-0, Wins Olympic Gold Medal In Hockey

Team Canada is again taking home gold.

Four years after winning a thrilling gold medal game against the United States in overtime, the Canadians ditched the drama in Sochi and won convincingly over Sweden to take home the hold medal.

The 3-0 victory was sealed in the first period when Jonathan Toews scored what would be the game-winner, and 2010 hero Sidney Crosby also added a goal, his first of the tournament.

Before the game, Crosby and the rest of Team Canada talked about how they would stand up to the pressure of their gold medal moment.

“I think we feel pressure,” Crosby said before the game. “We know everybody is watching.”

But they knew that Sweden, despite being hampered by injuries, would play a tough game.

“It’s going to be tight again,” said Jamie Benn, who netted the game-winning goal against the United States in the semifinal round. “They know how to play a great team game on this ice.”

The Canadians certainly didn’t seem pressured in the gold medal game, sticking to their gameplan and frustrating an often overmatched Sweden. Carey Price, once a question mark for Team Canada, was excellent in net as he made 24 saves.

For Team Canada, the gold medal was the end result of much hard work.

“A lot of people expect us to be there, and expect us to just show up in the final and have a chance to play for the gold medal,” said Toews. “But we knew it was going to be a lot of work, a lot of effort and a lot of adversity to get there.”

Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves for Sweden, but the team struggled to keep up the frenetic pace set by the Canadian team.

Team Canada has now become the only repeat gold medal winning team in the NHL era, and the first to go the length of the Olympic tournament without being beaten since the Soviet Union in Sarajevo in 1984.

[Image Via Sochi2014.com]