USA crushes Finland, will play for gold

The Americans will battle for what would be their first hockey gold medal in 30 years when they play either Canada or Slovakia on Sunday.

Having won just one game at the 2006 Games in Turin, the United States is the only unbeaten team in the 2010 tournament.

The game was just getting started 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 expecting to collect the puck, but Malone, of the Tampa Bay Lightning, got there first. Malone fired a 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.

Kane finished with two goals and eight American players picked up at least one point. Both sides took 25 shots, but 14 of Finland's came in the final period while the Americans were in a defensive posture.

Finland has won a medal in four of the last six Olympics, but has never won the gold.

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