We win Olympic hockey Gold

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Team Canada has won back-to-back gold medals in men’s hockey with a 3-0 win over Sweden in the final. Photo Credit: ReutersTeam Canada retained the men’s Olympic hockey Gold defeating Sweden 3-0 in Sochi, Russia early this morning.

The game was defensive as expected, with tight checks, solid goaltending and goal posts saving both netminders on more than one occasion.

Canada’s goal-starved forwards Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby each picked up a goal, their firsts of the tournament, giving Canada a 2-0 lead after two periods of hockey. Chris Kunitz added a third goal halfway through the final period.
As the game wore on, Canada became more and more dominant, tiring out the Swedes with a relentless cycle game and stifling defensive play that was the hallmark of the 2014 Canadian Olympic team.

While everyone talked about the struggling Canadian offence, their defence quietly and efficiently smothered the rest of the world’s best forwards, shutting out the United States and Sweden in the final two games to take gold.

Canada gave up a mere three goals in six games and never trailed for the entire tournament.

“I think anyone knows the talent and ability this team has,” Toews told Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman. “A huge credit goes to our commitment to playing a team game and will to win.

“People were doubting whether we can scores goals in this tournament. It’s easy for a group like that to go press and try and create offence and get away from our game plan but we stuck with it every single night. [And] here we all are on top of the podium so it feels really good.”

Toews and Crosby also scored in the gold medal game of the Vancouver Olympics.

Canada became the first team in the NHL era of Olympic hockey to go undefeated through the entire tournament. The Canadians are also the first team in 26 years to defend the Olympic gold medal, and the only squad in the NHL era to do so.