USA, Canada to meet for hockey gold

Canada earned an Olympic rematch with the United States by holding on during the final frantic minutes to edge Slovakia 3-2.

The Americans, who defeated Canada 5-3 in group play earlier in the Games, will face the Canadians again on Sunday with the Olympic title at stake. The United States has not won a men's hockey gold medal in 30 years.

Finland and the United States had just started their semifinal battle when the puck was batted out of the American zone, across the center line and into the Finns' end of the ice.

Finland goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames came far out of his net and made a lazy clearing pass to a teammate. Malone, however, intercepted the pass and fired a long shot that zipped past the goaltender and continued all the way to the net.

Kiprusoff, dazed by that turn of events, gave up three more goals in the next 8 minutes. After Patrick Kane scored just past the midway point of the first period to make it 4-0, Kiprusoff skated directly to his bench and Niklas Backstrom replaced him.

Backstrom surrendered two more goals in his first 3 minutes on the ice.

Staked to a 6-0 lead in the first 13 minutes, the Americans set about protecting the lead with Ryan Miller in goal.

Miller was rested for the final 8:29 of the game in preparation for the gold medal contest and Tim Thomas gave up the lone Finland score with 5:14 to play.

In the second semifinal, Canada took a 3-0 lead late in the second period and appeared to be coasting to a victory.

Lubomir Visnovsky and Michal Handzus then scored in a span of less than 4 minutes to stun the Canadians, the second goal coming with 4:53 to play.

Slovakia swarmed around Canadian goaltender Roberto Luongo and Pavol Demitra had a great chance to tie it in the closing seconds. His shot from just outside the crease, however, missed wide and Canada kept alive its hopes of winning its second gold medal in three Olympics.

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