On Thursday, Canada and Finland faced off for the final preliminary game of the women’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This game was supposed to be the teams’ first matchup, but was rescheduled after several players on Team Finland came down with the norovirus and were too sick to compete on Feb. 5. This became the final game of the preliminary round.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Tournament
Late in the first period, Canada scored their first goal to take the lead. By the end of the second, they had a three-goal lead. The game ended in a 5-0 win for Canada, earning them their second shutout of the tournament.
Clark Took Over the Third Period
Canada performed well overall, but Emily Clark took over in the third period. Canada already had a three-goal lead by the time the final frame started, and just a minute and a half in, Clark made it a four-goal lead with a brilliant wraparound shot that went in off the post on the other side of the net. Just 12 minutes later, she scored her second of the game off a brilliant dish from Laura Stacey.
Clark has played all four games of the tournament so far, but these two goals are her first points. That doesn’t negate her performance, though. She just finally has something to show for it.
O’Neill Was All Over the Ice
Clark was all over the ice in the third period, but in the first two, it was Kristin O’Neill. She recorded the secondary assist on Jennifer Gardiner’s goal in the first period. She didn’t record an assist on Daryl Watts’ goal in the second period, but she was on the ice for it. Just two minutes after Watts’ goal, O’Neill scored one of her own.
O’Neill earned 11:40 of ice time, but based on her stellar performance, you would have thought she was on the ice for the first 40 minutes. In her first Olympics, she already has three points in four games.
During the regular season, O’Neill plays for the New York Sirens in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). This is her first season in New York, scoring five points in 16 games.
Canada Can’t Afford More Injuries
Canada had another scary moment when Sarah Fillier went down in the middle of the second period. She immediately went down the tunnel to be evaluated, but she returned, making a major comeback by assisting on Watts’ second of the contest. Fillier sent a brilliant pass from behind the net to Watts to put Canada up by two goals.
Canada is already missing their captain, Marie-Philip Poulin. Fillier has been stellar in this tournament, with four points in as many games. The good news is that Fillier returned to the ice and didn’t seem worse for wear. As this game closes out the preliminary round, Canada can’t afford to lose any more players as they head into the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals Up Next
Team Canada and Team Finland have made it to the quarterfinals, and both will play their next game on Saturday. This was a good rebound performance from Canada after a terrible showing against Team USA on Tuesday, a 5-0 loss, and the first time Canada has been shut out at the Olympics.
Canada will open the elimination round against Team Germany at 10:30 am ET, while Finland will close out the day against Team Switzerland at 3:10 pm ET.
