GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (FEB. 11)

It all comes down to Game 7 for the second year in a row as Canada’s National Women's Team crosses the border to face the United States at the Xcel Energy Center in the Rivalry Series finale Sunday afternoon. The Canadians have once again erased a 3-0 series deficit to force a deciding game, and will look for a second-consecutive reverse sweep.

Last Meeting & Last Game

On Friday, Canada shut out the United States 3-0 at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan, to tie the series. Natalie Spooner had a power-play goal in the first minute of the third period to open the scoring, and added an assist as well. Emily Clark and Sarah Nurse added insurance goals, and Emerance Maschmeyer had an outstanding performance, turning away 27 shots for the shutout.

What to Watch

The home-province crowds in Saskatchewan have certainly energized Emily Clark. After multiple chances in Saskatoon, the PWHL Ottawa alternate captain found the back of the net in Regina to double the Canadian lead. The 28-year-old has a goal and four points in seven games for the nation’s capital. Natalie Spooner has also carried her momentum from the PWHL into her return to Team Canada. She is currently leading the PWHL with seven goals in nine games.

Alex Carpenter and Gabbie Hughes lead the U.S. with three goals each through the first six games of the series. That success on the international stage can also be found in the PWHL. Carpenter leads the league in scoring (5-6—11), while Hughes has two goals and an assist for PWHL Ottawa. The American penalty kill has also been very effective; the U.S. is 20-for-22 on the penalty kill through six games.

History for Spooner

Spooner added her name to the Team Canada history books on Friday, scoring the 500th National Women’s Team goal against the United States in the 182-game history of the rivalry. The veteran forward—who also scored the 300th goal on April 7, 2012—joins the list of milestone goals that includes France St-Louis (1st – March 28, 1990), Dana Antal (100th – Nov. 28, 1999), Gina Kingsbury (200th – Jan. 1, 2006) and Brianne Jenner (400th - Feb. 14, 2019).

A Look Back

Canada has a 4-2 record against the Americans in Minnesota—and a 3-1 record at the Xcel Energy Center—dating back to an exhibition game pre-Nagano in October 1997. In the most recent game in the State of Hockey, Marie-Philip Poulin scored late in the second period to tie the game and Jenner scored 37 seconds into overtime for a 2-1 win on Dec. 3, 2017.

All-time record: Canada leads 103-78-1 (23-19 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 502
United States goals: 443